Cheese Blintzes with Lingonberry Preserves
Servings: Makes approximately 8-12 blintzes

Comments:
A Blintz is basically a "crepe" that is filled with either farmer's
cheese, dry cottage cheese, cream cheese, ricotta cheese, mascarpone
cheese or any combination of these cheeses. Blintzes can also be
filled with savory fillings such as meat or vegetables.

In the case of Cheese Blintzes (eaten warm or cold and at any meal; a
favorite for brunch), the cheese is mixed with a little sugar, egg,
and flavorings, then wrapped inside the "crepe" making a parcel shaped
filled crepe; then sauted in a frying pan on both sides until golden
brown and cheese mixture is cooked inside. Cheese Blintzes are
normally served with fruit preserves and a dollop of sour cream.

Try these for Father's Day.

Ingredients:
For the Crepes:
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. (1/4 stick/2 oz/28g) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for
cooking

For the Filling:
1/2 lb. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 lb. farmer's cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. orange or lemon extract (or 1/8 tsp. lemon or orange oil)* see
note below on Citrus Oils
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Garnish:
Lingonberry Preserves (or any preserves of your choice)* see note
below
Sour Cream

Instructions:
To Make the Crepes:
In a blender, combine the eggs, milk, flour, salt and the 2 tbsp.
melted butter. Blend for 10 seconds, then scrape down the sides and
blend for 20 seconds more.

Place a 6 to 8-inch crepe pan or a small nonstick fry pan over medium
heat and brush with a thin film of melted butter. Use a ladle to
quickly pour in 1/4 cup of the batter. Swirl the pan to coat the
bottom with the batter. Cook until the bottom is golden and the top is
just set, about 45 seconds. Using a nonstick spatula, transfer the
crepe to a plate, browned side down; do not cook the other side.
Repeat with the remaining batter, brushing the pan with more butter
between each crepe.

To Make the Filling:
In bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese,
farmer's cheese, sugar, egg, lemon or orange extract (or 1/8 tsp.
lemon or orange oil) and the vanilla with a fork until smooth.

To Assemble the Blintzes:
Line a platter with parchment paper or wax paper. Place each crepe,
browned side up, in front of you, and place 2 generous tbsp. of the
filling in the center. Fold the 2 outer edges toward the center so
they meet over the filling. Pat gently to flatten. Fold the top and
bottom in to overlap slightly in the center. Place, seam side down, on
the platter.

Note: If not cooking blintzes immediately, cover and refrigerate for
up to 8 hours (bring back to room temperature for 10 minutes before
cooking).

Preheat an oven to 200 degrees F (93 degrees C).

To Cook the Blintzes:
Place a large fry pan over medium-low heat and melt 1 tbsp. of the
butter. When the butter foams, add 4 or 5 blintzes, seam side down; do
not crowd the pan. Saut until golden, about 5 minutes. Turn and cook
until golden, about 3 minutes. Keep the blintzes warm in 200 degree F
(93 C) preheated oven, loosely covered with aluminum foil, and cook
the remaining blintzes. Arrange 2 or 3 warm blintzes on each plate.
Top with a generous spoonful of preserves and spoon a dollop of sour
cream over preserves and serve.

*Note: Any fruit preserves can be substituted for the Lingonberry
preserves in this recipe. Good choices are Blueberry, Strawberry,
Apricot, or Cherry preserves.

Citrus Oils
Citrus oils are a great substitute for lemon, lime, or orange zest or
extract in baking recipes. When using citrus oils, remember to add
just a very small amount to dry or liguid ingredients in a recipe. Use
1/4 tsp. per 1 cup dry ingredients, or 1/2 tsp. per liquid
ingredients. Citrus oils are very concentrated, and a very small
amount goes a long way. In this recipe, I substituted the 1 tsp.
orange extract with 1/8 tsp. orange oil.

If you can't find citrus oils at your supermarket, such as orange,
lemon or lime, they may be purchased online at Boyajian Inc. Their web
address is: http://www.boyajianinc.com

Makes approximately 8-12 blintzes (depending on what size pan you
use).

Source: DianasDesserts.com