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Crepes with Cottage Cheese
Instructions
I prepare the batter ingredients. The vegetable oil must be refined and odourless.
Gather the filling ingredients. The cottage cheese can be any fat content, the main thing is that it is not fat-free.
Start with the batter, as it needs a little time to rest so the gluten can swell. Place the eggs, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl.
Whisk them together and thin the mixture with a little milk (about 70 ml).
Add the flour in 2–3 additions, mixing it into the liquid each time.
While the mixture is still thick, whisk it thoroughly to get a smooth batter without lumps.
Only then pour in the rest of the milk.
Add the vegetable oil and mix everything well. Thanks to the oil, you will not need to grease the pan each time when frying – not a single crepe will stick.
Now let the batter rest for half an hour, after which it will thicken and the crepes will not tear when you turn them.
Heat the pan to almost maximum. The crepes should fry quickly, so do not step away. Scoop up a little batter with a ladle and spread it over the heated pan. Stir the batter before each new crepe.
As soon as the edges brown, lift the crepe with a spatula or your hands and flip it to the other side.
Stack the cooked crepes in a pile on a plate. If you bend one, you can clearly see how thin they have turned out.
For the filling, steam the raisins: pour boiling water over them for a couple of minutes, then rinse them in cold water.
Place the cottage cheese in a bowl and mash it with a fork.
Separate the yolks from the whites: the yolks go straight into the cottage cheese, the whites into a separate container.
Add the sugar and vanillin to the bowl and mix.
Stir the raisins into the mixture.
Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks.
Fold them gently into the cottage-cheese mixture. The airy filling is ready.
Place a spoonful of the cottage-cheese mixture on the edge of a crepe.
Fold the edges inward.
Then roll the crepe up completely.
Melt the butter slightly to grease the baking dish. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
Lay out the first layer of crepes and brush the tops with butter.
Repeat for the second layer.
Cover the dish with foil and place it in the oven for half an hour.
Then remove the foil and keep the rolls in the oven for another 5 minutes. The cottage-cheese crepes are ready.Moderately sweet, soaked in butter, with a juicy and tender filling, these nalistniki with cottage cheese will appeal even to people who do not usually like cottage cheese. I serve them topped with sour cream or jam, but even without any topping this dessert disappears in an instant. While the crepes have not yet been baked, they can be put in the freezer (they keep for up to a month).
Tips
- 1
Resting the batter for 30 minutes is the secret to its elasticity. The gluten swells and the crepes will not tear when you turn them. Without resting, they come out full of holes.
- 2
Oil in the batter is the secret to its non-stick quality. You do not need to grease the pan each time: with 50 ml of oil in the batter, the crepes lift away on their own.
- 3
Whipping the egg whites separately is the secret to an airy filling. Folded into the cottage cheese, they make the mixture as tender as a soufflé. Without this, you get a dense cottage cheese.
- 4
Baking under foil is the secret to juiciness. The crepes soak up the butter and do not dry out. The same principle works for other cottage-cheese dishes baked in the oven.
FAQ
Which cottage cheese should I choose? +
Ideally, fresh cottage cheese with 5–9% fat (360 g gives a tender filling that is not dry). Alternatives include homemade cottage cheese from milk, 18% cottage cheese (richer and fuller), soft cottage cheese in a tub, or a plain cottage-cheese mass with no additives (already sweet, so reduce the sugar). Choose a fresh product with a short shelf life. Do not use fat-free cottage cheese (it makes the filling dry), anything past its date, or varieties with fruit additives. For the Ukrainian classic, homemade or 9% cottage cheese is a must.
What can I use instead of raisins? +
Alternatives include finely chopped dried apricots, dried cranberries (slightly tart), an assortment of candied fruit (brighter), dried cherries (a more refined option), or pitted prunes (softer). Use soft, fresh raisins for the best result. Do not use hard, old raisins (they will not soften) or very sugary candied fruit (it will throw off the balance). For the classic version, use light or dark seedless raisins.
How long do the nalistniki keep? +
In the fridge, in the dish and covered with film, they keep for 2–3 days; any longer and the crepes turn rubbery and the filling settles. Before serving, reheat them in the oven for 5–7 minutes under foil at 150 °C. In the freezer (only the formed rolls, before baking) they keep for up to 1 month; thaw them for 8 hours in the fridge, then bake them as in the recipe. Do not leave them at room temperature for longer than 4 hours, as the cottage-cheese filling can spoil.
What can I serve nalistniki with? +
The Ukrainian classic is with 20% sour cream and a sprig of fresh mint. They also go well with a spoonful of homemade jam (cherry, raspberry or apricot), condensed milk, grated chocolate or cocoa on top, fresh berries (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries), or honey and walnuts. Serve them with a cup of cocoa made with milk, a glass of freshly squeezed juice (orange or apple), a berry compote, a cup of herbal tea, or an aromatic latte. It is a versatile dessert for everyday meals and celebrations alike.
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