Breakfast

Monkey Bread

March 30, 2011 by Lynsey 1 Comment

The first time I had monkey bread was when I was a sophmore in college. There is a local bread company and bakery in my current hometown, which is also my college town, specializes in wonderful homemade breads both sweet and savory and this is where I first saw Monkey Bread. I told Spencer about it, then he was my boyfriend, and his eyes opened so wide and he perked up. Little did I know that monkey bread was one of Spencer’s favorites when he was growing up and that it had been ages since he had any. So the next day I went to Boulevard Bread and bought a loaf of bread that Spencer said was so wonderful. I think that loaf of bread lasted all of 5 minutes once I got it hom and that’s when I knew I needed to find a recipe and have it on hand at all times.

It’s been quite some time since I’ve made this and to be honest I had forgotten about it until my brother said something about it. He had gone to a brunch at his girlfriend’s house and he was telling me about all the wonderful food they had and one of the things he mentioned was monkey bread. He went on and on about it and how good it was and asked if I could make him some the next time our family got together. So in honor of my brother and my husband, here is a wonderfully easy and delicious recipe that is perfect for breakfast, brunch or dessert!

Monkey Bread

Ingredients:

4 Cans refrigerated biscuits, jumbo

2 1/2 Cups brown sugar

1 Cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

1 Cup white sugar

4 1/2 Tablespoons cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a bundt pan and set aside.

Cut each biscuit into 4-6 pieces, depending on the size preference.

Place the brown sugar, white sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and stir together. Roll the biscuit pieces in the melted butter and then coat with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place the coated pieces in the prepared pan and continue layering until all the pieces are coated. Pour any remaining butter and sugar mixture over the top.

Place in a preheated oven and bake for 30-45 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes and then transfer to a cake stand. Serve while hot.

Recipe Source: very slightly adapted from Moms Who Think

Daring Baker's October Challenge-Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Cake Doughnuts

October 27, 2010 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

I don’t know anyone who has met a doughnut they didn’t like, sure everyone has their favorites but I’ve never had anyone turn one down because of where they are from. I was so excited to find out this month’s daring baker’s challenge was homemade doughnuts. This challenge came at the perfect time; Spencer and I had just been talking about homemade doughnuts, how good they were and the fact that we needed to make some! I’ve made homemade doughnuts before but I’ve just made them using store bought biscuit dough, so I was so excited to see that this challenge was not only for homemade doughnuts but to also make them from scratch.

The October 2010 Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Lori of butter me up. Lori chose to challenge DBers to make doughnuts. She used several sources for her recipes including Alton Brown, Nancy Silverton, Kate Neumann and Epicurious.

In this challenge Lori provided us with a few different recipes to choose from; although all of the options looked delicious (and I will be trying them all in the near future) I just had to make the old fashioned buttermilk cake doughnuts. I absolutely LOVE cake doughnuts, I literally have to drag myself away from the bakery section when I see them. I don’t know why I’ve never searched for a recipe and attempted to make my own before, but for some unknown reason I haven’t, so I jumped on the opportunity to try these doughnuts! So thank you soooo much Lori for providing this recipe!

These turned out perfectly, I honestly couldn’t have asked for anything better! The outside was golden and crisp while the inside was soft and fluffy; it was pure perfection. If you’re a cake doughnut lover, like me, you have to try these…you won’t be disappointed, I promise!

Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Cake Doughnuts

Ingredients:

For the doughnuts-

1/4 Cup sour cream

3 1/4 Cups all purpose flour

3/4 Cup sugar

1/2 Teaspoon baking soda

1 Teaspoon baking powder

1 Teaspoon kosher salt (if using table salt, use only 1/2 teaspoon)

1/2 Teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 1/8 Teaspoons active dry yeast

3/4 Cup + 2 Tablespoons buttermilk

1 Large egg

2 Large egg yolks

1 Tablespoon pure, vanilla extract

For the glaze-

2 Cups powdered sugar

4 Tablespoons heavy cream (use more if needed to get desired consistency)

Directions:

For the doughnuts-

Fill a medium saucepan half way with water and place over high heat. Bring the water to a boil and place a heat safe bowl over the top of the boiling water and add the sour cream, heat just until warm.

Heat the oil, in a large pot, to 375F/190C.

Over a large bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Make a well, hole, and pour the sour cream over the flour mixture. Let set until softened, about 1 minute.

