Lace pancakes
There are different names for these pancakes, and the most common are Russian cigars or cigarettes russes and lace pancakes or crêpes dentelles as the French call them. They can be made in the form of rolls / cigars with a larger or smaller opening or flat, without an opening. The rolls are suitable for filling with various creams.
Preparation steps
- Make good room temperature butter, sugar and salt until the sugar dissolves and stops squeaking on the bowl, otherwise it will make streaks on the dough when smearing the sugar grains. Add flour and mix until smooth. Finally, stir in the egg whites (not the snow). The mixture should be soft, smooth and thick, but not too thick. Store in the refrigerator for 1 hour. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Instead of crystal sugar, powdered sugar can be used, the difference in the dough I did not notice, except that the crystal sugar should be a little more muddy. For such a small amount of ingredients I use neither a mixer nor a whisk, but I knead the butter with the round side of a spoon.
- Spread up to 3 oblong pancakes on a silicone base or baking paper. Put 1 full teaspoon of dough for each pancake and spread very thinly with a spatula with a knife or the round side of the spoon in strips about 25 cm long and about 10 cm wide. No more than three pancakes at a time, because the baked ones will harden before you can roll them. Bake for 3-5 minutes at 180 ° C until golden brown. While one is baking, on another silicone base or baking paper prepare to bake another pancake.
- From the dough you can make small round pancakes with a diameter of approximately 10 cm, from which thin rolls / cigars, cones, bowls are made ... Draw 3 circles with a diameter of 10 cm on plain paper, place it under the baking paper and spread the dough inside the drawn circles .
- It is easiest to make large pancakes that are crumbled and used to sprinkle cakes and ice cream or for fillings. Pancakes that crumble / crumble should get a darker golden brown color, and if rolled, a crumb lighter.
- Baked pancakes are immediately rolled because they harden within a few seconds. Lean a small diameter sleeve against the edge of the pancake, separate the end from the base with a knife and roll the pancake by rolling on the base and without lifting it from the base, otherwise it will crack. It can be rolled around the handle of a wooden cooker, but metal sleeves are a much better solution. The metal sleeves heat up incredibly quickly from the pancakes, while the pancake is rolling, the sleeve is already hot. My guess is that with the heat they get from the pancakes, the tubes heat the pancakes back and do not allow the pancakes to cool quickly, thus solidifying as when using a wooden cooker. A better solution than a wooden one is a silicone cooker, even a plastic one, such as a felt-tip pen, no matter how funny. Another important thing is that after the pancakes are baked, the silicone base or baking paper is not removed from the tin until the pancakes are rolled, because the warm tin keeps them soft. As soon as they are rolled, remove them from the sleeve so that they do not stick and put them down with the joint facing down. They can be rolled over a long narrow spatula to roll over the pancakes. You will get flat, stacked pancakes, a very fine snack or an addition to ice cream. Store the cooled rolls in a tin box with a lid, away from moisture so that they do not soften. They are most beautifully filled with confectionery cream mixed with whipped sweet cream. IMPORTANT: Fill with cream just before serving so that they do not soften and lose their crunchiness.
- For a crumbled pancake that is sprinkled on top of cakes and ice cream or added to cream, spread the dough as thinly as possible. It doesn’t have to have a shape, just that it’s thin. Bake until it gets a darker golden brown color. Immediately peel the large pancake off the base, pull the knife under it. When cool, crumble. Store in a jar until use, in a dry and cool place (not in the refrigerator).
- TIP: If the pancakes are not baked enough, the rolls will not be crispy. If it gets very dark, it will crack when rolled. Do not throw away failed rolls / cigars. Crush them to sprinkle or add cream. It is best to sprinkle them with ice cream. If, despite all precautions, the rollers pick up moisture and soften, nothing is lost. Place them for 2-3 minutes in an oven preheated to 180 ° C. The rolls will sag, they won’t be able to fill, but they will be crispy. Serve with ice cream, or crumble and sprinkle with ice cream.
