Ingredients

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• ¾ cup (95 g) Petley Grain Gluten-Free Pancake Mix
• ½ cup (120 ml) milk
• 2 tbsp (30 g) plain yogurt or kefir
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp (14 g) melted butter
• Pinch of salt

At the table

• · Sour cream with smoked salmon and dill
• · Caviar or salmon roe for celebrations
• · Honey or jam for a sweet version
• · Black tea with lemon

Method

1. 1Whisk everything into a thick but pourable batter, like thick yogurt.
2. 2Heat a lightly buttered skillet over medium heat.
3. 3Drop 1 tablespoon of batter per blini, leaving space between them.
4. 4Cook until bubbles form and pop on top, about 1 minute. Flip and cook 30–45 seconds until golden.
5. 5Brush with butter while warm.

The story

Blini are a broad Russian pancake tradition, not one fixed size or formula. The word may bring to mind small buckwheat rounds with caviar, yet large, thin pancakes are equally familiar in Russian cooking. Some batters use yeast; others do not. Wheat, buckwheat, dairy, and household technique all influence the result. A single appetizer-sized recipe therefore represents one interpretation of a much larger family. The strongest seasonal association is Maslenitsa, the week before Orthodox Lent when butter and other dairy foods have a prominent place at the table. Pancakes are shared during gatherings that combine festive eating with customs around the changing season. The often-repeated claim that blini were deliberately invented as pagan sun symbols is less secure than the modern association suggests; food historians caution against presenting that attractive explanation as established fact. Toppings reveal their versatility. Butter and sour cream suit either a simple home meal or a celebratory spread; fish roe and smoked fish bring a richer finish, while honey or jam take them in a sweeter direction. The pancake remains a welcoming base rather than the whole story. At their best, blini bring people together through the repeated act of cooking, passing, and topping warm rounds.