Thin, lightly fried crepes wrap a sweetened homemade cheese filling. Traditionally served with applesauce and sour cream, we enjoyed ours with jam made from local Arctic blueberries.

Some foods just make us happy. Bagels fresh out of the oven, the day’s catch charcoal grilled, and a piping hot skillet of most excellent nachos come to mind. Blintzes fall into this category as well. A brunch classic but great served anytime, they remind me of my Jewish grandmother’s home which always seemed to be filled with the scent of vanilla and hot oil.

Cheese Blintzes

Ingredients for approximately 13 blintzes

Blintz Wrapper

• 6 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1  1/2  tsp vanilla
• Pinch of salt
• Vegetable oil with a high smoke point for frying (grapeseed or peanut oil works best); I used light olive oil

Filling

• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Pinch of salt

Directions

1. Blend all of the blintz ingredients together using an immersion blender or electric hand mixer to ensure there are no lumps.
2. Warm up a nonstick skillet or a crepe pan on medium heat until hot. The pan is ready when a drop of water sizzles on the surface of the pan.
3. Butter the entire surface of the hot pan.
4. Pour the blintz batter by 1/3 cupfuls into the center of the pan, then tilt the pan in a circular motion till the batter coats the entire bottom of the pan in a large, thin circular shape.
5. Cook the blintz wrapper for about a minute, until edges are dry and tiny bubbles form in center. Flip the wrapper and cook for another 30 seconds. Use a spatula to remove from pan and place on a plate.
6. After wrappers are cooked, make the filling.
7. Place all filling ingredients in a medium bowl and mix thoroughly with a fork. Filling can be slightly lumpy.
8. To fill wrappers, place a heaping tablespoon of filling onto center bottom third of wrapper. Fold bottom of wrapper up over filling. Fold in left and right sides. Finish rolling like a burrito.
9. When all blintzes are stuffed and rolled, heat up oil in a frying pan on medium heat.
10. Fry blintzes in oil, flap side down for 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip blintzes and brown on other side for 2 minutes, or until golden brown.
11. Serve warm with sour cream and applesauce or homemade jam.

Recipe adapted from TheShiksa.com