Blintzes — The Handmade Thing That Feeds the People You Love

I drove to Grinnell Saturday. Roger was in the garden — the garden that is his whole world now, the 81-year-old man who tends six tomato plants and twelve sunflowers with the same care he once gave four hundred acres. He's slower but he's still Roger. He still watches the crop reports. He still calls Jack on Wednesdays.

I made Irish soda bread this week — the spring version, the one that fills the kitchen with the smell that means this time of year, this stage of life, this specific Tuesday when the stove is warm and the family is fed and the feeding is the point. Kevin ate seconds. The man always eats seconds. The eating is the approval and the approval is the marriage.

Seed starting continues at the Holloway household — the windowsill green, the grow lights purple, the soil mix precise. The annual miracle of February and March: things grow even when everything says they shouldn't. The growing is the argument against everything.

After the drive to Grinnell and back, after watching Roger move slowly and steadily through his tomato rows, I came home wanting to make something with my hands — something that required attention the way a garden does. Blintzes are that recipe for me: thin batter spread carefully, filled, folded, and browned in butter until the edges crisp just so. They’re not fast, and that’s exactly the point. Kevin ate three. The eating was the approval.

Blintzes

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 50 minutes | Servings: 4 (about 12 blintzes)

Ingredients

• For the crepes:
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• For the filling:
• 1 1/2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• For finishing:
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, for pan-frying
• Sour cream or fruit preserves, for serving

Instructions

1. Make the crepe batter. In a blender, combine eggs, milk, water, flour, melted butter, and salt. Blend until completely smooth, about 30 seconds. Let the batter rest at room temperature for 15 minutes so the flour fully hydrates.
2. Cook the crepes. Heat a 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat and brush lightly with butter. Pour about 3 tablespoons of batter into the pan and swirl quickly to coat the bottom in a thin, even layer. Cook until the edges look dry and the surface is just set, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Slide out onto a clean towel or plate — do not flip. Repeat with remaining batter, stacking crepes with parchment between them if needed.
3. Make the filling. In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, cream cheese, egg yolk, sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth and well combined.
4. Fill and fold the blintzes. Lay a crepe cooked-side up on a flat surface. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of filling just below the center. Fold the bottom edge up over the filling, fold in both sides, then roll forward to seal. Repeat with remaining crepes and filling.
5. Pan-fry to finish. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Place blintzes seam-side down in the pan, working in batches. Cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 2 to 3 minutes, then turn carefully and brown the other side, 2 minutes more. Add more butter between batches as needed.
6. Serve warm. Transfer to plates and serve immediately with sour cream, jam, or fresh fruit alongside.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 480 | Protein: 17g | Fat: 28g | Carbs: 40g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 370mg