Pour the buttermilk, egg, egg yolks and vanilla into the well. Using one hand, gradually draw in the dry ingredients. Make sure the mixture is smooth before drawing in more of the flour mixture. Mix until the flour and wet ingredients are completely incorporated, the dough will be sticky.

Prepare working surface with flour, be generous with flour to ensure the doughnuts don’t stick to the surface. Dust hands with flour and then remove the dough from the bowl. Sprinkle the dough with flour and gently pat the dough into a circle that is 1/2 inch in thickness. Place cutter in the flour and begin cutting doughnuts, cut them as close as possible and remove cut doughnuts and holes to a floured surface. Continue the process until all the dough is used.

Drop 3 to 4 doughnuts at a time in the hot oil. Once they turn golden brown, turn them and cook the other side. The cooking times may vary, but it typically takes 20-30 seconds per side. Remove from oil to a papertowel lined baking sheet to let cool.

While the doughnuts are cooling, make the glaze.

For the glaze-

In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and whipping cream. Whisk in additional cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, to form a medium thick glaze.

Place doughnuts on a cooling rack that is set on a cookie sheet. Drizzle the doughnuts with the glaze and let stand for 30 minutes before serving.

***pictures to come

Recipe source:

For the cake doughnuts- Nancy Silverton, Serious Eats

For the glaze-Epicurious

French Toast

October 26, 2010 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

We love breakfast food in our house; we not only eat it for breakfast but many times we’ll have it for lunch or supper, I think Spencer would be completely content if I made it three times a day everyday. It’s just the type of food that you can have any time of day and be totally satisfied after you’re finished eating. The other night was one of those nights where we had breakfast food for supper and it was delicious.

We had bacon, scrambled eggs, and Alton Brown’s french toast. Let me tell ya, the french toast was amazing; it was crispy, crunchy and fluffy and soft all at the same time. The “custard” that the bread was soaked in gave it so much flavor, it was so much more than “fried” bread with no true taste other than the syrup that covered it. The toast itself had so much taste that I could have eaten it without any toppings.

If you’re looking for a wonderful breakfast dish, look no further, this french toast is amazing. We had this toast along with scrambled eggs and bacon, but I could make a meal out of only toast…yes, it was that good!

French Toast

Ingredients:

1 Cup half and half
3 Large eggs
2 Tablespoons honey, warmed in microwave for 20 seconds
1/4 Teaspoon salt
8 Slices day old or stale country loaf, briochi or challah bread
4 Tablespoons butter

Directions:

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the half and half, eggs, honey and salt. (This can be done in advance)

When you are ready to cook; pour the custard mix in a shallow dish and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375.

Place a cooling rack on a sheet pan.

Dip the bread into the custard mixture and allow to set for 30 seconds on each side; remove and place on the cooling rack sitting on the sheet pan, and allow to sit for 1-2 minutes.

Over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium non-stick skillet. Place 2 slices of bread at a time in the skillet and cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet and place on a rack in the oven for about 5 minutes. Repeat with all eight slices.

Serve with syrup, maple syrup, or fresh whipped cream and fruit.

Recipe Source: Food Network, Alton Brown

Hot Buttered Rum Pancakes

February 26, 2010 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

There were many different recipes that went through my mind when I was deciding what to make for our Valentine’s Day breakfast; I thought about something hearty, then something sweet, then savory and the options were definitely endless but I finally decided on something sweet…since it was for Valentine’s day! These pancakes were absolutely incredible; they were light and fluffy and the perfect breakfast to start out such a wonderful day. To top these wonderful pancakes I used whipped cream and a few chocolate chips, we usually wouldn’t top them with the extras like we did but since it was a special occasion we splurged. The pancakes themselves had a great flavor, the hint of cloves was awesome! This recipe definitely didn’t dissapoint and I’m sure we will be having them many more times! These would be soemthing fun to make for a weekend breakfast, and with the cloves added to the batter it makes them feel like a special occasion meal!

Hot Buttered Rum Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 1/3 Cups flour

2 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/4 Tsp ground cloves

Salt to taste (I used 1/2 teaspoon)

2 Eggs

1 Cup milk

1/4 (1/2 stick) butter, melted and cooled

1 Tbsp dark rum, or 1 tsp rum extract

1 Tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cloves and salt. Mix well and set aside. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and then add milk, butter, rum and vanilla and whisk together. Add to the flour mixture and mix until smooth.

