A cheese blintz is a thin, delicate crepe stuffed with a sweetened creamy cheese mixture, then pan-fried until golden brown. Blintzes have a delicious sweet and savory flavor and make a fantastic breakfast, brunch, or even dessert.
Blintzes originated in the Ashkenazi Jewish community of Central and Eastern Europe. The word "blintz" comes from the Yiddish word “blintse”, which in turn comes from a Slavic word meaning pancake.
Like other foods that are now considered quintessentially Jewish, such as knishes and bagels, blintzes started as foods that Jewish communities adapted from their non-Jewish neighbors. Over time, they became a treasured part of Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine.
Traditionally, blintzes are filled with sweetened farmer's cheese or ricotta cheese, especially for the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. Fresh fruit toppings like berry compote or sour cream are also commonly served alongside cheese blintzes.
What's the Difference Between a Crepe and a Blintz?
Crepes and blintzes are very similar, but there are a few key differences:
- Cooking method: Crepes are only cooked once, while blintzes are cooked twice - first to make the crepe, then again after filling to pan fry them.
- Fillings: Crepes can be served plain or with either sweet or savory fillings, while blintzes are always stuffed with a sweet filling, usually containing cheese.
- Origin: Crepes have French origin and are similar to Russian blini pancakes. Blintzes have Ashkenazi Jewish and Eastern European origins.
So in summary, you can think of a blintz as a filled variant of a crepe - a delicate pancake that gets pan-fried after being stuffed with sweet cheese filling.
How to Make Cheese Blintzes from Scratch
Making blintzes at home is easier than you might expect. Here is an overview of the process:
Ingredients Needed
To make around 12 blintzes, you will need:
- For the crepes: eggs, milk, flour, salt, sugar, butter, oil for frying
- For the filling: ricotta or cottage cheese, cream cheese, egg, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice
- For serving: fruit topping, powdered sugar, sour cream or Greek yogurt (optional)
Steps to Make Blintzes
Follow these key steps:
- Make the crepe batter: Whisk together eggs, milk, salt, sugar, and flour. Let it rest for 20 minutes before cooking.
- Cook the crepes: Heat butter or oil in a skillet. Pour in 1/4 cup batter at a time, swirling to coat the pan in a thin layer. Cook briefly until just set, then flip and cook a few seconds more.
- Make the sweet cheese filling: Beat together ricotta, cream cheese, egg, vanilla, lemon juice and sugar. Chill the filling in the fridge or freezer while cooking crepes.
- Assemble the blintzes: Place filling along lower third of each crepe. Fold sides inward, then roll up like a burrito to enclose filling completely.
- Pan-fry the blintzes: Melt butter in a skillet, then fry blintzes for 1-2 minutes per side until crispy and browned.
- Serve warm: Top with fruit, powdered sugar, or sour cream. Enjoy!
Key Takeaway: Blintzes have a thin crepe exterior wrapped around sweetened cheese filling. You make and cook crepes first, then fill, fold, pan fry, and top them before serving.
Step-By-Step Photo Guide for Making Cheese Blintzes
Now let’s go through the process of making delicious cheese blintzes at home:
Make the Batter and Cook the Crepes
First, whisk together the wet and dry ingredients for the crepe batter:
Let the batter rest for 20 minutes before cooking. This allows the flour to absorb more moisture and prevents lumps.
To cook the crepes, heat butter or oil in a skillet. Pour in 1/4 cup batter at a time, swirling quickly to coat the bottom in a thin, even layer:
Cook just until the bottom sets and browns slightly, then flip and cook for 30 more seconds on the other side:
Repeat with remaining batter, separating cooked crepes between parchment paper.
Make the Sweet Cheese Filling
For the filling, beat together ricotta cheese, softened cream cheese, egg, sugar, and vanilla extract:
Chill the filling mixture while cooking crepes so it sets up thicker and holds its shape better.
Fill, Fold and Roll Up the Blintzes
Now assemble the blintzes by placing a spoonful of chilled filling along lower third of each cooked crepe:
Fold up bottom edge to cover filling, then fold in sides:
Then roll away from you into a neat package:
Repeat process of filling and rolling up with all cooked crepes.
Pan Fry the Filled Blintzes
Heat butter or oil in a skillet. Fry blintzes in batches for 1-2 minutes per side until crispy and browned all over:
Serve Blintzes Warm
You can serve blintzes warm right away, or place on baking sheet in oven for 5 minutes to finish warming cheese filling before topping and serving.
