This Blini Pancake Recipe makes the perfect bite-sized pancakes with caviar and creme, or favorite toppings, for a delicious appetizer.
This is a delicious hors d’oeuvres, and my favorite dish to serve before a dining at home, dinner party experience.
Caviar
Who doesn’t think of caviar, when thinking of celebrating a special occasion; certainly a great way to toast a Happy New Year!
Throughout Eastern Europe, caviar finds its place to many a special gathering for that touch of luxury.
Often, it is served on top little canapé size slices of bread, or on crepes.
Truth be told, I could simply dip a tiny wooden spoon into a bowl of caviar and eat it just like that!
Did you know metal is never to be dipped into caviar? A chemical reaction occurs, so always a wooden or mother of pearl spoon.
What Is Caviar?
Of course, fish have eggs, and caviar are the eggs removed from the belly of a female fish!
They range from a huge variety of sizes and colors, depending on the fish they are extracted from.
Salmon caviar (you may have had with sushi or in my Salmon Caviar Muffins), are little round orange eggs, larger than the tiny black Beluga fish eggs I used here.
There are several others as well.
What Is A Blini Pancake?
What is a blini pancake, and from where did they originate, you ask?
Basically it’s a very small pancake, or crepe, often made from buckwheat flour, well known in Eastern European cuisine and used for a canapé/appetizer.
The blini recipe I created here was made with regular flour but I crushed a small red beetroot into the batter to give it an earthy flavor.
This same recipe can easily be doubled and used to make a Belgian Waffle because of the addition of yeast in the batter, making it different that a simple pancake batter.
Often I find the flavor of buckwheat to taste earthy as well. The beetroot added a bright color to compliment the black caviar I used.
Caviar Blini Pancake Appetizers Or Tapas
Truth be known, my favorite style of eating is to graze over a spread of tapas; lots of small plates of varied dishes.
Instead of making these mini pancakes before serving, be assured that they hold up well being made in advance.
Basically, this makes appetizer time quick and easy but they can be made an hour before and left room temperature.
A little spread of mascarpone, creme fraiche or even a dollop of sour cream, goes on top of the blini.
This, then, is followed by a dollop of caviar and a sprinkle of finely chopped chives or garlic scapes, offering you the most decadent appetizer I can think of!
Making Blini Pancakes
The batter for the blini, or crepes (similar to a waffle batter), can be made in advance and quickly cooked on top the stove in a large skillet or hot griddle.
Once the blini are made, they will keep for several days in the fridge.
To add a little zing to my blini, I put a small dollop of horseradish in the batter. I’m telling you, these are scrumptious to eat alone!
Perfect With Caviar And Crème
The first time I had caviar, I wasn’t quite sure what all the fuss was about; salty little squirts in the mouth with the taste of the sea.
Then, I tried just a tiny dollop of caviar, both a black variety and salmon, on a tiny pancake with a spread of sour cream and the combination was out of this world!
Often we find various types of caviar in a sushi dish, paired with rice and often a hint of wasabi, and oh how we love it.
So, I wanted to capture the essence of a perfect sushi bite by creating an amazing blini pancake recipe, instead of the rice, and add a pinch of horseradish to the blini, instead of the wasabi.
This recipe is so easy to make, simply mix the batter and wait an hour for it to ferment a bit.
Quick on top the stove these mini pancakes are formed to use right away or save in the fridge for another time.
Ingredients Needed
- Dry yeast or fresh yeast
- Sugar
- Flour
- Salt
- Milk
- Eggs
- Butter
- Prepared Horseradish
- Mascarpone or sour cream
- Caviar
- Chives
- Dill
Equipment Needed
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Chopping board
- Chopping knife
- Saute pan or for perfectly shaped blini, this fun pan can be used so they are all the same size.
- Metal spatula
- Small spoon
- Whisk
- Parchment paper lined cookie sheet
- Stovetop or burner
Blini Pancake Recipe – Perfect With Caviar And Crème
Equipment
- Large saute pan or special blini pan
Ingredients
- Blini Pancake Ingredients
- 2 tsp Fresh yeast or instant yeast
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 cup All purpose flour or buckwheat flour for buckwheat blinis
- 1 cup Warm milk or kefir
- 2 Eggs, separated room temperature
- 1 tbsp Prepared Horseradish
- Salt to taste
- 1-2 tbsp Butter to cook blinis
- Topping
- 3/4 cup Mascarpone or crème fraiche
- 1 oz Caviar any type
- 2 tbsp Chives finely chopped
- 2 tbsp Fred onion finely chopped
- Fresh dill, small bundle
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the yeast, pinch of salt, sugar and flour. Slowly whisk in the warm milk (taking care the cup of milk is not hotter than 112 degrees). Whisk in the egg yolks and blend until all the lumps are gone.
- In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Whisk in the horseradish and if using beet powder, add that to the whipped egg whites. Fold this into the yeast mixture and stir until a smooth batter is obtained. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place (not hot), for 1-hour.
- On a nonstick skillet over medium heat, place a small pat of the butter, swirling the pan over the heat until the melted butter has coated the entire pan. Drop batter in small tablespoon size portions onto the prepared pan and cook until tiny bubbles form. Flip them over and cook the small pancake just until the underside is golden brown. Remove and set on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess fat. Continue with the remaining batter until all the blini are made.
- Any easy way to obtain even-sized pieces is to set a small biscuit cutter or round cookie cutter onto the hot pan while spooning the batter inside, lift up the cutter and do the same for each little pancake. There is also the option to use a fun pan designed specifically for mini pancakes.
- Once made, the blini can be stored in an airtight container and kept in the fridge until needed. Allow to set out to room temperature before assembling to serve.
- Assembling – Place a small teaspoon of the crème fraîche or mascarpone, on top of each blini, followed by a pinch of finely chopped red onion. A tiny dollop of black caviar or red caviar, finishing with a sprinkle of finely chopped chives and a tiny sprig of dill.
Notes
Blini Pancake Recipe – Perfect With Caviar And Crème
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.