Blini

These are delicate little yeast pancakes, with a subtle nuttiness, cooked with just a brush of butter until they’re lightly golden then garnished with a glorious array of toppings. Tiny pancakes that create one gorgeous board and deliver a perfect bite for weekend entertaining!

Blini is a centuries old dish with roots tracing back to Russian origin. Made with the addition of wheat flour, the tender cakes make a perfect vessel for carrying both sweet and savory components.

Their light lift and flavor comes in part from yeast along with fluffy, whipped egg whites. Milk, butter, and egg yolks deliver up richness all whisked into a blend of flours.

After a slow rise, the batter is dropped onto a hot skillet and cooked until golden. And to get a jump on the prep, you can let the batter rise for a night or two in the fridge. Or cook them ahead of time and pop in the freezer until you’re ready to serve them up.

Then gather a colorful, flavorful collection of ingredients to top things off. Start with a dollop of crème fraîche topped with a roasted asparagus tip, a bit of roast beef with Dijon mustard or a slice of smoked salmon and fresh dill on cream cheese.

Sliced mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and fresh basil is also a nice addition.

And for a sweet bite, a touch of mascarpone with a spoonful of Ginger Pear Honey is quite wonderful.

Forget the charcuterie board, set out a spread of these tiny pancakes and let your guests create to their own delight!

Blini

¼ cup warm water, between 105-degrees to 110-degrees

2-¼ teaspoon dried yeast

½ teaspoon sugar, divided

1 cup milk

3 extra-large eggs, separated

6 tablespoons melted butter, plus extra for cooking

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Topping suggestions: crème fraiche, mascarpone, or cream cheese topped with smoked salmon and fresh dill, roasted asparagus, or ginger pear honey (or your favorite jam), mustard topped with sliced roast beef, mozzarella, sliced cherry tomatoes and fresh basil

Stir the yeast along with ¼ teaspoon of the sugar into the warm water. Let the yeast stand and proof for about 5 minutes.

Whisk the milk, egg yolks, melted butter, and yeast mixture together.

In a separate bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, wheat flour, the remaining ¼ teaspoon sugar and kosher salt.

Add the flour mixture to the milk and eggs, stirring just until blended and fairly smooth. Cover the bowl and let the batter rise at room temperature for 1-½ hours or in the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight, or up to 2 days.

When you’re ready to cook the blini, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

Fold the egg whites into the batter.

Heat a griddle to 350-degrees or a skillet over medium heat. When the griddle is hot, brush it with additional melted butter and drop small scoops of batter into the pan. Cook until the blini are golden on the bottom, then flip and continue cooking until cooked through, about 5 minutes total.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Serve the blini warm or at room temperature garnished with your favorite toppings.

Makes about 5 dozen blini.