Saturday, May 13, 2006
Mom's Sticky Buns
For years, these sticky buns have been my top choice for my birthday breakfast. As long as Mom didn't make them with raisins... I only make them occasionally these days, since they do take a bit of work--but it's worth it. Comments from devoted eaters have included: "We should have these in the house all the time." and "These are the best cinnamon buns ever--and believe me, I know cinnamon buns."
Ingredients:
3/4 c. whole milk
1/4 c. warm water
1 pkg. active dry yeast
3/4 c. sugar, divided
1 t. salt
1 egg
1/4 c. + 2 T. margarine, softened and divided
3-1/2 to 3-3/4 c. flour
2 t. cinnamon
For Glaze:
2/3 c. margarine
1 c. brown sugar
2 T. corn syrup
2 c. pecan halves (or more, if desired)
Step-by-step:
1. In a small saucepan, scald the milk. Set aside and cool to lukewarm.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water, with about a teaspoon of the sugar. Allow yeast to bloom, about 5 minutes.
3. When yeast looks bubbly, add the lukewarm milk, 1/4 cup of the sugar, salt, egg, 1/4 cup of margarine, and 2 cups of the flour. Blend until smooth. Add enough of the remaining flour to make the dough easy to handle.
4. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 5-10 minutes.
5. Put the dough in a greased bowl an cover it with a cloth. Let rise until doubled in volume, about 1-1/2 hours.
6. Punch the dough down and let rise again until doubled, about 30 minutes.
7. During this last 30 minutes, prepare the glaze by melting the 2/3 cup of margarine in a saucepan on low. Add brown sugar and corn syrup, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Divide the mixture between two greased round cake pans. Sprinkle one cup of pecans in each pan. Set aside.
8. Roll out the dough on a floured surface into an oblong strip, 15 by 9 inches, and 1/2 inch high. Spread with 2 T. soft margarine, leaving a 1-inch border of unbuttered dough on the long side. Mix the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle mixture evenly on top of buttered dough.
9. Roll up tightly, beginning at the long, buttered edge and working toward the unbuttered edge. Seal long side by pinching tightly. Cut roll into 1-inch slices.
10. Place cut sides of rolls on top of the pecans in the prepared pans. Cover with a towl and let rise again, about 40 minutes.
11. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
12. Remove from oven and carefully turn upside down onto plates Be careful--sugar syrup will be very hot.
13. Cool to warm and wrap in foil until ready to eat. Reheat in oven as necessary before eating.
Labels: breakfasts
Friday, November 18, 2005
Nutella-Banana Stuffed French Toast
This French toast is an adaptation of a recipe from Café 222 in San Diego. The original recipe, made with peanut butter, aired on the Food Network. Nutella is a chocolate-hazelnut spread and can be found next to the peanut butter in most grocery stores. Serves 2.
Ingredients:
4 slices white bread (day-old, if possible)
1 or 2 ripe bananas
4 T. Nutella
Honey, for drizzling
4 eggs
1/4 c. milk
1 T. vanilla
1 T. dark rum
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. freshly grated nutmeg
Butter for frying
Step-by-step:
1. Remove crust from bread. Lay bread on counter and spread a thin layer of Nutella on each slice. Slice enough banana to cover two of the slices of bread. Drizzle a small amount of honey on the other two pieces of bread. Place honey-drizzled pieces of bread on top of the banana slices, honey side down, to make two sandwiches.
2. In a shallow bowl, gently whip, by hand, the eggs, milk, vanilla, rum, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
3. Heat skillet to medium heat, around 350 degrees. Add butter. When the butter begins to sizzle, dip one sandwich at a time into batter and place into skillet. Cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
4. Cut each sandwich in half diagonally and place decoratively on plate. Top with powdered sugar, if desired. Serve with your favorite syrup.
Ingredients:
4 slices white bread (day-old, if possible)
1 or 2 ripe bananas
4 T. Nutella
Honey, for drizzling
4 eggs
1/4 c. milk
1 T. vanilla
1 T. dark rum
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. freshly grated nutmeg
Butter for frying
Step-by-step:
1. Remove crust from bread. Lay bread on counter and spread a thin layer of Nutella on each slice. Slice enough banana to cover two of the slices of bread. Drizzle a small amount of honey on the other two pieces of bread. Place honey-drizzled pieces of bread on top of the banana slices, honey side down, to make two sandwiches.
