Serves 4 or 5 as a light meal, 10 as a dessert.
• ¼ cup raisins
• 1 lb. fresh hoop or farmer cheese
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbs. sour cream
• 2 Tbs. butter, melted
• 3 Tbs. sugar
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 10 medium-sized crêpes
• butter for the pan
Garnish
• sour cream and applesauce or jam
1. The filling of these blintzes is very simple and a little bit richer than some with the addition of melted butter and sour cream. Because it has no spices, it depends completely on the quality and freshness of the hoop (or farmer) cheese for its delicate but wonderful flavor.
2. First, pour some boiling water over the raisins and leave them to plump up in it for a while. Break the cheese up with a fork until it is coarsely crumbled and stir in the eggs, sour cream, melted butter, sugar, and salt. Stir briskly with a fork until the mixture is well blended—the cheese will remain a bit lumpy, and that’s as it should be.
3. Drain the raisins and mix them into the cheese filling. Place a heaping tablespoonful of the filling in the center of a crêpe, fold one side of the crêpe over it, and begin rolling it up. Fold the ends over, envelope-style, and finish rolling up the crêpe. It should have the shape of a short, plump cylinder. Fill all the crepes this way.
4. Sauté the blintzes in butter on both sides until they are golden brown and hot through. Serve the blintzes with sour cream and applesauce, or with jam.
