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My Kosher Cooking

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dairy vegetarian hanukkah breakfast make-ahead

Cheese Blintzes with Raisins

Wrap lightly sweetened farmer's cheese and raisins in thin crepes, then fry the parcels in butter until golden. Serve these Belarusian Jewish dairy blintzes warm with sour cream for Hanukkah.

Prep
25 min
Total
1 hr 20 min
Servings
121 blintz per serving; batch makes about 12 to 14
Jump to ingredients
Three thin folded cheese blintzes with varied browning and slightly uneven tucked ends on a plain white plate

Ingredients

For 12 servings

  • 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour, for the crepes
  • 2 large eggs, for the crepes
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup water, plus 1 to 2 tbsp if needed to thin the batter
  • 1 tbsp sugar, for the crepes
  • 1/4 tsp salt, for the crepes
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil or melted butter, for the crepes
  • Oil or butter, as needed for the crepe pan
  • 1 lb (450 g) farmer's cheese (tvorog), well drained
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 3 to 4 tbsp sugar, for the filling
  • 1 large egg yolk, for the filling
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt, for the filling
  • 1 to 2 tbsp sour cream, if needed for the filling
  • 2 to 3 tbsp butter, for frying the filled blintzes
  • Sour cream, for serving
  • Honey, jam, or powdered sugar, for serving (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cover the raisins with warm water and soak for 10 to 15 minutes while preparing the crepe batter. Drain thoroughly and pat dry.
  2. Whisk the eggs, milk, 1/2 cup water, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in the flour until smooth, then stir in the 2 tablespoons oil or melted butter. Rest for 20 to 30 minutes. The batter should pour like light cream; add 1 to 2 tablespoons water if needed.
  3. Heat an 8 to 10 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat and grease lightly. Add about 1/4 cup batter and immediately tilt the pan to form a thin layer. Cook for 45 to 60 seconds, until the surface looks dry and the edges lift. Flip and cook for 15 to 20 seconds more. Stack the cooked crepes on a plate to keep them soft. Repeat with the remaining batter.
  4. Mix the farmer's cheese with 3 tablespoons filling sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Taste and add the remaining tablespoon sugar if desired before adding the raw yolk. Mix in the yolk and drained raisins. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons sour cream only if the filling is too dry, keeping some of the cheese's grainy texture.
  5. Spoon about 2 tablespoons filling onto the lower third of each crepe. Fold the bottom over the filling, fold both sides inward, and roll into a compact rectangular parcel. Keep the blintzes seam side down.
  6. Melt about 1 tablespoon of the frying butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add several blintzes seam side down without crowding. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden and the filling reaches 160°F (71°C). Work in batches, adding more butter as needed.
  7. Serve warm with sour cream and optional honey, jam, or powdered sugar.

Notes

Makes about 12 to 14 blintzes. Allow about 80 to 90 minutes, including 25 minutes active preparation, 20 to 30 minutes batter resting, and about 35 minutes cooking; the number of batches can extend the cooking time. Dry farmer's cheese gives a tangy, slightly grainy filling. Keep the crepes thin and flexible, and taste the filling for sweetness before mixing in the raw egg yolk.

Make ahead and freezing

Assemble the blintzes, cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before frying. For longer storage, freeze the assembled parcels individually on a tray, then transfer to an airtight container. Use within 2 months for best quality. When finishing them, check that the filling reaches the temperature in the instructions.