Cream cheese blintzes with blueberry compote

A cheese blintz is a crepe filled and rolled with a sweet cheese mixture. Like my Russian grandmother, I like to fry them in butter until golden and crisp on the outside. True comfort food from the old world!

Credit: Adam Liaw

• makes

  8

• prep

  25 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

Crepe batter

• 250 ml (1 cup) milk
• 1 egg
• 40 g unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp salt
• 75 g (½ cup) plain flour
• 2 tsp unsalted butter, for frying

Cheese filling

• 250 g cream cheese, at room temperature, chopped
• 65 g caster sugar
• 25 g sour cream
• 1 ½ tsp finely grated lemon zest
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Resting time: 1 hour

Instructions

1. For the crepe batter, place the milk, egg, butter, sugar, vanilla and salt in a bowl and use a stick blender or hand - held whisk to combine well. Add the flour and beat or whisk until you have a smooth batter. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
2. To cook the crepes, heat a crepe pan or a small, non - stick frying pan over medium heat. Add a pea - sized knob of butter to the pan and swirl to coat the base. Pour in a little batter (about ¼ cupful) and swirl it over the base of the pan. Cook over medium - low heat for a few minutes until the underside is lightly browned and the top is set. Flip the crepe onto a large plate – you're only cooking one side. Continue with the rest of the batter, stacking the crepes on top of each other as you go. Allow to cool before filling.
3. For the filling, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth and light. Add the sour cream, lemon zest and vanilla and beat until well combined.
4. To fill and roll the blintz, lay one crepe on your benchtop, cooked side down. Place 2 tablespoons of the filling just below the centre of the crepe. Fold the left and right sides of the crepe over the filling, to meet in the middle, then roll up from the side closest to you. You will have a small rectangular parcel. Continue until all the crepes are filled.
5. When ready to serve, gently fry the blintzes in butter on both sides (start with the seam side down) until golden. Serve warm with blueberry compote and a dollop of creme fraiche.

 

Photography by Adam Liaw.

Want more from The Cook Up?

• Stream free here at SBS On Demand.

• Get the show recipes, articles and more here.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.