FOR UPDATED 2018 BLINI POST WITH LOADS OF TOPPING IDEAS + BLINI RECIPE, PLEASE CLICK HERE!

Read on if you want to know how to top your blinis!

It is my ‘bad’ luck that I am posting two pancake recipes in a row. Bad is obviously in inverted commas because of course how can any reference to pancakes be bad? Dropping a whole pile of them on the floor – that would be bad. But devoting two posts to nearly the easiest thing you can do with flour? Surely not. But in case you were thinking this is a redux of the last post, save for some fancy stuff on top, you would be mistaken.

What are blinis?

Blini are pancakes – Russian ones. However, they are the Rolls Royce edition. With chauffeur and drinks cabinet.

This recipe is a yeasted batter, with little friendly bacteria beetling away under humid cover to produce a fluffy, risen cake. On account of the heavier-than-wheat rye (or buckwheat) flour, I include a stiffly-whisked egg white for extra lift. This is entirely optional.

Blini do take a little time – they have to rest, bless them – but it is all straight forward enough. They are also eminently freezable, thus any slight, infinitesimal effort on your part is discounted by having a ‘free’ breakfast or a few fancy, high-falutin’ snacks when you so desire.

Homemade are better than bought

You may of course use pre-made blini from the grocery store or deli. I do that sometimes as the ones we get here in the UK are pretty passable when anointed with decent toppings (if you ignore the label – stabilisers and some other weird stuff). But special occasions call for special effort. At least sometimes. And these really aren’t any effort, just requiring a bit of time. Time you can use to sort some sublime toppings.

How to top your blinis

Below I give you three complementarily seasoned ideas. In my original blini post from 2011 (updated in 2018 with new images, toppings and instructions!) I offer other ideas, too.

The classic versions are probably unsurpassable – soured cream/smetana with caviar or smoked salmon. Blini with lightly smoked Scottish salmon and fresh horseradish crème fraîche is always going to be my favourite. But we will be mixing it up on New Year’s Eve with these slightly Eastern, a little bit Moroccan ickle pancakes. Join us, won’t you?

Truthfully, if the blini are homemade or of good pedigree (eg not all white flour) almost anything you put on a blin will sing. {Get me with the proper grammar – blin is singular for blini.} In fact, one of the finest ways to enjoy a blin is to gild with a soupçon of French Lescure butter, or pincée of goat’s milk butter such as the Canadian Liberté. Vegans, I apologise. Earth Balance. Dripping-on-your-best-trousers good.

I’ll return in a day or two with not another pancake recipe but – hurrah – THE best hangover cure this side of a greasy fry-up. We like it for breakfast, sans tap-dancing noggin, but all the ingredients are thought to quash a queasy stomach. Until then, be safe, be warm and enjoy yourself this New Year’s Eve.

What are your New Year’s Eve plans? Are you going to party like it’s 1999? Or are you going to ring it in with an eye mask and ear plugs? Something in between perhaps?

A Trio of Blinis for New Year’s Eve

Miso-Lime Grilled Aubergines on Honey-Glazed Blini

Toasted Sesame-Soy Tofu and Spinach Cream

Sweet Potato, Almond and Smoked Paprika 

Whether a cosy fireside party for two, or a big shindig with fireworks and stiltwalkers, any or all of these easily-made blink – along with more traditional crème fraiche and smoked salmon or caviar blini – would be the perfect appetiser. 

Keep your stress levels at a low peep by making the blini and toppings ahead of time, putting them together just before you need them. Good quality bought blini are a time-saving option of course, but these blini – with the tang from rye flour and a quick fermentation – are a step above. Make more than you need and freeze them too, for a quick snack or fancy breakfast. See my original blini post for more topping suggestions and the blini recipe. The toppings below are really loose recipes, so interpret and adjust as you like. All recipes will make 10-12 blini, and maybe a little extra. 

