The only kind of blintz I grew up with were the ones that came from the freezer case. They tasted like cardboard box with a side of freezer burn. It wasn’t until I was all grown up that I finally had a freshly made blintz and wow, what a difference.
A blintz is actually a pancake, mostly like a crepe, slightly different, slightly more thick and spongy and a little larger. Blintzes are filled and folded like a burrito and crepes are usually spread very lightly with something, rolled or just folded more like a napkin.
Once you get the hang of making the batter, letting it rest, and making a pancake or two or three, these could not be easier to make.
The trick to folding a blintz is to do it like you’re folding a burrito. Place the filling toward the bottom edge-ish, fold up the bottom, roll it over once, fold in the sides and keep rolling, tucking the remaining fold into the bottom. I think. I’m actually not sure if I have the burrito rolling thing right, but it works. I rolled my infant kids up in their blankets like that and they only came undone about 75% of the time which for me is not a bad ratio.
Stuff them thin or stuff them fat – makes no difference to me though I bet the blintz police would be right on this and tell you they should be fairly thin. Because, tradition. I say, make your own tradition.
Remember the Apple Pumpkin Butter? That’s the filling for the blintz (racing right into holiday foods and all things pumpkin). Get the recipe here.
You’ll get about 6 to 7 good size blintzes out of the recipe. Three blintzes per person is a hearty helping. Two is more normal. The recipe makes 10-inch pancakes (blintzes). If you want to save some for later, place parchment between each pancake and wrap well in plastic. They freeze just fine or leave them for the next day in the refrigerator and pretend they are crepes and smear them with jam or Nutella and roll or fold them. Storing them like this is a time saver because you can make them in advance.
Cooking the blintz differs from cooking crepes. Usually a crepe is flipped and cooked on both sides. The blintz pancake is cooked on one side only. One side will be very blond and the other a little brown. Wait until the middle is fully cooked and the edges begin to curl up a bit. Then flip the blintz out of the pan onto the waiting parchment lined plate. I used a regular 12-inch nonstick fry pan greased lightly with a little butter for the first one and then after that none dared to stick.
Fold the filling with the browned side in so the outside is totally blond. That’s another difference – a crepe is eaten once it is smeared with something. A blintz gets cooked again once it’s filled – the blond side gets browned in a fry pan with a bit of butter or in the oven smeared with a little room temperature butter. It only takes a minute or two to finish up the blintz in a fry pan and a bit longer in the oven.
Place the burritos, um, blintzes on the plate seam side down. Serve with a little warm honey drizzled on top plus a big dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche (totally optional, but really good).
What? Go make some blintzes already.
| Apple Pumpkin Holiday Blintzes | Print |
- 130 grams Canteen flour blend (1 cups) (see notes)
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 extra large eggs
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted (plus extra for the fry pan)
- 180 grams non dairy milk (almond) (3/4 cup)
- 1 lemon, zested
- pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 cup Apple Pumpkin Butter
- 1-2 tablespoons butter for frying (or heating in the oven)
- 4-6 tablespoons good quality honey
- 120 grams full fat sour cream (1/2 cup) (optional)
- Place pancake ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until well blended and mixture is smooth. Place in a container with a lid and refrigerate at least 2 hours and overnight is even better. Place a nonstick fry pan over medium heat and brush with a little bit of butter. Scoop about ⅓ cup into the hot pan and swirl to get the batter to fill bottom of the pan. Cook about 60-70 seconds or until the edges start to curl up and the center is set. Remove from the pan by sliding pancake onto a piece of parchment paper. Top with another piece of parchment. Repeat until all the batter is used up. Makes about 6-7 ten-inch pancakes. If not filling right away wrap the pancakes (each is separated using parchment paper) in plastic wrap and refrigerate – use a plate underneath to keep them flat.
- Place two tablespoons of filling in the bottom portion of each pancake. Roll bottom up, fold in sides, fold the top once and then flip that dough over the bottom. Or, roll as you would a burrito any old way you like as long as the filling is encased and sealed in the pancake.
- Place each filled blintz on a baking sheet covered with parchment or plastic wrap. Heat a teaspoon of butter in a fry pan and cook blintzes(2 to 3 at a time) until each side is golden brown, flipping them at the halfway point. Or preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter a flat casserole pan and line up blintzes folded side down in the pan. Brush the tops with butter (gently). Bake 35 to 40 minutes flipping them over at the 20 minute mark.
- Serve warm with drizzled honey and sour cream or crème fraîche.
Serve drizzled with warm honey and you’ve got brunch.