{"id":2545,"date":"2023-08-31T04:34:48","date_gmt":"2023-08-31T04:34:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/shavuot-a-jewish-holiday-that-celebrates-all-things-dairy-blintzes-recipe\/"},"modified":"2023-08-31T04:34:48","modified_gmt":"2023-08-31T04:34:48","slug":"shavuot-a-jewish-holiday-that-celebrates-all-things-dairy-blintzes-recipe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/shavuot-a-jewish-holiday-that-celebrates-all-things-dairy-blintzes-recipe\/","title":{"rendered":"Shavuot a Jewish Holiday that Celebrates All Things Dairy & Blintzes Recipe"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Coming fifty days after Passover, Shavuot \u2013 which means \u201cweeks\u201d in Hebrew \u2013 commemorates the day God gave the Torah to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai. It is thought to originally be an agricultural festival, and while are no specific requirements for celebrating Shavuot \u2014 unlike the many required observances for Passover, for example \u2014there are many minhagim<\/em>, or customs, associated with the joyous festival. One of the most widely held customs for Shavuot is to celebrate by eating dairy foods, especially cheese.<\/p>\n

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Dairy products photo credit California Milk and Jill Hough Group<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Why Dairy?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As always with Judaism, there are several explanations for why it is traditional to eat dairy foods on Shavuot. First, Shavuot usually occurs in late spring or early summer, which was when, in pre-industrial times, cows would be giving birth and farmers would have a ready supply of milk. For the same reason, spring was the traditional time of year for cheese-making – so farmers could preserve the abundance of milk to last for the rest of the year. But beyond this very practical explanation, there are several religious ones as well.<\/p>\n

One explanation for why it is traditional to eat dairy on Shavuot is that once the Israelites received the Torah and learned about the kosher laws, they could not eat any of their meat, which would not have been butchered properly. So they simply ate dairy until they were able to\u00a0 follow the laws for the consumption of meat. There are other explanations too, such as that eating dairy symbolizes how the Israelites were promised a \u201cland of milk and honey.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Cheese blintzes photo credit Emily Paster<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Typical Dairy Dishes<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Whatever the reason, the tradition of eating dairy foods on Shavuot is nearly universal among the Jewish people. All around the diaspora, there are traditional Shavuot foods that incorporate different dairy products and cheeses. Among Ashkenazi Jews, or those from eastern and northern Europe, popular dairy dishes for Shavuot include cheesecake, cheese-filled cr\u00eapes called blintzes, noodle kugel made with sour cream or cottage cheese, and triangular, cheese-filled dumplings called kreplach.<\/p>\n

For Sephardic Jews – the descendants of those who fled the Iberian peninsula in the 1500\u2019s to the Mediterranean, North Africa or the Levant – the traditional Shavuot dairy foods are a bit different and include a lot of savory, filled pastries. Bourekas, which are flaky, stuffed pastries that originated in Turkey, are a favorite at Shavuot, especially those filled with feta or or other mild white cheese. In Israel, families with Spanish and Italian heritage often serve pasta filled with a local sheep\u2019s milk cheese on Shavuot.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Uncookked blintzes photo credit Emily Paster<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Blintzes<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In America, one of the most popular Shavuot foods – besides cheesecake, natch – are blintzes. Blintzes are a sweet treat of thin pancakes \u2014 similar to a French cr\u00eape \u2014 filled with soft, fresh cheese and rolled up like a little package. Once assembled, blintzes are usually fried in butter and topped with jam or sour cream – for even more dairy – and garnished with a dusting of powdered sugar and some fresh fruit. One of the reasons that blintzes in particular are a beloved Shavuot food is that two blintzes laid side-by-side resemble the two tablets Moses received on Mount Sinai.<\/p>\n

Jewish grandmothers would have you believe that making blintzes is an enormous production, but it is just not true. Blintzes are only a production if you insist on making them by the hundreds, which, in their defense, grandmothers used to do. But today\u2019s cooks can simply make enough for brunch or dinner. And in the era of nonstick crepe pans, they are not even particularly difficult.<\/p>\n

That being said, there are a few helpful tips to know when making blintzes. First: plan ahead. The batter for the pancakes needs to rest for at least two hours before cooking. I recommend making the batter the night before you plan to serve the blintzes, especially if you are serving them at brunch, which is quite common. The batter will keep it in the refrigerator overnight and that is one less thing to worry about in the morning. Second, remember when I said that the pancakes for the blintzes are like cr\u00eapes? That\u2019s true, but there is one key difference. Traditionally, cr\u00eapes are cooked on both sides while the pancakes for blintzes are only cooked on one side. This actually saves time and is less fussy than cooking cr\u00eapes.<\/p>\n

