Apple-Cranberry Blintzes with
Maple Ricotta Cream and Sugared
Walnuts
Recipe from:
The Gefilte Variations
by Jayne Cohen |
"Every
place you go, act according
to the custom of that place."
-- Ladino proverb.
These tantalizing blintzes
are an unabashed ode to the
Diaspora. Autumn-scented apples
and cranberries form the sweet
and tangy filling. For the
luscious cream topping, simply
sieve ricotta sweetened with
maple and vanilla. Finish
with a crunch of lightly sweetened
toasted walnuts.
Yield: 16-18 blintzes |
Recipe
Ingredients:
APPLE-CRANBERRY
FILLING
About 3 1/2 cups flavorful
apples, peeled, cored, and
cut into small chunks (sweet
varieties with lots of character,
like Gravenstein, Gala, Braeburn,
Jonathan, Stayman Winesap,
and the heirloom Golden Russet,
will contrast nicely with
the cranberries. If possible,
search out local, seasonal
varieties.)
- 3
tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3-1/2
cup brown sugar
- 1/2
teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4
cup cranberries, washed
and picked over
- 2
tablespoons dried cranberries
(optional)
- salt
- MAPLE-RICOTTA
CREAM
- 1
1/2 cups (about 11 ounces)
whole-milk ricotta cheese
(you can use part-skim,
if desired)
- 1
tablespoon pure maple
syrup
- 1/4
tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/8
teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
- SUGARED
WALNUTS
- 1/4
cup walnuts, toasted
- 1
teaspoon maple or white
sugar
- one
recipe Blintz Leaves (see
below)
- unsalted
butter, oil, or a combination,
for frying or baking
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1. Make the apple filling.
Heat the butter over medium-high
heat in a large, heavy skillet
until sizzling. Add the apples
and sauté for about 5 minutes,
lifting and turning them as
they begin to turn golden.
Sprinkle with 1/3 cup brown
sugar and the cinnamon and
mix well to coat the apples
evenly on all sides. Add the
cranberries, optional dried
cranberries and a pinch of
salt, and cook, stirring,
until the cranberries have
popped and apples are very
tender. Let the fruit cool
in pan, then taste and add
more sugar, if necessary,
depending on your preference
and the sweetness of the apples.
2.Transfer fruit to a bowl,
and chill, covered, for at
least 20 minutes or up to
24 hours.
3.Meanwhile, make the maple
ricotta cream. Push the ricotta
through a fine mesh strainer,
rubbing with the back of a
spoon. Using an egg beater
or electric mixer, beat in
the maple syrup, vanilla and
nutmeg, if using, until smooth
and light. Cover and refrigerate
to allow flavors to marry.
Rewhip briefly just before
serving.
4.To prepare the walnuts,
coarsely chop them with the
sugar
5.Fill the blintzes. Spread
one heaping tablespoon of
the filling across the middle
of the cooked side of each
blintz. (Don't overfill or
they might explode.) Fold
in the sides, then fold the
bottom of the blintz over
the filling, and roll, jelly-roll
fashion, pulling the top over
tightly. You should have a
neat package. Place filled
blintzes seam side down, so
they don't open up. (At this
point, you can refrigerate
the blintzes for a couple
of days or freeze them for
up to one month, if you want
to, and fry them just before
serving. Don't bother to thaw
frozen blintzes, but adjust
cooking time accordingly.)
6.Fry the blintzes. Heat the
butter, oil, or a combination,
in a heavy skillet over medium
heat until sizzling. Add the
blintzes, seam side down,
without crowding the pan.
Cook, turning once, until
golden brown on both sides,
about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Adjust the heat if necessary,
and watch that the butter
does not scorch.
7.Or you can bake them, for
a slightly lighter taste.
Preheat oven to 450. Melt
a generous quantity of butter
or butter mixed with a little
oil on a baking sheet or in
a shallow baking pan. Add
the blintzes and turn to coat
well on all sides. Spread
the blintzes out seam-side
down on the sheet so their
sides are not touching. Bake
for 10-15 minutes, or until
crisp and golden brown on
both sides. I usually find
it is not necessary to turn
them; if they seem slow to
brown on top, however, I flip
them over for a few minutes.
When preparing a large number
of blintzes for company, it
is usually easiest to bake
them.
8.Serve the blintzes hot,
topped with maple-ricotta
cream and sprinkled with sugared
walnuts.
Blintz Leaves (the basic "crepe")
Yield: about 16-18 blintz
leaves
- 1
to 1 1/4 cups milk, preferably
whole
- 3
large eggs
- 3/4
cup unbleached all-purpose
flour
- 1/4
teaspoon salt
- 2
tablespoons unsalted butter,
melted and cooled
- additional
butter or, less preferable,
a mild, flavorless oil
(like avocado) for frying
1.
In a blender, mix 1 cup
of the milk, the eggs, flour,
salt, and butter until smooth.
Transfer the batter to a
bowl. (To prepare the batter
by hand, beat eggs and butter
together in a bowl. Mix
in 1/2 cup of the milk;
gradually add flour and
salt, whisking until smooth,
then add another 1/2 cup
of milk. Whisk until well-blended.)
2. Let the batter rest for
at least 30 minutes or up
to 2 hours at room temperature.
If refrigerated, batter
should rest at least 2 hours
or up to 10 or 12 hours
(overnight is fine).
3.Stir the batter well (don't
rebeat it because you want
to avoid foamy bubbles).
It should have the consistency
of light cream. If necessary,
thin it with some of the
reserved milk. You may have
to add more milk if the
batter thickens as it stands.
4. Heat a very lightly buttered
6- or 7-inch skillet or
crepe pan over moderately
high heat until sizzling.
(A nonstick pan works particularly
well, but I find you do
have to butter the pan,
at least for the first blintz,
to avoid a slightly rubbery
texture.) Pour about 2 tablespoons
of batter into the hot pan
(a coffee measure is good
for this), and immediately
tilt the pan from side to
side to distribute the batter
evenly over the bottom.
You may find it easier both
to add the batter and swirl
while holding the pan off
the heat. Don't allow the
batter to extend up the
sides of pan when tilting
or the blintz edges will
become too thin and crackly.
5.Cook just until the top
of the blintz is slightly
dry and the edges start
to curl. The bottom should
be pale gold, not brown.
Do not cook the other side.
Loosen the blintz with a
spatula and turn it out
onto wax paper or a large
platter, fried side up.
Repeat until all the batter
is used up. Pile the finished
blintz leaves on a platter,
separating each between
sheets of wax paper or a
clean kitchen cloth, and
keep the exposed leaves
covered to prevent them
from drying out. Brush the
pan with additional butter
or oil only if necessary,
and remember to stir the
batter periodically. To
avoid tears, let the freshly
prepared blintz leaves cool
to room temperature before
filling. (And the wax paper
is easier to remove when
the blintz leaves are cool.)
6.Blintz leaves may be prepared
ahead. Let them cool to
room temperature, keeping
them separated by wax paper,
then wrap well with foil.
Refrigerate for up to 3
days, or freeze them for
up to one month, separated
by the wax paper and well-wrapped
with heavy-duty foil or
in a freezer-proof container.
Bring them to room temperature
before filling to prevent
tearing them. |
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Cooking
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