This recipe for cizleme (pronounced jiz-le-may) comes courtesy of my friend Cagla. She says, “These pancakes are particular to Thrace in the northwestern region of Turkey, where my family's from and where the Balkans connect to Europe. They are different from Western pancake because of the addition of dry yeast, which makes a lot of difference in taste. The batter is thicker, and when they’re cooked, the end result is softer, bubblier and delightfully spongy. It's usually served with what we call white cheese (and the Greeks call feta), or with jams and marmalades. My personal favorite is a paste made from feta and crushed walnuts. And of course butter, liberal amounts of slightly browned butter.” —Cristina Sciarra
These pancakes, made from a few simple pantry staples were a revelation. They had a wonderful texture, soft and spongy, and the flavor got more complex the longer I let the batter sit in the fridge. They were so good that I ate them for three meals in a row. First, I made them for dinner and couldn't resist serving them with maple syrup because if butter and syrup are good, browned butter and syrup are even better, right? Right. I refrigerated the batter and made more the next morning. Still great. That night, after a long day at work, I cooked up the last of them. I decided to try them as recommended. I used a creamy, spreadable Macedonian feta, toasted walnuts, and I sprinkled it all with fresh thyme and Turkish sumac. The texture of the pancake really suited the savory topping more than a fluffy, cake-like pancake ever could. One thing to watch is the pan temperature. My batter was very thick and they needed to be cooked on medium-low on my stove to ensure they were cooked all the way through before burning. For some, I spread the batter more thinly and cooked on medium. Either way, they are highly recommended. —MaryMaryCulinary
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