Blintzes Food

CHEF JOHN'S CHEESE BLINTZES

Steps:

• Place 3 eggs, flour, milk, water, vegetable oil, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract in a blender. Blend until completely smooth, 1 or 2 minutes, scraping down sides as needed. Let batter sit at room temperature 30 minutes.
• Whisk together ricotta cheese, cream cheese, lemon zest, egg, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix together thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate.
• Heat a 10-inch, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Spray or brush lightly with vegetable oil. Pour in about 1/4 cup batter. Immediately swirl batter around to coat bottom of pan. Cook until surface looks dry, about 1 minute. Flip crepe over to briefly cook other side, about 30 seconds. Remove to a plate. Repeat with the rest of batter. Stack crepes.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly butter a baking dish.
• Spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of filling onto the crepe, about an inch from edge nearest you. Fold edge over filling and flatten slightly. Fold in both sides, then roll up crepe into a small filled rectangle, ending with the seam on the bottom, creating a blintz.
• Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Cook the blintzes until golden brown on both sides, turning gently, about 2 minutes. Transfer to buttered baking dish.
• Bake in preheated oven to firm up the filling, about 12 minutes. Cool blintzes 10 minutes before serving. Dust lightly with confectioners' sugar.

BLUEBERRY BLINTZES

Steps:

• Combine the milk, water, eggs, flour, salt and sugar in a blender. Blend on medium speed for 15 seconds, until the batter is smooth and lump-free. Scrape down the sides of the blender and pour in 3 tablespoons of melted butter. Blend it again for a second just to incorporate. Refrigerate the batter for 1 hour to let it rest. If the crepes are made immediately, they have a tendency to be rubbery; when you let the batter rest, the crepes have a better texture and a softer bite.
• Put an 8-inch crepe pan or nonstick skillet over medium heat and brush with a little melted butter for added assurance. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into the pan and swirl it around so it covers the bottom evenly; pour back any excess. Cook for 30 to 45 seconds, until the crepe batter sets. Lightly bang the edge of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the crepe; then flip it and cook another 30 seconds. The art of flipping a crepe in the air takes practice, so make sure no one is looking when you get the first one going. If this intimidates you, use a heatproof rubber spatula to loosen and flip the crepe. The crepes should be pliable, not crisp, and lightly brown. Slide them onto a platter and continue making the crepes until all the batter is used. Cover the stack of crepes with a towel to keep them from drying out. This makes 10 crepes.
• Assembly: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Forming the blintzes is kind of like making burritos. Spoon 1/4 cup of the Cheese Filling along the lower third of the crepe. Fold the bottom edge away from you to just cover the filling; then fold the 2 sides in to the center. Roll the crepe away from you a couple of times to make a package, ending with the seam side down. Put an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Brush with melted butter. Pan-fry the blintzes for 2 minutes per side until crisp and golden.
• Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 10 minutes so the egg in the filling cooks slightly and the cheese sets. Using a spatula, transfer the blintzes to serving plates. Spoon the Blueberry Sauce on top, dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve right away.
• Serve with chopped banana and remaining Blueberry Sauce. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.
• In a food processor, combine the ricotta cheese, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, lemon zest, and egg and blend until smooth. Chill the filling to firm it up a bit so it doesn't squirt out of the blintzes.
• Combine the butter, blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a small pot over medium-high heat. Bring up to a low boil and stir gently until the berries break down and release their natural juices. The consistency should remain a bit chunky. It will thicken up when it cools down slightly.

CHEESE BLINTZES

Steps:

• Filling:.
• Mix all ingredients.
• Beat well until smooth.
• Refrigerate.
• Blintzes:.
• Beat eggs, oil and milk well.
• Add flour and salt beat well.
• Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• For each blintz, melt 1 teaspoon butter in a 7" skillet.
• Pour in 1-1/2 teaspoons batter, spread batter completely over bottom of pan.
• Cover over medium heat until lightly browned on one side.
• Turn crepe over and brown the other side.
• Remove.
• Put 1 Tablespoon cheese on browned surface of each blintz.
• Fold and roll.
• Put in a glass baking dish and keep warm in oven.
• If necessary they could be frozen and when needed thaw and warm and then serve with a dollop of sour cream or a nice fruity syrup.

CHEESE BLINTZES

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a medium bowl, beat together 4 eggs, water, milk, salt, and flour until well-mixed. Don't over-beat. It's okay if small particles of flour remain as they will be absorbed during the resting period.
• Let the batter rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
• Heat a small skillet (about 7 inches in diameter) and add a pat of butter.
• Whisk the batter until smooth.
• Pour about 1/4 cup batter into the pan and swirl it around, pouring off excess. Make sure not to let it brown.
• Flip and cook the other side for a few seconds.
• Then, turn the blintz out onto a towel.
• Repeat with remaining batter and pats of butter, staggering the crepes one on top of each other.
• In a large bowl, mix together cheese, melted butter, 1 egg yolk, vanilla, and sugar until well-incorporated.
• To assemble, place one blintz on a work surface and place 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling in a line close to the edge nearest to you.
• Fold envelope-style.
• Roll up, and continue with remaining blintzes and filling.
• Fry the filled blintzes in butter until golden brown.
• Serve with optional sour cream and/or fresh or canned fruit toppings. Enjoy!

