Servings: Makes approximately 8-12 blintzes
Ingredients:
For the Crepes:
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, plus more for cooking
For the Filling:
1/2 lb. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 lb. farmer's cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. orange or lemon extract (or 1/8 tsp. lemon or orange oil)* see note below on Citrus Oils
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Garnish:
Lingonberry Preserves (or any preserves of your choice)* see note below
Sour Cream
Instructions:
To Make the Crepes:
In a blender, combine the eggs, milk, flour, salt and the 2 tbsp. melted butter. Blend for 10 seconds, then scrape down the sides and blend for 20 seconds more.
Place a 6 to 8-inch crepe pan or a small nonstick fry pan over medium heat and brush with a thin film of melted butter. Use a ladle to quickly pour in 1/4 cup of the batter. Swirl the pan to coat the bottom with the batter. Cook until the bottom is golden and the top is just set, about 45 seconds. Using a nonstick spatula, transfer the crepe to a plate, browned side down; do not cook the other side. Repeat with the remaining batter, brushing the pan with more butter between each crepe.
To Make the Filling:
In bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese, farmer’s cheese, sugar, egg, lemon or orange extract (or 1/8 tsp. lemon or orange oil) and the vanilla with a fork until smooth.
To Assemble the Blintzes:
Line a platter with parchment paper or wax paper. Place each crepe, browned side up, in front of you, and place 2 generous tbsp. of the filling in the center. Fold the 2 outer edges toward the center so they meet over the filling. Pat gently to flatten. Fold the top and bottom in to overlap slightly in the center. Place, seam side down, on the platter.
Note: If not cooking blintzes immediately, cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours (bring back to room temperature for 10 minutes before cooking).
Preheat an oven to 200°F (93°C).
To Cook the Blintzes:
Place a large fry pan over medium-low heat and melt 1 tbsp. of the butter. When the butter foams, add 4 or 5 blintzes, seam side down; do not crowd the pan. Sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Turn and cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Keep the blintzes warm in 200 degree F (93 C) preheated oven, loosely covered with aluminum foil, and cook the remaining blintzes. Arrange 2 or 3 warm blintzes on each plate. Top with a generous spoonful of preserves and spoon a dollop of sour cream over preserves and serve.
*Note: Any fruit preserves can be substituted for the Lingonberry preserves in this recipe. Good choices are Blueberry, Strawberry, Apricot, or Cherry preserves.
Citrus Oils
Citrus oils are a great substitute for lemon, lime, or orange zest or extract in baking recipes. When using citrus oils, remember to add just a very small amount to dry or liguid ingredients in a recipe. Use 1/4 tsp. per 1 cup dry ingredients, or 1/2 tsp. per liguid ingredients. Citrus oils are very concentrated, and a very small amount goes a long way. In this recipe, I substituted the 1 tsp. orange extract with 1/8 tsp. orange oil.
If you can't find citrus oils at your supermarket, such as orange, lemon or lime, they may be purchased online at Boyajian Inc. Their web address is: http://www.boyajianinc.com
Makes approximately 8-12 blintzes (depending on what size pan you use).
Photograph taken by Diana Baker Woodall© 2003
Source: DianasDesserts.com
Date: October 9, 2003