Rise & shine

“THE March sisters’ breakfast, the one they end up giving away, is a memorable spread,” says Kate, referencing Little Women. “I grew up watching the 1994 film, and I can see Winona Ryder reaching for a sausage and Kirsten Dunst with an orange tucked under her chin. But it’s these little Civil War-era pancakes that I fancy for my Christmas breakfast.”

INGREDIENTS

(Enough for 8)

60g buckwheat flour 60g strong white bread flour

A pinch of salt

A pinch of sugar 100ml cup milk

2tsp fresh yeast (or 1tsp fast-action yeast) 5tbsp sour cream

1 egg yolk

2 egg whites 30g/2tbsp butter

METHOD:

1. Whisk together the flours, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Warm the milk to body temperature in a saucepan, then stir in the yeast until it dissolves. Whisk in the sour cream, and the egg yolk.

2. Pour the liquid ingredients into the flour and whisk thoroughly. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and put it in a draughtfree place to rise for an hour. The batter should almost double in size.

3. After an hour, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, and then fold them into the frothy mixture. Cover with the tea towel again and leave for another hour. The mixture should be very light and full of bubbles – almost like a foam.

4. Once the batter has risen, warm half a tablespoon of the butter in a frying pan. Without stirring the mixture (you want to retain the lightness), drop teaspoons of the batter into the pan. When the top of a blini is covered with bubbles, flip it over. Cook the blinis in batches until all the batter is used up, adding more butter when needed.