Blini Pancakes

As a kid, I would make pancakes all the time. I guess I still make pancakes often. I have made English pancakes and German pancakes so why not Russian pancakes. Russian pancakes uses yeast and buckwheat flour. This version had pepper added. My husband and son loved them. My daughter wanted her typical sweet pancakes so she wasn't happy. I liked them but I would pick a sweeter pancake for breakfast. However, I would make these again but at suppertime. 

Blini Russian pancakes
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 (1/4 oz.) package of yeast
1 cup warm milk
1 egg yolk
1 egg white
oil for the pan

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the buckwheat flour, all purpose flour, pepper, and salt.
2. In a small bowl, combine the warm milk with the yeast. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
3. Add the egg yolk to the flour mixture and slowly whisk in the yeast mixture to form a smooth batter.
4. Cover the batter and allow to rest for one hour.
5. In a small bowl, whisk the egg white until soft peaks form.
6. Fold the egg white into the batter.
7. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
8. Lightly grease the pan.
9. Add about 1/4 cup of batter to the skillet. 
10. Once small bubbles form on top then flip the blini over to allow the other side to cook.
11. Continuing cooking the remaining batter in 1/4 cup increments until all the batter has been cooked. Oil the skillet when needed.
12. Serve warm.

Recipe adapted from The Cook's Guide to Bread Cookbook.

One year ago...................................I made Pie Crust.
Two years ago.................................I made Ham, Cheese, and Egg Panini.

Did you already know.....................
-Some popular toppings are caviar, sour cream, chopped hard boiled eggs, or salmon.
-A single blini is called a blin.
-Blini are not the same as the unleavened blintz.