Блины ("Bliny"): Russian Pancakes/Crepes

submitted by Aleksandr Bakhmatov, age 15
Maslenitsa (Carnival) is a Russian holiday to say goodbye a to winter and say hello to spring. Thin pancakes, or crepes, ("bliny" in Russian) are eaten during this holiday. Russian pancakes are a symbol of the sun. They are as round, gold and warm as the sun. Bliny are served hot with either butter or sour cream, jam, or caviar, or mushrooms, or sturgeon.

Flour - 2,5 cups
Eggs - 4 to 5
Sugar - 100 g (about 1/2 cup)
Butter - 200 g (about 14 tablespoons or 1.75 sticks)
Milk - 3 to 4 cups

For the simple thin pancakes, or crepes, the dough is prepared of flour, milk, eggs and salt. First thing you should do is separate the yolks from whites. Then stir the yolks with sugar slowly adding milk while stirring. Then add the salt and the melted hot butter. Then start adding the dough (very slowly), stirring the mixture and smoothing the dough nubbles. As the last step, add the stirred whites. Now everything is ready for frying crepes on the hot frying pans.

[photo credit here]