Description
These Russian Blini are deliciously thin pancakes, often served stuffed with a variety of fillings, such as sweet or savory options. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or as a snack! Top them with sour cream, jam, or caviar for a traditional touch. These pancakes are light, fluffy, and can be customized to suit any taste.
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Blini:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 1/4 cups milk (preferably warm)
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 1 tsp active dry yeast (optional, for fluffier blini)
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil (for frying)
- For the Filling (Savory option):
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese (or farmer’s cheese)
- 1/4 cup smoked salmon (or ham), finely chopped
- Fresh dill (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- For Sweet Filling:
- 1/2 cup Nutella or fruit jam (such as strawberry or raspberry)
- Fresh fruit (optional, for garnish)
- For Topping (optional):
- Sour cream
- Jam
- Honey
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, and sugar. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, water, eggs, and melted butter.
- If using yeast, dissolve it in warm milk and allow it to sit for about 5 minutes until it becomes frothy. If not using yeast, proceed to step 3.
- Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, whisking until smooth. Let the batter rest for 20-30 minutes.
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and brush lightly with vegetable oil.
- Pour a small amount of batter (about 2-3 tbsp) into the skillet and swirl it around to spread the batter into a thin, even layer.
- Cook for about 1-2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Repeat until all the batter is used.
- If preparing the savory filling, mix the cottage cheese with smoked salmon and season with salt and pepper. For a sweet filling, simply spread Nutella or jam on the pancake.
- Place a spoonful of the filling in the center of each pancake and fold the sides over to form a stuffed shape (or roll it up).
- Serve warm, topped with sour cream, jam, or fresh fruit.
Notes
- You can use any filling you prefer, including fresh fruits, whipped cream, or even sautéed mushrooms and onions for a savory option.
- If you prefer gluten-free, you can substitute the flour with a gluten-free all-purpose flour mix.
- The blini batter can also be made a day ahead and stored in the fridge for easy use the next day.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Pan-fried
- Cuisine: Russian, Eastern European
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 blini (approx. 1/10 of the batch)
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 40mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 45mg