Hungarian crepes (Palacsinta)

 Hungarian Crepes (Palacsinta)

 Ingredients (Makes about 10–12 crepes):

• 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup (240 ml) milk
• ½ cup (120 ml) sparkling water or regular water
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil or melted butter
• 1 pinch salt
• Optional: 1 tsp sugar and ½ tsp vanilla extract (for sweet version)

 Instructions:

1. Make the batter
   In a bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Gradually add flour and salt (plus sugar and vanilla if making sweet palacsinta). Whisk until smooth. Add water and oil last, and mix until thin and lump-free. Let batter rest for 20–30 minutes.
2. Heat the pan
   Use a nonstick or crepe pan and lightly grease it with oil or butter. Heat over medium-high.
3. Cook the crepes
   Pour a small ladleful (about ¼ cup) of batter into the hot pan. Swirl to spread into a thin layer. Cook for about 1 minute, or until edges lift and bottom is golden. Flip and cook 30 more seconds.
4. Repeat
   Stack cooked crepes on a plate, cover with a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.

 Traditional Fillings:

Sweet:

• Apricot or plum jam
• Sweetened cottage cheese (túró) with lemon zest and raisins
• Nutella or cocoa-sugar mix with melted butter
• Ground walnuts mixed with sugar and a touch of rum
• Poppy seed-sugar mixture

Savory (optional for dinner-style):

• Ham and cheese
• Chicken paprikash filling with sour cream
• Mushroom and sour cream

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 Tips:

• The batter should be runny — like thin cream. Add a little more milk or water if it’s too thick.
• Use a paper towel to re-grease the pan lightly between crepes.
• Palacsinta can be rolled, folded, or layered like a cake (e.g. Gundel Palacsinta, filled with walnut cream and chocolate sauce).