Blinis

 

Blini Recipe for Russian Pancakes

Blini’s are a tradition in Russia to be eaten with sour cream, diced up hardboiled egg and topped with caviar. But they are also good by themselves or with just cheese such as stilton, blue cheese, or sharp cheddar with a glass of port wine after a hearty meal. I like making them and freezing half of them for later as they freeze well. So let’s make some blini’s.

Ingredients

·         1 cup milk

·         1 Tbsp sugar

·         1 tsp active dry yeast

·         2 large eggs, separated.

·         2 Tbsp oil or melted butter. I prefer butter over oil when making these.

·         1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

·         ½ tsp salt

To serve (optional):

·         lox and scrambled eggs

·         salmon roe and creme fraiche, topped with fresh dill or parsley

Instructions

1.       To make the batter, heat the milk until just warm (between 90-110°F). Add sugar and yeast to the warm milk, and let it activate for 5-7 minutes.

2.       Separate the eggs, add the egg whites to a medium bowl, and whisk until thickened and stiff peaks form. Set aside.

3.       In a large bowl, add the 2 egg yolks, butter, along with the milk and yeast mixture.

4.       Sift the flour and salt together. Add the flour mixture to the egg yolk and milk mixture. Whisk together until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.

5.       Gently fold in the whipped egg whites until just combined; be careful not to over mix because you want to retain the lightness from the whipped egg whites.

6.       Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap, and place in a warm non-drafty place in the kitchen. Allow the mixture to rise for 1 hour, or until bubbly and thickened.

7.       To make the blini, heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat (if your blinis brown too fast, reduce the heat as needed). Once hot, add a little oil or butter to the pan; I prefer to brush a thin amount of oil or melted butter onto the pan between each batch.

8.       I always make appetizer-sized blinis, by adding a small or medium cookie scoop filled with heaping tablespoon of batter to the pan for each blini, depending on the size I want. Once bubbles form on the top of the pancake, flip it and cook the other side for 20-30 more seconds. Transfer to a plate or sheet tray as you continue to work in batches. 

9.       Serve warm or at room temperature with your favorite toppings.

10.   These can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months if stored in an airtight container, or better yet vacuum sealed for better storing duration.

Elizabeth Kilbride is a Writer and Editor with forty years of experience in writing with 12 of those years in the online content sphere. Graduating with an Associate of Arts from Pheonix University kin Business Management, then a degree in Mass Communication and Cyber Analysis from Phoenix University, then on to Walden University for her master’s in criminology with emphasis on Cybercrime and Identity Theft and is currently studying for her Ph.D. degree in Criminology, her work portfolio includes coverage of politics, current affairs, elections, history, and true crime. In her spare time, Elizabeth is also a gourmet cook, life coach, and avid artist, proficient in watercolor, acrylic, pen and ink, Gouache, and pastels. As a political operative having worked on over 300 campaigns during her career, Elizabeth has turned many life events into books and movie scripts while using history to weave interesting storylines. She also runs 6 blogs that range from art to life coaching, to food, to writing, and opinion or history pieces each week.