A joyful dish for Maslenitsa, the Cheesefare week before Great Lent, when the table still keeps butter and dairy in thanksgiving before the Fast begins. This is a seed recipe added so the Cheesefare tier has fare to show; the parish can expand the collection in Keystatic.
Maslenitsa Blini
Thin, lacy Russian pancakes for Cheesefare week, served with butter, sour cream, or honey.
Servings 4
Ingredients
For the batter
- 2 cups whole milk, warmed
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
To serve
- sour cream, honey, or jam
Method
- Whisk the eggs with the sugar and salt until smooth, then whisk in the warm milk and the melted butter.
- Add the flour and whisk just until the batter is smooth and thin. It should be much looser than a pancake batter, closer to cream. Let it rest for ten minutes.
- Warm a small nonstick or well-seasoned skillet over medium heat and brush lightly with butter.
- Pour in a small ladle of batter, swirling the pan so it coats the bottom in a thin, even layer.
- Cook until the edges lift and the underside is golden and lacy, about a minute, then flip and cook the second side briefly.
- Slide onto a warm plate and repeat, stacking the blini as you go and brushing the pan with butter between each.
- Serve warm, folded around sour cream, drizzled with honey, or spread with jam.