Cheese-Filled Crêpes
with Blueberry Coulis

The Culinary Institute of America's Cheese-Filled Crêpes with Blueberry Coulis (sauce) is a treat they'll remember for years to come. Although traditionally eaten in the morning, crepes can be served as a light snack, impressive brunch item, or mouth-watering dessert.

Directions

Crêpe Batter
To make the crêpe batter, sift the flour, sugar, and salt into a bowl and set aside. Combine the egg, milk, butter, and vanilla extract in another bowl and stir until smooth. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until blended into a relatively smooth batter. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. (The batter may be prepared to this point and stored in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours.)

Heat a crêpe pan or small skillet over medium heat. Brush the pan with melted butter. Pour a scant 1/4 cup batter into the crêpe pan, swirling and tilting the pan to coat the bottom. Cook (reducing the heat if necessary) until the first side is set and has a little color, about 2 minutes. Use a thin metal or heatproof rubber spatula to loosen the crêpe, and turn it over. Cook on the other side until set and very lightly colored (the crêpe will not be as dark on the second side as on the first), 1 minute more. Stack the crêpes between layers of parchment or waxed paper as you cook.

Cheese Filling
To make the crêpe batter, sift the flour, sugar, and salt into a bowl and set aside. Combine the egg, milk, butter, and vanilla extract in another bowl and stir until smooth. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until blended into a relatively smooth batter. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. (The batter may be prepared to this point and stored in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours.)

Heat a crêpe pan or small skillet over medium heat. Brush the pan with melted butter. Pour a scant 1/4 cup batter into the crêpe pan, swirling and tilting the pan to coat the bottom. Cook (reducing the heat if necessary) until the first side is set and has a little color, about 2 minutes. Use a thin metal or heatproof rubber spatula to loosen the crêpe, and turn it over. Cook on the other side until set and very lightly colored (the crêpe will not be as dark on the second side as on the first), 1 minute more. Stack the crêpes between layers of parchment or waxed paper as you cook.

To make the cheese filling, purée the cottage cheese and cream cheese in a blender until very smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the sugar, egg, and vanilla extract by hand. Keep refrigerated until you are ready to finish the crêpes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly brush a medium baking dish with melted butter.

Spoon or pipe about 2 tablespoons of the cheese filling onto each crêpe. Fold each crêpe into quarters, or fold the sides in to the center, then roll each crêpe up. Place the crêpes seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Drizzle with melted butter and bake until very hot, 8–10 minutes.

Blueberry Coulis
Combine the blueberries, 3/4 cup of the sugar, and one tablespoon of the lemon juice in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer until the sugar has dissolved, about 10 minutes. Taste the mixture and, if necessary, add more sugar. Continue to heat until any additional sugar is dissolved.

Strain the coulis through a fine-mesh sieve.

After straining, place the coulis in a clean saucepan and bring to a simmer. Make a slurry by blending 2 teaspoons cornstarch with 2 teaspoons cold water. Drizzle the slurry into the simmering coulis gradually, adding just enough to lightly thicken the sauce.

Serve immediately, 2 crêpes per serving, with warm blueberry coulis.

Nutrition analysis per crêpe (includes coulis):
250 calories, 8g protein, 33g carbohydrate, 10g fat, 230mg sodium, 60mg cholesterol, 2g fiber.

This recipe is from The Culinary Institute of America's Baking at Home with The Culinary Institute of America, which is available for purchase at bookstores nationwide.

Ingredients

Crêpe Batter
Makes 12 crêpes, or 6 servings
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 cup whole or low-fat milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Melted unsalted butter for greasing and drizzling

Cheese Filling
2 cups cottage cheese
1 three-ounce package of cream cheese
2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blueberry Coulis
Makes about 2 cups
1 pound fresh or frozen blueberries (3 1/2 cups)
3/4 to one cup sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

More recipes from the CIA >>