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ingredients
CREPES
1 Lg. Egg
1 Cup fat-free milk
3/4 Cup all-purpose flour
FILLING
15 Oz. Part-skim ricotta cheese
6 Tbsp. Orange marmalade, divided
1 Tbsp. Patricia and Paul Tangerine Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Granulated sugar or Sugar Substitute
1/8 Tsp. Ground cinnamon
2 Cups fresh blueberries, divided
2/3 Cup reduced-fat sour cream or fat-free Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. Patricia and Paul Blood Orange Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Mandarine orange segments, drained
DIRECTIONS
1) In a large bowl, whisk egg, milk and flour until blended. Refrigerate, covered, 1 hour.
2) Preheat oven to 350°. Brush a 6-inch non-stick skillet with the blood orange olive oil and heat over medium heat on the stove.
3) Use 1/4 cup measuring cup and pour the batter into the center of pan. Quickly lift and tilt pan to coat the bottom evenly. Cook until top appears dry; using a spatula, flip the crepe over and cook 15-20 seconds longer or until bottom is cooked. Remove to a plate. Note. The crepes will have little to no color. It might be light brown in spots and that is just fine.
4) Repeat with the remaining batter. Pile up the crepes on a plate. Don’t worry, they don’t stick together.
5) Then, in a small bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, 2 tablespoons marmalade, tangerine balsamic vinegar, sugar or sugar substitute, and cinnamon. Spoon about 2 tablespoons mixture onto each crepe; top with 1 tablespoon blueberries. Fold opposite sides of crepes over filling, forming a rectangular cylinder. Place blintzes on a baking sheet lightly brushed with the flavored olive oil, seam side down. Bake, uncovered, 12-15 minutes until heated through.
6) Serve with sour cream or yogurt, the remaining marmalade, blueberries and mandarine segments. Enjoy.
NOTES: These citrus and blueberry blintzes get a ton of citrus flavor from the balsamic tangerine vinegar, marmalade, blood orange olive oil and mandarine segments. They also get “lightened” up with the use of lighter versions of ricotta and sour cream. You can lighten them further by substituting fat-free Greek yogurt for the sour cream (my go-to substitution when I’m watching saturated fats) and a sugar substitute like Swerve or Lakanto Monk fruit.
This makes a delicious dessert and a great brunch offering too. It isn’t very sweet which is perfect for letting the fresh berries and mandarine segments shine. To get started, you’ll want to mix up the crepe batter. Mix the egg, flour and milk in a large bowl. Whisk it until smooth. Refrigerate for one hour.
While that is chilling, make your filling. In a medium sized bowl, mix the ricotta, three tablespoons of marmalade, the tangerine balsamic vinegar, sugar and cinnamon. Put to the side.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
When the crepe batter is adequately chilled, you are ready to start making the crepes. (About 20 minutes.) Brush a small non-stick skillet with some of the blood orange olive oil (just a light coat). Heat over a medium heat on the stove. Add about 1/4 cup of the batter to the middle of the pan and swirl it around so it completely coats the bottom of the skillet in a thin layer. Once the top appears dry, gently flip the crepe over and cook the other side for about 15 seconds. The whole process takes about a minute per crepe. Despite their thinness, these crepes are pretty sturdy so don’t worry too much about them ripping or tearing. Just use a spatula to lift an edge and the flip it over. If it folds over and onto itself, don’t panic! Just use the spatula or your fingers to straighten it out. I promise, by the third crepe, you’ll have this down pat!
Place the crepes on a plate to cool. You’ll continue until all the batter is gone and you have a stack of crepes. Don’t worry about them sticking, they won’t.
Next, brush a baking sheet with the olive oil. I like to cover in foil first so I have an easy cleanup.
You are now ready to fill each crepe. Add about two tablespoons of filling to each crepe right in the middle and top with a tablespoon of blueberries. Fold over one side of the crepe, then the other side. Place each blintz on the prepared baking sheet as you make them. Put them seam side down. Do this carefully so you don’t lose your filling…if some creeps out the ends, just push it back in. No worries.
Heat them in the oven for 12-15 minutes until completely heated through. Serve them on a platter with the sour cream or yourt, blueberries, marmalade, and mandarine segments either on the side or on top. These are so good.
Note: You can prepare these in advance and place them on the baking sheet. Keep in the fridge covered, until ready to bake. If baking right from the fridge, you’ll bake for about 20 minutes. That makes this a great make-ahead dish for a brunch party.
Did you like this recipe? Try some of my other favorite sweet brunch recipes:
Brioche French Toast Casserole
