Rediscovering culinary history: 1893 lemon pancakes revived
Old cookbooks often contain recipes that could easily be used in modern cafés and restaurants. One such recipe is for lemon pancakes from The Practical Cook of Warsaw, which dates back to 1893. The recipe impresses with its creativity, simple ingredients, and promise of delicious results. How do you make fluffy pancakes?
The main difference in preparing pancakes from the end of the 19th century compared to classic modern pancakes is that they are not just fried in a pan. While you can simply flip them to cook the other side, you will achieve a far superior result if you finish them in a preheated oven for a while. You can add grated lemon zest to the batter or drizzle the pancakes with freshly squeezed juice after baking. Their aroma will fill the entire flat, laying the foundations for a good day.
A dessert with pancakes like from an exclusive restaurant
Light and fluffy oven-baked pancakes can be enjoyed as an accompaniment to a lemon curd-style cream. The cream in the original version is made from eggs beaten with sugar and lemon juice into a fluffy mixture over a pot of steaming water, known as a water bath. The thick mixture should then be blended with butter. It is worth adding grated lemon zest to the lemon curd.
You can serve the dessert in a dessert cup—tear the pancakes into smaller pieces, place them at the bottom of the cup, and cover with cream. Optionally, add fresh fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, or currants. Alternatively, you can layer the pancakes with cream, creating attractive layers on a dessert plate.
Lemon pancakes – an idea for a savoury snack
Use the baked pancakes from the pre-war cookbook to prepare a delightful party snack. Spread them with creamy cheese and top with slices of smoked salmon. Add a piece of green cucumber and a small wedge of lemon. You'll find that everyone will be impressed with such a combination.
Recipe for lemon pancakes based on the 1893 recipe
I found the list of ingredients and preparation method for the pancakes on the kitchenkredens.pl website.
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs,
- 4-5 tablespoons of wheat flour,
- a little milk or sweet cream,
- 2 tablespoons of butter (preferably clarified),
- lemon,
- icing sugar to sprinkle on the pancakes.
Instructions:
- Take the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks.
- Mix the yolks with the flour and a little milk (or cream). The mixture should be thick but without lumps.
- Whisk the egg whites into a foam, then gently fold it into the prepared yolk and flour mixture.
- Heat the butter in a pancake pan.
- Spoon small amounts of the batter into the pan. Fry until they are browned on the bottom and the dough is set on top.
- Transfer the prepared pancakes onto a baking tray lined with baking paper—with the uncooked side facing up. Bake for 5 minutes at a temperature of 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit).
- After baking, drizzle the pancakes with lemon juice and sprinkle with icing sugar.
If you have a pan with a detachable handle or without plastic elements, you can put it in the oven with the pancakes. In the worst case, flip the pancakes to cook the other side. However, it must be said that the baked ones taste far superior.
