Ricotta Blintzes With Berry Compote Food

BLUEBERRY RICOTTA BLINTZES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF.
• Blend all ingredients with a hand blender (or in a food processor) and let batter rest for20 minutes. If you are whisking by hand, strain batter before resting.
• To make crêpes, heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Spray with food release, or lightly coat with oil (you will only have to do this every other time).
• Pour 2 ounces of batter into the center of the pan and lift the pan off the heat, swirling the batter around to coat the pan evenly. Return pan to heat and cook crêpes for
• After crêpes have cooled, be sure to wrap well until ready to fill. Do not store in fridge - if not using right away, freeze and thaw when ready to fill.
• Stir together ricotta, sour cream and sugar. Stir in egg, egg yolk, vanilla and nutmeg.
• Butter a baking pan with melted butter. Place 2 crepes on the counter, with the paler sides facing up. Place about 2 tablespoons fresh blueberries in the center of each crepe and spoon about 3 ounces of the ricotta filling on top of the berries. Fold edges of crepe over 4 times to create a square parcel. Turn parcel over and place in baking pan. Repeat with remaining crepes, placing them very close to each other in the pan.
• Brush tops of blintzes with butter, and sprinkle with a little sugar. Bake for15-20 minutes, until they puff up like little pillows.
• Serve immediately, dusted generously with icing sugar and with a little blueberry sauce or fresh berries. A scoop of vanilla ice cream also has a place on such a dessert!

BERRY BLINTZES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the egg whites and milk. Combine the flour, sugar and salt; add to milk mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. , Heat a lightly greased 8-in. nonstick skillet over medium heat; pour 1/4 cup batter into the center of skillet. Lift and tilt pan to coat bottom evenly. Cook until top appears dry; turn and cook 15-20 seconds longer. Remove to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter, greasing skillet as needed. When cool, stack crepes with waxed paper or paper towels in between., For filling, in a small bowl, beat ricotta and cream until smooth. Beat in 1/2 cup sour cream, sugar, 1 tablespoon wheat germ and vanilla until blended. Spoon about 1/4 cup onto each blintze; fold ends and sides over filling., Arrange blintzes folded side down in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish; brush with melted butter. Cover and bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes or until heated through. Top each blintze with berries and dollop of remaining sour cream. Sprinkle with remaining wheat germ.

BAKED BLINTZES WITH FRESH BLUEBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch cake pan or baking dish.
• For the batter, place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and blend until smooth. (You can also use a blender.) Pour half the batter (about 1 3/4 cups) into the prepared dish and bake for 10 minutes, until set.
• Meanwhile, for the filling, whisk together the ricotta, mascarpone, eggs, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt and mix until thoroughly combined. Spread the cheese filling over the baked pancake. Carefully spoon the remaining pancake batter to cover the cheese.
• Return the pan to the oven and continue baking for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is lightly golden and the filling is almost set. Remove from the oven and allow to stand 10 to 15 minutes. Cut the blintzes in squares and serve warm with the Fresh Blueberry Sauce.
• Combine the orange juice, sugar, and cornstarch in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. When the mixture is translucent and thickened, stir in the blueberries and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, just until a few berries have burst but most are still whole. Stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice and cool.

RICOTTA CHEESE BLINTZES WITH BERRY TOPPING

Steps:

• 1. Combine all the dry ingredients together. In another bowl, whisk together milk, eggs and vanilla.
• 2. Mix together all the wet and dry ingredients thoroughly until no lumps remain.
• 3. Heat a large skillet or a wide crepe pan until sizzling hot. Lightly brush with vegetable oil. Pour about 3/4 ladle full onto the pan and quickly shake around the pan to spread the batter evenly. Cook for about 1 minute on one side, flip around and cook for 20-30 seconds on another. Proceed in the same manner with the rest of crepes.
• 4. Transfer crepes on a plate and fold in half from two sides like an envelope.
• Mix ricotta cheese with vanilla extract.
• Open up each crepe, smear a tablespoon of ricotta cheese along the center of each crepe, fold in half from two sides and lay on a plate. Stack the rest of crepes. Top with cherry fruit filling and serve.

BLUEBERRY RICOTTA BLINTZES

Steps:

• 1. For blintzes: Combine flour, milk, 1/4 cup water, egg, Truvia® natural sweetener, and salt in a blender until smooth. Scrape down the sides; add the 2 tablespoons melted butter and pulse to combined. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.
• 2. For filling: Beat the ricotta and cream cheese in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until combined. Add the egg, Truvia® natural sweetener and lemon zest and beat until smooth.
• 3. Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until a drop of water bounces briefly on the surface before evaporating. Quickly pour 2 tablespoons of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to coat the bottom and make a thin pancake. Cook until the bottom is golden, about 1 minute. Transfer to parchment or wax paper to cool. Continue with the remaining batter, stacking blintzes as they cool.
• 4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spoon 2 tablespoons cheese filling on the lower third of the lighter side of the blintz, fold the sides over the filling and then fold in the bottom, rolling up into a tight package. Place blintz, seam side down, on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pancakes and filling. Bake until puffed and heated through, about 20 minutes.
• 5. Meanwhile, stir together 1 cup blueberries, 1/8 cup water and Truvia® natural sweetener in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened and saucy, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup blueberries and lemon juice. Serve blintzes warm with the blueberry compote.

