In a moment of serendipity, my wife discovered that she could make blintzes from pancake mix. Often perceived as an arduous task, she discovered that she could simplify the process by manipulating the ratio of pancake mix to milk and adding an egg.
A blintz hack out of pancake mix doesn’t move so far from the plain meaning of the word blintz, as the word originates from a Slavic word that means pancake.
As Shavuos is approaching, I included her recipe with choices of fillings and toppings.
Recipe #1 Blintz Hack Recipe (adapted from the internet):
Ingredients:
1 cup pancake mix
1 ¼ milk (or nondairy substitute)
2 tbs vegetable oil or melted butter (dairy) or margarine, plus additional to grease the pan
1 (checked) egg
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
Garnish: sour cream, powdered sugar, chocolate syrup and/or fruit topping
Instructions:
Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Grease a small pan on a low to medium flame. The heat should be lower than that which you would cook a pancake on. Pour 2 tbs on batter and tilt the pan so that it spreads evenly to the edge. Remove from pan with a spatula and stack on a plate. (If you are going to serve plain or stuff with no bake cheese filling (see recipe below) lightly brown on both sides before transferring from the pan.) Lightly grease or spray the pan before pouring additional batter.
If you plan to fry the blintz with cheese stuffing (see recipe below), prior to inserting the stuffing flip the blintz to the “brown side”. Place a rounded tablespoon worth in the center. Careful not to overstuffed. Roll the sides (and tuck in the corners). Pour a thin layer of oil in the pan and heat on a medium flame until the oil starts to crackle. Lower the heat and place the blintzes with the seam up in the pan. Careful not to overcrowd the pan. Once brown and crispy, flip and repeat and then transfer to a plate with a spatula to serve. Garnish with sour cream, a light sprinkle of powdered sugar, chocolate syrup and/ or fruit topping (see recipe below).
Recipe #2
No Bake Cheese Filling (adapted from the internet):
In a mixing bowl pour 1 cup heavy cream and whip. Once you have achieved stiff peaks add the following and blend ingredients until smooth:
8 oz brick or cream cheese or container of mascarpone
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
½ tsp (or more to taste) lemon juice (optional)
Recipe #3
Fruit Topping (adapted by Caryn-Shore Genack from Naomi Ross’s cookbook, The Giving Table):
In a sauce pan heat the following ingredients on a low flame:
1 cup frozen berries
½ tbs lemon juice
1 tbs granulated white sugar
3 ½ tbs water
Stir frequently. When the ingredients have become incorporated add ½ Tbs corn starch and allow to cool. Mix occasionally to thicken.
Recipe #4
Cheese Filling for Frying (credit: Jacqueline Shore, Passaic, NJ):
In a bowl mix the following ingredients until smooth:
6 tbs cream cheese
1 package farmers cheese (7.5 oz)
1 egg yolk (checked)
2 tbs granulated white sugar