Blinchiki s Tvorogom

Blinchiki s tvorogom are thin blini filled with sweetened curd cheese, folded into neat rectangles, and pan-fried in butter until golden and crisp. They are a staple of the Russian breakfast and dessert table, eaten with sour cream, jam or honey. The filling is tvorog (the Russian curd cheese) mashed with an egg yolk, sugar and sometimes vanilla or raisins. The blini used here are the thin, crepe-like ones (blinchiki, distinct from the thicker oladi or the yeasted blini), made from a simple flour, milk and egg batter. The filled blinchiki are fried in butter, the outside becoming golden and slightly crisp while the inside stays soft, the curd cheese warm and creamy. They are simple, homely, and universally loved.

Golden, butter-crisp rectangles giving way to a warm, creamy, slightly tangy curd cheese filling. Eaten with cold sour cream and sweet jam, the contrast of temperatures and flavours is the whole pleasure.

The technique combines thin crepe-making with filling and pan-frying. The blini batter is flour, milk, egg, a little oil and salt, whisked smooth and rested 15 minutes. Thin crepes are cooked in a hot non-stick pan, 1 minute per side. The filling is tvorog mashed with an egg yolk, 2 tablespoons sugar and optionally raisins or vanilla. A spoonful of filling is placed on each blin, which is folded into a neat rectangle. The filled blinchiki are pan-fried in butter, 2 minutes per side, until golden and crisp. The butter frying is what transforms the soft, filled blin into something with a golden, slightly crunchy exterior. Served immediately.