Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Blueberry Blintzes

Basic Crepe Batter:
1 cup milk
1/4 cup cold water
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for sauteing the crepes
Cheese Filling, recipe follows
Blueberry Sauce, recipe follows

Combine the milk, water, eggs, flour, salt and sugar in a blender.
Blend on medium speed for 15 seconds, until the batter is smooth and
lump-free. Scrape down the sides of the blender and pour in 3
tablespoons of melted butter. Blend it again for a second just to
incorporate. Refrigerate the batter for 1 hour to let it rest. If the
crepes are made immediately, they have a tendency to be rubbery; when
you let the batter rest, the crepes have a better texture and a softer
bite.
Put an 8-inch crepe pan or nonstick skillet over medium heat and brush
with a little melted butter for added assurance. Pour 1/4 cup of
batter into the pan and swirl it around so it covers the bottom
evenly; pour back any excess. Cook for 30 to 45 seconds, until the
crepe batter sets. Lightly bang the edge of the pan with a wooden
spoon to loosen the crepe; then flip it and cook another 30 seconds.
The art of flipping a crepe in the air takes practice, so make sure no
one is looking when you get the first one going. If this intimidates
you, use a heatproof rubber spatula to loosen and flip the crepe. The
crepes should be pliable, not crisp, and lightly brown. Slide them
onto a platter and continue making the crepes until all the batter is
used. Cover the stack of crepes with a towel to keep them from drying
out. This makes 10 crepes.

Assembly: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Forming the blintzes is
kind of like making burritos. Spoon 1/4 cup of the cheese filling
along the lower third of the crepe. Fold the bottom edge away from you
to just cover the filling; then fold the 2 sides in to the center.
Roll the crepe away from you a couple of times to make a package,
ending with the seam side down. Put an ovenproof skillet over medium
heat. Brush with melted butter. Pan-fry the blintzes for 2 minutes per
side until crisp and golden.

Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 10 minutes so the egg in the
filling cooks slightly and the cheese sets. Using a spatula, transfer
the blintzes to serving plates. Spoon the blueberry sauce on top, dust
with confectioners` sugar, and serve right away.

Serve with chopped banana and remaining blueberry sauce. Sprinkle with
powdered sugar and serve.

Cheese Filling:
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
4 ounces cream cheese
3 tablespoons confectioners` sugar
1 lemon, zested and finely grated
1 egg

In a food processor, combine the ricotta cheese, cream cheese,
confectioners` sugar, lemon zest, and egg and blend until smooth.
Chill the filling to firm it up a bit so it doesn`t squirt out of the
blintzes.

Blueberry Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
2 pints blueberries
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 lemon, juiced
Melted unsalted butter, for sauteing blintzes
Confectioners` sugar, for dusting

Combine the butter, blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice in
a small pot over medium-high heat. Bring up to a low boil and stir
gently until the berries break down and release their natural juices.
The consistency should remain a bit chunky. It will thicken up when it
cools down slightly

Labels: , , , , , ,