Meyer Lansky, better known as the “Mob’s Accountant”, was a regular patron of Ratner’s, a Jewish dairy restaurant in New York City. It was there that Lansky, along with fellow mobsters Charlie “Lucky” Luciano and Bugsy Siegel, enjoyed their favorite item on the menu, cheese blintzes. Fortunately, pursuing a life of crime is not a necessary prerequisite for indulging in this ethereal comfort food. Crispy crêpes filled with just the right amount of sweet, creamy cheese filling, dusted with confectioner’s sugar and topped with fresh berries, can be prepared easily at home with a little know-how.
Cheese Blintzes
Why resort to store-bought frozen blintzes when you can achieve nothing less than blintz perfection with the help of a few easy tips:
• After mixing together the ingredients for the crêpes (i.e. blintzes), allow the batter to rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. Resting the batter allows the flour to fully absorb the liquid and gives the gluten a chance to relax. This step is the secret to the most delicate, melt-in-your-mouth blintzes.
• Use a small, six- to eight-inch nonstick skillet for making uniformly shaped blintzes that are not too large.
• Set your heat to medium and let the pan get hot (but not too hot). You might even need to adjust the heat to medium-low as the cooking continues. If the heat’s too high the batter won’t spread to the edges of the pan before setting, and can result in holes or uneven thickness.
• Add approximately 3 tablespoons of batter to the center of your pan. Pouring the batter from a measuring cup with a spout can be helpful, or use a small ladle to help get the portion uniform each time.
Just remember, the first blintz may not be perfect. Don’t fret. Consider it a test crêpe to see if your technique needs adjusting. Many thanks to Emily Kichler of Chatelaine Magazine for these useful crêpe tips.
Armed with your new battery of knowledge, it’s time to get cracking… eggs that is. This recipe for cheese blintzes is a hybrid derived from two sources. The blintz is my tried-and-true recipe published in Welcome to my Kitchen by Sandra Ruben Temes and the creamy filling is from Shulamis Benjamin published in Mishpacha magazine. Topped with fresh fruit and a generous dollop of sour cream, these light and luscious cheese blintzes are a treat that will make your friends and famiglia flip.
Assemble your ingredients.
Place the crêpe ingredients in a blender and mix until combined thoroughly. Place the crêpe batter in a covered container and refrigerate for 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
Combine the ingredients for the filling in a food processor, reuse your blender (why make a second utensil dirty?) or put the filling ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and blend with an immersion blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate the filling. It will thicken on standing.
Spray a 6-inch nonstick frying pan with cooking spray and heat over a medium flame . Using a small ladle or pouring directly from a measuring cup with a spout, pour approximately 3 tablespoons of batter into the hot frying pan. Lift the pan off the heat and tilt the pan back and forth so that the batter covers the bottom of the pan in a thin layer. Pour the excess batter back into the measuring cup. Return the frying pan to the heat and cook the crêpe until it is opaque and set. The edges should start to lift away from the sides of the pan. Using a small offset spatula, start to pull the crêpe away from the edges of the pan and slide a spatula under the crepe. Flip and cook on the other side for another 15 seconds. Carefully slide the spatula under the crêpe again and set the crêpe on a plate with the more well cooked side down. Continue until all the batter is used. Don’t be disappointed if the first crêpe or two is not perfect. Respray the pan and continue.
To assemble the blintzes: Use approximately 2 rounded tablespoons of filling for each 6″ crêpe. Place the filling across the middle of the crêpe, fold the sides in, fold the bottom up, then roll the crepe into a log. Alternatively, spread the filling in a line along the lower middle of the crêpe. Fold the bottom of the crepe over the filling. Fold in the sides and roll. Either method works well.
Place each completed blintz on a parchment lined baking sheet. At this point, you can freeze the blintzes for use another day or fry them in butter until light golden brown. Alternatively, bake the blintzes in a preheated 350°F oven for 15 minutes until they’re thoroughly heated and starting to turn light golden colored in spots. Enjoy with fresh fruit or fruit compote and sour cream. 
Cheese blintzes
Crispy crêpes filled with just the right amount of sweet, creamy cheese filling, dusted with confectioner’s sugar and topped with fresh berries
Ingredients
- Crêpe Batter
- 1 2/3 cups water
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon oil
- Cheese filling
- 16 ounces farmer’s cheese
- 8 ounces cream cheese (not whipped)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Few gratings fresh lemon zest (if desired)
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- For serving
- 1/4 cup icing sugar
- Fresh berries
Instructions
Place the crêpe ingredients in a blender and mix until combined thoroughly. Place the crêpe batter in a covered container and refrigerate for 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
Combine the ingredients for the filling in a food processor, blender or put the filling ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and blend with an immersion blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate the filling. It will thicken on standing.
Spray a 6-inch nonstick frying pan with cooking spray and heat over a medium flame . Using a small ladle or pouring directly from a measuring cup with a spout, pour approximately 3 tablespoons of batter into the hot frying pan. Lift the pan off the heat and tilt the pan back and forth so that the batter covers the bottom of the pan in a thin layer. Pour the excess batter back into the measuring cup. Return the frying pan to the heat and cook the crêpe until it is opaque and set. The edges should start to lift away from the sides of the pan.
Using a small offset spatula, start to pull the crêpe away from the edges of the pan and slide a spatula under the crepe. Flip and cook on the other side for another 15 seconds. Carefully slide the spatula under the crêpe again and set the crêpe on a plate with the more well-cooked side down. Continue until all the batter is used.
To assemble the blintzes: Use approximately 2 rounded tablespoons of filling for each 6" crêpe. Place the filling across the middle of the crêpe, fold the sides in, fold the bottom up, then roll the crepe into a log. Alternatively, spread the filling in a line along the lower middle of the crêpe. Fold the bottom of the crepe over the filling. Fold in the sides and roll.
Place each completed blintz on a parchment lined baking sheet. At this point, you can freeze the blintzes for use another day.
To fry: Heat a medium-sized frying pan, and melt in it about 2 tablespoons of butter till it's sizzling. Sauté the blintzes until they're lightly browned and heated through. The blintzes can also be baked on a parchment lined baking sheet at 350 F. for 15 minutes until warm and lightly golden.
Serve the blintzes dusted with icing sugar and accompanied with fresh fruit and sour cream.
Notes
1 Comment
Benny
May 6, 2021 at 1:37 pmEven my lactose intolerant stomach is tempted to swipe a few and not worry about the after-affects!