What Is Palatschinke?

Palatschinke is a type of pancake originating from Austria that is popularly served during lunch or dinner in Eastern and Central Europe. The pancake is made from wheat flour, milk, and eggs, as well as salt and sugar until a liquid batter is produced. The mixture is then cooked in oil or butter, creating a crêpe-type pancake, similar to the French crêpe. Different flavored fruit jams are rolled into the palatschinke and are then topped with one of a variety of sauces. Popular variations of the recipe include Gundel palacsinta, rakott palacsinta, and flädle.

Making palatschinke is not a difficult task and only requires a few simple steps. To begin, the wheat flour, salt, and sugar are mixed together, and the milk and eggs are then combined with the dry mixture. When combined, all ingredients are mixed thoroughly until there are no lumps and a thin, runny batter is produced. Ready to be cooked, the batter should be sparingly spooned into a frying pan at a medium heat to produce a thin, crêpe-like texture, and this is cooked until both sides of the pancake are golden brown. Once cooked, palatschinke is rolled with different fillings, particularly those that are sweet in taste.

Traditionally, palatschinken were rolled in sprinkled sugar, or with different flavored jams such as strawberry, apricot, and plum, as well as cherry or raspberry. These fillings are still popularly used, along with other fillings such as cocoa powder, chocolate sauce, and hazelnut-chocolate cream. It is also common for palatschinken to be rolled with fresh and dried fruits, as well as poppy seeds. While the pancakes are typically served with sweet fillings, variations in recipes now incorporate savory filings such as cheese, vegetables, and meat.

Many variations of palatschinke have become popular since its original creation. Gundel palacsinta is one variation originating from Hungary, which has become a famous dessert in Hungarian cuisine. The pancake has a raisin and lemon rind, as well as walnut and rum filling, and is served with hot chocolate sauce. Another popular Hungarian variation of palatschinke is rakott palacsinta, which is made up of layers of pancakes and has a walnut and cottage cheese as well as jam and raisin filling. Palatschinke can also be made into a dish called flädle, which involves cutting the pancake into thin strips and adding the strips to different types of broths and soups.