RICOTTA MASCARPONE BLINTZES WITH RHUBARB-STRAWBERRY COMPOTE

Steps:

• Mix together the ricotta, mascarpone, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest and a small pinch of salt.
• With the cooked side in, place the "tail" of the crepe toward you and spoon about 2 ounces of the filling inside the center of the wrapper. Fold and hold the two opposite sides of the crepe over the filling until they almost meet and then fold the "tail" over the ingredients pulling the stuffing toward you. Fold the crepe over until you form a seam on the blintz. Set finished 2-inch by 1 1/2-inch flat "eggroll" shaped blintz on a dry towel with the seam side down.
• Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium high heat, beginning with the seam side down. Saute each blintz until golden brown, carefully so the cheese does not escape. Flip the blintz onto the other side. To warm the ingredients in the blintz, lower the flame and cook slowly, about 2 to 5 minutes to avoid burning the crepe.
• Gently toss the rhubarb, strawberries, flour, sugar and lemon and let stand until moist, 5 to 10 minutes. In a large saucepan, melt the butter and add the fruit mixture. Cook the fruit for approximately 35 minutes, stirring to make sure the fruit does not brown. Cover 5 minutes or until rhubarb is soft. Ladle the warm fruit over the blintz and top with a dollop of whipped cream. Garnish with a fresh strawberry half.

RICOTTA BLINTZES WITH BERRY COMPOTE

Steps:

• In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together the berries, 2 Tbs. of the sugar and the lemon juice. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the berries have broken down and the mixture is thickened, about 45 minutes; reduce the heat if the compote sticks to the pan. Remove from the heat and let the compote cool to room temperature.
• In a bowl, stir together the ricotta, the remaining 3 Tbs. sugar, the lemon zest and salt until well combined.
• Lay a crepe on a clean work surface. Place 3 Tbs. of the ricotta filling in the center of the crepe. Fold the 2 outer sides of the crepe toward the center so the edges touch. Fold the top and bottom toward the center, slightly overlapping the edges, to form a rectangular blintz; make sure the filling is not exposed. Place the blintz, seam side down, on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining crepes and filling.
• In a large electric skillet set on medium heat, melt the butter. Working in batches, cook the blintzes, seam side down, until golden and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the blintzes over and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more.
• Transfer the blintzes, seam side down, to a platter. Serve immediately with the berry compote.

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.

CHEESE BLINTZES WITH STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB COMPOTE

Steps:

• BLINTZES: Using a blender, mix the eggs, milk and flour at low speed. Add the Grand Marnier. Once the batter is well mixed and coats the spoon with a thin film, refrigerate, covered for 1 hour in a pitcher or bowl.
• Stir the batter thoroughly and before making the crepes, test the liquid by dunking a spoon in the mixture; again, it should coat the spoon with a thin film. Adjust by adding milk if necessary.
• Using a 8-10" nonstick pan, spray with oil, and heat the pan over medium-high heat. Pour about one cup of batter to coat one pan. Once covered, pour a thin layer of batter into the heated pan, swirling to coat if necessary.
• When the crepes pull away from the edge of the pan in about 20 seconds, remove from the heat, tap them lightly or run a knife across the edge of the pan to release, and invert the crepes on a dry towel to cool. Stir the batter at brief intervals to re-suspend the ingredients.
• FILLING: Mix together the ricotta, mascarpone, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest and a small pinch of salt.
• ASSEMBLY: With the cooked side up, spoon about 1/4 cup filling inside the center of the wrapper.
• Fold and hold the two opposite sides of the crepe over the filling until they almost meet and then fold over the ingredients pulling the stuffing toward you.
• Fold the crepe over until you form a seam on the blintz. Set finished 2-inch by 1 1/2-inch flat "eggroll" shaped blintz on a dry towel with the seam side down.
• COOK: Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium high heat, beginning with the seam side down. Saute each blintz until golden brown, carefully so the cheese does not escape.
• Flip the blintz onto the other side. Lower the flame and cook slowly, about 2 to 5 minutes to avoid burning the crepe.
• TOPPING: Gently toss the rhubarb, strawberries, flour, sugar and lemon and let stand until moist, 5 to 10 minutes.
• In a large saucepan, melt the butter and add the fruit mixture. Cook the fruit for approximately 35 minutes, stirring to make sure the fruit does not brown. Cover 5 minutes or until rhubarb is soft.
• TO SERVE: Ladle the warm fruit over the blintz and top with a dollop of sour cream. Garnish with a fresh strawberry half.

LEMON RICOTTA PANCAKES WITH WARM BLUEBERRY COMPOTE

Steps:

• For the blueberry compote, in a saute pan, combine the blueberries, cornstarch, 1 cup sugar, water, lemon curd, orange juice, and a pinch of salt. Gently cook over medium heat until the blueberries are tender but not broken down, and the mixture simmers and thickens. Remove from the heat; stir in the butter and vanilla. Set aside to cool slightly.
• For the pancakes, in a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Stir in lemon zest. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix the egg yolks and the cheese. Fold in the dry ingredients alternately with the milk. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until medium-stiff peaks form. Fold into the batter.
• To complete the recipe, heat a buttered nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat or to 350ºF (water drops on the skillet should skitter or sizzle when hot). For each pancake, pour 1/4 to 1/3 cup batter and cook until bubbles form on top. Turn and cook until the bottom is golden brown and the pancake is cooked through.
• To serve, stack three pancakes on each plate with a dollop of the remaining prepared lemon curd between pancakes. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar and pour compote over the pancakes.