2. In a shallow bowl, gently whip, by hand, the eggs, milk, vanilla, rum, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
3. Heat skillet to medium heat, around 350 degrees. Add butter. When the butter begins to sizzle, dip one sandwich at a time into batter and place into skillet. Cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
4. Cut each sandwich in half diagonally and place decoratively on plate. Top with powdered sugar, if desired. Serve with your favorite syrup.
Labels: breakfasts, chocolate
Sausage and Egg Souffle
This is an easy and delicious breakfast. Put the ingredients together the night before, and bake it in the morning. It's great for brunches, potlucks, and even picnics! For a change of pace, try adding a cup of chopped red peppers or a can of diced green chilies. Serves 10.
Ingredients:
6 eggs, beaten
2 c. milk
6 slices bread, finely cubed
1c. cheddar cheese, grated
1 t. salt
1 T. mustard
1 tube mild Jimmy Dean sausage
Step-by-step:
1. Crumble and brown sausage. Drain off grease and cool.
2. Beat eggs and milk together. Stir in remaining ingredients.
3. Pour into a greased 8x12-inch casserole dish and refrigerate overnight.
4. After refrigerating, bake casserole at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.
Ingredients:
6 eggs, beaten
2 c. milk
6 slices bread, finely cubed
1c. cheddar cheese, grated
1 t. salt
1 T. mustard
1 tube mild Jimmy Dean sausage
Step-by-step:
1. Crumble and brown sausage. Drain off grease and cool.
2. Beat eggs and milk together. Stir in remaining ingredients.
3. Pour into a greased 8x12-inch casserole dish and refrigerate overnight.
4. After refrigerating, bake casserole at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.
Labels: breakfasts
Dutch Apple Pancake
Some people know this breakfast dish as a "Dutch Baby" or "Dutch Pancake." This version is quite a bit lower in fat than the traditional and is topped with a delicious apple-cinnamon compote. The recipe comes from the September 1997 issue of Eating Well. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
Apple Topping:
1-1/2 t. butter
1-1/2 t. canola oil
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
3 T. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
1 c. apple cider
Pancake:
3 eggs
1/4 c. flour
2 t. sugar
1/4 t. salt
3/4 c. 1% milk
powdered sugar for dusting
Step-by-step:
1. Make topping: Heat butter and oil in a nonstick skillet over medium. Add apples and sugar; cook, stirring, until tender and golden, about 20 minutes. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon. While apples are cooking, bring cider to a boil in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high until reduced to 1/3 cup, 10-15 minutes. Stir into apples when they are done. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, make pancake: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat an ovenproof skillet with cooking spray and set aside. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, flour, sugar, and salt until smooth. Gradually add milk, whisking until smooth. Pour batter into skillet and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake 15 minutes more, until golden and puffed. Remove from oven (pancake will deflate as it cools).
3. Dust pancake with powdered sugar and cut into wedges. Serve immediately, with warm apple topping.
Ingredients:
Apple Topping:
1-1/2 t. butter
1-1/2 t. canola oil
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
3 T. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
1 c. apple cider
Pancake:
3 eggs
1/4 c. flour
2 t. sugar
1/4 t. salt
3/4 c. 1% milk
powdered sugar for dusting
Step-by-step:
1. Make topping: Heat butter and oil in a nonstick skillet over medium. Add apples and sugar; cook, stirring, until tender and golden, about 20 minutes. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon. While apples are cooking, bring cider to a boil in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high until reduced to 1/3 cup, 10-15 minutes. Stir into apples when they are done. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, make pancake: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat an ovenproof skillet with cooking spray and set aside. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, flour, sugar, and salt until smooth. Gradually add milk, whisking until smooth. Pour batter into skillet and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake 15 minutes more, until golden and puffed. Remove from oven (pancake will deflate as it cools).
3. Dust pancake with powdered sugar and cut into wedges. Serve immediately, with warm apple topping.
Labels: breakfasts
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Baby Dutch Babies
Make these for breakfast or as fancy appetizers. By using different jams and toppings you can make a fantastic array of flavors. Makes 24 mini muffins.
Ingredients:
2 T. butter or margarine
2 eggs
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. milk
1/2 t. salt (optional--recommended for savory dutch babies)
toppings, as desired (jams, cheeses, etc.)
Step-by-step:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Divide butter between muffin pan cups, using 12 large cups or 24 small ones. Set pan(s) in oven for about 3 minutes, until butter is melted. Remove immediately so as not to burn.
3. Combine eggs, flour, milk, and salt (optional)--blend (with a whisk or in a blender) until smooth.
4. Prepare toppings and set aside.
5. Divide batter evenly in muffin cups (about 1 T. for small, 2 T. for large). Bake small cups 2 minutes, or large cups 5 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and arrange toppings in the center of each as desired. Use about 1/2 t. to 1 t. jam or other toppings, making sure not to overfill. This should be done as quickly as possible. (If you want to decorate them with cold toppings, skip this step and fill when cooled.)
7. Return cups to oven and bake until puffed and brown, about 10 minutes for both sizes. Make sure to check them frequently. They often flip around--when this happens, be sure to push them back into their muffin cups to insure correct shape.
8. Let cool slightly before scooping from pans.
Note: Get creative with these! They can be a lot of fun when you try different variations. My favorite is with Stonewall Kitchen's Roasted Garlic & Onion Jam. Brie also makes a great topping. You can even try them together!
Ingredients:
2 T. butter or margarine
2 eggs
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. milk
1/2 t. salt (optional--recommended for savory dutch babies)
toppings, as desired (jams, cheeses, etc.)
Step-by-step:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Divide butter between muffin pan cups, using 12 large cups or 24 small ones. Set pan(s) in oven for about 3 minutes, until butter is melted. Remove immediately so as not to burn.
3. Combine eggs, flour, milk, and salt (optional)--blend (with a whisk or in a blender) until smooth.
4. Prepare toppings and set aside.
5. Divide batter evenly in muffin cups (about 1 T. for small, 2 T. for large). Bake small cups 2 minutes, or large cups 5 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and arrange toppings in the center of each as desired. Use about 1/2 t. to 1 t. jam or other toppings, making sure not to overfill. This should be done as quickly as possible. (If you want to decorate them with cold toppings, skip this step and fill when cooled.)
7. Return cups to oven and bake until puffed and brown, about 10 minutes for both sizes. Make sure to check them frequently. They often flip around--when this happens, be sure to push them back into their muffin cups to insure correct shape.
8. Let cool slightly before scooping from pans.
Note: Get creative with these! They can be a lot of fun when you try different variations. My favorite is with Stonewall Kitchen's Roasted Garlic & Onion Jam. Brie also makes a great topping. You can even try them together!
Labels: appetizers, breakfasts
Buttermilk Banana Pancakes
By adding the bananas to the cooking pancakes (rather than in the batter), they get nicely caramelized in the pan, for an extra touch of sweetness. They hardly need any syrup, though they're spectacular with a dash of coconut syrup! The recipe comes from Family Circle Weight Loss Secrets.
Ingredients:
1 c. flour
1-1/4 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1-1/4 c. lowfat buttermilk
1 T. light brown sugar
2 egg whites
1 T. butter, melted
1 t. vanilla
3 bananas, sliced 1/4-inch thick
Step-by-step:
1. Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the mixture.
2. Whisk together buttermilk, brown sugar, egg whites, butter, and vanilla. Pour mixture into well in flour mixture. Mix until just combined; batter will be slightly lumpy. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let stand for 1 hour or overnight.
3. Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Preheat over medium-high heat. For each pancake, pour 3 tablespoons batter onto skillet. When bubbles first appear on batter surface, top with some banana slices. Cook until bubbles cover the surface, then flip pancakes and cook 1 minute. Repeat with remaining batter.
Ingredients:
1 c. flour
1-1/4 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1-1/4 c. lowfat buttermilk
1 T. light brown sugar
2 egg whites
1 T. butter, melted
1 t. vanilla
3 bananas, sliced 1/4-inch thick
Step-by-step:
1. Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the mixture.
2. Whisk together buttermilk, brown sugar, egg whites, butter, and vanilla. Pour mixture into well in flour mixture. Mix until just combined; batter will be slightly lumpy. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let stand for 1 hour or overnight.
3. Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Preheat over medium-high heat. For each pancake, pour 3 tablespoons batter onto skillet. When bubbles first appear on batter surface, top with some banana slices. Cook until bubbles cover the surface, then flip pancakes and cook 1 minute. Repeat with remaining batter.
Labels: breakfasts
