Crêpes with Chocolate and Walnuts

Name: Crêpes with Chocolate and Walnuts
Yield: makes a dozen palacinke, serving 6 or more
Ingredients: 2 eggs; 1 tablespoon dark rum; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 tablespoons sugar; 1/3 teaspoon salt; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 8 tablespoons melted butter, or more if needed; Finely grated zest of 2 lemons; 10 ounces excellent bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (12 ounces, or more, for extreme chocolate lovers); 1 1/2 cups walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped; 1 cup heavy cream, chilled (plus sugar to taste); A small ladle (1/3-cup volume or slightly larger); A 7-inch crêpe pan or a nonstick skillet (7 inches wide on the bottom)

December 14, 2011

Every culture has its pancakes, and Istria has palacinke. Though they are no different from crespelle or crêpes, palacinke is the name I first learned for the delicious thin pancakes my mother would whip up for us for dinner. As a child, I loved them any way she served them, often with only a sprinkle of sugar or a bit of home-preserved fruits, like rose-hip jam, apricot marmalade, or prune butter. Sometimes palacinke were more elaborate: filled with ricotta and baked or layered like a cake with different fillings in between. But the most luxurious—and always our favorite—were palacinke spread with melted chocolate. That’s the version I share with you here, but I also encourage you to enjoy these homey treats any way you like. Today my mother still makes palacinke, but now it is her great-grandchildren who wait in line for the next one to come out of the pan so they can spread jam on top, roll them up, and devour them, still warm.

Recipe notes

Rosemary and Dried Cherry Pork Chops

Rehydrating dried cherries in hot water turns them plump and juicy—exactly what you want scattered throughout a rosemary-scented pan sauce for pork chops.

Brussels Sprout Pasta

This brussels sprout pasta recipe taps nutty brown butter, crunchy pecans, and hot Italian sausage to create an easy dinner bursting with fall flavors.

Béchamel Sauce

This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.

Butternut Squash–Kale Salad With Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Round out these autumn greens with tart pomegranate seeds, crunchy pepitas, and a shower of Parmesan.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

Frijoles Peruanos (Peruvian Refried Beans)

Mayocobas, or canary beans, are the quick-cooking pantry ingredient you should know about.

White Bean Turkey Chili

A dash of cocoa powder adds depth and richness to the broth of this easy turkey chili.

French Silk Pie

A no-bake Oreo crust, a rich chocolate filling, and a tower of whipped cream come together in this shut-the-room-up dessert.