Strawberry-Lemon
Cheese Blintzes
One of the best-known and best-loved Ashkenazi foods,
blintzes have become specialties in Jewish homes and Jewish delis throughout the
United States. They can have a variety
of fillings, from sweet ones like blueberry or apple for dessert, to mushroom
or broccoli for appetizers or main courses.
The most famous of all are cheese blintzes, which are served as either
entrees or desserts.
Crepe
Batter:
1-cup milk
¼ cup water
2 eggs
1-cup all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted
butter, melted
Cheese
Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. ricotta cheese
2 teaspoon lemon zest
1-teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup sugar
Strawberry
Sauce:
10 oz. frozen strawberries,
(can be fresh depending on season)
*¼ cup water – if using
fresh
1-tablespoon sugar
1 lemon, juiced –
approximately 2 Tablespoon
½ teaspoon salt
Method of
Prep:
1.
Combine the
milk, water, eggs, flour, salt and sugar in a blender.
2.
Blend on medium
speed for 15 seconds, until the batter is smooth and lump free.
3.
Scrape down
sides of the blender and pour in 3 tablespoons of melted butter.
4.
Blend it again
for a second just to incorporate.
5.
Refrigerate
batter for 1 hour to let it rest.
6.
Put an 8-inch
skillet over medium heat. Pour ¼ cup of
batter into pan and swirl it around so it covers the bottom evenly.
7.
Cook 30 to 45
seconds, or until batter turns brown around the edges. The crepe should be pliable, not crisp and
lightly brown.
8.
Slide the crepes
onto a plate, separating with parchment or wax paper.
Cheese Filling:
9.
In a food
processor or mixer, combine all ingredients together and mix until smooth.
10.
Cover and
refrigerate until ready to use.
11.
(Can be made up
to one day ahead.)
Strawberry Sauce:
12.
Place berries in
a small saucepot and cook at medium heat.
13.
Add sugar, lemon
juice and salt (water added at this point too).
14.
Cook until
berries are broken up, softened and thickness is achieved.
Assembly:
Tori Avey demonstrates step-by-step
assembly of blintzes on her blog:
15.
Preheat the oven
to 375 degrees F.
16.
Forming blintzes
is like making burritos.
17.
Spoon ¼ cup of
the cheese filling along the lower third of the crepe.
18.
Fold the bottom
edge away from you to just cover the filling.
19.
Then fold the 2
sides in to the center.
20.
Roll the crepe
away from you a couple times to make a package, ending with the seam side down.
21.
Place in a
greased glass-baking dish.
22.
Bake until
warmed through, about 15 minutes.
23.
Transfer to a
serving dish and serve with the strawberry sauce.
*Alternatively, blintzes are often
served with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar
RESULT:
Making crepes is definitely an art. Reading many recipes, each has a different technique, however I ended up not using a teflon pan, and just spraying each time before I poured the batter. The result was an evenly cooked crepe. Some of the blintzes tore as I was assembling, but as the final product, smothered in strawberry sauce or sour cream and cinnamon, it all tastes DELICIOUS!
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