Miso-Lime Grilled Aubergines on Honey-Glazed Blinis

Aubergine/Eggplant – 1 medium or 4-5 small aubergines (that’s what I used)

Neutral Oil, to lightly fry (I used rapeseed)

White/Yellow Miso – 3 tbsp

Honey or Date Syrup – ½ tbsp + extra for blini glaze

Soy Sauce/Shoyu Sauce – 2 tsp

Gingerroot – 1 heaped tsp, grated (more to taste)

White pepper – dash

Lime Juice – to taste (I used half a lime)

10-12 cocktail-sized blini

Garnish suggestions: shreds of toasted nori seaweed, crushed wasabi peas, toasted sesame seeds or a leaf of coriander

Slice the aubergines into ½ inch thick rounds. You will probably be using a larger aubergine. To fit on the blinis,  it is best to cut the slices into quarters at this stage as they will be very soft after frying. I scored a grid onto each slice as this allows the marinade to be more readily absorbed, but isn’t strictly necessary as the pieces are thin anyway. In traditional nasu dengaku you would do this as you are marinating halves of aubergine, then grilling.

Heat a little oil in a frying pan – about 1 tbsp and when medium hot add the slices of aubergine and fry on both sides until just starting to colour. Remove and place on a paper towel.

Mix the remaining ingredients and adjust to taste. Spread a little on each aubergine and pop under a hot grill until just starting to bubble, but not get too brown. I put a sheet of foil on my grill rack to keep it from sticking. Remove to cool a little then take each room temperature blini and dab on a little honey, add a few aubergine pieces, then top with your garnish.

Toasted Sesame-Soy Tofu and Fresh Spinach Cream

Fresh Baby Spinach Leaves – 25g (1 packed cup) + one nice small leaf for each blini

Japanese Tofu (in a carton in the ambient section of the store) – 50g (1 cup)

Toasted Sesame Oil – 1 ½ tsp

Soy Sauce/Shoyu Sauce – 2 tsp

White Pepper – to taste (about ¼ tsp)

Fresh Coriander Leaves/Cilantro – 1 tbsp finely chopped + extra leaves for garnish

Garlic Cloves – ½ clove minced and 3 ½ , sliced thinly (divided use)

Fresh Lemon Juice – as needed for your own taste or not at all

10-12 cocktail-sized blini

Garnish: toasted sesame seeds and caramelised garlic

Roughly chop the spinach and add it to a small blender/food processor bowl along with the tofu, oil, soy sauce, pepper, chopped coriander and the ½ minced garlic clove, and a dash of lemon if you want that zing. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust as needed.

Caramelised garlic: in a small saucepan, heat enough oil on medium high to cover the bottom of the pan and a little extra. Add the garlic slices. Cook – gently shaking the pan to prevent the slices sticking together – until lightly golden. Drain on a paper towel.

To assemble: place a small spinach leaf on each blini and add a teaspoon of  puree and top with a caramelised garlic slice, a coriander leaf and some sesame seeds.

Sweet Potato, Almond Butter and Smoked Paprika Puree

Sweet Potato, 1 small – peeled and chopped

Almond Butter – 2 tbsp OR handful of almonds blended

Garlic Clove – ½ – 1, chopped (I used the smaller amount)

Smoked Paprika – ¼ tsp

Lemon or Lime Juice – a squeeze of either

Salt, to taste

10-12 cocktail-sized blini

Garnish: Crème fraiche, sour cream or vegan equivalent (eg almond cream) with harissa, or other good chilli paste, mixed in to taste. I didn’t add this, but a smoked almond on top would be a great crunchy contrast.

Steam the potatoes for 8 minutes (or boil and drain) and cool a bit.  Add the potato and the remaining ingredients to the small bowl of a food processor or blender. Pulse until blended, adding a touch of oil or water if necessary. Take each blini and smear a little of the puree on each and top with a little of the harissa cream and a splodge of pure harissa. Top with a smoked almond if you like.

Grain-free? For the miso-aubergines, what about a chia-flax cracker bottom, or sliced, pan-fried baby potato? Or, if it is gluten that is your bête noire, what about a seaweed rice cracker? For the spinach and tofu one, a bottom of crisscrossed baby spinach leaves would be perfect. And for the sweet potato topping you could do a lot worse than stir up a batch of silver dollar-sized soccas. I’ve got a great recipe for these nifty chickpea flour pancakes: just leave out the herbs, and let them cook until a bit crispy and topping-sturdy. These are also good to have in the freezer. ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS?

Vegan? These three toppings are vegan or easily vegan, but I only found one lone vegan blini recipe – from stayclassyfit. Leave out the maple syrup though. It would be easy to make my (or your) blini recipe vegan by mixing 1 tbsp of flax meal or chia meal with 3 tbsp of water and let it sit for 10 minutes, adding as you would egg. I’ve not tried it this way, but if you have, let me know how it worked out. Thanks. 😀