 |
| Chocolate Blintz |
I'm offering up something sweet to make up for my not posting in way too long -- some sweet dessert or brunch recipes both featuring chocolate.
Most folks know kugel as a (usually sweet) baked noodle pudding. When I decided to give it a chocolate make over I started by making my own chocolate noodles. They were a lot of work (especially since I no longer own a pasta machine) and while they tasted okay the texture in the kugel can be best described as leaden. As I searched my pantry and local grocery shelves for other options I tried various chocolate wafers and cookies. Oreos (well actually Safeway's generic Tuxedo cookie variation) worked wonderfully and surprisingly were not too sweet and the crème-filled sandwich cookies held up well to the batter and baking.
The Chocolate Blintzes feature a cocoa-based crepe and a
ricotta filling laced with milk chocolate chips. I wanted to try the blintzes with a layer of Nutella (or other hazelnut-chocolate spread) on the crepe before adding the ricotta filling but I never got around to trying it that way. They were just too delectable this way.
I did turn some of the leftover blintzes into a Chocolate Blintz Souffle. If you want to try something similar see the note after Chocolate Blintzes recipe.
Chocolate Sandwich Cookie Kugel
Serves 12
3 Tbs. unsalted butter melted, divided
About 30 chocolate sandwich cookies
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
8 oz. sour cream
1 cup milk
4 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. almond extract
3 Tbs. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly brush 1 tsp.
of the melted butter inside a 9”x13” baking pan. Cover bottom with cookies,
breaking some in half to fill in any large gaps.
Mash softened cream cheese with sour cream until
smooth. Add remaining butter, milk, eggs, almond extract, sugar and salt. Beat
until smooth.
Pour mixture over cookies. Scatter 1/2 cup of
chocolate chips evenly over top. Place in oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Rotate
pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon then scatter remaining chips over top. Bake for
additional 15-25 minutes until custard top is firm and puffy and pulling away
from sides of pan. Let sit for 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature
topped with whipped cream if desired.
Chocolate Blintzes
Makes 12
12 chocolate blintz crepes (see below)
1 recipe of blintz filling (see below)
1 Tbs. unsalted butter, divided
2-3 Tbs. powdered sugar
1/4 cup sour cream (or whipped cream)
12 strawberries, sliced
Lay crepe cooked side down on work surface. Place
2 Tbs. of filling in the middle, leaving about an inch margin at top and bottom
of crepe. Fold top over filling then bottom. Fold one side over. Lightly
moisten inside edge of last side to help seal. Fold side over crepe. Repeat. Heat
large fry pan over medium high heat. Add 1 tsp. butter. When melted, place
first batch of blintzes seam side down in hot pan. Fry for about 2 minutes
until beginning to darken. Flip and fry other side. Remove from pan, add
additional butter as needed and fry remaining blintzes in batches. Serve warm
sprinkled with powdered sugar, a dollop of sour cream and sliced strawberries.
Blintz Crepes:
Add to blender 1 1/4 cups milk, 1/2 cup cold water, 1 cup flour, 1/4
tsp. salt, 2 Tbs. baking cocoa, 2 Tbs. sugar,
1 tsp. vanilla extract, 2 Tbs. melted unsalted butter and 2 eggs. Blend
until smooth. Melt 1 Tbs. butter. Heat 8” crepe, omelet or fry pan over medium
heat. Brush lightly with melted butter. With pan off the heat, pour 1/4 cup
batter in center of pan. Swirl pan to distribute batter evenly. Fry on one side
until top is set and bottom has darkened. Remove with spatula. Place cooked
side down on dishtowel. Repeat, adding butter as needed. (Recipe makes a few
extra.)
Blintz Filling:
Mix 2 cups ricotta cheese with 1 beaten egg and 1/2 tsp. almond extract
until smooth. Stir in 1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest, 1 Tbs. sugar and 1/2 cup
milk chocolate chips.
Keep reading for turning the blintzes into a soufflé.
