Cheese Blintzes with Raspberry-Strawberry Sauce
This is one of my top comfort breakfast dishes to make at anytime. I wasn’t familiar with cheese blintzes before I moved to the US, but once I made it, I got hooked. True enough, anything that is as good as this needs preparation. I usually make this dish in several steps in a several days, first the sauce, then the crepes, last is the assembling part. Traditionally cheese blintzes are eaten with cherry sauce, but this berry sauce is a good choice when you have frozen berries in abundance after summer harvest.
Cheese Blintzes with Raspberry-Strawberry Sauce
24 Crepes (recipe follows)
2 cups Raspberry-Strawberry Sauce (recipe follows)
1 cup farmer or pot cheese
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 cup cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, or as needed
Make the crepes and the berry sauce. These can be made ahead. Let the crepes return to room temperature whille you make the filling if they have been refrigerated or frozen. Warm the sauce.
Combine the cheeses and sugar and beat with a wooden spoon until thoroughly blended. Add the eggs, vanilla, and salt and stir until smooth.
To assemble the blintzes spoon 2-3 tablespoons filling on the lower third of each blintz. Fold the bottom of the blintz over the fillng then fold each of the remaining sides over to make a little package. Repeat with the remaining blintzes.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skiilet over medium-low heat. Arrange 6 blintzes at a time seam side down in the skillet and saute until faintly brown and crisp, about 2 minutes. Turn the blintzes and brown on the second side, another 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining blintzes, adding another tablespoon of butter for each batch, and serve with the warm raspberry-strawberry sauce.
Basic Crepes
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Melted butter or vegetable oil to coat pan, as needed
Sift the flour, sugar, and salt together into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.
In a separate bowl, blend the milk, eggs, butter, and vanilla. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir by hand just until the batter is smooth. Let the batter rest in the refrigerator at least 1 and up to 12 hours before preparing the crepes. Strain the batter is necessary to remove lumps before preparing the crepes.
Heat a crepe pan or small skillet over medium-high heat. Brush with melted butter. Pour about 1/4 cup batter into the crepe pan, swirling and tilting the pan to coat the bottom with batter. Cook until the first side is set and has a little color, about 2 minutes. Adjust the temperature under the pan if necessary. Use a thin metal or heatproof rubber spatula to lift the crepe and turn it over. Cook on the other side until the crepe is cooked through, 1 minute more.
Stack the crepes to fill now, or refrigerate or freeze them and assemble later.
Raspberry-Strawberry Sauce
Note: you could vary the sauce by using one type of berry or even more than two types of berries.
Makes 2 cups
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries, divided use
2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, divided use
3/4-1 cup sugar, or to taste
1-2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste
Combine 1 1/2 cup of the raspberries, 1 1/2 cups of the strawberries, 3/4 cup of the sugar, and 1 tablespoons of the lemon juice in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Simmer until the sugar has dissloved, about 10 minutes. Taste the mixture and, if necessary, add more sugar. Continue to heat until any additional sugar is dissolved.
Puree the sauce with a blender or push it through a wire-mesh sieve. Return the sauce to a simmer and adjust the flavor by adding additional lemon juice if necessary. Add the remaining 1/2 cup raspberries and 1/2 cup strawberries and simmer until the sauce is very hot.
The sauce can be served hot or cold; it will thicken slightly when stored in the refrigerator, and keeps for up to 10 days.
Source: adapted from The Culinary Institute of America: Breakfast and Brunches
Eliza, I love it when I can make something ahead of time. It just makes life easier.
I bet the combination of the three types of cheeses is delicious. Yum! I hope to give this a try very soon.
now, that’s true. event though it’s made ahead of time, the result is still as delicious.
Comment by Chuck — February 7, 2009 @ 9:02 am
I love Blintzes! But I serve them as a dessert. It’s too decadent as a breakfast for me
sometimes i do too!
Comment by Nurit - 1 family. friendly. food. — February 7, 2009 @ 9:59 am
I have never used farmer or pot cheese. Where do you find it? Do they have it at regular grocery stores?
depends on where you live, you might want to go to a store like New Season or Whole Foods, they’ll have it. if you can’t find it try substituting with cottage cheese, small curds.
Comment by Laura — February 7, 2009 @ 10:02 am
No doubt Liz, this one must be so good!!
yeah, of course!
Comment by dwiana — February 7, 2009 @ 7:24 pm
Looks great! I’ve tried blintzes…..
~ingrid
thanks Ingrid!
Comment by ingrid — February 7, 2009 @ 7:45 pm
It’s a yummy blog. Salam kenal mbak.
salam kenal juga, makasih udah mampir…
Comment by mbak maya — February 9, 2009 @ 9:22 am
These are new to me, Liz, but I could never say no to crepes, cheese and berries. Yum!
oh, really? you should try crepes, they’re devilishly addicted!
Comment by Patricia Scarpin — February 10, 2009 @ 5:23 am
liz, you should be crowned the queen of sweeties hehehe
btw, is 60mm 2.8 macro lens any good? is it operable without tripod? heheheh (yang naksirrrr)
i don’t mind that at all
Rit, i sent you an email!
Comment by mochachocolatarita — February 10, 2009 @ 6:59 pm
These look amazing, I would love them either for breakfast or dessert. Photos and presentation are also very nice!
if i take a poll this should win in both breakfast & dessert category, everyone likes both ways!
Comment by Layla — February 11, 2009 @ 6:45 pm