Category: Breakfast

English Muffins

Author: John Kanell

Servings: 14

Ingredients

¾ cup milk (180ml)

½ cup water (120ml)

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 (.25-ounce/7g packet) active dry yeast

3 cups all-purpose flour (360g)

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter melted and cooled slightly (42g)

1 large egg room temperature

Cornmeal for dusting or Semolina

Instructions

  1. Combine the milk, water, and sugar in a bowl or glass measuring cup. Stir together and warm in the microwave to 110°F. Add the yeast and stir once more. Set aside for 5-7 minutes or until a foamy head develops.
  2. While the yeast wakes up, combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk together, then fit with a paddle attachment.
  3. Mix the egg and melted butter into the milk mixture then slowly pour the liquid into your flour mixture while mixing on low. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix for about 7 minutes or until the dough is elastic, smooth, and pulls away from the side of the bowl.
  4. Transfer to a large, oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to double in size in a warm spot (about an hour). You can also refrigerate the dough overnight, in which case you’ll let it warm for an hour when ready to use.
  5. Transfer the dough to a floured counter, lightly flour the top, then gently spread out and pat down until it’s just under an inch thick. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and sprinkle with cornmeal or semolina.
  6. Use a 2½-inch round cutter to cut your muffins, then gently transfer them to the prepared baking sheets using a spatula or your hands. Gently knead together then re-roll the scraps and continue cutting until the dough is used up. Cover the pans loosely with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise until visibly puffed for about 30 minutes.
  7. Place a large skillet over medium heat. Once you can feel the heat when placing your hand a few inches over the surface, sprinkle the surface with cornmeal or semolina, then carefully place 3-4 muffins on the pan. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low, then cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until each piece is browned on the bottom and appears dry on top. (Adjust the heat to low, if the muffins are browning too quickly before the tops have dried out.) Then, carefully flip and cook for another 6 to 8 minutes, until browned on the other side.
  8. Clear the old cornmeal off the pan, then add a fresh sprinkle and cook the remaining muffins. Enjoy warm! If you haven’t made these before it’s best to cook a test muffin to get the feel of it.

Notes

  • Adjust the burner heat as needed while cooking the muffins. I often find that after my first batch, the skillet is very warm and needs lower heat to prevent the bottoms from over-browning. Adjust your burner setting as necessary to keep the muffins cooking evenly between each batch.
  • Overnight method: You can refrigerate the dough overnight to bake off in the morning! Once the dough has been added to the oiled bowl, cover it, and immediately refrigerate for up to 16 hours. When you are ready to cut and cook, you don’t need to warm up the dough. Just turn it out onto the surface, press, and cut as directed. The second rise time once cut may be longer since the dough is cold, up to 1 hour, until they are puffed and ready for cooking. If your dough has more than doubled in size while chilling, turn it out and knead it 3 or 4 times before pressing and cutting.

Nutrition

Calories: 139kcal Carbohydrates: 23g

Waffles

 

Waffles  (Basic from  Cuisinart waffle make)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ¾ cups reduced fat milk
  • 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs

Preparation

  1. Place ingredients in a large mixing bowl and combine until well blended and smooth. Let batter sit 5 minutes before using.
  2. Preheat your Cuisinart® Classic Waffle Maker on setting #3* (green indicator light will be illuminated when preheated).
  3. Pour ½ cup batter onto the center of the lower grid; spread evenly using a heat-proof spatula.
  4. Close cover of waffle maker. Indicator light will turn red. When light turns green again, waffle is ready. Open cover and carefully remove baked waffle.
  5. Repeat with remaining batter. For best results, serve immediately. However, you may keep waffles warm in a 200°F oven until ready to serve.

 

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Categorized as Breakfast

Custard Quiche

For a standard 9-inch quiche, you should use 3 to 4 large eggs. The secret to a perfect, silky custard texture lies in the ratio. According to The Kitchen, the golden ratio is 1 large egg to 1/2 cup of dairy. Using too many eggs will make the quiche rubbery and omelet-like. Conversely, adding too much dairy prevents the custard from setting properly.

Custom-Style Customizable Quiche

This master recipe utilizes the time-tested 4-egg custard base. It yields a perfectly rich, velvety slice that holds its shape beautifully.

