Cheese Blintzes
by Nigella. Featured in HOW TO BE A DOMESTIC GODDESSIntroduction
The cheese blintz is a wonderful thing: a pancake cooked on one side only, filled with a mixture of curd cheese, lemon zest, vanilla and egg yolk, folded into a parcel and then fried in butter before being splodged with some cold sour cream and perhaps some sharp fruit sauce. This is the traditional way, as eaten by generations of central Europeans.
My version is not so different. I’ve added some cream cheese to the curd, to make for a less grainy filling, and I’ve baked the pancakes rather than fry them. I could pretend this is to make the pudding more compatible with modern eating habits but it would scarcely be the truth. The reason is that it is a lot simpler.
I love these with the sour cream alone, but the blueberry sauce takes this pudding to another realm and, what’s more, it’s a doddle to make. If you’re using frozen blueberries, by the way, don’t thaw them before cooking them.
The cheese blintz is a wonderful thing: a pancake cooked on one side only, filled with a mixture of curd cheese, lemon zest, vanilla and egg yolk, folded into a parcel and then fried in butter before being splodged with some cold sour cream and perhaps some sharp fruit sauce. This is the traditional way, as eaten by generations of central Europeans.
My version is not so different. I’ve added some cream cheese to the curd, to make for a less grainy filling, and I’ve baked the pancakes rather than fry them. I could pretend this is to make the pudding more compatible with modern eating habits but it would scarcely be the truth. The reason is that it is a lot simpler.
I love these with the sour cream alone, but the blueberry sauce takes this pudding to another realm and, what’s more, it’s a doddle to make. If you’re using frozen blueberries, by the way, don’t thaw them before cooking them.
Ingredients
Makes: 12, Serves 6
For the blintzes
- 2 large eggs
- 150 millilitres milk
- 75 millilitres water
- 1 pinch of salt
- 6 - 7 heaped tablespoons plain flour
- 100 grams unsalted butter
For the filling
- 350 grams curd cheese
- 200 grams cream cheese
- 1 large egg
- 50 grams caster sugar
- zest of ½ unwaxed lemon
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the blueberry sauce
- 200 grams blueberries
- 45 grams caster sugar
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon arrowroot
To serve
- 2 heaped teaspoons (10g) icing sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 300 millilitres sour cream
For the blintzes
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup milk
- 5 tablespoons water
- 1 pinch of salt
- 6 - 7 heaped tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter
For the filling
- 1½ cups fresh farmer’s cheese or Neufchâtel
- ¾ cup cream cheese
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- zest of ½ unwaxed lemon
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the blueberry sauce
- 1½ cups blueberries
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon arrowroot
To serve
- 2 heaped teaspoons (10g) confectioners' sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1¼ cups sour cream
Method
- First make the blintzes. Beat the eggs in a blender or by hand, and beat in the milk, water and salt. Add the flour a tablespoon at a time, blending well after each addition. Stop when the batter's acquired the consistency of double cream, then pour into a jug through a sieve to get rid of any lumps. Let stand for half an hour.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter, and let cool a little. When the batter's resting time is up, stir a tablespoon of the butter into it. Heat a crepe pan or small frying pan of about 20cm/8in diameter and add a little of the melted butter, just to provide a light film. When hot, pour in enough batter from your jug to cover the bottom of the pan. Quickly swirl it around and drain off the excess back into the jug. (This will form a slight lip on the side of the pan where the batter's been poured back. You want this, so don't worry.)
- Cook on one side only until the sides curl up a little and the bottom is dry. Turn out onto a plate, cooked side up, and cover with a tea towel or cloth. Then cook the rest, stacking the pancakes up under the tea towel until you've finished. You should get 12 blintzes.
- If you want you can now make the filling, stuff the blintzes and freeze them (wrapped in foil packages of 3), then cook from frozen as indicated below, only for another 10 minutes or so.
