HUNGARIAN PALACSINTA CAKE ARMENIAN STYLE

Steps:

• FOR THE BATTER: Mix the flour and salt and one tablespoon sugar together in a big bowl.
• Work in the eggs, one at a time, then very gradually add the milk, beating well as you go along.
• Beat in the melted butter and strain the batter to remove any large lumps.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Just before using, shake or stir the batter and pour in as much soda water as needed to make a thin batter, the consistency of light cream.
• Make each palacsinta separately: heat a 6 1/2 inch crepe pan or a small frying pan with sloping sides until very hot, then brush with cooking oil.
• When it starts to smoke, remove from the heat and pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter into the pan (work with a ladle the right size, if possible).
• Quickly turn the pan around so the batter flows to the sides, thinly coating the entire bottom.
• A palacsinta is supposed to be very thin, as thin as it can be without getting lacy.
• Pour any excess batter back into the bowl.
• Put the pan back on the heat for about a minute, then give it a couple of good jerks to loosen the palacsinta, then flip it if you can or turn it over by hand, using a spatula to lift it up out of the pan first.
• Cook briefly on the second side and slide it into a warm dish or pie plate.
• Continue making palacsinta until you have at least three per person.
• Keep the palacsinta warm on the back of the stove or in the warming oven, or make them several hours in advance and warm them up later.
• The palacsinta batter may also be made in a blender: put the milk, eggs, salt, flour and melted butter in the jar, in that order.
• Blend at top speed for about 1 minute, then scrape down the sides of the jar and blend another few seconds.
• Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight; just before making the palacsinta, shake or stir the batter and ADD the SODA water.
• FOR THE FILLING: Cook the palacsinta and keep them warm while making the fillings.
• Prepare each filling in a separate dish, combining the listed ingredients and stirring with a fork to get four different kinds of thick mush.
• Butter an 9-inch springform pan and place a palacsinta in the bottom.
• Spread it with the nut filling (number 1) and cover it with another palacsinta.
• Spread the second one with the poppy seed filling (number 2) and cover that.
• Next use the jam filling (number 3), cover it, and lastly the chocolate filling (number 4).
• Continue in this fashion until you reach the top of the pan, ending with a palacsinta.
• Sprinkle it with sugar and dot with butter.
• About half an hour before serving, place the pan in a preheated 375 F.
• oven and bake for about 20 minutes.
• Remove the sides of the pan and transfer the rakott palacsinta to a platter.
• Cut in wedges like a cake to serve.
• The Hungarian Cookbook.
• Susan Derecskey.