The Custard Base

  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup heavy cream (for premium richness)
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pinch (1/8 tsp.)ground nutmeg (optional, but adds authentic French warmth)

The Structure & Fillings

  • 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust (deep dish is preferred)
  • 1 cup shredded cheese (such as Gruyère, sharp Cheddar, or Swiss)
  • 1 cup cooked add-ins (e.g., crumbled bacon, chopped ham, sautéed spinach, or onions)

Instructions

  1. Blind-Bake the Crust
  • Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
  • Roll out your dough into a 9-inch pie plate and crimp the edges.
  • Line the inside with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights, dried beans, or raw rice.
  • Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the weights and paper, then bake for another 6 to 8 minutes until the base looks dry and lightly golden.
  1. Prep the Custard & Fillings
  • Whisk the eggs, heavy cream, milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg together in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined and slightly frothy. Pro tip: Do not over-beat the eggs, as this makes the custard rubbery rather than silky
  • Ensure your chosen add-ins (like mushrooms or spinach) are fully cooked and squeezed completely dry. Wet ingredients will ruin the custard.
  1. Layer and Assemble

Lower your oven temperature to 350°F

  • Scatter half of your shredded cheese across the bottom of the warm, blind-baked pie crust.
  • Spread your cooked mix-ins evenly over the cheese layer.
  • Pour the egg and dairy mixture slowly over the top.
  • Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the surface.
  1. Bake and Set
  • Place the quiche on a rimmed baking sheet.
  • Bake on the middle rack for 40 to 50 minutes. The edges should be golden brown, but the very center should still jiggle slightly when nudged.
  • Cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing. The filling will finish firming up as it cools.

 

Cinnamon Rolls from Jess

Cinnamon Rolls (with make-ahead instructions)
The Farmer’s Table- Jess Sowards
Yield One 9 x 12 pan of 12 rolls

Ingredients

Dough
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
3 tablespoons softened butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 1/2 cups flour, plus more as needed
1 cup warm water
1 large egg, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Filling
8 tablespoons softened butter
1 cup loosely packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Icing
4 ounces softened cream cheese
4 tablespoons softened butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract

Method
Dissolve yeast and 1/2 teaspoon sugar in lukewarm water. Set aside until foamy.

Combine softened butter and sugar in mixer. Mix in warm water.

Add egg, salt, then yeast mixture. Stir to combine.

Add 1 cup of the flour and mix until smooth. Continue adding remaining flour gradually until a soft dough forms.

Knead on medium high speed for 4 minutes, until smooth and elastic.

Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. This dough rises quickly due to the sugar.

Flour a work surface. Turn dough out and roll into a rectangle about 12 x 18 inches and roughly 1/2 inch thick.

In a small bowl, mix softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla into a smooth paste. Spread evenly over the dough.

Roll up tightly long ways and cut into 12 rolls. Place in a greased 9 x 12 pan.

If baking right away:

Cover and let rise for 20 minutes.

Pour 1/2 c. heavy cream over rolls

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes, until golden and cooked through.

For freezing, place cut rolls in the pan, cover tightly, and freeze before the second rise.

To bake from frozen, remove pan from freezer and let thaw at room temperature for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Pour 1/2 cup heavy cream evenly over the rolls. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes.

For Icing: 

Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla and mix. Then, one cup at a time, mix in powdered sugar and beat until creamy.

Spread icing over warm rolls.

Notes from the Table
Bread flour, all purpose flour, or whole wheat flour can be used. Whole wheat produces a heartier, toothier roll.

Freezing before the second rise makes these easy to prepare ahead. The cream poured over before baking keeps the rolls soft and rich.

Storage
Baked rolls keep at room temperature for one day or refrigerated. Freeze unfrosted rolls for longer storage.

 

Hollandaise Sauce (The Playboy Gourmet)

Hollandaise is a classic French mother sauce perfected in The Playboy Gourmet (edited by Thomas Mario). It is an emulsion of egg yolks, melted butter, and a hint of citrus or vinegar. To master this velvety, rich sauce at home, you will need the specific proportions and steps outlined below.

