Best Cheese Blintzes With Three Berry Compote Recipes

MOM'S BLINTZES

Steps:

• Make the crêpes: Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl; set aside.
• Using a whisk or a mixer set on medium speed, beat the eggs in a bowl for 1 minute, or until frothy. Beat in the milk and butter.
• Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat until smooth. Let the batter sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to allow the gluten to soften a little and to ensure that the crêpes flow onto the pan as thinly as possible.
• Make the filling: Combine the cream cheese, farmer cheese, 2 tablespoons of the butter, the egg yolks, salt, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Using a whisk or a mixer set on medium speed, beat until smooth. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Heat the butter in an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until sizzling. You will not have to grease the pan again after the first crêpe comes out. Lifting the hot pan in one hand, ladle about 2 tablespoons of the batter into the very center of the pan. Swirl the batter around to coat the bottom of the pan completely, but with the thinnest layer of batter possible.
• Cook the crêpe for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Flip the crêpe and cook it on the other side for no more than 30 seconds. The crêpe should be firm and still pretty blond, not brown. Stack each crêpe evenly one on top of the other on a plate as you continue to make them.
• When all the batter has been used up, arrange the crêpes on a clean work surface. Place about 2 tablespoons of the filling on the bottom third of each crêpe. Fold the bottom up over the filling. Tuck in the sides and roll up.
• Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Arrange the blintzes in a single layer in the skillet. Cook on one side until golden brown; then flip and cook until golden brown on the other side. If the blintzes seem to be sticking, the pan may not be hot enough. Turn the heat up a notch. You should not need to add any more butter. Serve immediately.

CHEESE BLINTZES WITH BLUEBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Make sauce: Wash and crush berries.
• Mix in sugar thru salt and 1¼ cups water and put in saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil 1 minute.
• Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
• Chill.
• Make blintzes: Combine flour and salt, add 1 cup water and mix until smooth.
• Add 4 eggs and beat well.
• Add milk and mix to a thin batter.
• Heat a small amount of shortening in a 6" skillet.
• Pour in ¼ cup batter and cook slowly until pancake is lightly browned on bottom and set on top.
• Turn out with browned side up.
• Repeat, making about 18 pancakes.
• Using a hand mixer, blend cheese through vanilla with remaining egg.
• Put a spoonful of cheese mixture in center of each pancake, fold in ends and roll up.
• Brown in a small amount of hot shortening.
• Serve topped with a dollop of sour cream with cold blueberry sauce over the top.

CHEESE BLINTZES WITH THREE-BERRY COMPOTE

Steps:

• Filling
• If using cottage cheese, place in center of kitchen towel, gather towel around cheese and squeeze to remove excess moisture. Measure 2 1/2 cups packed cottage cheese (reserve remainder for another use). Combine 1 1/4 pounds hoop cheese or 2 1/2 cups packed dry cottage cheese and sugar in processor; blend well. Add eggs and salt; process until almost smooth, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Transfer to bowl. Cover and refrigerate. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• Crepes
• Combine 1 1/2 cups water and eggs in blender. Add flour, sugar and salt. Blend on lowspeed until very smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of container. Pour batter into medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Heat 10-inch nonstick skillet over high heat. Brush very lightly with oil. Transfer 3 tablespoons batter to small cup. Working quickly, pour batter into center of skillet; tilt and shake skillet to spread batter into 7-inch round. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook crepe until bottom is speckled brown, about 45 seconds. Loosen sides of crepe with spatula and turn out onto paper towel, cooked side up. Cover with paper towel. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing pan occasionally with oil and layering crepes between paper towels.
• Place 1 crepe cooked side up on work surface. Place 1/4 cup filling in 3-inch-long log just below center. Fold bottom of crepe over filling. Fold sides in. Roll crepe up, enclosing filling completely. Transfer blintz to plastic-lined platter. Repeat with remaining filling and crepes. (Can be prepared ahead. Cover and chill overnight or freeze up to 1 month. Do not thaw frozen blintzes before cooking.)
• Compote
• Combine all berries, sugar and lemon peel in large bowl. Let stand at room temperature until berries defrost, sugar dissolves and juices form in bowl, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Strain berry mixture thoroughly, reserving juices. Place cornstarch in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually add reserved juices to cornstarch, whisking until smooth. Whisk over high heat until syrup boils and is thick and clear, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Cool 15 minutes. Mix berries into syrup. Adjust tartness with lemon juice. (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Assembly
• Pour oil into 2 large nonstick skillets to depth of scant 1/8 inch; heat over medium-low heat until hot. Place blintzes seam down in skillets. Cook until bottoms are brown and crisp, shaking pans gently and moving blintzes occasionally to prevent sticking, about 6 minutes (for frozen blintzes, cover skillet for first 6 minutes). Using spatula, turn blintzes over; cook until blintzes are brown and crisp and blintzes feel firm when lightly pressed, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towel-lined platter. Place 2 blintzes on each plate. Spoon compote over blintzes. Top with sour cream. Sprinkle with lemon peel.