A blintz is a Jewish dish made of crêpes wrapped around various fillings, the most common being mild sweetened cheese, topped with saucy fruit. The crêpes filling and sauce can be prepped ahead and refrigerated, the blintzes assembled and browned in the morning for a special breakfast or brunch. (They make a delicious dessert too, topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.)
Cherry Cheese Blintzes
Crepes:
1 1/4 cups (310 ml) milk
2 large eggs
1 tbsp (15 ml) canola oil
3/4 cup (185 ml) all-purpose flour
1 tsp (5 ml) sugar
pinch salt
Filling:
2 cups (500 ml) ricotta
1/4 cup (60 ml) full-fat sour cream, crème fraîche or mascarpone
1 large egg
2 tbsp (30 ml) sugar
1/2 tsp (1 ml) vanilla
Cherry Compote:
1/2 cup (125 ml) sugar
2 tsp (10 ml) cornstarch
3 cups (750 ml) fresh or frozen pitted cherries
1/2 cup (125 ml) water
butter, for cooking
To make the crêpe batter, combine the milk, eggs, oil, flour, sugar and salt in a blender and pulse until smooth, scraping down the sides once or twice. Let batter sit for 20–30 minutes, until it has the consistency of heavy cream. To make the filling, stir together the ricotta, sour cream, egg, sugar and vanilla. To make the sauce, stir the sugar and cornstarch together in a medium saucepan, then add the cherries and water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, cooking until the cherries collapse and the sauce thickens. Set aside to cool, or refrigerate for up to a week.
To make the crêpes, set a smallish skillet (well-seasoned cast iron is ideal, and maintains an even heat) over medium-high heat and drizzle with oil or spray with nonstick spray. Consider the first a practice; pour a few tablespoons’ worth of batter into the pan and quickly swirl it to coat the bottom – cook until the edge starts to curl from the pan and it’s golden on the bottom. Slide a thin spatula under the edge and flip; cook for another minute, until golden on the other side. Repeat with the remaining batter. (Crêpes can be made ahead, covered and refrigerated for up to a day.)
Filling a blintz is like filling a burrito: place a crêpe on your work surface and put a couple large spoonfuls of filling in a strip down the middle, leaving about an inch at each end. Fold one long side over to enclose the filling; fold each short end over, then flip the whole thing over to close. (To assemble ahead, fill all the crêpes, place in a shallow baking dish, cover and refrigerate for up to a day.)
When you’re ready to cook your blintzes, heat a good-sized pat of butter in a skillet set over medium-high heat. Cook a few at a time, without crowding the pan, until browned on both sides. Serve warm, with cherry compote on top.
Serves 8.
Per Serving: 236 calories, 13.7 g fat (7.2 g saturated fat, 4.75 g monounsaturated fat, 1.4 g polyunsaturated fat), 106 mg cholesterol, 40.2 g carbohydrate, 13.8 g protein, 1.4 g fibre.
Originally published in ParentsCanada magazine, February/March 2016.
