Polish Nalesniki (Blintz) Sweet Cheese Filling

By
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
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Updated on 05/19/22
Nalesniki with blueberry

Susánica Tam/Wikimedia Commons and Flickr/CC-BY-2.0

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 10 mins
Servings: 12 servings

Polish nalesniki, also known as blintzes or filled crepes, can be stuffed with sweet or savory ingredients. When choosing sweet, either fruit or a sweet cheese filling is used, such as this combination of dry curd and cream cheese. An egg yolk, melted butter, sugar, and vanilla give the filling a smooth and creamy texture with a nice, sweet taste.

The cheese mixture is then spread in the center of the nalesniki and the crepes are folded or rolled; they can then be baked or pan-fried, or dipped in beaten egg and breadcrumbs and fried. You can also use this sweet cheese recipe for any type of filled Polish dumpling, like pierogi, uszka, kolduny, and Kubiak.

The traditional cheese used in Poland to make the filling for nalesniki is called twaróg, which is a fresh, slightly sour curd cheese. It is very popular and often simply referred to as "white cheese." If you can't find dry curd cheese, you can use farmer's cheese (homemade or store-bought) or ricotta. Serve sweet cheese-filled nalesniki for brunch, a dairy lunch, Yom Kippur break-the-fast, or a vegetarian meal.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups dry curd cheese, farmer cheese, or ricotta

  • 3 ounces cream cheese, softened

  • 1 large egg yolk

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 3 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Place the cheeses in the bowl of a food processor and puree until smooth.

  3. Add the remaining ingredients and process until fluffy.

  4. Use in crepes or other filled dumplings.

  5. Enjoy.

How to Use

To use this sweet cheese filling in blintzes, divide the filling among 12 crepes and roll or fold up as you like. Sauté the filled crepes in a small amount of butter and serve with fruit sauce, like fresh blueberry sauce, if desired.

How to Store

This sweet cheese filling can be prepared up to two days ahead of making the blintzes. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate. You can also assemble the crepes, wrap them individually in plastic wrap, place them in a zip-top bag or airtight container, and freeze them for up to two months. To cook, place the frozen blintzes, seam side down, in a pan with melted butter, and cover. Cook, shaking the pan, until golden brown, for about six minutes. Remove the lid, flip the filled crepes, and continue cooking until the other side is browned, about five minutes.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
126 Calories
10g Fat
4g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 126
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 13%
Saturated Fat 6g 28%
Cholesterol 57mg 19%
Sodium 285mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 4g 2%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 127mg 10%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 44mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)