Cheese Blintzes

I've been wanting these for a while.  I found out that you're supposed to eat cheese dishes on Shavuot, at least for breakfast, and planned to buy a box of frozen blintzes.

Like everything else, the price went up.  $7 for six pieces was more than I was willing to spend.  $2.49 for a package of Neufchatel and items I had at home was far more reasonable, even though cream cheese was $1.99 a few months ago.  And yes, making the crepes is a pain in the butt that pretty much justifies spending $7.  I got a burst of energy.

This is the first time I've tried to make farmer's (cottage) cheese with the Nido powdered whole milk.  It felt weird to rehydrate the powder, just to separate out the solids again, but it worked.  The curds are far smaller, but that was ideal for this use.  I think I'll try to make paneer out of it, because I really liked the consistency.  There's nothing wrong with buying ricotta or cottage cheese.

Most cheese filling recipes add an egg.  I did not feel confident that I would be able to cook the filling thoroughly by pan-frying and substituted a chia "egg".  Anyway, that is better for my cholesterol levels.  Says the woman making an egg pancake filled with cheese.  I also used half whole-wheat flour.  Kept in the freezer or not, I really need to use it.

You do not need to do this entire recipe in one go.  I made the crepes and cheese one day, filled them the next, and fried up a couple the day after.  Once filled, you can freeze them for a month or so, individually wrapped in parchment or wax paper.  Any leftover crepes can also be frozen.  Defrost in the fridge for a day and pan-fry as usual.

For the crepes

1-1/2 C milk
2 eggs
2/3 C flour
1/4 tsp kosher salt
vegetable oil for greasing the pan

1.  Whisk together milk, eggs, and salt.  In a separate container, measure out flour.  Slowly add milk mixture to the flour to make a batter like heavy cream.  Refrigerate at least an hour, up to overnight.

2.  Preheat an 8" omelet pan over medium-high heat.  Pour a couple of tablespoons of oil into it, swirl around until warm, and pour off into a side container.  This might be enough for all of the crepes.  Whisk the thickened batter to redistribute the solids.

3.  Holding the pan off the flame in one hand, use the other to pour about 1/4 C of the batter into it.  Swirl pan quickly to distribute the batter evenly until set, then place back on the flame.  Cook until the edges curl up, about 4 minutes, then carefully flip and cook the other side about 2 minutes more.  Slide off to a plate, re-oil skillet, and continue with all the batter.

4.  A note about cooking crepes:  The first one is usually a loss.  The pan temperature is never quite right, or there isn't the right amount of oil to allow for a proper release.  It can actually take until the third or fourth to get it to the right temperature: hot enough to cook through but not so hot that they bubble.  At least one is going to stick, tear, or be completely destroyed.  That is built into the yield of any crepe recipe.  This was my first time making crepes in this particular pan, and I actually didn't lose any.  It was shocking.  If you have equal luck, it makes 12, and I was simply hoping for 8.

For the filling and Assembly

8 oz ricotta, cottage cheese, or farmer's cheese, drained
2 oz Neufchatel, mascarpone, or cream cheese
1/2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg or egg replacement
8 crepes
Butter for frying

1.  Mix together ricotta, cream cheese, honey, salt, and egg into a filling.

2.  Lay out a crepe on a work surface, bearing in mind which side you want facing out.

3.  Spoon about 2 Tb of filling on the center bottom third of the crepe.  Fold in sides and roll up, like making a burrito.  Set aside and continue until all of the filling is used.

4.  Preheat a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add enough butter or margarine to lightly coat bottom of skillet, about 1-2 Tb.  Place blintzes in skillet and cook until warmed and crispy, about 6 minutes per side.

5.  Serve hot, with jam, syrup, or Nutella for toppings.  I had a bunch of boysenberries off the bush and got out the Clear-jel to make a quickie pie filling-like topping.  Two blintzes per serving.

Makes 8 blintzes, 4 servings

Difficulty rating  :-0