Buckwheat Belinis

We got caviar while on our layover in Iceland and I immediately wanted to make blinis. My mom makes these fancy little pancakes for her dinner parties, they are delish!

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup buckwheat flour

4 teaspoons sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

1/4 teaspoon (generous) salt

1 cup whole milk

3 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Melted butter

Crème fraîche

1 (4-ounce) package thinly sliced smoked salmon

Caviar or roe

Fresh dill sprigs

DIRECTIONS:

Whisk first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Combine milk and butter in small saucepan. Stir over low heat until butter melts and thermometer

registers 110°F. Yes, you really need to to be 110°F. I know, taking the temperature of food is super annoying. Just do it.

Pour warm milk mixture into flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Whisk buckwheat batter to deflate; then whisk in eggs. Preheat oven to 200°F. Heat griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Brush lightly with melted butter. Working in batches, pour 2 tablespoons batter for each blini onto griddle, spacing apart. Cook until bubbles form on top and begin to pop, about 1 1/2 minutes. Flip blinis; cook until golden brown on bottom. Transfer to baking sheet. Tent with foil and place in oven to keep warm while cooking remaining blinis.

Arrange warm blinis on platter. Drop 1 spoonful of crème fraîche on top of each blinis and top with smoked salmon. Garnish with caviar or roe and dill sprigs and serve.