This recipe for blinis is a variation of a typical Russian blini, or pancake with herbs and lemon peel. If you want to make a more neutral blini, then you can leave those out. However, they add a wonderful flavour that goes well with toppings such as crème fraiche and smoked salmon or cucumber.
These blinis are very easy to make and the main trick is getting them to be in even circles. You can make them a day in advance and they also freeze well. So, impress your guests with these beautiful bite-sized starters.
Ingredients
1 c plain flour
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
1/2 t white pepper
1 egg
7/8 c buttermilk and topped up to 1 cup with whole milk
1 T chopped chives
1 T chopped parsley
3/4 T chopped thyme
1 lemon zest
1/4 c melted butter
Toppings can include soured cream or crème fraiche, cucumber, smoked salmon, fresh dill, and/or caviar
Instructions
First, combine all dry ingredients and mix in a large bowl. Next, fold in the wet ingredients except the melted butter. Finally fold in the melted butter and mix until you have a batter.
Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium or medium-low heat.Put batter into a measuring cup with a spout or a pitcher. Then pour into the frying pan to make small circles. The batter will spread a little. Cook on both sides until the blinis are a golden brown colour, about 2-3 minutes on the first side and 1-2 minutes on the second side.
Finally, serve the blinis with smoked salmon (or cucumber), dill, and a dollop of soured cream or crème fraiche. Or top with caviar.
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