The blintz sounds like an extraordinary Ashkenazi dish, with a name that could only have come from the Old Country. But broken down to its simplest form, a blintz is a thin crêpe filled with just about anything—from cheese to potatoes to chopped liver.

In a world where food was limited and ways of using food to celebrate were even more so, the blintz, delicately wrapped around its savoury or sweet filling, became a herald of joy and festivity.

Come springtime and Shavuot, blintzes took on special significance. Not only did Jews celebrate the giving of the Torah, but two blintzes placed side by side were said to resemble a Torah scroll—making them symbolically rich as well as delicious. And of course, they were also part of the joyous celebration of dairy foods.

In my opinion, the ultimate expression of the blintz is the cheese blintz. The crêpe is made with whole milk, fried in butter, and wrapped around a mixture of ricotta and farmer’s cheese. Once filled, it’s pan-fried again in butter until the outside is crispy and golden and the inside is soft, warm, and melty. Serve with Blueberry Sauce for the ultimate treat!

INGREDIENTS:

For the crepes:

• 125g (1 cup) plain flour
• 120ml (½ cup) whole milk
• 120ml (½ cup) water
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon oil· Oil for frying

For the filling:

•  114g (4 oz) cream cheese
• 114g (4 oz) farmers cheese
• 1 egg yolk
• 4 tablespoons honey/agave syrup/ maple syrup

METHOD:

1. For the blintz batter, put all the ingredients in an immersion blender (mixer will also work) and process until smooth.
2. To make the blintz pancake, heat a crepe pan over medium heat, and add a drop of oil. Then, pour in about a 1/3 cup of batter and swirl around the pan to make an even coating. Fry until the top of the pancake is set, flip over and fry for ten seconds on the second side. Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining batter. You should get about 12 pancakes.
3. For the filling, mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl until smooth.
4. To assemble: Place 1 very full tablespoon of filling in the bottom centre of the pancake. Fold in sides and roll up.
5. Just before serving, heat a pan, and add a tablespoon of butter. Once melted add the filled blintz seam side down and fry until golden and heated through. Flip over and fry the other side until golden. Serve immediately with Blueberry Sauce and sour cream.

MAKE AHEAD:

Blintzes can be assembled (filled and rolled) up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. They can also be frozen for up to 2 months in a single layer, then transferred to a container or bag with parchment between layers. Thaw overnight in the fridge before frying.