“Honey drips from your lips, my bride; honey and milk lie under your tongue”. (Song of Songs 4:11)
What could be more traditional for Shavout than blintzes?
Blintzes
3 eggs
2 tbsp. oil
1-1/4 cups milk
1 cup flour
1-1/2 tbsp. sugar
dash of salt
Mix the eggs, oil, and milk in a large bowl. Whisk in the flour, sugar, and salt.
Heat a small amount of oil in a non-stick frying pan. When the pan is really hot, pour in about 1/4 cup batter and tilt the pan to cover the bottom with the batter. Cook briefly, until the bottom of the pancake is lightly browned. Lift the pancake out of the pan carefully and place on a paper towel. Repeat process until all the batter has been used. It probably won’t be necessary to re-oil the pan after each pancake. See the note below about low-fat blintzes. Pancakes can be stacked, but keep pile covered with another paper towel.
Low fat blintzes: To cut down on the fat in this recipe, use skim milk and egg substitutes instead of whole eggs. With a non-stick frying pan, little to no oil should be necessary. I usually brush the pan once at the beginning (pastry brush dipped in canola oil) and often don’t have to do it again. But it takes practice – beginners may need to oil the pan more frequently. Cooking sprays also work to help keep the pancakes from sticking to the pan.
Cheese Filling:
2 cups cottage cheese (low-fat and nonfat work fine)
1/2 cup plain yogurt (optional)
1 egg or 2 egg whites or 1/4 cup egg substitute)
3 to 4 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
lemon rind (optional)
Blueberry Filling:
blueberries (fresh or frozen)
corn starch
granulated Sugar
The sugar gives it a little sweetness, the cornstarch makes a nice blueberry syrup. Proportions aren’t enormously important. Mix the corn starch and sugar and toss the blueberries in the dry mixture. If you like kind of soupy blueberry mush, use more of the dry mixture.
Strawberry Filling:
About the same as the blueberry mix, except use strawberries. Sliced strawberries are better than whole strawberries for this use. If you are using fresh strawberries, be sure to save some to spoon over the top after cooking.
Lemon Filling:
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 lemon
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup chopped and toasted almonds, divided
2 tbsp. butter
Wash and grate lemon zest from one lemon. Squeeze lemon juice. In a small bowl, add lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar to cream cheese. Beat mixture until light and fluffy. Gently fold in drained orange sections and half of the almonds. Note: If you know you’ll be using lemon filling for your blintzes, when you make the pancakes, optionally add 1 tablespoon lemon juice to the batter.
Instructions for Assembling Blintzes
Okay, you’ve got your blintz pancakes, you’ve got some filling and now you need to put them together. Clear a nice large work space and make sure you have the following:
• The stack of blintz pancakes, covered with a paper towel.
• The filling and a spoon.
• A plate or other area to fold and stuff blintzes on.
• A large baking pan in which to place finished blintzes. Brush the bottom of the pan with melted butter or spray it with cooking spray before you begin.
Take one blintz pancake (cover your stack again) and put it on your plate or work area. Put a dollop (I just love precise cooking terms) of filling on the pancake toward the end nearest you.
Fold the edge nearest you up over the filling, fold over the sides toward the middle, then roll it up (away from you). Place the blintz in the pan with the loose edge down. That’s all there is to it! Refrigerate or freeze at this point if you wish.
To bake: Brush the tops of the blintzes with melted butter or spray with cooking spray and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve hot with sour cream, applesauce, and fresh fruit. (Blintz Fillings: Fills 12-16 pancakes, depending on how generous you are with the filling.)