Sweet Cheese-Filled Crepes

Use a crepe pan about 6 inches across the bottom. Use an electric mixer or whisk to beat the eggs until thoroughly beaten. Add water, butter and oil and beat well. Add flour, sugar and salt and mix just until white disappears. Let the mixture stand 1 hour or refrigerate up to 2 days.

Heat a crepe pan over medium-high heat and brush it with butter, coating it well.

For each crepe, pour about 3 tablespoons of the batter into the pan and immediately tilt the pan so the batter completely but lightly coats the bottom. Cook 30 seconds, or until the bottom of the crepe is golden brown (just lift the edge to see).

Loosen the crepe gently with a spatula, then turn it over with the spatula or your fingers. Cook the crepe on the underside for a few seconds to set it, but don't worry about getting it a nice even brown. Turn the crepes onto a plate.

Cover and refrigerate the crepes up to 2 days. Crepes also freeze well. Double-wrap the crepes (as a stack, not individually) and they will freeze with good quality for a month or a little more.

To make the filling: Beat cream cheese (or whir in a processor) until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and beat until well mixed. (A mixer will take out the lumps in the cottage cheese; a blender will too, but the mixture must be blended in several batches.)

Spoon a scant 2 tablespoons of filling onto the pale side of the crepe, in the center. Fold the left and right side in about an inch, then bring the bottom flap up to cover the filling, and bring the top flap over to make a nice little package, like an envelope.

TIP: If you like, fry the closed crepes in a shallow film of melted butter to brown them on both sides. Frying them warms the cheese and makes the crepes even more luscious.

To do this, melt a tablespoon or so of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the filled crepes in the skillet, folded side down. Fry the packages in butter until golden on both sides, about 5 minutes total.

Serve with hot applesauce, sour cream, fresh strawberry or blueberry sauce, fruit jams or preserves; sprinkle with powdered sugar or drizzle with chocolate sauce.