Ratner's Cheese Blintzes
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4.6
66 reviews
Excellent
Ratner's Cheese Blintzes
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Ratner's Cheese Blintzes are thin, crepe-like pancakes filled with a sweet farmer's cheese mixture and fried until lightly golden. The batter, made from flour, salt, eggs, and water, creates delicate, tender wrappers cooked individually in a hot nonstick skillet. The blintzes are served with sour cream, applesauce, or preferred toppings, combining creamy cheese filling with a soft, slightly crisp exterior.
Description
This recipe provides instructions to make cheese blintzes starting with a batter of sifted all-purpose flour and salt combined with eggs and water, whisked until smooth. The batter is cooked in a small nonstick skillet at just the right temperature that allows producing very thin pancakes similar to crepes. Each blintz is made by pouring and swirling batter quickly to coat the pan evenly.
The filling centers on farmer’s cheese blended with egg yolk, sugar, and vanilla for a mildly sweet and creamy texture. After cooking and filling the blintzes, they are traditionally fried to achieve a lightly crisped surface while keeping the interior soft and moist. The balance between tender batter and creamy cheese results in a harmonious blend of textures and subtle flavors.
Blintzes are typically served at breakfast or brunch accompanied by toppings such as sour cream or applesauce, bringing a refreshing contrast to the richness of the cheese. The technique of swirling the batter and maintaining ideal pan temperature is key to thin pancakes without tearing.
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Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 large egg room temperature
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup clarified butter (learn how here)
- 1 pound farmer's cheese
- 2 large egg yolk
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- sour cream or applesauce or your favorite blintz toppings (optional
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, sift together flour and salt. In another mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and water till thoroughly blended. Beat the dry ingredients into the wet, whisking thoroughly till the batter is completely smooth with no lumps.Grease a small nonstick skillet and heat between medium and high. The skillet is ready when a drop of water sizzles on the surface. 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.
- For each blintz, pour roughly 3 tbsp of batter into the skillet, then quickly tilt the pan in a circular motion till the batter coats the entire bottom of the skillet, making a very thin, crepe-like pancake. The batter needs to be added all at once, otherwise it will cook before you've had a chance to swirl it. I measure it out by using a 1/4 cup measuring cup and filling it 3/4 full. It may take you a few tries to get the hang of the process-- proceed with patience!Let each blintz cook for 75-90 seconds until the bottom of the blintz is very lightly golden. You can tell it's ready by touching the center of the pancake's surface-- it should be completely dry to the touch. Do not flip the blintz to cook the other side, and do not let the edges get too brown or dry. 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, let them cool while you create your filling. Rinse and dry one of the mixing bowls. Combine the farmer's cheese, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla in the mixing bowl, then use a fork to mix ingredients well.
- Note: Farmer's cheese (also known as pot cheese), while once popular, can be difficult to track down nowadays. It is primarily sold in kosher markets, and has a consistency somewhere between queso panela and ricotta cheese. If you don't have access to farmer's cheese, try using my alternate cheese blintz filling recipe on TheShiksa.com... or use an equivalent amount of ricotta cheese that has been very well drained, using cheese cloth to squeeze and remove as much liquid as possible.
- Now you’re going to stuff and wrap up your blintzes! Place a blintz with the lightly golden side facing down, the less cooked side facing upward. Put 2 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 1 cup of clarified butter or grapeseed oil into a larger nonstick skillet (12 inches) and heat over medium until hot. Do not let the butter or oil turn brown or start smoking. Cook the blintzes in batches of 4 or 5--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 the bottom of each blintz is golden 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.
- Let the fried blintzes drain on a layer of paper towels.
- Serve blintzes warm. They can be served as-is or topped with fruit topping, sour cream, applesauce, whipped cream or maple syrup. Apparently Meyer Lansky liked his topped with sour cream.
Notes
- Use a 7–8 inch nonstick skillet for cooking the crepes; a larger skillet can be used for frying filled blintzes.
- Maintain skillet temperature so water sizzles without popping to achieve proper crepe thickness.
- Practice swirling batter quickly to coat pan thinly to avoid thick or uneven blintzes.
- Serve blintzes with sour cream, applesauce, or toppings of your choice for a blend of savory and sweet.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
205kcal
(10%)
Carbohydrates
13g
(4%)
Protein
6g
(12%)
Fat
13g
(20%)
Saturated Fat
7g
(35%)
Cholesterol
95mg
(32%)
Sodium
183mg
(8%)
Potassium
32mg
(1%)
Sugar
2g
(4%)
Vitamin A
85IU
(2%)
Calcium
12mg
(1%)
Iron
0.9mg
(5%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 18servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 205 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 205kcal | 10% |
| Carbohydrates | 13g | 4% |
| Protein | 6g | 12% |
| Fat | 13g | 20% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Cholesterol | 95mg | 32% |
| Sodium | 183mg | 8% |
| Potassium | 32mg | 1% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 85IU | 2% |
| Calcium | 12mg | 1% |
| Iron | 0.9mg | 5% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.6
66 reviews
Excellent
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