Ladle onto an oiled medium-hot griddle. Cook until bubbles appear and being to pop. Turn and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer or until golden brown.

Serve with additional melted butter. Also, 1/2 cup of semisweet chocolate chips if desired and serve with whipped cream.

Recipe source: Beach Appetit by the Junior League of the Emerald Coast

Country French Omelet

February 24, 2010 by Lynsey 1 Comment

There are quite a few people on Food Network that I enjoy watching and one of them is Barefoot Contessa. Anytime I see that her show is on I have to see what she’s making, everything she makes looks incredible and so delicious. She really just has a way of drawing people in and making them want to go in the kitchen and cook along with her, at least that is the affect she has on me! She is so calm and seems so down to earth and that makes her so enjoyable to watch. She has so much knowledge and so many experiences from her travels and she wants to share them with everyone, and she does that all through her cooking. I always learn something from her, no matter what it is she is cooking, but when she started doing the “Back to Basics” series I was intrigued because she was cooking with ingredients that most everyone has in their home at all times. To me it seems like she wants to people to have the passion and joy for cooking she does so she has dedicated this series to cooking with everyday ingredients but pairs them in a way to make exceptional meals that appeals to everyone.

When Barefoot Contessa started her “Back to Basics” series she also introduced a cookbook, “Barefoot Contessa, Back to Basics”, to go along with her show. When I saw this cookbook I knew I wanted it, I had seen her cook too many good things from it to not have it in my collection and I had also read where it was full of tips and pointers to get the best out of every ingredient used. For my birthday last year, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law got this for me and I was so excited, but I was pregnant and still in the early stages of my pregnancy so cooking wasn’t really that appealing to me. Although I couldn’t really stomach cooking at the time I got it, I read through it and found tons of recipes I couldn’t wait to make.

The Country French Omelet was the first recipe I made from this cookbook, and I have to say it was very good. Spencer could have eaten the entire thing himself, so if you have a big eater in your house you may want to make them their own, or have something else to serve along with it. I add a couple of things to this omelet but it would be just as delicious if it were made without my additions. This was so good and now I can’t wait to make my next recipe from this cookbook!

Country French Omelet

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp good olive oil

3 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 Cup unpeeled Yukon Gold potatoes

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

5 Extra large eggs

3 Tbsp milk

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 Tbsp fresh chopped chives

1/2 Small onion, diced

1/4 Cup cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat olive oil in an ovenproof omelet pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, once fat begins to appear translucent add onions. Let cook until bacon becomes crisp and onions are tender. Remove onions and bacon from pan with a slotted spoon and set on a plate lined with a paper towel. Leave bacon grease in pan.

Place the potatoes in the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes, until very tender and browned, tossing occasionally to brown evenly. Remove with a slotted spoon to the same plate with the bacon.

Meanwhile, in a medium bow, beat the eggs, milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together with a fork. AFter the potatoes are cooked remove from the pan. Pour the fat out of the pan and discard. Add the butter, lower the heat to low, and pour the eggs into the hot pan. Sprinkle the bacon, potatoes and chives evenly over the eggs and put in oven for about 8 minutes, just until eggs are set. Sprinkle cheese over the top right when it’s removed from the oven. Slide onto a plate and cut in half, serve while hot.

Recipe Source: adapted from Barefoot Contessa, Back to Basics

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

September 23, 2009 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

Spencer loves cinnamon raisin bread. It seems like he gets a loaf almost every time we go do our major grocery shopping. I don’t know why but I’ve never really thought about trying to make it before. The idea came to me one day while I was looking at some food blogs I saw on Le Petit Pierogi where she had made some homemade raisin bread. I thought that was a great idea, I mean we buy it quite often and since it seems to be one of Spencer’s favorite things I might as well give it a shot and see if the homemade version turns out any good. I’m so glad I attempted this recipe, it was so good and it definitely hit the spot. Spencer loved the bread, it definitely met his expectations as well as mine.

This recipe was very tasty and very easy to follow. This recipe makes three loaves of dough, so keep that in mind while mixing it. Be sure the bowls that you use to mix in and let the dough rise in are large, you’ll definitely need room to maneuver while mixing and the dough will need plenty of room to expand and rise. If you have a sturdy mixer with a dough hook I definitely suggest using that; if you attempt to use a handheld mixer it won’t be strong enough once the flour starts being added and if you knead it by hand your arms and hands will be worn out by the time you’re finished and you’ll be up to your elbows in dough. Be sure you allow ample room for both mixing and letting the dough rise. The dough rose perfectly, and the consistency was perfect, it was light and fluffy. It was very easy to work with too.

