Chana's Cheese Blintzes
Blintz, which means "pancake" in Ukrainian, is a classic Ashkenazic Jewish food that probably originated in Poland. Blintzes are thin crepe-like pancakes folded around a filling. Cheese blintzes are traditionally served for Shavuot along with other dairy dishes. In this recipe, the blintzes are so delicious that there is no need to fry them after they are filled.
BLINTZ
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 cup flour
- oil for frying
FILLING
- 1 lb. small-curd cottage cheese or farmer's cheese (400 gm. white cheese in Israel)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
BLINTZ
- Mix eggs and water. Mix flour and salt in a separate bowl.
- Whisk flour mixture into egg and water mixture until smooth. If you are having trouble getting it smooth, let it sit for a few minutes and then whisk again. The batter should be thin. If it is too thick, add some more water.
- Pour a few drops of oil into a frying pan, and heat until the oil is very hot.
- Pour just enough blintz mixture into the hot oil to lightly cover the pan. Rotate the pan so the batter covers the whole bottom.
- Cook blintz until the center bubbles and the blintz slides in the pan. Be patient. If you try to turn out a blintz that isn't completely cooked through, it will tear.
- Turn out blintz from pan onto a plate to cool. Only one side of the blintz needs to be cooked.
- Continue steps 1-6 above until all the batter has been used. Stack the blintzes one on top of another on a plate.
* Be sure to stir the batter before frying a new crepe as the flour might settle at the bottom.
* Don't give up. Practice makes perfect when it comes to blintzes. Fortunately, kids will love to eat those blintzes which didn't turn out great so nothing has to go to waste.
FILLING
- In a bowl, mix cheese, sugar and vanilla until well blended. Taste test to arrive at the right amount of sugar and vanilla for a sweet tasting filling.
- Put 1-2 tablespoons (depending on the size of the blintz made) of filling in each blintz. Fold one side over, the bottom up and the top down, and then the second side over to form a neat square.
TIPS: Once the crepes are filled, they can be stored in an airtight container or bag and frozen.
NOTE: To lower the fat content in this recipe, use a nonstick vegetable spray, low fat cheese and sugar substitute instead of the oil, cheese and sugar in the above recipe.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve with fruit jams or sour cream. These blintzes can be eaten cold, warm or hot.