Blini (Thin Russian Pancakes)

Blini (Thin Russian Pancakes)

Thin Russian Pancakes, or Blini, remind us of French crepes, with a few differences. Try them with sweet or savory fillings.

Ingredients

• 2 ½ c milk, warmed to 80-90F
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 c whole wheat flour
• 1 c buckwheat flour or whole wheat flour
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

• Mix warm milk and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Sprinkle the yeast over top of the milk and let the mixture stand until the yeast begins to foam, 10 min.
• Mix in the flours and set the batter aside to rest for 1-2 hours. (The batter can even be made up to a day in advance, just keep it refrigerated until 30 minutes before you are ready to use it, and then continue the recipe from this point.)
• Mix the egg yolks and salt into the batter.
• Place the egg whites in a medium bowl and beat them until stiff peaks form. Fold the beaten egg whites into the batter just before frying the pancakes.
• Melt butter in a small, 8 inch skillet. Pour ½ cup of batter into the skillet, tilting the skillet to coat the entire bottom. Cook the blini over medium heat for roughly 2 minutes. When the top begins to dry out, flip the pancake and cook for another 1-2 minutes on the second side. (As you pan gets hot, you may need to reduce the heat to keep the blini from burning.)
• Place the cooked blini on a warm plate in a low oven while you continue with the remaining batter.
• To serve, roll the blini with smoked salmon, sour cream, chopped onions, pickles, fish, or caviar. For sweet blini, try topping them with jam or honey.