For a very special breakfast or brunch, try this Blini recipe. These small, yeasted pancakes are lovely and light, served with blueberries and your favorite vegan sour cream or yogurt.
Ingredients:
2 cups sorghum flour or any all purpose gluten-free flour.
2/3 cup buckwheat flour (I make my flour with raw buckwheat ground in a Vitamix)
2 1/2 cups water
1 package active dry yeast
1/2 cup aquafaba (leftover water from cooking garbanzo beans, or from the can)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Optional: 1 Tablespoons soy lecithin granules in 1 Tablespoons water or 2 teaspoons liquid sunflower lecithin
2 Tablespoons ground flax seeds
Serve with vegan sour cream or yogurt and blueberry syrup, blueberry coulis or fresh blueberries.
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, mix flours.
2. Warm the water slightly to lukewarm and in a small bowl mix together with the yeast. Let stand for about five minutes. Mixture should become foamy on top. If not, the yeast is no longer active and will not work.
3. In a small bowl beat together the soy lecithin granules (if using) and water until creamy. Mix in the flax seeds and lecithin to the yeast mixture.
4. Pour the yeast mixture into the flour and mix well.
5. Cover with a clean towel and let it sit in a warm place to rise for about 30-50 minutes.
6. About 15 minutes before the batter has risen, grease a cast iron pan or grill, set the heat to medium and allow it to warm up.
7. Add the aquafaba and cream of tartar to a stand mixer and whip on high speed, scraping down the sides every few minutes, until stiff peaks form.
8. Gently fold the whipped aquafaba mixture into the batter.
9. Test with a drop of batter on the grill or pan to make sure it is hot enough. The batter should sizzle.
10. Drop about 2-3 Tablespoons of batter on the pan for each Blini. I use an ice cream scoop which is just the right size. Fill the pan with Blinis, about 1 inch apart. It is important to watch the Blinis cook. Every pan and stove combination are unique and the cooking times will vary. The top of each Blini should become dry and may bubble. With a very thin spatula, check under the first one of two to see how they are cooking. It should take at least 1 1/2 minutes and possibly more to cook. The bottom should be nicely browned. Flip and cook on the other side for about a minute, again, until nicely browned. Grease the pan if necessary before starting each new round. Blini may sit in a warm oven (200F) until ready to serve.
Serves 4
