Why it works: Flour and buttermilk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,721 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
Corn Blini
Ingredients
Directions
Make the batter
In a medium bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.
In a small bowl, beat together the buttermilk, egg, and 2 teaspoons of the melted butter.
Whisk into the cornmeal mixture until very smooth (for thinner blini, add a tablespoon or two more buttermilk to the batter).
Cook the pancakes
Heat a large heavy griddle or skillet over moderate heat until a drop of water bounces across the surface.
Brush the surface lightly with melted butter.
Drop the batter, 2 tablespoons at a time, onto the surface, leaving enough room for the pancakes to spread (the blini will be about 2 to 3 inches in diameter).
Adjust the heat if necessary to keep butter from burning.
Cook the blini until the surface is bubbled and set and the edges of the undersides are brown.
Flip the blini and cook until the second side is browned.
Repeat until all the batter is used, brushing the pan with butter before each batch.
Serve
Serve the blini as they come off the griddle, or keep them warm, layered in (and covered with) clean tea towels in a low (200°F) oven; just before serving, brush them with a little melted butter.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Bacon | 1 slice cooked (8g) | 43 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Flour + buttermilktop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,721 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Sugar + buttermilktop 9% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,973 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Flour + buttertop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + sugartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
-
Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Flour and butter barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Stone-ground yellow cornmeal
- Provides the main body and a coarse, toothsome texture with corn flavor.
- All-purpose flour
- Adds structure so the batter holds its shape while cooking.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas when moistened and heated, lifting the pancakes as they cook.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acidity of the buttermilk to add rise and promote browning.
- Buttermilk
- Its acidity activates the leavening and it adds tenderness and tang.
- Egg
- Binds the batter and adds richness and structure as it sets.
The step that matters
Keep the griddle at moderate heat and check it before pouring. Butter and milk solids scorch quickly, so the pan must be hot enough to set the batter but not so hot that the butter burns before the pancakes brown evenly.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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