- Otherwise, preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F. Then, using some of the melted butter, brush the bottom of the dish you'll be cooking them in; something with the proportions of a lasagne dish should be about right. Mix the filling ingredients together until they're smoothly combined. Place a blintz, cooked side down, with the tab towards you. Dollop a generously heaped tablespoon of filling onto it, fold the tab over it, then fold the side edges in. Fold or roll over to make a rectangle and place in the prepared dish. Continue until all your pancakes are used up.
- Brush generously with the melted butter that remains and cook for 20-30 minutes, when the blintzes will be turning golden and puffy. While they're cooking, get on with the sauce. Put the blueberries into a saucepan with the sugar and lemon juice, and bring to the boil over medium to high heat. Let bubble away for about 3 minutes until the berries have given out copious juice and have cooked down slightly. Stir in the arrowroot and cook for about 30 seconds or so, until the sauce is thick and glossy.
- Remove the blintzes from the oven, and push the icing sugar and ground cinnamon through a fine sieve or tea strainer over them, so that they are well dusted. Put on the table along with one jug of cold sour cream, and another of warm blueberry sauce. Enjoy.
- First make the blintzes. Beat the eggs in a blender or by hand, and beat in the milk, water and salt. Add the flour a tablespoon at a time, blending well after each addition. Stop when the batter's acquired the consistency of double cream, then pour into a jug through a sieve to get rid of any lumps. Let stand for half an hour.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter, and let cool a little. When the batter's resting time is up, stir a tablespoon of the butter into it. Heat a crepe pan or small frying pan of about 20cm/8in diameter and add a little of the melted butter, just to provide a light film. When hot, pour in enough batter from your jug to cover the bottom of the pan. Quickly swirl it around and drain off the excess back into the jug. (This will form a slight lip on the side of the pan where the batter's been poured back. You want this, so don't worry.)
- Cook on one side only until the sides curl up a little and the bottom is dry. Turn out onto a plate, cooked side up, and cover with a tea towel or cloth. Then cook the rest, stacking the pancakes up under the tea towel until you've finished. You should get 12 blintzes.
- If you want you can now make the filling, stuff the blintzes and freeze them (wrapped in foil packages of 3), then cook from frozen as indicated below, only for another 10 minutes or so.
- Otherwise, preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F. Then, using some of the melted butter, brush the bottom of the dish you'll be cooking them in; something with the proportions of a lasagne dish should be about right. Mix the filling ingredients together until they're smoothly combined. Place a blintz, cooked side down, with the tab towards you. Dollop a generously heaped tablespoon of filling onto it, fold the tab over it, then fold the side edges in. Fold or roll over to make a rectangle and place in the prepared dish. Continue until all your pancakes are used up.
- Brush generously with the melted butter that remains and cook for 20-30 minutes, when the blintzes will be turning golden and puffy. While they're cooking, get on with the sauce. Put the blueberries into a saucepan with the sugar and lemon juice, and bring to the boil over medium to high heat. Let bubble away for about 3 minutes until the berries have given out copious juice and have cooked down slightly. Stir in the arrowroot and cook for about 30 seconds or so, until the sauce is thick and glossy.
- Remove the blintzes from the oven, and push the confectioners' sugar and ground cinnamon through a fine sieve or tea strainer over them, so that they are well dusted. Put on the table along with one jug of cold sour cream, and another of warm blueberry sauce. Enjoy.
Additional Information
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
The blintzes can be assembled a day ahead. Put on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment, cover with food wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake. The assembled blintzes can also be frozen, wrapped in foil in packages of 3. Freeze for up to 1 month and bake direct from frozen, adding about 10 minutes to the baking time.
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
The blintzes can be assembled a day ahead. Put on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment, cover with food wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake. The assembled blintzes can also be frozen, wrapped in foil in packages of 3. Freeze for up to 1 month and bake direct from frozen, adding about 10 minutes to the baking time.
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