TRADITIONAL RUSSIAN BLINTZES

Steps:

• Bring eggs to room temperature.
• Whisk together eggs and liquid until well combined. Add oil, sugar and salt. Continue whisking, gradually adding up to a cup of flour in small portions. Continue whisking until mixture is perfectly even and the consistency of yogurt or low-fat sour cream (should be easily pourable, but not watery).
• Place just a touch of butter at the bottom of a large plate. Set aside.
• Preheat a pan to medium-high heat - the pan should sizzle when you add in the oil! Add a teaspoon of oil, and pour in a ¼ cup of the the batter, tilting the pan to spread it thinly and evenly. The blintz should start cooking immediately! When the edges of the blintzes curl, use a thin spatula to flip it. Cook briefly on the other side, and remove from pan onto the buttered plate. Top the cooked blintz with a touch of butter.
• (Please note that the first blintz rarely turns out; use this one to taste and correct the amount of sugar, flour or salt in your batter. If mixture is too watery to cook properly, add a bit more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time).

BLINTZ BRUNCH BAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F.
• Beat Neufchatel, ricotta, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup sugar, lemon zest and juice in large bowl with mixer until blended.
• Whisk remaining eggs, sugar, flour, butter, milk and baking powder in separate bowl until blended. Spread 1/3 of the batter onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; cover with Neufchatel mixture, then remaining batter.
• Bake 45 min. or until center is set.

CHEESE BLINTZ

Steps:

• Use an electric mixer to blend together all the crêpe ingredients (except the butter for the pan) in a large bowl. Blend just until smooth. The batter will be very thin.
• Combine the filling ingredients in a medium bowl and mix by hand. Keep the filling nearby.
• Preheat a 10-inch frying pan over medium heat. (This size pan tapers to about 8 inches at the bottom.) When the pan is hot, add about ½ teaspoon butter.
• When the butter has melted, pour 1/3 cup batter into the pan. Swirl the batter so that it entirely coats the bottom of the pan. Cook for 1½ to 2 minutes or until golden brown on one side.
• Use a spatula to lift an edge of the crêpe. Grab it with your finger, slip the spatula underneath, and quickly flip it over. Cook for another 1½ minutes or until a bit lighter shade of brown than the first side, and then slide it out of the pan. Repeat with the rest of the batter and stack the finished crepes on top of each other to keep them warm.
• Heat the cheese filling in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes or until hot. When ready to fill the crêpes, place each crepe, dark side down, on a plate. Pour 2 to 3 Tablespoons of cheese filling across the center of the crêpe. Fold the sides in and turn the entire blintz over (to hide the seam) onto a serving plate.
• Serve 2 to 3 blintzes on each plate with one dollop of sour cream and two of strawberry preserves. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

SWEET CHEESE BLINTZES RECIPE (FILLED CREPE)

Steps:

• Prepare 12 large crepes about 10-12 inches in size.
• For the filling, combine the farmer's cheese, butter, sugar, and egg yolk. Stir the mixture until smooth.
• Place a dollop of the cheese filling on the bottom part of each crepe, leaving enough room on the edges for folding.
• Fold over both of the sides.
• Starting from the bottom, roll up the crepes and secure the filling inside.
• Keep the blintzes refrigerated until you're ready to serve them. Right before serving, warm them up on both sides in a skillet with butter over medium heat. Enjoy!

BLINTZES

Steps:

• Cheese Filling: Combine filling ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth. Place bowl in freezer to chill filling while you cook the blintzes.
• Make Batter: Add milk, flour, sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla and salt to a blender and blend until smooth.
• Cook: Heat a skillet over medium heat. Pour roughly ¼ cup of batter into the pan and swirl the pan in a circular motion until the batter is in a thin, circle in the pan. Cook until lightly golden on the bottom, then flip and cook on the other side. Remove to a plate and keep warm while you continue cooking all the blintzes.
• Add Filling: Place a big spoonful of the filling onto the pancake, about 1 inch from the bottom. Fold both sides in, then roll all the way up, like a burrito. Repeat with remaining blintzes.
• Pan Fry: Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or coconut oil) in a pan over medium heat. Once hot, work in batches to toast the blintzes seam-side down in the pan. Cook for 1-2 on each side, just until until golden brown all over. Serve with desired toppings.

