Blinis with Smoked Salmon and a Crème Fraiche Topping

No Christmas cards done.  Well, not strictly true.  I have posted those for overseas.  Same with presents, they’re hopefully winging their way to Scotland too.  So, just the cards and presents for people here then.

I’m beginning to feel like an ostrich, head in sand, in Christmas denial.  Not like me, I’m normally more organized.  I am ready with excuses about work being super busy and things going on way more important than Christmas, but there’s nothing to excuse me for, is there really?  I’m not late for anything yet and things will work out smoothly after all, won’t they?

I did think of this daft idea of putting myself under further pressure with a 12 Days of Christmas scenario where I would post 12 days in a row with Christmas nibbles, food gifts, etc., - anything that said Christmas and food – but I’ve pulled the reins in on that one (sorry about the pun).  I now give you the shortcut version, which roughly involves posting when and if I can.

First up for those in a rush are these easily assembled mini bites (I’m going to call them blinis), spread with a dollop of crème fraiche (with a bit of a bite) and topped with smoked salmon.  Sprinkled with snipped chives and a few snow dust grinds of lemon and dill salt, they look very festive.  If I’d had the time I would have made the blinis but I didn’t and used these mini hotcakes from the local supermarket.  They are open to all manner of interpretations and toppings.  There was no fresh dill in store so I used chives to finish.  The lemon and dill salt comes from a local supplier of a range of flavoured rock salts but you can substitute if you wish by adding grated lemon peel and fresh chopped herbs to some ground rock salt.

I took these to our Christmas book club where they were well received.  So far, so good.

Blinis with Smoked Salmon and a Crème Fraiche Topping

Recipe makes 16 blinis

16 mini hotcakes or blinis (I used 16 out of a pack of 24)

5 tablespoons Crème Fraiche

1 tablespoon horseradish sauce

100g smoked salmon

fresh chives or dill to garnish

lemon and dill rock salt (optional)

In a small bowl, mix the creme fraiche and horseradish sauce together.  Drop a teaspoon of the mixture onto each blini and place them on a serving plate or platter.

Top each blini with a twist of smoked salmon and garnish with tiny snips of chives and a couple of grinds of rock salt over the hotcakes and plate.  To finish, place two long thin whole chives in a diagonal cross on top of the blinis.