I definitely recommend making this recipe if you are a fan of cinnamon raisin bread, you won’t be disappointed. This would be great for breakfast, with a cup of coffee or for a snack. It will hit the spot no matter when you eat it. We loved it, and I know I will be making this again.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups milk
1 Cup warm water
1 (1/4 ounce) packages active dry yeast
3 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups white sugar, divided
1 Teaspoon salt
1/2 Cup unsalted butter, softened
1 Cup raisins
8 Cups all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons milk
5 Tablespoons cinnamon, divided
2 Tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

Place raisins in a small bowl and cover with warm water while mixing the dough. This will allow the raisins to become nice and plump.

Warm the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until it just starts to bubble, stir occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool until lukewarm.

Pour yeast packets in a large mixing bowl and then add warm water. Let yeast dissolve in the water and set aside until frothy (about 10 minutes).

Once yeast has dissolved mix in eggs, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons of cinnamon. Gradually add the flour to form a stiff dough. Once flour is mixed, place the dough on a floured surface, add raisins, and begin to knead for a few minutes until the dough becomes smooth.

Place the dough in a greased bowl and turn to coat all of the dough. Place a towel over the dough and let rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

Remove dough from the bowl and roll on a floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle that is about 1/2 an inch thick.

Pour the two tablespoons of milk on the rolled dough and moisten. Spread the milk over all of the dough with hands.

Mix 1 cup of sugar and 3 tablespoons of cinnamon together. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the moistened dough.

Tightly roll the dough, long ways.

Cut the dough into three equal pieces. Place pieces in 3 greased loaf pans. Let the dough rise for another hour, uncovered.

Bake dough at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven, let cool for just a moment. Melt butter and spread over the top of the loaves. Remove loaves from pan, place on rack and let cool. Let cool before slicing.

Recipe Source: Seen on: Le Petit Pierogi, Originally from: Recipe Zaar

Oatmeal Pancakes

August 11, 2009 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

I have always loved breakfast foods of all kinds. I love the classics but I also like to try new and different twists on recipes as well. I’m always looking for new ways to prepare breakfast foods and when I saw this recipe for oatmeal pancakes I knew I had to try them.

Pancakes are one of the classics that have been around for a long time and there’s nothing wrong with them in their original form but it’s always fun to try new things. They are also very versatile; I’ve seen them served for breakfast but I’ve also seen them made with more of a savory taste and served as some other type of meal. No matter how they are served and no matter what they are served with they are always a hit.

This recipe for oatmeal pancakes was no exception, it was wonderful too. Having the oatmeal in the mix really made the pancakes a little more hearty and filling. The texture was a little different than regular pancakes, so if you have a picky eater on your hands you may want to try these first before setting a plate in front of them. One other plus about this recipe is the mix can be made in advance and then just scoop out the amount needed to make a batch, that really makes for a quick meal no matter what you have going on. We thoroughly enjoyed these pancakes and we’ll be making these many more times.

Oatmeal Pancakes

Ingredients:

2 Cups oatmeal pancake mix

2 Eggs

1/3 Cup canola oil

1 Cup water

Directions:

Mix the pancake mix, eggs, canola oil and water in a bowl.

Ladle onto a lightly greased nonstick griddle and cook until light brown on both sides.

Serve with applesace topping. (recipe below)
Oatmeal Pancakes with Applesauce
Applesauce Topping

Ingredients:

1/2 Pound apples, peeled and chopped

1/4-1/2 packed brown sugar

3/4 Teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon cloves

1/4 Teaspoon allspice

Directions:

Cook apples in saucepan over medium heat for 30 minutes or until tender.

Add brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves and allspice and mash until desired consistency is reached.

Serve over pancakes while both are still warm.

Recipe Source: “Big Taste of Little Rock” by Junior League of Little Rock

Oatmeal Pancake Mix

August 11, 2009 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

The concept of dry mixes have been around for a long time and they have also become a very popular gift around the holidays. There are many recipes for cakes, cookies and many other thing “in a jar” but I have never made any of them. I’ve never made a mix for something to keep around the house so when I came across this pancake mix I wanted to try it.

