Hungarian Cakeposted and emailed The book I have with such a cake -- called "baumkuchen" or tree cake -- indicates this is a German creation. Not saying that the Hungarians don't have their own version, but that's what...
Let's say today is the first day of the rest of your crpe making :-) I too was a pusillanimous neophyte in the world of cooked flatbreads, until I found the perfect starting point and improved on it. I start with Jehane Benot's no fail recipe for 6 crpes:
1 cup all-purpose flour 1-4 tsp salt 1 tbsp sugar 2 large or 3 small eggs 1 1-2 cup milk 1 tsp brandy or vanilla 1 tbsp melted butter (I use safflower oil)
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Make a well and break eggs into it. Stir until well blended. Add milk gradually, beating with wire whisk of hand beater until batter is smooth (in fact, don't worry too much about small clumps). Add the brandy or vanilla and melted butter.
At this point she recommends letting it stand for an hour at room temperature. My experience is that this is optional. Whether you do or don't (or put it in the fridge overnight) doesn't make that much difference that you should go out of your way to be that elaborate.
To cook crpes, heat frying pan at medium heat. I usually spritz some safflower oil on the pan before the first crpe. Reduce heat to low medium. Pour into the pan just enough batter to eventually cover the bottom (one ladle full for me). Tilt the pan back and forth to spread the batter towards the edges. When the top of the crpes is almost completely dry looking, flip over with a spatula and let it cook quickly on the other side. I then roll it with two quick folds and place it in a dish previously placed in the oven at 150F. You should not really need to add fat to the cooking for the rest of the crpes.
Two things. One, if you're serious about this, buy a crpire. It's a low edge frying pan. Too high an edge on your pan and you'll be ripping the crpe trying to turn it over. My crpire is heavy carbon steel and cost about 20$CDN and it's a magnificent tool although limited in use. It's French manufacture and the cooking surface is 20 cm across (almost 8 inches).
Here are some very much like mine:
Two, get a proper spatula. The one I have is thin steel which was part of my mother's kitchen equipment. Some people use wooden ones.
The reason is that crpes are fragile (as compared to pancakes) so they need a tool that will be flexible enough not to damage them while reaching underneath and that will be wide and stiff enough to lift them without tearing. With good equipment, this should not happen. With bad equipment, nothing works right.
Also, I use safflower oil instead of butter because it is light, it is better than butter and tastes of nothing at all.
EatinginBed Cookbook" author alivefrom google: Vintage Cookbooks: Visions of pie danced in '62 'Eating in Bed' Thursday, April 06, 2000 By Alice Demetrius Stock Even as some...
If you find the batter is too thick, add *small* amounts of milk (no more than 1-4 cup at a time) until you get the desired consistency. Thickening may happen if you leave it overnight in the fridge.
One final word, I didn't get it all right the first time...or the second... It takes some practice.
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remember when you're feeling very small and insecure, How amazingly unlikely is your birth And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in space, 'Cause there's bugger all down 'ere on Earth!
Monty Python's Universe Song