Enjoy cheese blintzes topped with fruit compote, powdered sugar, sour cream, maple syrup or anything else that sounds delicious!
Key Takeaway: After crepes are cooked, filling is chilled, then stuffed into the crepes which are folded, sealed, pan fried and served warm with sweet toppings. Overall very easy for such a special homemade treat!
Tips for Making Flawless Cheese Blintzes Every Time
Check out these top tips for cheese blintz success:
1. Cook Crepes on One Side Only
- Only cook blintz crepes on one side before removing from pan and filling them. No need to flip and brown both sides twice. This saves lots of time.
2. Use Parchment Paper
- Place pieces of parchment paper between cooked crepes. This prevents them from sticking together as they cool.
3. Chill the Filling
- Stick the sweet cheese filling in fridge or freezer while cooking crepes. The cold temperature helps the filling set up thicker so it doesn’t ooze out of the crepes later.
4. Don’t Overfill Crepes
- Use just 1-2 tablespoons filling per crepe so you can seal them up tight. Too much filling makes them difficult to wrap up.
5. Seal Carefully When Rolling
- Tuck in sides and roll up tightly when enclosing filling, so the delicious filling stays safely inside the fried blintzes later. No one wants an exploding blintz!
6. Fry Low and Slow
- Use medium-low heat when pan frying blintzes so the crepe exterior can crisp up while the cheese filling warms through, without burning or becoming greasy. Fry for 1-2 minutes per batch, flipping halfway.
7. Make Ahead and Freeze
- You can make uncooked filled blintzes 1-2 days ahead. Freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer bag. Thaw overnight in fridge before frying.
Following these handy tips will help you achieve blintz success!
Get Creative with Blintz Fillings and Toppings
While the classic filling for blintzes is sweet cheese, you can also try different fillings like fruit or potatoes. Mix in berries or lemon zest to the creamy cheese too.
And don’t stop at traditional powdered sugar or fruit compote toppings! Blintzes also go great with caramel, chocolate sauce, peanut butter, whipped cream, maple syrup, honey and more.
Here are just a few blintz flavor combination ideas to inspire you:
- Blueberry cream cheese blintzes
- Lemon ricotta blintzes with raspberry sauce
- Cinnamon apple blintzes with salted caramel sauce
- Potato and onion blintzes with sour cream
- Chocolate-hazelnut blintzes dusted with powdered sugar
The possibilities are endless when it comes to filing and topping these sweet crepe packets, so unleash your creativity!
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Blintzes
Blintzes hold up well for storing and reheating. Here are some tips:
- Store fully prepared blintzes in fridge up to 5 days.
- Reheat in microwave, toaster oven or pan, adding a bit of butter or oil to crispen up again.
- Freeze uncooked filled blintzes in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer to bags to store up to 2 months. Thaw overnight before cooking.
If storing longer than 2 days, freeze your leftover blintzes to maintain that fresh, crisp texture when you reheat them later!
FAQs
Do I need any special equipment to make cheese blintzes?
Nope, just basic kitchen tools like mixing bowls, whisk, nonstick pan, and spatula. No fancy equipment needed!
Should I use whole milk or nonfat milk for the blintz batter?
Whole milk is preferable, as the extra fat and proteins provide better moisture and structure. But nonfat milk can work in a pinch too.
Can I use gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose flour?
Yes, you can substitute a 1-to-1 gluten free blend. The texture may vary slightly.
How do I make blintzes crispy on the outside?
Getting them browned and crispy relies on pan-frying the filled blintzes in enough hot butter for 1-2 minutes per batch. Be patient and let them sizzle!
Why does my cheese filling leak out of the blintzes sometimes?
Use a thick, chilled cheese filling and be sure not to overfill the crepes. Seal them up tight when rolling by tucking in sides neatly, almost like a burrito.
Can I freeze leftover blintzes after cooking them?
For best results, freeze blintzes uncooked right after filling/rolling them. Thaw overnight in fridge before frying to serve.
Conclusion
Blintzes make an impressive baked treat that looks fancy but is approachable enough for novice cooks. These thin rolled up pancakes enveloping sweet, melty cheese filling are simple to prepare yet totally scrumptious.
Following the easy step-by-step recipe for making and frying the delicate crepes, preparing the sweet cheese filling, then wrapping, pan-frying and topping these tasty treats results in a fun brunch or dessert that both kids and adults will flip over.
Though blintzes originally come from Eastern European Jewish cuisine, their popularity has spread worldwide for good reason. The contrast of the lightly crispy exterior with the rich, sweet interior makes for an utterly craveable flavor pairing.