Palatschinken

Palatschinken are thin, tender crepes rolled around apricot jam and dusted with icing sugar. It's Austria's crepe, and it's honest to say this thin-pancake format shows up right across Central Europe under different names — Hungary's palacsinta, France's crêpe — with Austria's version distinguished mainly by its classic apricot-jam filling and light, tender batter.

What it actually is

A thin batter of flour, egg and milk whisks smooth and rests briefly, then cooks in a hot, lightly buttered pan into large, thin, tender rounds — thinner than a standard pancake, closer to a French crêpe. Each one spreads with a layer of apricot jam while still warm, rolls into a tight cylinder, and dusts generously with icing sugar just before serving.

The batter has to be thin enough to cook almost translucent at the edges. A thicker, more pancake-like batter loses the tender, delicate texture Palatschinken is meant to have — the thinness is what lets it roll tightly around the filling without tearing.

How it's served

• Rolled and dusted with icing sugar, warm.
• As a dessert, though thinner savoury versions with ham and cheese also exist.
• With apricot jam, the classic filling, though other jams and sweet fillings are common too.

Writing it on a menu

• Flag gluten, egg and dairy; the batter carries all three.
• Say which filling is used, since apricot jam is classic but far from the only option.
• Note that it's naturally vegetarian in the sweet version.
• Mention if a savoury version with ham and cheese is also offered, since the same thin batter works both ways.