Princess Blinis

How I love a good wedding.

Friday night was all about pink plastic tiaras, French champagne, mile wide smiles and wildly enthusiastic commentary. 

I was lucky enough to be invited to a Princess Party.  

Eight girls and eight plates.  

Perfect - just like the bride.

My contribution: Blinis.  

Princess Blinis, that is.

Somehow I doubt that baby pancakes topped with gobs of sour cream cream and caviar qualify as Dukan-friendly fare, but I do hope that Mrs. Windsor made an exception and managed to enjoy something involving carbohydrates at the reception. 

Or do you think there was a drive-thru situation on the ride home? 

Probably not; I don't think Macca's can accommodate a coach and four.

But I love the image, so let's consider this a Blini Big Mac, fit for a future queen.

Bon appetit, Princess Kate!

(That has a nice ring to it, don't you think?!)

Princess Blinis (makes one dozen stacks)

My blinis spent a good hour+ sitting on a platter before meeting their intended recipients, but if you can make these to order, all the better.  Warm and fluffy, they taste even more - much more - divine, as I discovered in the interest of quality control.  Anything for research.

The recipe is adapted from one found on epicurious.  I swapped their buckwheat flour blini batter for my fail-safe Sunday morning standard, minus the teaspoon of sugar. Technically, this may mean that they are simply jumped-up pancakes with blini aspirations, but according to sniping cynics, that may be entirely appropriate!   

Pancakes 

225 g self-rising flour

2 eggs, separated

30 g melted butter, plus extra for frying

300 ml milk

pinch of salt

Melt the butter and allow to cool slightly.  Meanwhile, beat the eggs whites until stiff.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, melted butter, egg yolks, milk and salt.  Allow to sit for 20 minutes or so, then gently fold in the egg whites.

Melt butter in a non-stick pan over medium heat and drop small teaspoons of batter to make tiny pancakes.  Once air bubbles appear on the surface of the cakes, turn them over and cook for an additional minute or so.  

  

Egg Salad

2 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped

4 tablespoons sour cream

3-4 tablespoons chives, finely chopped

Combine the ingredients and season with salt, to taste.

Garnishes

100 g smoked salmon, sliced into bite-sized pieces

sour cream, dolloped

1 small jar caviar (I used salmon roe)

chives, finely chopped

Stack pancakes as follows:

1. pancake
2. smoked salmon
3. egg salad
4. pancake
5. dollop of sour cream
6. spoonful of caviar
7. sprinkle with chives

And don't forget the serviettes, like I did.  Princesses shouldn't lick their fingers.  At least, not in public.