baby pancakes

i've always been partial to fancy bite-sized appetizers that go well with a nice glass of champagne. blinis are traditional Russian buckwheat pancakes and great with caviar - lucky for me and my pocketbook though, i don't love caviar. but i DO love baby pancakes and the endless number of tasty toppings you can think of! a great snack to bring to a wine tasting party, an easy way to impress friends for the start of a dinner party or a fun kid-sized treat, blinis can go sweet or savory depending on your mood. here's a basic blini recipe and two quick toppings to get your imagination going!

Sweet or Savory Blini

makes approx. 16

6 tbs buckwheat flour

6 tbs all purpose flour

2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

1/8 tsp lemon zest

2 eggs, separated

4 tbs unsalted butter, melted, plus more for cooking

optional: herbed goat cheese & soppresatta or lingonberry jam & creme fraiche

in a bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, baking soda and salt. add milk, egg yolks, lemon zest and cooled butter and whisk until smooth. in a separate bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. fold  egg whites, 1/2 at a time, into batter until incorporated.

heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat and melt 1 tbs butter. cook 1 tbs of batter until little bubbles begin to form on top and then flip, about 1-2 minutes per side or until golden brown.