My Mother made Chremsels for Passover every year of my childhood that I can remember. When my husband and I started taking our family away for Passover, she used to freeze a few for me to eat for when we got back. Mom hated to cook; but for some reason, this was a recipe to which she was committed.
A word to the wise: These Chremsels are not crepe like or even pancake like. They are dense, heavy and full of flavor from oozing Schmaltz. My children call them hockey pucks. This recipe was handed down from my Great Great Grandmother Ida who was born in Hataivich. I’ve adjusted it a bit but I’ve retained the integrity of the original recipe. My family used to eat them plain. My husband prefers them with white horseradish. Either way you eat them, these Chremsels are either something you love or refuse to eat. They are a taste memory from my past.
Prep time: 75 minutes
Chremsels
By Published: April 4, 2014
Yield:
- 24 pieces
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs beaten
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces water
- 4 tablespoons + 1/2 cup schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) melted
- 3 cups matzah meal
Equipment
- medium mixing bowl
- skillet
- metal spatula
- cookie sheet lined with baking parchment
Directions
- Add sugar, salt, melted schmaltz and water to beaten eggs. Mix well. Stir in matzah meal. My forebears say that the consistency should be "thick-but not too thick-like mustard". Chill mixture for one hour.
- Preheat oven to: 350° F.
- Place two tablespoons of schmaltz in skillet over medium heat. Wait until fat starts to sizzle a bit and then drop chremsel batter into fat with a wooden spoon. Scrape all the batter off the spoon and then flatten chremsels with a metal spatula. Fry about two minutes on one side and then flip chremsels on to the other side. Make sure they are golden brown on each side even if you have to flip them again. Add more schmaltz as needed. As chremsels are browned, place them on baking parchment.
- Place browned chremsels in oven and bake for 20 minutes. Serve hot.
