Naleśniki

Blender

Rubber spatula

Bowl

Small saucepan

Iron skillet or crêpe pan

1.

Make the batter: In a blender, combine the water, milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt. Add the flour, then pour the melted butter over the top. Blend on high for one minute, pausing halfway to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. Refrigerate the batter for at least 30 minutes.

2.

Make the filling: In a bowl, mash the twaróg, yogurt, sugar, cinnamon, and salt with a fork. Add the egg yolk and mix until well combined. Set aside.

3.

Make the compote: In a saucepan over medium-low heat, add berries, Campari, and sugar. Stir occasionally, until berries breakdown and compote thickens, about four minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

4.

Make the pancakes: Heat a teaspoon of lard or butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the pancakes one at a time: pour about three tablespoons of batter into the center of the hot pan, quickly swirling to spread the batter into a 5-inch circle. Cook for about 90 seconds, then flip and cook the other side. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more lard or butter as needed. Keep the prepared pancakes warm under a tea towel so they don’t dry out.

5.

Assemble: Place two teaspoons of the filling in the lower third of each pancake. Fold in the left and right sides by one inch, then roll it up like a mini-burrito or taquito. Repeat with the remaining pancakes. Heat a teaspoon of lard or butter in the skillet and lightly pan-fry each filled pancake until warmed through and lightly griddled. Serve topped with compote and a drizzle of crème fraîche or whipped sour cream.

Ingredients

For Pancake:

1 cup/240 ml cold water
1 cup/240 ml cold whole milk
4 eggs (200g)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups/188g all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons/60g melted butter, cooled to 125ºF/52ºC
Lard, clarified butter, or butter for frying

For Filling:

10 ounces/300g of twaróg (or a farmer’s cheese or ricotta)
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch salt
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

For Compote:

1 cup/150g fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries, or other berries)
¼ cup/60ml Campari
1 teaspoon sugar
Crème fraîche or whipped sour cream for garnish

Cook's Notes

Naleśniki are Polish-style thin pancakes, similar to French crêpes. Rolled or folded, they’re perfect for both sweet and savory fillings. My version is a double-fried pancake filled with sweetened white cheese and topped with a berry compote, then finished with a drizzle of soured cream.

The batter is egg-rich and thinner than traditional pancake batter, giving it that perfect, delicate texture. The recipe calls for twaróg, a Polish farmer’s cheese that you can easily make at home. You might also find it at a good Polish market, or you can substitute it with whole milk ricotta or cottage cheese pressed through a sieve.

Lately, we’ve been hosting “wine with breakfast” at our Studio for Gustatory Well-Being, and I serve these with our Pinot Noir. The berries, spice, vanilla, and slight bitterness from the Campari pair beautifully with this morning wine.

Smacznego!