Crêpes with Cheese and Dried Fruits filling

Yesterday evening, I was driving by a European deli that carries products from Russia, Ukraine, Poland, and Israel, and I decided to stop and go in. The inspiration came right when I entered the store...I hadn’t made crepes with cheese for a while and they are so good for breakfast!  If you ask me, they are also good for lunch and late dinner :)   with a cup of hot tea...Yum! They are convenient too...you can make a batch in advance and enjoy a worry free breakfasts for days. I immediately bought 5% cottage cheese. This cottage cheese is much smoother and creamier than the one in plastic containers in the dairy island of a regular grocery story. And it's not liquid, perfect for the filling. So, today I made the crepes and filled them with cheese and dried fruits, and after taking a picture I am going to enjoy my tea...

Ingredients

Crepes:
3 1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
2 1/4 cup flour
1 tbsp. Sugar
3 tbsp. vegetable oil

Filling:
500 gr pressed cottage cheese – I use 5% cheese from European deli or Western Creamery Pressed Cottage Cheese
1- 1½ tbsp. sugar
1 ½ -2 tbsp. 5% sour cream (the amount depends on how dry your cheese is)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup mixed dried fruits of your choice: raisins, cranberries, apricots
Squeeze of lemon juice (optional)

Directions

Making the crepes:
In a bowl beat 2 eggs with 1 tbsp. sugar. Stir with a fork or whisk until smooth (do not need to whip).
Tip: To avoid lumps in a crepe’s butter, first, make it thick adding only a small amount of milk. When the butter is mixed thoroughly and lump free, add the remaining milk and stir until smooth liquid consistency.
Pour milk (3 ¼ cups in 3 steps) alternating with flour (2 ¼ cups in 2 steps), starting and finishing with milk. Mix well until combined.
The consistency of the dough should be like a cream. If you still have lumps, strain the dough into a large enough bowl over a sieve. The dough should turn lump free liquid and easy pouring.
Add 2 tbsp. vegetable oil to the dough and mix to combine. Let it stand for 15-20 minutes.
Place 9’ skillet on the heat and grease it with a bit of oil. It should be done only before the first crepe.  
Pour a bit less than 1/4 cup butter (or 1/2 soup ladle) to a very hot pan and quickly spread the dough over the entire surface with a paper thin layer by slightly rotating a pan.

When the edges of the dough start to dry and the middle is bubbly - run a rubber spatula around to loosen the edges. Carefully pick under the crepe and if it’s golden brown, gently flip.

Fry the other side for about 2 minutes until it becomes golden brown as well. With a spatula, remove the crepe from the pan and place it on the plate.

Making the Filling:
Rinse and soak raisins in hot water for about 15 minutes. Drain.
Place cottage cheese and sugar in a bowl and mix well.
Add sour cream, vanilla and blend until smooth.

Add dried fruits and combine. 

To fill the crepes:
Place 1 generous tablespoon of cheese filling on each crepe and fold it like an envelope.

Serving: 
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a frying pan and sauté the cheese crepes on medium heat for about 2 minutes or until golden brown on both sides. Serve them with jam, honey, or sour cream.

Keep the crepes refrigerated. You can also prepare a batches and keep it frozen up to 2 months. Defrost in refrigerator and sauté before serving. They can also be warmed in a microwave.