Apple and Blueberry Blintzes

I have been meaning to try out this recipe for blintzes (which I noted from a copy of the Good Food magazine) for a long time. In fact I had even bought a can of blueberries for the same and it has been sitting in my shelf for almost 8 months. Every time I would think of making it I would go to the recipe and realize it requires mascarpone cheese, an ingredient I have never used.

The other day I thought it is high time that I made it, so out I went to the supermarket and picked up a tub of mascarpone and went about making this. It is a little time consuming (definitely not an everyday recipe) but I am so glad I made it as everyone at home simply loved it. Here comes the recipe...

Ingredients

For the crepes

140 grams refined flour,

A pinch of salt,

2 eggs,

200 ml of milk,

150 ml of water,

25 grams unsalted butter,

Some more unsalted butter for greasing if required

For the Filling

200 grams mascarpone,

1 tsp vanilla extract,

2 tbsp caster sugar,

1 egg yolk,

20 grams unsalted butter,

2 apples,

200 grams blueberries,

½ tsp powdered cinnamon

For the Sauce

200 grams blueberries,

3 tbsp caster sugar,

2 tsp lemon juice

Method for the Crepes

Sift the flour and add the salt. Mix in both the eggs. Separately mix the milk and the water and then gradually add it to the flour mixture to make a smooth batter.

Set this aside for 30 minutes and fold in the melted butter.

Heat a non-stick pan, grease it with a little butter if required and pour a ladle full of the batter and swirl to form a round crepe. Cook it for about 2 minutes and then flip it over. Make more crepes in a similar fashion and stack them up. These proportions make about 12 crepes.

Method for the Filling

Peel, core and chop the apples. Melt the unsalted butter in a pan and add the chopped apples and the caster sugar. Cook till the apples are tender and they start to caramelize. Keep this aside.

Add the blueberries to a pan and cook for about two minutes or till the blue berries start to soften.

Add half of the cooked blue berries to the apples, mix and keep aside.

Beat together the mascarpone cheese, vanilla extract, caster sugar and egg yolk. Keep this aside.

Method for the Sauce

Place the blueberries, 2 ½ tbsp caster sugar, lemon juice and 75 ml of water in a pan and cook till the blueberries start to break down.

Sieve this mixture to form a sauce. Add lime juice or caster sugar, if required. Add the reserved blue berries and pour the sauce into a serving jug.

Method for making the Blintzes

Place a dollop of the mascarpone mixture in the centre of the crepes. Divide the mascarpone mixture equally among all the crepes. Then similarly place a little of the apple-blueberry filling over the mascarpone mixture and divide the apple-blueberry filling among all the crepes. Fold the crepes to form a neat square packet.

Place the crepe packets in an oven-proof dish, seam-side down. Sprinkle the caster sugar and the powdered cinnamon over the blintzes. Preheat the oven at 180^oC for ten minutes.

Place the blintzes in the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 10-15 minutes. Serve with the blueberry sauce.