A friend of mine who lives up in Canada and who is a master baker, often talks to me about how she loves to take the intimidation out of making pastry. Well, I feel the same way about making blintzes!!  For too long has the making of blintzes been considered a laborious chore, something that only your boubi can do since she has the time, the inclination, never mind the physical memory of  exactly what the perfect blintz should feel like.

I will be the first to admit that making blintzes can be time consuming. But like so much else that’s homemade, there’s nothing more satisfying than whisking up your own batch and frying them to golden hued perfection. Besides, the versatility and simplicity of homemade blintzes more than makes up for the time you may have to devote to whisking together the batter.

The grand thing about blintzes too is that they don’t require anything exotic or any equipment that’s out of the ordinary. All you need is a bowl and a whisk or a food processor. I like to use potato starch in my blintzes which makes them a bit thicker and a bit puffier but also means they are exceptionally satisfying and filling.

Making blintzes doesn’t require much finesse either. All you need to do is whisk together the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and keep the mixture well whisked as it sits. Not very hard, right?

I’ll also let you in on a secret. I can actually get quite a bit done while I’m making and flipping blintzes. First, I tend to make quite a few batches at once in my food processor, so I’m not constantly mixing together a single  batter.  I don’t even wash out the food processor in between triple batches!!

I also like to have two frying pans going at the same time. Then, while my lovely blintzes are frying up, I can work at something else on my counter, such as assembling a shopping list, or cutting vegetables for that night’s supper.

The other thing to remember (and then you’ll be a pro) is to keep the frying pan at the right temperature. A well-seasoned frying pan is a bonus but not a necessity. Just keep the pan hot but not too hot and you’ll be frying up a couple of hundred blintzes in no time.

The other wonderful thing about blintzes is their versatility. You can use them rolled around a vegetable or liver filling, or as pasta in a soup or as the base of a vegetable casserole. Additionally, they freeze beautifully.

 Blintzes

These blintzes are exceptional at any time of year. If you use less than ¼ cup of batter for each blintz, they will be a bit thinner and crisper and the yield will increase to between 15 and 16 blintzes.

10      large eggs

¾       cup    potato starch

¾       cup    water

½       cup    oil

1/8     tsp     salt

Oil

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, potato starch, water, oil and salt until smooth.

2. Heat a drop of oil in a 10-inch non-stick skillet set over medium-low heat. Using a full ladle of batter (about ¼ cup), pour the batter into the heated skillet, tilting the skillet so that the batter covers the entire surface. Cook until slightly golden on the underside. Flip; cook for a few more minutes until golden on the underside. Remove to paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with oil and remaining batter. (Blintzes can be wrapped with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before filling).

Yield 10 blintzes.

Potato Blintzes

Place 1 blintz on work surface. Spread two heaping tablespoons of your favorite mashed potatoes down the center of the blintz. Fold the top of the blintz over the filling and then fold the bottom of the blintz over. Then fold in the two sides.  Either freeze or serve with sautéed onions.

Feel free to substitute the same amount of chopped liver, sautéed mushrooms, julienned sautéed vegetables (except for squash which will exude too much water) for the mashed potatoes.

Sautéed Kohlrabi with Blintz Cubes

Sauté 5 heads of peeled and shredded kohlrabi (I use the thick shredder on the food processor, not the one which has the thinner holes) in ¼ cup of oil  in a skillet set over medium heat until slightly wilted. Then season to taste with salt and pepper. Add 1 to 2 tsp of sweetener, if desired. Stir in about 20 blintzes, which have been cut into cubes. Cook, stirring, until the blintzes are heated through.