Buckwheat Blinis with Smoked Salmon

My bestie...who said she can't cook? She did! Her pantry of tinned (you name it) goods and a freezer filled with dinner packs (courtesy of her mother), over the years led me to believe that my bestie had not been blessed with culinary skills.

New years Eve she proved me wrong! So our mission during the day was to make a dessert and these buckwheat blinis with cream fraiche and  smoked salmon....all to take to the cousins New Years Eve Party.

GREAT job with the blinis Black Magic....even the Ho Master thought they were pretty good!

Who would have thought we'd spend a day in the kitchen cooking together. I would have to say that it goes down as one of the most lovely days I've spent with you. 

P.s You have a slightly awkward stirring style, something we'll work on.

Buckwheat Blinis with Smoked Salmon - Bill Granger 'Holiday'

1 tablespoon castor sugar

1 cup (125g) buckwheat flour

1/2 cup (60g) plain flour
2 teaspoons of dried yeast
300ml warm  milk
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs separated
1 tablespoon melted butter
200ml creme fraiche
500g smoked salmon or gravalax

Combine the warm milk and 1 tsp of the sugar in a small bowl and sprinkle over the yeast. Whisk with a fork until the yeast is dissolved. Sift the flours, salt and remaining sugar into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre of the flour.

Whisk the egg yolks into the warm milk mixture and add to the flour and whisk until combined. Cover and set aside in a warm place for 45 minutes-1 hour and allow it to prove (double in volume). Stir the batter a couple of times to knock out most of the air, cover and allow to prove again for 20-30 minutes.

Stir the melted butter into the batter. Whip the egg whites in a separate clean bowl, then carefully fold into the batter until just combined.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, brush with extra melted butter. Drop heaped tablespoons of the mixture into the pan. Cook until bubbles appear on surface of blini (about 1 minute), turn over and cook for a further 30 seconds or until golden.
Repeat with remaining mixture

Top warm blinis with creme fraiche and smoked salmon and snipped chives.

Makes about 25 pikelet size or 70 small party blinis.