Blueberry Blintzes

Ingredients

• Makes about 12 crêpes, 6 servings
• For the crêpes:
• 250 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 375 mls (1 1/2 cups) milk at room temperature
• 125 mls (1/2 cup) water at room temperature
• Pinch of sea salt
• 84 g (6 tablespoons) divided, unsalted butter
• A neutral oil, like colza or grapeseed
• For the sauce:
• 2 cups (about 260 g) blueberries
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon cornstarch
• Pinch of sea salt
• For the filling:
• 16 ounces (450 g) cottage cheese **
• 4 ounces (115 g) cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup sugar (or more depending on how sweet your berries are)
• 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved, bean discarded
• 1 cup (about 130 g) blueberries
• **in France, Rians Fromage Frais is a good substitute as is Ricotta for cottage cheese

Instructions

1. Make the crêpe batter:
2. Melt the butter in the microwave or on the stove. Cool for a few minutes then combine 4 tablespoons of butter with the flour, sugar, salt, milk, water and eggs in a large bowl. Put the extra butter aside.
3. Place all the ingredients for the batter in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Alternatively, whisk the batter by hand or with a handheld mixer. The batter should be smooth and have the consistency of heavy cream. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.
4. Make the sauce:
5. Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a small saucepan and place over medium high heat. Simmer, stirring often, about 10 minutes or until berries breakdown and the sauce is thick.
6. Make the filling:
7. Place the cottage cheese, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Alternatively, place the ingredients in a bowl use a whisk or a hand-held beater to combine the ingredients. The filling will not be as smooth if mixed by hand, but it will taste as delicious. Fold the berries into the cheese mixture.
8. Cook the crêpes:
9. Stir together the remaining 2 tablespoon of melted butter and the oil in a small bowl. Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat and brush it with some of the butter mixture. ( I like to use a silicone paintbrush for this.) Once the skillet is hot, pour 3-4 tablespoons of batter into the pan, then lift the pan and using a tilting motion swirl the batter until it covers the base of the pan in an even layer. When the batter has set on top and the underside has become slightly brown, carefully work a spatula underneath and flip. Cook the second side just briefly then slide onto a plate.
10. Continue making crêpes brushing the pan with a little oil between each one and stacking the finished crêpes one on top of the other. The crêpes can be made ahead of time, wrapped in a resealable plastic bag and stored in the fridge for a few days or frozen for a few months.
11. Place a crêpe on a clean work surface. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the filling onto the crêpe about an inch from the edge closest to you. Bring up that edge to enclose the filling, then fold in the sides and roll the crêpe up. Set aside, seam down. Continue with the rest of the crêpes.
12. Heat the remaining butter-oil mixture in a skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, gently brown the blintzes on both sides until golden and crisp. About 2 minutes per side. You can place the browned blintzes on a cookie sheet and keep them warm in a low oven until they are all ready.
13. To serve place 2 blintzes on each plate, cover with warm sauce and dust with confectioners’ sugar.