Cheese Blintzes
Delicate, paper-thin crepes wrapped into neat rectangular packets around a sweet, creamy filling of cottage cheese, cream cheese, or ricotta. They are pan-fried in butter until crisp and golden on the outside with a warm, melt-in-your-mouth center. A classic staple for holidays like Shavuot.
45 min
Medium
Judía Asquenazí (Europa del Este)
4 servings
The story behind
The warm, beautifully lit showcase within the file "Blintzes de queso.png" perfectly captures the comforting essence of this Eastern European Jewish classic. Arranged in an orderly stack on a radial-lined ceramic plate, these blintzes display a tight, professional rectangular fold. Their surface features an even, golden pan-sear from the butter finish, promising a crisp exterior texture that contrasts with the rich, tender dairy filling tucked safely inside. In the background, a grey-and-white striped kitchen linen and hints of bright fruit compote set a welcoming breakfast scene. The word 'blintz' stems from the Yiddish 'blintze', rooted in Slavic terms for thin pancakes (like blini). Historically, since the batter is unleavened, they became the ultimate celebratory dish for holidays honoring dairy harvests. They are best enjoyed hot out of the skillet, paired with sour cream or a splash of warm berry sauce.
Instructions
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1To get things started, make the crepe batter (the leaves): in a high-speed blender, combine the flour, whole milk, water, 2 whole eggs, 2 tablespoons of melted butter, and a pinch of fine salt.
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2Blend on high for 30 seconds until completely smooth and free of lumps. Pour the thin batter into a bowl, cover, and rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to relax the gluten (this makes the crepes incredibly tender).
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3While the batter rests, prepare the sweet cheese filling: in a food processor or large mixing bowl, combine the drained cottage cheese, softened cream cheese, sugar, the remaining egg yolk, vanilla extract, and lemon zest.
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4Process or whip vigorously until the filling turns smooth, creamy, and holds its shape. Keep chilled in the fridge.
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5Remove the batter from the fridge and give it a gentle whisk. Heat a 20 cm (8-inch) non-stick skillet over medium heat and lightly coat the surface with a tiny pat of butter using a paper towel.
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6Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into the center of the hot skillet and immediately tilt and swirl the pan in a circular motion to spread the batter into a thin, even circle across the bottom.
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7Cook the crepe for 60-90 seconds on ONE SIDE ONLY. It is ready when the edges begin to curl up slightly and the top center looks dry and opaque. Do not flip it; traditional blintz wrappers are cooked on one side at this stage.
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8Invert the skillet over a cutting board or parchment paper to drop the crepe out, keeping the cooked side (the spotty brown side) facing up. Repeat with the remaining batter, stacking them as you go.
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9To assemble the packets: place a crepe wrapper with the cooked side facing up. Spoon 2 generous tablespoons of the sweet cheese filling onto the bottom third of the crepe.
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10Fold the bottom edge up over the filling, then fold both the left and right sides tightly toward the center (like an envelope or a small burrito). Roll the crepe firmly away from you to create a tight rectangular log, matching the structure in the file "Blintzes de queso.png".
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11For the final pan-sear: melt a couple of tablespoons of fresh butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Arrange the blintzes in the pan, seam-side down.
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12Fry for 2-3 minutes per side, turning them carefully with a spatula, until they develop that deep, crispy, golden-brown finish shown in the file "Blintzes de queso.png".
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13Serve immediately while hot, alongside a dollop of cool sour cream and fresh strawberry or raspberry compote.
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