Not as fat as flapjacks, not as thin as crepes, blinis – also called blintzes – are a type of Russian pancake you’ll find on brunch tables and hor d’oeuvres trays around the world. Sturdy and tiny, these crowd pleasers can be picked up and popped into your mouth, along with the sweet or savory topping of your choice (think: smoked salmon, ricotta cheese or sliced strawberries). What sets them apart from other griddle cakes? Instead of baking powder or soda, blini recipes call for yeast, making than more bread-like than pastry-like. Serve them at your next get together—but you might want to double the batch. They won’t last long!
Mini Buckwheat Blini
Courtesy of Bob’s Red Mill
Makes 40 blinis (10 servings)
Ingredients
1 cup buckwheat pancake mix
¼-oz. packet active dry yeast
1 cup milk, warmed
1 Tbsp. sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
¼ cup butter, melted/cooled
Directions
- In a large bowl, combine yeast, sugar and warm milk. Let mixture sit until yeast dissolves (about 5 minutes).
- Add butter and eggs to bowl; whisk to combine. Stir in pancake mix. Cover and let sit 90 to 120 minutes, until bubbly.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. For each blini, pour 1 tablespoon of batter. Cook until bubbles form and edges are set, then flip and cook other side for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Serve blini bites immediately, or place in 200 degree F oven to keep warm until ready to serve.
Recipe courtesy of Bob’s Red Mill blog. Used with permission.