Blintzes are one of the best ways to use crêpes. If you've never tried these little packets of deliciousness, now's your chance. They take a little effort, but our cherry cheese blintzes in particular are totally worth it.

If you've never had a blintz, you're missing out and you need to try this recipe as soon as possible. A little background: A blintz is a Jewish dish made of crêpes wrapped around various fillings. The most common filling is mild, sweetened cheese, and the whole dish is topped with some type of saucy fruit (we're using cherries for this version!). Both the crêpe filling and sauce can be prepped ahead and refrigerated, so you can just assemble the blintzes on the morning of a special breakfast or brunch. They make a delicious dessert too, topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!

Ingredients for Cherry Cheese Blintzes

For the crêpes:
1 1/4 cups milk
2 large eggs
1 tbsp canola oil
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp sugar
a pinch of salt

For the filling:
2 cups ricotta
1/4 cup full-fat sour cream, crème fraîche or mascarpone
1 large egg
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

For the cherry compote:
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
3 cups fresh or frozen pitted cherries
1/2 cup water
butter for cooking

Instructions for Cherry Cheese Blintzes

  1. To make the crêpe batter: Combine 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 min, until it has the consistency of heavy cream. 
  2. To make the filling: Stir together ricotta, sour cream, egg, sugar and vanilla.
  3. To make the cherry compote: Stir sugar and cornstarch together in a medium saucepan, then add the cherries and water and bring to a simmer over medium-high, cooking until the cherries collapse and the sauce thickens. Set aside to cool, or refrigerate for up to a week.
  4. To cook the crêpes, set a smallish skillet (well-seasoned cast iron is ideal, and maintains an even heat) over medium-high and drizzle with oil or spray with non-stick spray. Pour a few tablespoons’ worth of batter into the pan and quickly swirl it to coat the bottom. Then, cook until the edge starts to curl from the pan and it is 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.)
  5. 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; then, fold each short end over and 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.)
  6. When you’re ready to cook your blintzes, heat a good-sized pat of butter in a skillet set over medium-high. Cook a few assembled blintzes 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.