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Old Time Recipes
The Birkett Mills
P.O. Box 440
Penn Yan, NY 14527
Fax: 315-536-6740

 

 
   
     
 
GRECHNEVTYE BLINI
  
 
Russian Buckwheat Pancakes
  
 
 
 
 
 
1 ¾ cups milk 1 package dry yeast
2 tsp. sugar ¾ cup light buckwheat flour
¾ cup all-purpose flour ½ tsp. salt
3 tblsp. melted unsalted butter 2 tblsp. oil plus more for frying
3 large egg yolks 2 large egg whites
1 small potato halved
 
     
  Heat milk to lukewarm (105 F); pour over yeast in measuring cup. Add 1 tsp. sugar; stir. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If your yeast doesn't foam, either it is too old - check date on packet- or you have killed it with excessively hot liquid.)

Whisk in buckwheat and white flours, salt, remaining sugar, butter, oil and egg yolks until smooth. Cover and let rise in warm place until double in bulk, about 1 hour.

Separately beat egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Fold into batter.
Spear potato half skin side up with fork. Dip in oil and rub over bottom of skillet. This is the traditional Russian manner of greasing a pan. Heat over medium heat for 1 minute. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls on skillet, keeping them 1 inch apart. Cook until golden, about 1 minute; then turn to cook about 30 seconds more. Transfer to heatproof platter. Before frying next batch of blini, repeat operation with oiled potato.

Yields 48 small blini or 4 servings.
  
     
 
AUTHENTIC BLINI a la The Russian Tea Room
  
 
       
16 oz light buckwheat flour 9 oz. all-purpose flour
7 oz. sugar 6 ¾ cups milk
6 eggs, beaten 4 oz. melted butter
½ teaspoon yeast
 
     
  In a bowl, combine the buckwheat flour with all-purpose flour and sugar and set aside. In a saucepan, combine the milk, eggs, butter and yeast and heat to 105 degrees. Remove from heat. Whisk the dry ingredients with the liquid, mixing well. Strain through a sieve. Let the blini mix stand at room temperature for one hour. Refrigerate.

To make the blini, preheat a pancake griddle or large nonstick frying pan to 325. Lightly brush the surface with a small amount of melted butter. Stir down the batter and spoon about three tablespoons of blini mix onto the griddle, forming a 4-inch diameter blini. Cook for one minute or until the top is bubbly and the bottom golden. Remove from heat and reserve warm.

These delicate buckwheat pancakes are delicious and can be either sweet or savory; try them with the traditional toppings of melted butter, sour cream and caviar; then veer off in more creative directions. Experiment with meats and mushrooms, diced vegetables, spicy relishes and chutneys; then explore the sweeter side with fresh fruits, jams and preserves, clotted cream, mixed nuts and more.