Playboy Gourmet Hollandaise Ingredients

  • Egg Yolks: 3 large yolks (at room temperature)
  • Butter: 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • Lemon Juice: 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed
  • Water: 1 tablespoon (warm)
  • Seasoning: 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus a tiny dash of cayenne pepper

How to Prepare It (Double Boiler Method)

  1. Melt the Butter

Melt the unsalted butter in a small saucepan over low heat until it is completely liquid and foamy. Remove from heat and keep it warm. [1]

  1. Whisk the Egg Mixture

In a heatproof bowl (like a stainless steel or glass mixing bowl), vigorously whisk together the 3 egg yolks, warm water, salt, and cayenne pepper until the mixture is smooth and frothy.

  1. Emulsify over Heat

Place the bowl directly over a saucepan filled with 1–2 inches of gently simmering water. Ensure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Whisk continuously and rapidly for 2 to 3 minutes until the eggs thicken and double in volume. [

  1. Add the Butter

Remove the bowl from the heat. While whisking constantly, very slowly drizzle the warm (but not scalding hot) melted butter into the egg mixture. Take your time here; pouring too fast will break the sauce. [1, 2, 3]

  1. Finish and Serve

Once all the butter is incorporated and the sauce is thick and glossy, whisk in the fresh lemon juice. Taste and adjust with more salt or cayenne if necessary. Serve immediately over asparagus, fish, or Eggs Benedict.

The Secret to a Perfect Hollandaise

Hollandaise is notoriously finicky, so following these tips will ensure you get it right every time:

  • Temperature control: If your eggs get too hot over the double boiler, they will scramble. If your butter is too hot when you add it, it will split the emulsion.
  • Fixing a broken sauce: If your sauce separates or looks greasy, don’t throw it out. Put a fresh egg yolk and a teaspoon of warm water into a clean bowl, and slowly whisk the broken sauce into that new yolk.
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Categorized as Breakfast

Pudding Poke Cake

Any flavor of cake and pudding can be used in this recipe. I have melted frosting in the microwave and used instead of pudding after the holes have been made in the warm cake. Worked great. Goodness in every bite.

1 pkg Cake Mix (white is nice for contrast in colors) Ingredients according to package directions, usually water, vegetable oil and eggs.

2 Pkg (4 serving size) Instant Pudding

4 C milk for the pudding

Mix cake mix according to package directions for 13″ x 9′ baking pan, Remove from oven. Immediately poke holes down through cake with round handle of wood spoo. Holes should be about 1 inch apart.

Prepare pudding according to package directions, using 4 cups cold milk. Beat about 2 minutes with wire whisk or mixer on low. Immediately pour about half of the thin pudding mixture over warm cake and into holes. Let remaining pudding mixture stand until slightly thickened. Spoon over top of cake and smooth with spoon back.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

 

 

 

Published
Categorized as Breakfast

Breakfast Strata with Spinach and Gruyère

SERVES 6 (Makes one 8 x 8-inch strata)
TIME 2½ hours, plus 1 hour chilling and 20 minutes standing
Dry bread at 225degree about 4 hrs
Why This Recipe Works
When developing our breakfast strata recipe, we found that buttering whole, dried bread slices gave the dish good texture and richness. Carefully selecting and then sautéing just a few complementary ingredients for the filling removed excess moisture and prevented the casserole from becoming waterlogged. Our breakfast strata recipe calls for weighing the strata down overnight in the refrigerator before baking, which improves the strata’s texture and makes it the perfect make-ahead breakfast dish.
Ingredients:
8 – 10 slices supermarket French bread (1/2-inch thick) or Italian bread (6 – 7 ounces)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 medium shallots, minced (about 1/2 cup)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 teaspoon Salt
½ cup medium-dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
6 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
6 large eggs
1 ¾ cups half-and-half
To weigh down the assembled strata, we found that two 1-pound boxes of brown or powdered sugar, laid side by side over the plastic-covered surface, make ideal weights. A gallon-sized zipper-lock bag filled with about 2 pounds of sugar or rice also works. This recipe doubles easily; use a 9 by 13-inch baking dish greased with only 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and increase the baking time as directed in step 4. Feel free to substitute any good melting cheese, such as Havarti, sharp cheddar, or colby.
Instructions:
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 225 degrees. Arrange bread in single layer on large baking sheet and bake until dry and crisp, about 40 minutes, turning slices over halfway through drying time. (Alternatively, leave slices out overnight to dry.) When cooled, butter slices on one side with 2 tablespoons butter; set aside.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sauté shallots until fragrant and translucent, about 3 minutes; add spinach and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach and shallots are combined, about 2 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl; set aside. Add wine to skillet, increase heat to medium-high, and simmer until reduced to 1/4 cup, 2 to 3 minutes; set aside.
3. Butter 8-inch square baking dish with remaining 1 tablespoon butter; arrange half the buttered bread slices, buttered-side up, in single layer in dish. Sprinkle half of spinach mixture, then 1/2 cup grated cheese evenly over bread slices. Arrange remaining bread slices in single layer over cheese; sprinkle remaining spinach mixture and another 1/2 cup cheese evenly over bread. Whisk eggs in medium bowl until combined; whisk in reduced wine, half-and-half, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread layers; cover surface flush with plastic wrap, weigh down (see note, above), and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
4. Remove dish from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature 20 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Uncover strata and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese evenly over surface; bake until both edges and center are puffed and edges have pulled away slightly from sides of dish, 50 to 55 minutes (or about 60 minutes for doubled recipe). Cool on wire rack 5 minutes; serve.

