Blini

Ingredients

1 cup kuttu (buckwheat) flour
1/2 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
2 teaspoons caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups ricotta
2 tablespoons tiny cubes dried sharp apple
2 tablespoons melted European butter
2 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon extra-light olive oil

Instructions

Mix together buckwheat flour, plain flour, sugar, salt, dried apple, baking powder, and baking soda. Separately, whisk together ricotta cheese, melted butter, egg yolks, and olive oil. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and stir carefully until the batter is just combined. Don't over-mix.

Whisk egg whites to the stiff peak stage. Carefully fold into batter until just combined.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Depending on the nature of your skillet, you might need to rub it very sparingly with butter. Using a spoon, place bite-size circles of batter in the skillet. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface of the blini and bottom sides of blini are light golden brown, about 2 minutes.

Carefully flip blini and cook until light golden brown and completely set, about 2 minutes longer. Wrap finished blini in a clean kitchen towel, place towel on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet, and keep warm. Repeat until all of the batter is used up.