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Last weekend was dark and rainy. I love gloomy days when I can just stay home. They give me an excuse to read cookbooks, binge-watch cooking shows, and make some cozy snacks.
Recently, Mary Ann Lekatz of the Ely-Winton Historical Society was kind enough to connect me with the Taste of Slovenia Cookbook that was published in 2019 by the Slovenian Union of America (Branch No. 23). It has an impressive selection of recipes that represent the ethnic diversity of our area.
Aside from Slovenian recipes, it contains recipes of First Nation, Finnish, Scandinavian, German, and English nationalities, among others. I would like to note that if you are on the hunt for potica or strudel recipes, this is the cookbook for you. You can purchase a copy for $15 at the Ely-Winton Historical Society. It would make an excellent Mother’s Day, birthday, or holiday gift for the cookbook lover in your life.
This week’s recipe came out of the aforementioned cookbook. I chose to make flancate (pronounced flan-sahtee) because I noticed three different recipes for it in the cookbook. I also had all of the ingredients on hand for one of the recipes, which saved me a trip to the grocery store amidst the downpour. Flancate (sometimes spelled flancati) are fried pastries that are dusted with powdered sugar and served at carnivals or enjoyed prior to Lent.
Once fried, they bubble and puff up like egg roll wrappers, but have a unique texture and flavor. They remind me of a cross between pie crust and pâte à choux.
The first day they were relatively soft, but they crisped up on day two. The recipe makes a lot of pastries, but it can easily be halved.
Flancate are referred to as klenäter in Sweden and parts of Denmark, but Norwegians call them fattigmann. Italians have a version that they call crostoli. Slovenians typically cut flancate into squares, while other countries cut them into diamond shapes or strips. I would like to thank the Ely-Winton Historical Society for their contribution to this week’s column and the Slovenian Union of America (Branch No. 23) for compiling a treasured cookbook.
FLANCATE Ingredients:
1 1/2-2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 6 large egg yolks 2 tablespoons heavy cream 2 tablespoons white wine (optional, see notes) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Oil for frying Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions:
Sift 1 1/2 cups of flour and the salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add the yolks, cream, wine (or substitution), and vanilla. Beat until most of the flour is incorporated. Scrape the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it feels smooth and stiff, like noodle dough. Roll the dough until it is almost paper-thin, dusting with additional flour as needed. Cut the pastry into 1 1/2 inch squares and make 2 slits in the center of each square (this vents the dough to prevent it from filling with air). Pour 2 inches of oil into a deep pot. Heat to 350 degrees F. Fry the pastries in batches for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown, flipping often. Drain on a paper towel lined plate and cool slightly prior to dusting with powdered sugar.
Yield: About 96 squares with a few scraps leftover.
Notes:
This recipe was adapted from the recipe on page 37 of the Slovenian Union of America (Branch No. 23) Cookbook. If you do not wish to use wine in the recipe, I recommend substituting 1 1/2 tablespoons water and 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar for the 2 tablespoons of wine. If your pastry is hard to roll, cover it with plastic wrap and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15-30 minutes prior to rolling. This will allow the pastry to relax and soften. The scraps become too dry for re-rolling, but they fry up great and get extra crispy-enjoy them as a cook’s treat!
