Recipe Ricotta Cheese Blintzes

Ingredients:

Crepes

• -8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• -3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
• -1/2 cup water
• -2 large eggs
• -1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• -a pinch of salt
• -2 tablespoons olive oil

Filling

• -1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
• -2 large egg yolks
• -1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• -3/4 teaspoon rum extract
• -grated zest of 1/2 orange

Garnish

• -2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, in a chunk
• -confectioners’ sugar, for sifting

Directions:

To make the crepes:

1. Cook the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it melts and comes to a boil
2.  Pour the melted butter into a small bowl and let stand for a few minutes
3. Spoon off the clear yellow clarified butter and transfer it to another small bowl (discard the milky residue in the first bowl)
4. Whisk the milk, water, eggs, and 2 tablespoons of the clarified butter in a medium bowl
5. Whisk in the flour and salt, just until the batter is barely smooth
6. Mix the olive oil into the remaining clarified butter
7. Dip a crumpled paper towel into the butter-oil mixture and use it to coat the inside of a skillet
8. Heat the skillet over medium-high heat until hot, about 1.5 minutes
9. Pour 1/4 cup of the batter into the bottom of the skillet and immediately tilt and swirl the skillet so the batter coats the bottom in a thin layer
10. Cook until the edges look dry and the top is set, about 1 minute
11. Using a heatproof spatula, lift and turn the crepe
12. Cook about 30 seconds
13. Transfer to a plate
14. Repeat with the remaining batter, wiping the pan with butter-oil each time
15. Separate the crepes as you stack them with pieces of waxed paper between
16. Reserve the remaining butter-oil mixture

To make the filling:

1. Mix the ricotta, egg yolks, confectioners’ sugar, rum extract, and orange zest in a medium bowl until combined

To assemble the blintzes:

1. Place a crepe, spotted side up, on the work surface
2. Spread about 3 tablespoons of the filling in a strip about 1 inch from the bottom and sides of the crepe
3. Fold the bottom edge up to cover the filling
4. Fold in the right side about 1 inch, repeat with the left side, and roll up
5. Place seam side down on a baking sheet
6. Repeat with the remaining crepes and filling
7. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve, about 2 hours

To cook the blintzes:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F
2. Heat about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the butter-oil mixture in a large skillet over medium heat until very hot
3. Add 6 blintzes and cook, turning occasionally and adjusting the heat as necessary to keep the blintzes from burning, until the blintzes are crisp and golden brown, about 5 minutes
4. Transfer the cooked blintzes to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven
5. Repeat with the remaining blintzes and butter-oil mixture

-To serve, grate the chocolate on top, and sift confectioners’ sugar over the blintzes