DIY Blinis

These mini-Russian pancakes are one of my favorite things to put caviar on (second in line to potato chips)! For a creative brunch party idea, try making your own blinis! They are almost identical to the recipe for pancake batter, and are the size of a silver dollar pancake. Prep a few dozen of these, top with crème fraîche, smoked salmon, load on your favorite toppings, and consider your brunch a smashing success!

BLINI INGREDIENTS
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp melted butter
3/4 cup milk
2 tbsp water
1 egg
1 tbsp un-melted butter

SUGGESTED TOPPINGS
Smoked Salmon
Crème fraîche or sour cream
Caviar
Hard boiled eggs (whites separated from yolk)
Chives
Shallots or red onions
Capers
Caperberries
Lemon rind or preserved lemon
Dill

MIX THE BATTER
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, melted butter, milk and water. Pour the liquid mixture into the powder mixture while constantly stirring, until the batter is smooth. Place batter into a piping bag, or cut the corner from a ziploc bag for a makeshift piping bag.

MAKE THE BLINIS
Over medium heat, grease a pan with the remaining tbsp of butter. Use your piping bag to dole out about 1.5 tbsp of mixture, forming pancakes approx. 3 inches in diameter. These will cook very quickly because they are so small! After 1.5 minutes, use a fork to gently push the pancake. If it slides, it is ready to flip. Use either a fork or a spatula (or both) to gently flip the blini. Cookk on the other side for approx 30 more seconds until very lightly browned. These can be enjoyed warm or cool, and can be prepped in advance and stored in the refrigerator until use.