These dainty smoked salmon blinis with cream cheese and horseradish are a simple and delicious canapé, perfect for Christmas parties and entertaining throughout the year.
Mix the milk with the lemon juice and set aside whilst you prepare the flour.
Mix flours with baking powder, then add the egg yolk and stir in.
Gradually add the milk.
In a separate bowl whisk the egg white until soft peaks then fold into the flour/milk mixture a little at a time with a spoon until you have a smooth batter.
Heat a non stick frying pan over a medium heat and add a little oil.
Place ½ tablespoon of the batter into the pan, leaving a bit of room between the blinis to allow them to spread, and cook for a couple of minutes.
Once you start to see bubbles appearing on the top of the blinis, flip them over with a spatula and cook for another minute more until they are cooked through.
(If the pan is getting a bit hot, turn the heat down slightly.)
Horseradish cream cheese
In a small bowl whisk the cream cheese with the yogurt and horseradish and season to taste with black pepper. Set aside.
To serve
Top each blini with ½-1 teaspoon of cream cheese and a slither of smoked salmon and sprig of dill.
If serving warm, serve straight away. If serving cold, once the blinis have the topping on you can store them covered in the fridge but serve within 4-5 hours.
Video
Notes
STORAGE / MAKE AHEAD
Fridge:
You can make the blinis up to 2 days in advance and keep in the fridge. If you want to serve them warm, wrap in foil and place in a warm oven (160˚C/ 325˚F) for 10-15 minutes.
You can top the blini with smoked salmon and cream cheese and place in the fridge for up to 5-6 hours.
Freezer: wrap cooled cooked blinis well to prevent freezer burn, then freeze for up to 2 months. Freeze the blinis without toppings.
INGREDIENTS NOTESBuckwheat flour – substitute with extra plain flour / all purpose flour if you don’t have buckwheat flour.Plain flour – or all purpose flour.Egg – a whole egg, the yolk and white separated.Milk – I use full fat cows milk, but you can use half fat / semi skimmed milk or for a dairy free blini oat milk is a great alternative.Lemon juice – when mixed with the milk the milk curdles slightly to create a quick homemade buttermilk, which provides a tender texture to the blinis. If you don’t have lemon juice, add white wine vinegar instead.Cream cheese – you can use ricotta instead, or use mascarpone for a luxurious touch. If you are making dairy free blinis then use a dairy free cream cheese.Horseradish – white horseradish, horseradish cream, grated horseradish or horseradish sauce all work.Smoked salmon – or hot smoked salmon or smoked trout.Fresh dill – this herb goes so well with salmon, I pile it into my smoked salmon pate, and I love to use it as a pretty garnish on the blinis. You can however garnish the blinis with chopped fresh chives if you prefer.