I am planning on making this for a teacher’s event at my son’s school this week, so to make sure I knew what I was doing first, I made it this weekend to test it out. Knowing I would need to do it the night before this week, I made it on a Saturday night to bake off Sunday morning for my family. I LOVED the ease of just putting it in the oven in the morning, and WOW it delivered! I will note some changes I made in case it’s helpful to anyone else- – my grocery store didn’t have shallots, so I used 1/2 cup yellow onion instead, and it worked great – I omitted the wine reduction (serving it at a school and felt funny about putting wine on the ingredient list!)- it doesn’t seem lacking at all without it in my opinion – my husband and I loved the Gruyère, but I think for a crowd, the flavor is very pungent and might not be for everyone. For a crowd, I think I will replace it with cheddar or havarti This is a recipe I definitely plan on keeping! The Italian bread slices gave it such a nice thickness, and it is very impressive coming out of the oven!

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Categorized as Breakfast

Easy Morning Breakfast Caserole

Make mixture before you go to bed and pop breakfast into the oven in the morning. What could be more time effective?

4                 eggs
2 C               milk
1 tsp.            Dijon Mustard
3 C               cubed French bread
1 pkg. (8 oz.)   Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
1 C               chopped mushrooms
1                 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies, drained
1C                chopped red or yellow peppers  (green are a little bitter)
½ C               chopped green onions
¼ C               chopped ham or sausage crumbled into small chunks and lightly browned on the outside.
Optional:

Pinch of red pepper flakes if you think the green chilies are not spicy enough

¼ C                Bacon Bits

Beat eggs, milk and mustard in large bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Add remaining ingredients; stir gently to mix well.

Pour into lightly greased 12×8-inch baking dish; cover. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Uncover baking dish. Bake 45 to 50 min. or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.                       Serves 8

Breakfast Brule’s

Flaky biscuits surround a creamy custard-like filling in these breakfast treats.

2                   eggs
¼ C                 heavy whipping cream
1/8 tsp             ground nutmeg
2                   (6-oz.) containers French Vanilla Yogurt
1                   (16.3-oz.) can Refrigerated Biscuits (Pillsbury® Grands are good)
1/3 C               sugar
3 Tb                butter or margarine, melted

 

Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 8 (6-oz.) ramekins or custard cups with cooking spray; place on cookie sheet with sides. In medium bowl, beat eggs, cream, nutmeg and yogurt with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.

Separate dough into 8 biscuits; separate each evenly into 2 layers, making 16 dough rounds. Place sugar in shallow dish. Brush both sides of each dough round with melted butter; coat both sides with sugar. Place 1 dough round in bottom of each sprayed ramekin.

Spoon 1/4 cup yogurt mixture over dough round in each ramekin. Top with remaining dough rounds. 4.   Bake at 375°F. for 20 to 26 minutes or until tops are deep golden brown. Cool 15 minutes before serving.         8 servings

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Categorized as Breakfast