Beauty’s Cheese Blintzes

My grandmother, Beauty, used to call these little packages of love: thin dough around sweetened cheese, topped with fresh fruit. They’re perfect for brunch or anytime you want to make loved ones feel special.

Ingredients

For the batter:

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup sifted flour
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• Butter for frying

For the cheese filling:

• 12 ounces farmer’s cheese

For the filling:

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg yolk
• Pinch of salt

Toppings:

• Powdered sugar
• Strawberries, sliced thin
• Dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt

4 to 6 servings

Preparation

1. Prepare batter. In a large bowl combine eggs, milk, salt and vanilla and blend well. Gradually add flour. Beat well until there are no lumps in the batter.
2. Make the filling. Combine all of the filling ingredients in a bowl and mix together until smooth.
3. Grease a 6- or 7-inch skillet until it is hot but not smoking.
4. Put a ladleful of batter into the skillet. Tilt pan to swirl the batter so it covers the bottom of the skillet.
5. Fry on one side until bubbles form and the top is set. The bottom should be golden brown. Carefully loosen edges of the crepe and slip it out of the skillet onto a plate.
6. Repeat the above procedure until all the batter is used. Grease skillet each time before pouring batter.
7. After all the crepes are made, begin filling them. The brown side should be facing up. Place 1 tablespoon of filling on one edge.
8. Roll once to cover filling. Fold the sides into the center and continue rolling until completely closed.
9. After all the blintzes are assembled, heat 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet and place each crepe, seam side down, in the skillet and fry 2 minutes on each side, turning once.
10. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt, and garnish with fresh strawberries and a touch of powdered sugar.

• The blintzes have a better texture if the batter rests for half an hour at room temperature. You can also let the filling chill for half an hour in the refrigerator. If the batter gets too thick while it is sitting, you can thin it with a little bit of cold water.

30 minutes