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Plated cheese blintzes photo credit Emily Paster<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cheeses for Blintzes<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Traditionally, Jewish cooks would have used pot cheese, which is cottage cheese with some of the whey pressed out, or farmer\u2019s cheese, which is a soft, fresh cheese with small curds, to fill their blintzes. Farmers\u2019 cheese can be hard to source today (look for it in Eastern European specialty markets), but you can substitute quark, which is a German fresh cheese, or even small-curd cottage cheese, so long as you allow it to drain for several hours before using. Editor\u2019s note: Mexican reques\u00f3n is another good option.<\/em><\/p>\n

Farmer\u2019s cheese is quite tangy, which some people love, but others find it off-putting. Kids, I have learned, prefer the mild taste and smooth texture of fresh ricotta as a filling for blintzes. In the recipe below, I give you instructions for both a traditional farmers\u2019 cheese filling as well as a sweet ricotta filling that is a favorite with my family.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Even if you are not celebrating Shavuot, cheese blintzes are a special dish to serve at a festive breakfast or brunch. Topped with jam and seasonal fresh fruit, blintzes are a delightful vegetarian dish and a nice break from all the egg-based dishes that one typically sees at brunch.<\/p>\n

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Cheese blintzes with fruit photo credit Emily Paster<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cheese Blintzes Recipe<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Makes 8 blintzes<\/p>\n

Cr\u00eapes:<\/p>\n

1 cup whole milk<\/p>\n

4 large eggs at room temperature<\/p>\n

1 teaspoon vanilla extract<\/p>\n

1 cup all-purpose flour<\/p>\n

2 Tablespoon sugar<\/p>\n

1 teaspoon salt<\/p>\n

Sweet Ricotta Filling:<\/p>\n

15 oz. whole milk ricotta<\/p>\n

1 Tablespoon sugar<\/p>\n

Zest of one lemon<\/p>\n

Pinch salt<\/p>\n

Farmers Cheese Filling:<\/p>\n

16 oz. of farmers cheese*<\/p>\n

\u00bc cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt<\/p>\n

1 egg yolk<\/p>\n

Pinch nutmeg<\/p>\n

Salt and white pepper to taste<\/p>\n

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter for cooking<\/p>\n

Jam and\/or sour cream for serving<\/p>\n

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  1. \n

    To make the batter, whisk together the milk, eggs and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Add the flour, sugar and salt and whisk until the batter is thoroughly combined and no longer lumpy. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    To make the crepes, heat an 8 or 10-inch nonstick cr\u00eape pan over high heat. (You may use a nonstick skillet if you do not own a cr\u00eape pan.) While the pan is heating, prepare four clean dishtowels or four squares of parchment paper to hold the cooked cr\u00eapes. If the cr\u00eape batter has separated, whisk it until it is smooth and combined.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  3. \n

    Once the pan is hot, turn heat down to medium. Add a scant 1\/3 cup of the batter to the hot pan and immediately tilt the pan and swirl the batter until it reaches to the edges. The batter should thinly coat the bottom of the pan.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  4. \n

    Cook the cr\u00eape undisturbed for 40 seconds to 1 minute, until edges are lightly browned and release easily from pan and the center is dry. Using your fingers or a thin, flexible spatula, loosen one edge and carefully remove the cr\u00eape to the dishtowel or parchment paper. (Do not use tongs, which may puncture or tear the delicate cr\u00eape. If the bottoms of the cr\u00eapes are browning before the center is dry, flip them over and briefly cook the underside, then add slightly less batter to the pan going forward.)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Repeat until you have used all of the batter. You should have 8 cr\u00eapes. (The cr\u00eapes may be prepared up to a day ahead and refrigerated until needed.)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    To make either filling, mix all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    To fill the blintzes, place one cr\u00eape, cooked side down, on a clean dishtowel or board and spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of the filling just below the center of the crepe, leaving a border on the bottom and each side. Fold the bottom layer over the filling, then fold in each side, enclosing the filling completely, and roll up like a burrito. (Filled, uncooked blintzes can be stored for up to 1 day. Place the filled cr\u00eapes seam-side down in a baking dish and refrigerate until needed.)\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    To cook the blintzes, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch, non-stick skillet. Place four blintzes in the skillet and cook over medium heat until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the blintzes and brown on other side, about 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining blintzes, adding more butter to the skillet as necessary.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Serve blintzes immediately topped with jam, sour cream and fresh sliced fruit.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    * if unavailable substitute quark, ricotta, drained cottage cheese, or reques\u00f3n<\/p>\n

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    Note: Filled, uncooked blintzes can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, spread the blintzes on a baking sheet and place in the freezer. Once frozen solid, they can be packed into a gallon-sized freezer bag for long-term storage.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Coming fifty days after Passover, Shavuot \u2013 which means \u201cweeks\u201d in Hebrew \u2013 commemorates the day God gave the Torah to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai. It is thought to originally be an agricultural festival, and while are no specific requirements for celebrating Shavuot \u2014 unlike the many required observances for Passover, for example … Okumaya devam et “Shavuot a Jewish Holiday that Celebrates All Things Dairy & Blintzes Recipe”<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":1271,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[395],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2545","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-milk-and-diary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2545","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1271"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2545"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2545\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2545"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2545"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2545"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}