Russian Crepes with Farmer’s Cheese (Nalisniki)

These Russian crepes may be referred to Nalisniki, cheese blintzes, cheese crepes or blinchiki and come together with eggs. They’re thin crepes made from a silky batter and filled with a sweet farmers cheese filling. 

I love how delicate, delicious and golden-yellow in color these turn out to be. This has been a favored recipe passed down by my mom and tested many of times. If you prefer to use less eggs or don’t have as many on hand check out my other nalisniki recipe.

Tips for a lump-free crepes batter:

Tip 1: For a lump free batter alternate the liquid ingredients with the dry when mixing, instead of dumping everything together.

Tip 2: For best results keep your heat temperature at a low level. You know your crepes are ready to be flipped once the edges start to crisp up slightly. Keep in mind these will bake later so you don’t need to keep them on the skillet too long.

Note: These are freezer friendly. If you want to make these in advance and freeze, just do so after you layered the nalisniki with butter. Be sure to cover nalisniki in an airtight container or try to avoid any poor coverage as that can result in frost.

Ingredients for Crepes:

• 4 1/4 cups milk
• 10 eggs
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

How to make Russian Crepes:

1.) Crack 10 eggs into a large bowl; add half of the flour and whisk until thick. Add the remaining flour and keep whisking. Slowly add the milk, then add the sugar, salt and oil; continue whisking until silky.

2.) Heat a medium-sized non-stick skillet (about 9″ in diameter) over low-med heat.

3.) Drizzle about half a teaspoon of oil onto preheated skillet; swirl to coat.

4.) Using a 1/3 cup measuring tool fill batter almost up to the rim; pour into skillet and quickly swirl to evenly coat the pan.

5.) Once edges start to crisp up a little run spatula down the sides and carefully flip the crepe. Hold in skillet for about 20 seconds and remove. Repeat with remaining batter and transfer done crepes unto a glass plate.

6.) Crepes should be delicate and slightly thin.

Ingredients for the farmers cheese filling:

• 1 lb 9 oz of farmers cheese (about half a log of friendship farmer’s cheese)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 oz softened cream cheese
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 10 tbsp of unsalted butter

To make Filling:

1.  Combine the room temperature cream cheese, farmer’s cheese, sugar and cottage cheese. Beat until creamy.

To assemble Crepes:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13″ by 9″ Pyrex glass dish with butter; set aside.

2. Place crepe onto a flat surface and spread 1 heaping tbsp of the cheese filling evenly over the crepe.

3. Starting from the lower bottom slowly roll the crepe upwards.

4. Place ready crepes into the buttered Pyrex dish and continue filling and rolling the remaining crepes.

5. Before overlapping any crepes, be sure to cover the crepes with some butter pieces. Thinly slice 1 stick of cold butter and spread out half of the slices over the rolled crepes. And the remaining half over the second layer.  You should have about two layers.

6. Cover and bake crepes for 23 minutes. Remove and slice each row of crepes into three equal pieces (cutting afterwards helps the filling stay in place.)

7. Serve with sour cream and enjoy!

Note: To reheat crepes; melt a few tbsp of butter (about 2 tbsp) in a medium-sized skillet over medium-low heat. Fry crepes on each side until golden.

5 from 2 votes

Russian Crepes with Farmer's Cheese (Nalisniki)

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 23 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 8 minutes

Servings: 32 crepes

Author: Alyona's Cooking

These Russian crepes may be referred to Nalisniki, cheese blintzes, cheese crepes or blinchiki and come together with eggs. They're thin crepes made from a silky batter and filled with a sweet farmers cheese filling. 

Print Recipe Review

Ingredients

• NALISNIKI BATTER:
• 4 1/4 cups milk
• 10 eggs
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• CHEESE FILLING:
• 1 lb 9 oz of farmers cheese about half a log of friendship farmer's cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 oz softened cream cheese
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 10 tbsp of unsalted butter

Instructions

• YO MAKE CREPES: Crack 10 eggs into a large bowl; add half of the flour and whisk until thick. Add the remaining flour and keep whisking. Slowly add the milk, then add the sugar, salt and oil; continue whisking until silky.
• Heat a medium-sized non-stick skillet (about 9" in diameter) over low-med heat.
• Drizzle about half a teaspoon of oil onto preheated skillet; swirl to coat.
• Using a 1/3 cup measuring tool fill batter almost up to the rim; pour into skillet and quickly swirl to evenly coat the pan.
• Once edges start to crisp up a little run spatula down the sides and carefully flip the crepe. Hold in skillet for about 20 seconds and remove. Repeat with remaining batter and transfer done crepes unto a glass plate.
• TO MAKE FILLING: Combine the room temperature cream cheese, farmer's cheese, sugar and cottage cheese. Beat until creamy.
• TO ASSEMBLE CREPES: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13" by 9" Pyrex glass dish with butter; set aside.
• Place crepe onto a flat surface and spread 1 heaping tbsp of the cheese filling evenly over the crepe.
• Starting from the lower bottom slowly roll the crepe upwards.
• Place ready crepes into the buttered Pyrex dish and continue filling and rolling the remaining crepes.
• Before overlapping any crepes, be sure to cover the crepes with some butter pieces. Thinly slice 1 stick of cold butter and spread out half of the slices over the rolled crepes. And the remaining half over the second layer. (You should have about two layers.)
• Cover and bake crepes for 23 minutes. Remove and slice each row of crepes into three equal pieces (cutting afterwards helps the filling stay in place.)
• Serve with sour cream and enjoy!
• TO REHEAT CREPES; melt a few tbsp of butter in a medium-sized skillet over medium-low heat. Fry crepes on each side until golden.

Let us know when you make this recipe!Leave a comment, rate it, and tag #alyonascooking!