Blini Pancake Recipe - Perfect With Caviar And Crème
Horseradish scented, mini yeast pancakes topped with mascarpone or crème fraiche and caviar and chopped chives.
Course Appetizers
Cuisine European
Keyword Blini Pancakes With Caviar and Creme
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 15 minutesminutes
resting time 1 hourhour
Total Time 1 hourhour35 minutesminutes
Servings 4servings
Equipment
Large saute pan or special blini pan
Ingredients
Blini Pancake Ingredients
2tspFresh yeast or instant yeast
1tspSugar
1cupAll purpose flour or buckwheat flour for buckwheat blinis
1cupWarm milk or kefir
2Eggs, separatedroom temperature
1tbspPrepared Horseradish
Salt to taste
1-2tbspButter to cook blinis
Topping
3/4cupMascarpone or crème fraiche
1ozCaviar any type
2tbspChives finely chopped
2tbspFred onionfinely 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
Beetroot powder can be added to the flour, just a tablespoon, to give the pancakes more of a Russian Blini flair. Smoked salmon appetizers can also be made in this way, swapping the salmon for the caviar, or make both.