Cheese Blintzes

Jamie Stolper

Cheese blintzes are delicious and are much easier to make than most people imagine. The crepe batter mixes up in a minute and each pancake slips out of the pan in just about the same amount of time. The filling is also a snap to mix up and the forming of the blintzes is easily learned and quick work.

Small blintzes may be served as hors d’oeuvre, but I prefer to make larger ones and serve them as a main course, topped with sour cream. My mother eats them sprinkled with sugar, but I think this recipe produces blintzes which are sweet enough on their own. Of course blintzes may also be served for dessert, with or without a fruit topping or cinnamon and sugar. If you like blintzes that are less sweet, reduce the amount of sugar in the filling.

Blintzes are often served on Shavuot, as it is traditional to eat dairy foods on this holiday. But do yourself and your family a favor and make these filling, nutritious bundles more than once a year. They freeze well, and will be a welcome treat for any meal of the day!

Ingredients

Crepes:
2 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling:
1/2 pound farmer’s cheese
1/2 pound cream cheese, softened
1 egg
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Butter for cooking the crepes and frying the blintzes

To make the crepes: Blend all ingredients in a blender. Heat a small, non-stick skillet and melt a small amount of butter in it. Pour some batter in the pan and quickly swirl it around to cover the bottom. If there is excess, pour it back into the blender. Let the crepe cook until the top appears dry and slightly bubbly. Flip onto a clean dish towel and let it cool. Continue cooking crepes until the batter is used up. I use an 8-inch pan and get 7-8 crepes. They may be filled immediately, refrigerated for a day or two, or frozen for later use. Store the crepes on a plate separated by wax paper and covered with plastic wrap. Make sure the crepes are at room temperature before filling.

To make the filling and form the blintzes: In a mixer or food processor, blend all the ingredients until smooth. Take one crepe and place a heaping tablespoon of filling slightly below the center of the crepe. (For an 8-inch round crepe, I use about 1/4 cup of filling.) Fold the bottom of the crepe over the filling, fold in the sides, and then roll up the blintz. Remove to a plate, seam side down. Repeat with the other crepes.

At this point the blintzes can either be frozen or pan-fried in butter (start seam side down) until the outsides are browned and slightly crispy. (Do not store the blintzes uncooked in the refrigerator for more than a few hours, as there is raw egg in the filling.) Serve immediately, plain or with sour cream, apple sauce, cinnamon and sugar, or strawberry or blueberry topping.