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Perfect Cheese Blintzes with Strawberries and Sour Cream

Cheese Blintzes are a special breakfast or brunch treat. A creamy, lightly sweet, filling is encased in a delicate crêpe, then cooked in butter until a golden brown. My favorite topping is strawberry jam and sour cream. These also freeze well.
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Cuisine European
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 12 Blintzes
Author Debby - www.AFeastfortheEyes.net

Equipment

  • 1 12" inch non-stick skillet or a crepe pan
  • Food processor ideal, to make the cottage cheese finger

Ingredients

FOR THE CRÊPES:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour 10 ounces
  • 2 tsp granulated sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 4 large eggs
  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter melted and cooled; divided
  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter for the cooking the Blintzes in the skillet

For the filling:

  • 2 cups small curd cottage cheese stained overnight, or at least a few hours (see notes)
  • 4 Tbsp cream cheese softened
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar see note
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Garnish:

  • Strawberry Jam or fresh strawberries; or any fruit of your choice
  • Sour Cream

Instructions

FOR THE CRÊPES:

  • Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together in medium bowl.
    Whisk milk and eggs together in separate bowl.
    Add half of milk mixture to flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
    Whisk in 3 tablespoons melted butter until incorporated. (The remaining tablespoon is to brush butter onto the skillet.)
    Whisk in remaining milk mixture until smooth. (Batter can be refrigerated for up to 2 days before cooking. It will separate; re-whisk it before using.)
    NOTE: I like to strain the batter in a mesh sieve, to make sure I don't have any lumps.

For the filling:

  • Be sure that you have strained the cottage cheese, otherwise the filling could become runny. I place it into a wire mesh sieve, and balance it over a bowl, cover it and place into the refrigerator the night before.
  • Combine the strained cottage cheese, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. I discovered that I prefer to blend this in a food processor, so that the curds become finer. Set aside.

FOR THE CRÊPES:

  • Brush bottom of 12-inch nonstick skillet lightly with some of remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter and heat skillet over medium heat until hot, about 2 minutes.
  • Add 1/3 cup batter to center of skillet and simultaneously lift and rotate skillet in circular motion to swirl batter, allowing batter to run and fully cover bottom of skillet.
    NOTE: Don't panic if the crepe doesn't look perfectly round. You'll be rolling it around the filling, so it won't show any flaws.
  • Cook crêpe until edges look dry and start to curl and bottom of crêpe is light golden, about 1 minute. NOTE: You won't be flipping the crêpe over! You'll only cook one side, and stack them on a plate. They won't stick, I promise!
    Using rubber spatula, lift edge of crêpe and slide it onto plate.
    Repeat with remaining batter, stacking crêpes and brushing skillet with melted butter every other time. (Adjust burner between medium-low and medium heat as needed toward end of crêpe-making process.)

Filling the crêpe:

  • Working with 1 crêpe at a time, spoon 2 tablespoons filling onto crêpe about 2 inches from bottom edge and spread into 4-inch line.
    Fold bottom edge of crêpe over filling, then fold sides of crêpe over filling (like a burrito). Gently roll crêpe into tidy package about 4 inches long and 2 inches wide. Repeat with remaining crêpes and filling.
    (Assembled blintzes can be transferred to plate, covered with plastic wrap, and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)

Cooking the Blintzes:

  • Melt 2 tablespoons butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat.
    Add half of blintzes, seam sides down, and cook until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes, gently moving blintzes in skillet as needed for even browning.
    Using spatula, gently flip blintzes and continue to cook until golden brown on second side, 2 to 4 minutes longer.
    Transfer blintzes to platter, seam sides down, and wipe skillet clean with paper towels.
    Repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons butter and remaining blintzes. NOTE: Wipe out the skillet before adding more butter, so prevent bitter burned butter taste.
    Garnish with sour cream and strawberry jam (or fruit sauce of your choice).

TO MAKE AHEAD:

  • You can easily cut this recipe in half, which is what I do-- since I am cooking for two. --or--
    Once you have rolled your Blintzes, transfer blintzes to rimmed baking sheet and freeze. Transfer frozen blintzes to zipper-lock bag and freeze for up to 1 month. When ready to cook, do not thaw blintzes. Reduce heat medium-low and cook blintzes, covered, until golden brown, 6 to 9 minutes per side.

Notes

Traditionally, Cheese Blintzes are made with Farmer's Cheese. Ricotta cheese has also been substituted.  I chose to use cottage cheese, based on a local restaurant who revealed that is what they use-- and they are the tastiest Cheese Blintzes I've ever had!
NOTE: Add the amount of sugar that sweetens the filling to your taste.
Crêpe recipe source: Cook's Country Magazine, December/January 2018
Cheese Blintz Filling source: Revealed to me by a local restaurant owner, who gave me only the ingredients!