34 | JANUARY 20 • 2022 

T

here’s a tremendous 
collection of 
cookbooks in the 
libraries of Michigan State 
University, and they’ve 
digitized a 
number of 
them for 
researchers 
and the public 
alike to read 
and enjoy. 
Amongst these 
tomes is The 
International Jewish Cook 
Book, published in 1918. 

A snapshot of Jewish 
foods from all corners and 
of all types, the recipes pay 
attention to kosher laws 
and holiday concerns, and 
cover everything from the 
idiosyncratically spelled 
“Gefilte Fisch” to “Kentucky 
Chrimsel,” inclusive of 
almost any dish you can 
imagine.
I’d like to share a recipe 
from the book, adapted 
slightly, that might well have 
been served 100 years ago: 
Cheese Blintzes.

Blintzes from 1918

Chef Aaron 
Egan

FOOD
FROM THE HOME KITCHEN OF CHEF AARON 

CHEESE BLINTZES
Pancake:
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup flour

FilIing:
½ lb. small-curd cottage cheese 
or ricotta
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. salt
Zest of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
Powdered sugar
Cinnamon
Oil or butter for frying

Directions 
1. Combine 1 beaten egg, 1 
tsp. of salt, 1 tsp. of sugar 
and 1 cup of milk in a bowl, 
whisking well. Add the 
flour and mix until evenly 
combined. Don’t overmix.
 2. Heat an 8-inch 
nonstick or stainless 
skillet over medium-high 
heat and add a little oil 
or butter to the pan, just 
enough to cover. Add 2 
Tbsp. of batter and tilt the 
pan immediately to spread 
the batter out thinly and 
evenly over the bottom of 
the pan. This is essentially 
making crepes, if you’re 
familiar with the process.
3. Fry the pancakes 
until browning nicely on 
one side, then remove 
from the pan and place 
on a cutting board, cloth, 
or plates for storage and 
cooling, uncooked side up. 
Repeat with the rest of the 
batter; do not stack your 
blintzes, as they’ll stick to 
each other; lay them out 
across whatever you must 
to accomplish this.

3. Combine the filling 
ingredients in a bowl 
and mix well until evenly 
combined. Divide this 
mixture amongst your 
blintzes and spread across 
the bottom third of the 
pancake, leaving a ½-inch 
border without cheese on 
it along the edge.
4. “Fold over and tuck 
the edges in well,” read 
the original directions, 
giving you no other idea of 
what you’re supposed to 
do; the motion is not unlike 
rolling up a burrito, with 
the goal of fully enclosing 
the cheese within the par-
cooked pancake. Fold up 
the bottom edge, then the 
sides inward, then fold 
again to the top edge, and 
make sure that the edges 
are sealed nicely to the 
cooked side of the blintz, 
not hanging out loosely. 
The goal is to create a 
nice neat rectangular 
parcel. Set aside and 
repeat with the rest of the 
blintzes.
5. Sprinkle with 
powdered sugar and 
cinnamon, then fry again 
in butter or oil until golden 
brown and crispy; work 
in batches and don’t 
overcrowd the pan to 
keep the crispy exterior. 
Set the cooked blintzes 
to drain on a cooling rack 
over paper towels or extra 
brown paper bags (the 
best grease soaker there 
is.)
6. Serve warm with 
syrup, fruit preserves, 
clotted cream or citrus 
curd as a garnish and 
sauce. Sprinkle with 
more powdered sugar 
and cinnamon, if you like, 
before serving. 

TAVALLAI VIA FLICKR

These cheese blintzes would have been at home on the plates of 
these banquet-goers in 1936.

IADS

