POPPY-SEED CHEESE CREPES WITH APRICOT SAUCE

Poppy-Seed Cheese Crepes with Apricot Sauce image

Yield Makes 12 filled crêpes, serving 4 to 6

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

two 1-pound containers of plain yogurt
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
6 ounces (about 1 cup) dried apricots
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
melted butter for brushing the crêpes
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup milk
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
melted unsalted butter for brushing the pan
crêpe batter

Steps:

In a large cheesecloth-lined sieve set over a bowl let the yogurt drain, covered and chilled, for 8 hours. Transfer the yogurt to a bowl, add the confectioners' sugar and the vanilla, and whisk the mixture until it is smooth.
In a small heavy saucepan combine the apricots, the brown sugar, and 2 1/2 cups water, bring the liquid to a boil, and simmer the mixture, covered, for 20 minutes. In a food processor or blender purée the mixture and force it through a sieve into a bowl. The sauce may be made 3 days in advance and kept covered and chilled. Serve the sauce either warm or at room temperature.
Make 12 crêpes (procedure follows) with the poppy-seed crêpe batter. Mound 2 tablespoons of the filling in the center of each crêpe and fold the bottom third of the crêpe up over the filling. Fold in 1 inch of each side and fold down the top third of the crêpe to enclose the filling completely, forming a rectangle. Arrange the crêpe in one layer in a shallow baking dish, brush them with the butter, and bake them in the middle of a preheated 450°F. oven for 10 minutes. Serve the crêpes with the apricot sauce.
In a blender or food processor blend the flour, the sugar, 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water, the milk, the eggs, the butter, the poppy seeds, the zest, and the salt for 5 seconds. Turn off the motor, with a rubber spatula scrape down the sides of the container, and blend the batter for 20 seconds more. Transfer the batter to a bowl and let it stand, covered, for 1 hour. The batter may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Makes enough batter for about 16 crêpes.
Heat a crêpe pan or non-stick skillet measuring 6 to 7 inches across the bottom over moderate heat until it is hot. Brush the pan lightly with the butter, heat it until it is hot but not smoking, and remove it from the heat. Stir the batter, half fill a 1/4-cup measure with it, and pour the batter into the pan. Tilt and rotate the pan quickly to cover the bottom with a layer of batter and return any excess batter to bowl. Return the pan to the heat, loosen the edge of the crêpe with a spatula, and cook the crêpe for 1 minute, or until the top appears almost dry. Turn the crêpe, cook the other side lightly, and transfer the crêpe to a plate. Make crêpe with the remaining batter in the same manner, brushing the pan lightly with butter as necessary. The crêpes may be made 3 days in advance, kept stacked, wrapped in plastic wrap, and chilled.