Blintzes With Sour Cream And Cherries

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 175g cottage cheese
• 100g cream cheese
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 heaped tbs caster sugar
• Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
• 20g unsalted butter, melted
• 12 crepes (see related recipe)
• Sour cream, to serve

• Cherry sauce

• 425g canned pitted cherries in syrup
• 1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar
• 2 tbs kirsch (cherry brandy), optional
• 1 tsp arrowroot

Method

1. To make cherry sauce, place cherries and syrup in a pan with sugar. Stir over medium heat until sugar has dissolved, then add kirsch. Mix arrowroot with 1 tablespoon cold water, stirring until smooth. Add a little warm juice to arrowroot mixture, then tip it all into the juice. Cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes until sauce thickens. Set aside to cool.

2. Preheat oven to 180°C and brush a 20cm x 25cm baking dish with melted butter. Place cheeses, egg yolk, vanilla, sugar and zest in a food processor and blend until smooth.

3. Place a generous tablespoon of cheese mixture in the centre of each crepe. Fold in sides, then bottom and top to form a parcel. Place blintzes fold-side down into dish (you may need to overlap slightly).

4. Brush tops with remaining butter. (At this stage you can cover and chill until ready to cook). Bake for 15 minutes until warmed through.

5. To serve, place two blintzes on each plate and top with sauce and sour cream.