Basic Russian Pancakes (Blini) Recipe

Preparation Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 60 minutes Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ cups (315 ml) milk
• 2 medium eggs (about 50 g each)
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp. (7 g) powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. (6 g) baking soda
• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ Tbsp. (25 ml) vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) boiling water
• Cooking oil spray
• Any sweet or savory filling, to serve

Method

1. Whisk together the milk and the eggs. Stir in the salt, powdered sugar, and baking soda. Next, add in the flour and oil. Gradually, stir in boiling water. The pancake batter must be very thin in consistency, somewhat close to being watery. Set aside and allow mixture to rest for about 20 minutes.
2. Lightly grease a medium-sized frying pan with oil spray, and place over medium flame. Pick the pan up off the heat. Pour in about 3-4 Tbsp. of the mixture, tilting the pan, so the batter coats the base. Return the pan to the heat. Cook for 1 minute. Gently lift an edge of the pancake to check if fully cooked. The edges should be golden brown and have brown spots on the surface too. Cook the other side of pancake for another 1 minute. The pancake should be very thin and golden brown. Transfer to a plate and keep warm using a clean kitchen towel. Repeat procedure with the remaining batter.
3. Spread your favorite sweet or savory filling in the center of the pancake and then fold three times to make a triangle. You can also serve it rolled like a burrito if you want.