Ricotta blintzes

I saw a very attractive picture of Ricotta Blintzes in The Essential Dessert Cookbook (1998, Murdoch Books) and vowed to make them. Problem was, ricotta cheese wasn't readily available in my supermarket. Thankfully, they sold it in Rustan's. I had a choice between buying the imported one and the local ricotta made by this producer called Malagos Farmhouse.I settled for the latter.

According to my cookbook, blintzes are filled pancakes which are Jewish in origin. They are best eaten during breakfast or early dinner. Basically, they are pancakes or crepes filled with cheese mixture and then baked. If you're looking for something new to taste, try it sometime. The husband, who loves cheese, liked it so much ;)

Ricotta blintzes recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 315 F. Sift one cup all-purpose flour. Make a well and in this center, whisk in two eggs and 1 1/4 cups milk (about 315 ml) until batter is smooth and free of lumps. Stir in melted butter, transfer to a container, cover and let stand for 30 minutes.

2. In a greased nonstick pan, pour batter and swirl quickly. Cook until set. Invert unto a plate. Stack crepes between parchment paper or anything grease-proof to prevent them from sticking together.

3. Next, mix 2 oz. raisins in a bowl and add 1 tbsp. liqueur (Grand Marnier or Cointreau). Set aside for 30 minutes. Beat 12 oz (375 g) ricotta, 1/3 cup caster sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice for one to two minutes until smooth. Stir in raisin mixture.

4. Heap enough filling on the center of each crepe then fold. Place the crepes, folded side down, in a greased ovenproof dish in a single layer. Brush each crepe lightly with melted butter and put in oven for 10-15 minutes or until hot. Dust with confectioners' or icing sugar before serving.