Name: Chef John's Cheese Blintzes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 5
Ingredients: Milk - 1 cup; All-purpose flour - 1 cup; Cold water - ¼ cup; Eggs - 3 large; Vegetable oil - 2 tablespoons; White sugar - 1 tablespoon; Salt - ½ teaspoon; Vanilla extract - ¼ teaspoon; Cooking spray - ¼ teaspoon; Butter, or as needed - 1 tablespoon; Ricotta cheese, strained if wet - 1 ½ cups; Cream cheese, at room temperature - ½ cup; Egg - 1 large; Powdered sugar, divided, or more as needed - 3 tablespoons; Lemon, zested - 1 medium; Salt - 1 pinch

Ingredients for - Chef John's Cheese Blintzes

1. Milk 1 cup

2. All-purpose flour 1 cup

3. Cold water ¼ cup

4. Eggs 3 large

5. Vegetable oil 2 tablespoons

6. White sugar 1 tablespoon

7. Salt ½ teaspoon

8. Vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon

9. Cooking spray ¼ teaspoon

10. Butter, or as needed 1 tablespoon

11. Ricotta cheese, strained if wet 1 ½ cups

12. Cream cheese, at room temperature ½ cup

13. Egg 1 large

14. Powdered sugar, divided, or more as needed 3 tablespoons

15. Lemon, zested 1 medium

16. Salt 1 pinch

How to cook deliciously - Chef John's Cheese Blintzes

1 . Stage

Gather all ingredients. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

2 . Stage

Make the batter: Combine milk, flour, water, eggs, oil, sugar, salt, and vanilla in a blender. Blend until completely smooth, 1 or 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. Let batter sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

3 . Stage

Meanwhile, make the filling: Whisk ricotta cheese, cream cheese, egg, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, lemon zest, and salt together in a mixing bowl until thoroughly combined. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

4 . Stage

When batter has rested, heat a 10-inch, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray and pour in about 1/4 cup batter. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

5 . Stage

Immediately swirl batter around to coat the bottom of the skillet. Cook until the surface looks dry, about 1 minute. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

6 . Stage

Flip crêpe and briefly cook the other side, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate. Repeat to cook and stack remaining crêpes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

7 . Stage

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking dish. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

8 . Stage

Spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons filling onto each crêpe, about 1 inch from the edge nearest you. Fold the edge over filling and flatten slightly. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

9 . Stage

Fold in both sides, then roll crêpe into a small filled rectangle (blintz), ending with the seam on the bottom. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

10 . Stage

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, cook several blintzes at a time until golden brown, turning gently, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

11 . Stage

Bake in the preheated oven to firm up the filling, about 12 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

12 . Stage

Cool blintzes for 10 minutes, then dust lightly with remaining powdered sugar and serve. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios