Blintzes are a wonderful treat for a brunch or a light luncheon. They are simply crèpes with a lightly sweetened cheese filling that are served with sour cream and some sort of fruit or preserves. For a history of Blintzes, click here. They’re a handy dish to have in your repertoire because the crèpes and the filling can be made a day ahead of serving. Also, they can be assembled and frozen as well.

For another of my crèpe dishes, see Chestnut-Filled Crèpes with Chocolate.

For the Crèpe Batter

Place all the above ingredients in a blender or processor in the order given.

Pulse a few times to blend.

Then run the machine at top speed for a minute or two. Scrape the sides of the container with a rubber spatula, and process another few seconds.

Transfer the batter to a bowl, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight.

To Cook the Crèpes

Cut out 12 squares of wax paper about the size of your crèpes. Use a 5-8-inch crèpe pan, omelette pan, or skillet. Brush it with a little vegetable oil.

Whisk the crèpe batter. Heat the pan until it just begins to smoke. Using either a full 1⁄4 cup or 1⁄3 cup measure (depending on the size of your pan), pour the batter into the pan and swirl it about to make a nice even circle.

Cook for about a minute or so until the underside is lightly browned. For blintzes, you cook only one side of the crèpe. With a spatula or your fingers, remove the crèpe to a plate, and cover with one square of wax paper.

Continue the process until you’ve used all the batter. You will need to brush the skillet with a little more oil after every second crèpe.

When the crèpes are cooled you can cover them with foil or plastic wrap, and refrigerate them until they are ready to use.

For the Filling

Bring the cream cheese to room temperature. I use farmer cheese, dry cottage cheese, cream cheese, and sour cream for my filling. I like to use some farmer cheese because it makes the filling less runny, but if you can’t find any, substitute cottage cheese or even ricottta.

You can experiment with any combination of these that suits you. Adapt your filling to your own tastes. If your cottage cheese is very creamy, drain it in a sieve.

Place all the ingredients, except the egg, in a bowl of a food processor, electric mixer or beat with a whisk.

Beat until the filling has become rather smooth (there may still be a few lumps). Taste for sweetness. Beat in the egg. Chill the filling for several hours in a covered bowl. This helps keep the filling from running so much.

To Assemble and Cook the Blintzes

Bring the crèpes to room temperature to make separating them easier. Carefully peel off the wax paper from the top crèpe. Lay out the crèpe with either side up.  I’ve experimented with filling on either side and don’t find much difference in the final result, though it probably makes more sense to put the filling on the cooked side so that the raw side gets more browned. Spoon a couple tablespoons of filling into the center of the crèpe.

  Carefully fold over the two sides.

Then fold over the top and bottom, which will not hold in place very well.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter is melted, grasp the filled and folded blintzes (holding the folds in place with your fingers) and place them fold-side-down in the skillet. Cook until the blintz is lightly browned (3-4 minutes), then flip it with a spatula, and brown the other side for a couple minutes.

The finished blintz should be lightly browned with the filling cooked—especially since it contains raw egg. Don’t try to cook more than 3 or 4 at a time.

To Serve Blintzes

Place the blintzes on plates with the fold side on the bottom. Accompany them with both apple sauce and sour cream. Some people prefer using jams or preserves.

To Download or Print the Full Recipe, Click Here.