Blue/Pink Corn Blini with Crabmeat and Avocado Crema

By Texaschef11

Ingredients

• For the blini:
• 1 tsp yeast
• 2 Tbsp warm water
• 1/2 cup blue cornmeal flour (or white corn meal flour and red food coloring, if making pink)
• 7 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• For the avocado crema:
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1 1/2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 dashes Tabasco sauce
• 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
• To assemble:
• 8 oz fresh lump crabmeat, picked over for shell pieces
• 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• Pico de Gallo

Preparation

Step 1

Make the blini: Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Stir the yeast into the water in a small bowl. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flours and salt. Add the milk, yeast mixture, and butter, whisking to combine after each addition. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes.

Coat the preheated griddle or skillet with cooking spray. Use 2 Tbsp of batter per blini and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until crisp around the edges and golden brown. Set aside and keep warm.

Make the crema: Process the avocado, mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, Tabasco, and salt in a food processor or blender until smooth. Spoon into a squeeze bottle or zipper bag with the corner snipped off. Refrigerate until ready to use. (The crema can be made one day in advance).

To assemble: In a small bowl, lightly toss the crab meat with lime juice. Squeeze a small dollop of crema on each blini and top with a small spoonful of the crabmeat and another small spoonful of pico de gallo. Garnish with additional avocado crema. Serve immediately.

Yields: 14 pancakes (but there is enough crab and avocado crema for a double batch of pancakes)
Adapted from: The Pastry Queen Christmas