Making blini is messy, as you can see. I based them on this recipe, from the ubiquitous (at least around here) NYT Cookbook. I, however, used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, baking powder instead of soda, didn't provide for an overnight rest, and halved the recipe. They were still awesome.
The idea is to barely cook them through, so the middle stays super-creamy. The Greek yogurt added a sour tang that played well with the Bonne Maman wild blueberry preserves (my new obsession), but would have been too much otherwise.
The actual cooking process was frustrating- you have to flip them while they're still quite liquid, and they don't hold together very well. My first batch was easiest to flip because of the lower heat and slower cooking time, but the last batch developed a really nice buttery, crispy skin from the higher heat. I hate making most pancakes, due to the large number of ingredients and finicky behavior of most batters...it just seems unnecessarily combative to attempt something that complex when you're in a half-awake brunch daze. Despite their issues, I found these much easier to deal with, and would highly recommend them.