CHEESE BLINTZES

Steps:

• The night before: Place the ricotta cheese from the filling ingredients into a strainer lined with cheesecloth placed on top of a bowl. Let the ricotta drain overnight in the refrigerator to remove excess liquid. Note-- this step is optional, it will help the filling to thicken so it won't be quite so soft and goopy in the center. Blend all of the blintz ingredients together using a food processor, blender, immersion blender or electric hand mixer. Consistency of the batter should be smooth (no lumps). Alternatively, you can use a fork to mix all ingredients together until the batter is smooth. Make sure you get rid of all the lumps.
• Warm up a nonstick skillet on medium heat until hot. The skillet is ready when a drop of water sizzles on the surface of the pan. If the water pops or jumps out of the pan, the skillet it too hot-let it cool slightly before starting. If the water sizzles, it's at the perfect temperature. Grease the entire surface of the hot pan generously with nonstick cooking oil spray (keep the oil spray away from gas stovetop flame).Pour the blintz batter by 1/3 cupfuls into the pan, then tilt the pan in a circular motion till the batter coats the entire bottom of the pan in a large, thin circular shape.
• Let each blintz cook for 60-75 seconds until the edges of the blintz brown and the bottom of the blintz is lightly golden. You can tell it's ready by touching the center of the pancake's surface-- it should be dry and slightly tacky to the touch. Do not flip the blintz to cook the other side. Use a spatula to take the blintz out of the pan and place it on a plate.
• Keep the blintzes separated by pieces of parchment paper, wax paper, or paper towels. This will help keep them from sticking together.When all of the blintzes are cooked, create your filling. Put all of the filling ingredients into a mixing bowl, then use a fork to mix them well. Filling should be well blended but slightly lumpy.
• Now you're going to stuff and wrap up your blintzes! Put 3 tbsp of filling on the lower part of the blintz, about an inch from the edge.
• Fold the lower edge of the blintz up over the filling.
• Fold the sides of the blintz inward, as though you're folding an envelope.
• Roll the blintz up and over the filling like a burrito, tucking the edges in as you roll.
• When the blintzes are stuffed and rolled, you are ready to fry them. Pour ¼ cup of vegetable oil into the skillet and heat over medium until hot. Do not let the oil turn brown or start smoking-if this happens, discard the oil and try again. Cook the blintzes in batches of 3--this will give you space to turn them easily in the pan. Carefully place the stuffed blintzes flap-side down into the hot oil. The blintzes should fry for 1 ½ to 2 minutes until they're brown and crispy.
• Turn the blintzes carefully using a spatula and/or tongs, then fry for an additional 1 ½ - 2 minutes. Blintzes should be evenly browned on both sides.
• Serve blintzes warm. They can be served as-is or topped with fruit topping, sour cream, applesauce, whipped cream or maple syrup.

BLINTZES

Steps:

• With a whisk, beat eggs and milk together and add the salt. Gradually, a tablespoonful at a time, whisk in flour and beat until smooth. Heat a 6inch skillet and butter it lightly. Pour in enough batter to make a thin pancake. (If batter is too thick, add water to thin) Pour out excess back into the batter and don't worry if a "tab" forms on the side of the pan.
• Cook the blintz on one side only until the top blisters and it looks dry around the edges. Turn the blintz upside down onto a clean towel. Rebutter the skillet if need be, every 2 or 3 blintzes, and proceed until all the batter has been used up.
• Make assorted fillings, roll up and fry, or bake or freeze for another day.

QUICK-AND-EASY CHEESE BLINTZ CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish or coat it with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a blender or a food processor (fitted with a steel blade), combine all batter ingredients. Process until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the container once or twice. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of the batter, and pour it into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees forabout 10 minutes, or until it is set.
• Meanwhile, combine all the filling ingredients in a large bowl, and mix them well. When the bottom layer has set, remove it from the oven and spread the filling over it, smoothing the top. Give the remaining batter a brief stir to resuspend the ingredients; then very slowly pour it over the cheese filling so the filling is completely covered. Carefully return the casserole to the 350 degree oven, and bake an additional 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is puffed and set.
• Let the casserole rest for about 10 minutes before cutting it into squares. Serve with your choice of accompaniments.

BLINI RECIPE (Блины)

Steps:

• Using an electric mixer, beat together the eggs, milk, water, oil, sugar and salt. Add the flour and continue to mix until it's completely smooth and has no lumps. It should have the consistency of a heavy cream, not runny like milk.
• Use 2 nonstick frying pans, so you can cook the crepes twice as fast. You'll get the rhythm, trust me. Grease the pans with oil and heat over medium high heat. Pans must be hot before you start.
• Using about 2/3 of a ladle, quickly pour into a tilted pan, and quickly spread it covering the surface of the frying pan. This needs to happen quickly, or you will have a thick, oddly shaped blinchik. The first few will always look wonky, it gets better as you get your rhythm going. If you have any holes in your blinchik, then fill with more batter. The goal is to make thin blini.
• Cook the blinchik for about 2 minutes until it is lighlty golden, and the edge starts to separate from the side of the frying pan. Using your fingers, (or a spatula) pick up the edge of the blinchik and flip it over and cook for about 2 minutes until golden brown.
• Place the hot blinchik on a plate, and smear the top side with the stick of butter. This is to prevent the next blinchik from sticking to each other. You will make a blini stack.
• Repeat this process, greasing pan with oil, until all the batter is gone.
• Best served warm with light sour cream and jam or honey.