I know there’s not much too it but I think it’s a neat concept and it’s a way to see what exactly goes into a dry mix like you would buy at the store. There really isn’t a whole lot to putting a mix like this together; which I didn’t think there was but I wasn’t sure since I had never made one. It also saves quite a bit of preparation time when it’s time to make the product.

I really enjoyed putting this mix together. Another plus to making your own mixes is that you can control the quality of the ingredients that go into the food. You can also add your own touch of flavor as well; that way it’s not the same old recipe all the time. I hope you enjoy this mix as much as I do and it’s even better with the warm, homemade applesauce topping.

Oatmeal Pancake Mix

Ingredients:

4 Cups rolled oats

2 Cups all-purpose flour

2 Cups whole wheat flour

1 Cup packed brown sugar

1 Cup instant nonfat dry milk powder

3 Tablespoons baking powder

2 Teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon cream of tartar

5 Teaspoons salt

Directions:

Combine the oats, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, dry milk powder, baking powder, cinnamon, cream of tartar and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Store in airtight container.

Recipe source: “Big Taste of Little Rock” by Junior League of Little Rock

Sausage and Pepper Quiche

April 27, 2009 by Lynsey 1 Comment

Quiche is one of those meals that can be made for pretty much any meal, it’s not one of those that can only be a breakfast food. I also love it because it’s so versatile and there are tons of flavors that can be combined in a quiche. There are also many types of dishes it can accompany.

For supper I decided that I wanted to have a quiche. I had made a pie for something and so I had some leftover crust that I needed to use before it went bad, I thought quiche was the perfect thing to use it up on. I already had enough sweets around my house so I decided I didn’t need to make another pie at the time so quiche was the next thing that came to mind.

This quiche was very hearty by itself and could be served alone. I deicded I wanted to make something to accompany it so we would have more than one item for our meal. Since we were having it for supper I decided to make some balsamic roasted asparagus to go with it; they went together wonderfully.

I know there are tons of quiche recipes floating around but I got this one from “Big Taste of Little Rock”, it’s the Junior League of Little Rock’s newest cookbook. Spencer got this for me for a Christmas present. There are so many things I want to make out of here, but this was the first recipe I’ve made from it and it didn’t let me down.

Sausage and Pepper Quiche

Ingredients:

1 pound hot sausage
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 unbaked (9-inch) pie shell
2 eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Brown the sausage with the red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and onion in a skillet, stirring until the sausage is crumbly; drain. Spoon into the pie shell.

Combine the eggs, mayonnaise, cheese, cornstarch and milk in a bowl and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the sausage mixture in the pie shell.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until set and golden brown.

Cranberry Orange Muffins

March 29, 2009 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

Like I have said in previous posts, muffins are one of my new favorite things to make for many reasons. They are quick to throw together and there are many things that can be added to them to create many kinds of taste. There are a multitude of types of muffins from the sweet to savory. I personally am more a fan of the sweet and fruity muffins, more so than savory, so that’s what I stick to making.

I love cranberries and oranges alone but the combination together is incredible. There are so many recipes out there that have this combination, from desserts to breakfast food, it’s everywhere! I was looking through some recipes of a friend of mine when I came across a cranberry orange muffin recipe. I asked her about it and she said it was a recipe her mom used to make all the time’ she said her mom was the queen of muffins and that this recipe, like many of her mom’s recipes, was awesome. After we talked about it for a while I knew I had to make these muffins.

I’m so glad I decided to make these muffins. They turned out absolutely incredible! The combination of the flavor of cranberry and orange was awesome; they blended together and complimented each other perfectly. There wasn’t too much of one flavor and neither of the flavors were overwhelming. I enjoyed these muffins as well as everyone else who had one. This recipe has been added to my recipe book and is one that I will make for years to come.

Cranberry Orange Muffins

Ingredients:

2 Cups flour
1 Cup sugar
1 1/2 Teaspoons baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon baking soda
2 Teaspoon grated orange zest
1 1/2 Teaspoon nutmeg
1 Teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon ginger
1/2 Cup shortening
3/4 Cup orange juice
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 Cup cranberries
1-1 1/2 Cups chopped walnuts

Directions:

In a medium bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, orange zest, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. Cut in shortening with pastry blender. Stir in juice, vanilla, and eggs. Fold in cranberries and walnuts.

Spoon into a well greased muffin tin.

Bake for 25 minutes (or until golden brown) in a 350 degree oven.

Recipe from: Judy

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