Gundel-style pancakes: A sweet Hungarian delight awaits

The pancakes owe their name to the Hungarian restaurateur Károly Gundel, who created this recipe in the early 20th century. They quickly gained immense popularity and became a hallmark of Hungarian cuisine. Their secret lies in the delicious combination of ground walnuts, dried fruits (e.g., raisins and almonds), cream, and rum. The dish is topped with hot chocolate, which wraps around the pancakes. Just thinking about it makes my stomach growl.

As soon as I saw this dish in a Budapest restaurant, I couldn't resist this sweet delight. They are served as cakes, but single pancake versions are equally popular. Characterized by a rich filling of ground nuts, raisins, and a sweet chocolate sauce, they are often flambéed for an impressive presentation.

It might seem that we know everything about pancakes, yet these Hungarian ones have not yet gained the popularity they deserve in our country. It's time to change that and prepare a sweet feast in your home.

Ingredients:

Filling:

              
• About 5 oz of walnuts
• About 2 oz of almonds
• About 3.5 oz of raisins
• 2-3 tablespoons of grated orange zest
• 0.5 teaspoon of cinnamon
• Several tablespoons of sugar (to taste)
• Heavy cream
• Rum

Chocolate Sauce:

      
• About 1 cup of milk
• About 2 oz of dark chocolate
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon of sugar

Additionally:

• pancakes

Preparation Method:

1. In a blender or coffee grinder, finely grind the walnuts and almonds.
2. Add raisins, grated orange zest, cinnamon, and sugar to the ground nuts. Stir until all ingredients are combined.
3. Gradually add heavy cream and rum until you achieve a thick yet creamy consistency. If the mixture is too thick, add a bit more cream.
4. Prepare the chocolate sauce by heating the milk in a saucepan. Add the broken pieces of chocolate and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
5. In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with sugar until fluffy.
6. Gradually add warm chocolate to the beaten yolks, stirring continuously.
7. Place a portion of the prepared filling on each cooked pancake.
8. Roll up the pancakes.
9. Pan-fry the rolled pancakes on a dry skillet until golden.
10. Pour hot chocolate sauce over the ready pancakes.

The delicious Gundel-style pancakes are now ready. Enjoy!