280. Russian Blini

Blini are a Russian form of pancake, often used as a base for caviar and smoked salmon canapé.
They are of various sizes, and are sturdy and usually round.
It is very common to find them in most supermarkets at the end of year for the holidays.

I find the bought versions to taste and feel something like what I imagine sawdust to be.
So I adapted the blini recipe from La Cuisine de Bernard, to a great success in both taste and texture.
I don't however own special molds for blini, so I tried forming my own small ones, which didn't come out perfectly shaped. Then I made one large one and used a round cookie cutter to get uniform sizes.
They are perfect with any appetizer topping, and make for a more sophisticated presentation than regular crackers.

Ingredients:

2 eggs, yolks and whites separated
2 cups flour
1 pinch sugar
1 tsp yeast
1 cup milk, warm
2 Tbsp butter, melted

Method:

Put the flour, yeast, and sugar in a bowl.
Pour over the flour the warmed milk, and whisk well to incorporate and smooth as much as possible.
Let rise covered in a warm place for  hour.

Add the egg yolks and the melted butter, as well as half a teaspoon of salt.
Mix well to incorporate.

Let rise again for 40 minutes to maximum an hour.

Whisk the egg whites to a stiff peak.

Delicately mix the egg whites into the batter.

Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat.

You may brush the pan with a little oil, but I found no need.

Pour the batter by the spoonfulls according to the diameter you are looking for.

Smooth the top of the batter to slightly spread, as the batter will rise and get thicker than when you initially put it.

You can flip them over when the bottom is a beautiful golden brown.

Cook them for a shorter time to equally brown the other side, then remove from the pan to a cooling rack.

Continue until the batter is used up.

You can freeze the cooled blini until needed, or serve immediately with any topping of choice.

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