Yid.Dish: Basic but Beautiful Blintzes
Recipe from Jewish Home Cooking
1 to 1 1/4 cups milk, preferably whole
3 large eggs
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Additional unsalted butter or ghee for frying
Mix 1 cup of the milk, the eggs, flour, salt and butter in a blender (or with a hand blender) until smooth. Let the batter rest for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours at room temperature. (If batter is refrigerated, it should rest for at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours).
Stir the batter well – it should have the consistency of light cream.
Heat a very lightly buttered 6-7 inch skillet or crepe pan over moderately high heat until sizzling. Pour about 2 tablespoons of batter into the pan and immediately tilt the pan from side to side to distribute the batter evenly.
Cook just until the top of the blintz is slightly dry and edges start to curl. The bottom should be pale gold, not brown. Do not cook the other side. Loosen the blintz with a spatula and turn it out onto wax paper, fried side up. Repeat until all batter is used up.
Blintz leaves may be prepared ahead. Let them cool to room temperature, keep them separated by wax paper, then wrap well with foil. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Bring them to room temperature before filling to prepare tearing.
Filling the blintz
Spread 1 heaping tablespoon of your favorite filling* across the middle of the cooked side of each blintz. Fold in the sides, then fold the bottom of the blintz over the filling, and roll up jelly roll fashion, pulling the top over tightly. You should have a neat package. Place filled blintzes seam side down, so they don’t open up.
Cooking the filled blintzes
Heat butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat until sizzling. Add the blintzes seam side down, without crowding the pan. Cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, 2-3 minutes. Adjust the heat, if necessary, to make sure the butter doesn’t scorch.
Top finished blintzes with your favorite berry preserves.
*Cheese Blintzes Filling
About 1 pound farmer cheese
1/3 cup cottage cheese, preferably dry-curd
2 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
About 3 tablespoons sugar
2 large egg yolks
Use a fork to mash the farmer cheese well. Add the cream cheese and vanilla and blend thoroughly. Add the cottage cheese and sugar and mash until smooth. Beat in the egg yolks, cover, and chill before filling the blintzes.
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