Recipe courtesy of Amy Kritzer Becker

Spanakopita Blintzes

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  • Level: Intermediate
  • Total: 2 hr (includes chilling time)
  • Active: 1 hr 10 min
  • Yield: 10 servings
My great Bubbe was famous for her blintzes. She would spread the fried pancakes on clean dish towels around the kitchen before filling them assembly-line style with farmer's cheese and freezing them for the future. This is a savory twist on her classic recipe, with a nod to our Greek roots and perfect for the Yom Kippur break fast or Shavuot.

Ingredients

Batter:

Filling:

Directions

  1. For the batter: Put the flour, milk, butter, granulated sugar, salt, eggs and 1/2 cup water in a blender and blend until combined with no lumps. Pour into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  2. For the filling: Meanwhile, heat a large heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium heat. Heat the olive oil, then add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and cook until soft and translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Lower the heat to medium low and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 more minute. Add the spinach in batches, stirring and letting it wilt slightly before adding the next batch. Increase the heat to medium and sauté until the spinach is completely wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
  3. Drain the spinach mixture and squeeze out any extra liquid. Add the feta, ricotta, parsley, dill, lemon zest, pepper, nutmeg and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and stir to combine. Refrigerate the filling until ready to use.
  4. Cut twenty 10-inch squares of parchment paper. Cut 3 tablespoons of the butter into 10 pieces.
  5. When it’s time to make the pancakes, heat a 10-inch nonstick pan over medium heat, add 1 piece of the butter and swirl the pan until the butter is melted and forms a thin layer, about 30 seconds. Pour on 1/4 cup of the batter and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. After about a minute, the ends will start to curl and the batter will be set. Do not flip! Slide the blintz onto a piece of parchment paper to cool. Top with another piece of parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining batter and butter pieces. Do not layer the blintzes without parchment in between as they may stick to each other. Reserve the nonstick pan.
  6. Spread 3 tablespoons of the filling towards the bottom of a blintz, then fold up the bottom of the blintz to cover the filling. Fold in the sides and roll up like a burrito. Repeat with the remaining blintzes and filling.
  7. Heat the nonstick pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon butter. Fry the blintzes in batches, wiping the pan clean between batches and adding the remaining 1 tablespoon butter before the last batch, until golden brown on each side and heated through, about 2 minutes per side. Serve immediately with sour cream and more parsley and dill as garnish.

Cook’s Note

The blintzes can be made ahead of time up until frying, then frozen for up to 2 months or refrigerated for a few hours. They are best served warm but are also great at room temperature.