Recipes

Cheese Blintzes

Alexandre Cohen and Raegan Steinberg’s Cheese Blintzes Grilled Chicken with Peach Amba Sauce Alexandre Cohen and Raegan Steinberg’s Cheese Blintzes (Karolina Jez)

Ingredients

  • ---FOR THE CHEESE FILLING---
  • 300 g (11/3 cups) high-quality ricotta
  • 250 g (1 cup + 2 tablespoons) full-fat cottage cheese
  • 120 g (½ cup + 1½ teaspoons) cream cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 55 g (1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons) powdered sugar
  • Lemon zest (optional)
  • ---FOR THE CREPES---
  • 4 eggs, at room temperature
  • 200 g (½ cup + 1/3 cup) whole milk, at room temperature
  • 175 g (1¼ cups) flour
  • 16 g (4 teaspoons) granulated sugar
  • 2 g (½ teaspoon) salt
  • 45 g (3 tablespoons) 14% sour cream
  • 56 g (¼ cup) butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 14 g (1 tablespoon) neutral oil or melted coconut oil
  • Clarified butter, for frying
  • ---FOR SERVING---
  • Jam
  • Fresh fruit
  • Sour cream mixed with granulated sugar
  • Meringue, crumbled (optional)

Directions

Make the cheese filling

  1. Place the ricotta in a cheesecloth-lined fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Let sit overnight in the fridge. In a separate bowl, use the same method to strain the cottage cheese. This step is common in restaurants, used to intensify flavor and attain a velvety texture by removing excess water.
  2. The next day, blend the strained cottage cheese in a blender until smooth. Transfer it to a large bowl, along with the strained ricotta, cream cheese, egg, powdered sugar, and a bit of lemon zest. Stir to combine.

Make the crepes

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk until fully smooth.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt. Transfer one-third of the liquid mixture to a small bowl, and stir in the sour cream little by little until there are no lumps. Add the butter and oil and mix until incorporated. Transfer back into the original liquid mixture and whisk to combine.
  3. Pour half of the liquid mixture into the dry mixture. Using a large spatula, mix until no lumps remain. Add the rest and stir well to fully combine. Let rest for 20 minutes before using.

Cook the crepes

  1. Set an 8- inch nonstick skillet over medium-low, and lightly brush it with clarified butter.
  2. Tilt the pan toward you, then ladle about 1/3 cup of batter into the pan. Rotate the pan to evenly spread the batter in a circle.
  3. Cook just until the side facing up is cooked through (it will turn matte). Repeat the process for each crêpe, brushing the pan with clarified butter between each one.

Fill the crepes

  1. Lay one crêpe on a plate, browned side facing up. Place about 1/3 cup of Cheese Filling at the lower-middle part of the crêpe, leaving a bit of space around the edges. (As you go you’ll figure out what the best amount of filling is and where to place it.)
  2. Fold in the short ends and roll it, burrito style, making sure the closing seam faces down and is somewhat centered. If you don’t get a perfect roll, it’s not a huge deal, but it will help seal the blintz when you fry it.

Fry the blintzes

  1. Add some more clarified butter to the nonstick skillet and set over medium heat. Place the blintzes, seam side down, in the pan. Fry until golden, then flip and repeat. Work in batches to avoid crowding.
  2. Serve immediately with jam, fresh fruit, sweetened sour cream, and crumbled meringue. If serving at a later time, reheat in a 300°F oven for a few minutes, or gently resear in a pan.

Excerpted from Arthurs: Home of the Nosh by Raegan Steinberg, Alexander Cohen, and Evelyne Eng. Copyright © 2025 Raegan Steinberg, Alexandre Cohen, and Evelyne Eng. Photographs by Karolina Jez. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.