40min prep: 12min cook: 28min
Sweet or savory? It’s hard to tell, because all the flavors play so well together in this elegant take on traditional blintzes.Notes:
- The crepes are incredibly easy and use ingredients you probably have on hand all the time. So don’t shy away from making them yourself.
Ingredients
Produce
- Fresh Basil — 10 Tablespoons
- Fresh Lemon Juice — 2 Tablespoons
Cheese & Lunchmeat
- Ricotta Cheese — 1 1⁄3 Cups
Dairy & Eggs
- Butter, Unsalted — 3 Tablespoons
- Cream Cheese — 4 Ounces
- Eggs, Large — 3
- Sour Cream — 1⁄3 Cup
- Whole Milk — 3⁄4 Cup
Dry Goods & Packaged Goods
- Pistachios, Unsalted — 2⁄3 Cup
Spice & Baking
- Black Pepper
- Dried Cranberries — 1 Cup
- Flour — 1 Cup
- Kosher Salt — 1⁄2 Teaspoon
- Sugar — 2 Tablespoons
Condiments, Oils & Dressings
- Balsamic Syrup — 1⁄4 Cup
Beverages
- Water — 1⁄4 Cup
Equipment
Kitchen Supplies
- Parchment Paper
Appliances
- Blender
- Stove Top
Cooking Equipment
- Chef’s Knife
- Cutting Board
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Mixing Bowl, Medium
- Saute Pan, Medium, Non-Stick
- Spatula
Prep Steps
- Combine eggs, flour, sugar, milk and water in a blender and process until well mixed. Stop to scrape the sides, and give the batter a stir to make sure there aren’t any clumps of flour hidden in the mix. Once well blended, let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Pick basil leaves off the stems, then pile on top of each other and slice crosswise very thinly to form ribbons. Reserve 2-3 tablespoons for final garnish, then finely chop the remaining basil and place in a medium mixing bowl.
- Measure out pistachios, then roughly chop. Save 1/2 for final garnish, and place the rest in the bowl with the basil.
- Measure out dried cranberries, then roughly chop. Save 1/4 for final garnish, and place the rest in the bowl of basil and pistachios.
- Add cream cheese, ricotta cheese and fresh lemon juice to the bowl of basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Cook Steps
- After crepe batter has been resting for 30 minutes, place a medium (10-12″ diameter) saute pan over medium heat. Add about 1 teaspoon of butter, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. You want the pan to be hot enough that the crepe will set quickly, but not so hot that you don’t have time to swirl the batter in the pan. I prefer not to brown my crepes in this stage since we will be searing them later after they are stuffed, so a slightly cooler pan will allow the pancakes to cook without browning.
- Once pan is warm, pour in about 1/4-1/3 cup of batter. If you are using a 10″ pan, use closer to 1/4 cup, and if your pan is on the larger size, use a bit more. You want to lift the pan off the stove top with one hand while you pour the batter in with the other, and immediately begin swirling the batter around the pan so it reaches the edges and becomes very thin. The crepe will set very quickly, so work fast.
- Once ready to flip, the crepe will release easily from the pan. Use a very thin spatula to get underneath, and carefully flip the crepe over. You may find it easier to lift an edge with a spatula, then grab the lifted edge with your fingertips and flip it over so it lies flat. Cook another 10-20 seconds, then transfer to a large piece of parchment paper. I like to lay the parchment directly on the counter to give myself a lot of work space.
- Repeat with remaining batter until all crepes are made. You should get 8-9 crepes. Let the pan cool between crepes for about 1 minute. Add more butter if necessary.
- Once crepes are made, scoop about 2 tablespoons of ricotta mixture onto the center lower half, and press it into an approximately 4″x2″ shape. Fold the bottom up and over, fold in each side, then roll the crepe up all the way to form a little package. Repeat with all crepes.
- Place the medium saute pan back over medium heat and add butter. Let butter melt, then add the blintzes with the seam side down to the pan. Cook until golden brown, then flip and cook the other side until golden brown. Transfer to clean plate. Work in batches if necessary.
- Transfer the cranberry-basil blintzes to a serving platter or dinner plates. You should have 2 blintzes per serving. Drizzle balsamic syrup over the top, then finish with a small scoop of sour cream and sprinkle of cranberries, pistachios and basil ribbons. Ready to eat!