Category: Breakfast

Baking · Breakfast · Dessert · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Gold rush coffee cake

Belinda

Recipe from Ruth McKeaney’s lovely book, “Hungry for Home”

In Ruth’s words
“I make this coffee cake for every holiday and shower. It is adapted from Panera’s Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake recipe by Maris Callahan and is so good that my kids have asked for it in lieu of a birthday cake! So… what makes it such a standout?First off, it’s gorgeous. The streusel runs right through the middle. When you take a bite, you’ll think you’ve struck a vein of sweet, buttery, golden goodness. Secondly, it might be the most moist coffee cake I’ve ever had. This cake is not difficult on the baking scale and uses everyday ingredients you probably already have on hand. What’s more, it lasts on the counter for a few days (well… not in my house) and serves as a beautiful gift if you want to make something special for someone you love. Serve with strong coffee. And if you’re feeling extra decadent, dollop with thick homemade whipped cream.”

MIX YOUR STREUSEL

1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup lt. brown sugar, lightly packed 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and then the flour. Mix well and set aside.

PREPARE YOUR BATTER

12 (1 1⁄2 sticks) tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1⁄2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups sour cream
2 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round bundt pan.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer on high-speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light.
Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs, one at a time. Then slowly add the vanilla and sour cream.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined.
Mix with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.
Spoon half of the batter into the prepared bundt pan and spread it out with a knife.
With your fingers, crumble half of the topping evenly over the batter.
Pour in the remainder of the batter and crumble the remaining half of the streusel topping on top. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.
Cool completely before serving.

Breakfast

Çılbır: Turkish Poached Eggs

Belinda

A simple savory breakfast, Cilbir (Turkish Eggs), is made of perfectly poached eggs that are served over garlicky yogurt and finished with a spicy olive oil with Aleppo pepper flakes. Enjoy with rustic toast for a complete, flavorful breakfast or brunch.

Serves 2
1 cup plain Greek yogurt (made with whole milk, at room temperature)
1-2 garlic cloves (finely minced)
2 large eggs
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp Aleppo pepper (or red pepper flakes)
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
Fresh dill and/or mint for sprinkling over the top

In a bowl, mix the yogurt, dill, garlic, black pepper and salt. Divide between two shallow serving bowls and set aside for now.
Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Lower the heat and let the water simmer.
Meanwhile, crack an egg into a small fine mesh sieve over a small bowl. Gently swirl the eggs in the sieve to drain the liquidy part of the egg whites (this gives you a neater-looking poached egg). Transfer the egg to a ramekin.
When the water is ready, using a wooden spoon, stir the water to create a vortex. Quickly add the egg to the middle of vortex and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. When ready, using a slotted spoon, transfer the egg to a plate that’s been lined with parchment paper.
Prepare and cook the second egg exactly as you did the first.
While the second egg is cooking, quickly make the olive oil sauce. In a small skillet, warm the olive oil and Aleppo pepper over medium heat.
Immediately transfer the poached eggs to the prepared yogurt bowls (simply place each egg on top of the yogurt mixture) and drizzle with the heated oil and sprinkle herbs over.

Serve immediately with your favorite rustic bread

Breakfast · Dessert · Do-ahead · Fruit · Gluten Free

Roasted figs with pomegranate molasses and orange zest

Belinda


Recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi

I can’t emphasize enough how crucial it is to choose good, sweet, squidgy figs, no matter what you do with them. It makes all the difference.

Serves 4

3 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp dark Muscovado sugar (you can get this on Amazon)
4 thyme sprigs, 2 whole and 2 picked leaves
Skin of 1 orange, 3 long shaved strips and the rest grated
8 fresh figs, cut in half lengthways
100g mascarpone
100g Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp icing sugar
Salt

Put together in a large mixing bowl the pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, 2 thyme sprigs, 1 tablespoon of water, the orange skin strips and a pinch of salt. Mix well to dissolve the sugar and then stir in the figs. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together in a small bowl the mascarpone, yoghurt and icing (powdered) sugar until smooth. Keep chilled.

Remove the figs from the bowl (keeping the marinade) and arrange them snugly inside a small baking tray, roughly 20x20cm (8″ x 8″), the cut side facing up. Sprinkle the figs with the remaining sugar and put under a hot grill, clearing about 15cm from the grill. Grill for 10 minutes, or until the sugar has caramelized and the figs softened.

Meanwhile, pour the marinating liquids into a small saucepan, bring to the boil and then simmer for 2-4 minutes or until the sauce is reduced by half and has a consistency of runny honey.

Transfer the hot figs to serving plates and spoon over any leftover syrup from the baking tray, then drizzle over the sauce reduction and sprinkle with picked thyme leaves. Place a spoonful of the yoghurt cream on the side or on the figs and sprinkle over the remaining orange zest. Serve at once.

Breakfast · Dessert · Do-ahead · Fruit · Holiday Food

Berry platter with labneh and orange oil

Belinda

Serves 6

900g labneh
100ml good-quality olive oil
10g lemon thyme sprigs, plus a few extra picked thyme leaves to serve
1 orange: finely shave the skin to get 6 strips
200g blackberries
250g raspberries
300g strawberries, hulled and halved lengthways (or quartered if they’re larger)
50g caster sugar
1 lime: finely grate the zest to get 1 tsp, then juice to get 1 tbsp
200g blueberries
150g cherries, pitted

Put the oil into a small saucepan, for which you have a lid, on a medium heat. Heat gently for about 7 minutes, or until tiny air bubbles form. Remove from the heat, add the thyme and orange strips, then cover with a lid and leave to infuse, ideally overnight, though half an hour will also do the job.

The next day, put 50g of blackberries, 100g of raspberries and 100g of strawberries into the small bowl of a food processor along with the sugar and lime juice and blitz until completely smooth. Put all the remaining berries and the cherries into a large bowl along with the blitzed fruit and gently combine. You can serve it straight away or leave it in the fridge for a few hours, bringing it back to room temperature before serving.

Spread the labneh out on a large platter. Spoon over the berries, then sprinkle with the lime zest. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the infused oil, along with a couple of the orange strips and the extra picked thyme leaves.

Baking · Breakfast · Egg based

King Charles’ coronation quiche

Belinda

Want to make what King Charles is having for lunch on the big day?


A deep quiche with a crisp, light pastry case and delicate flavors of Spinach, broad beans and fresh tarragon. Eat hot or cold with a green salad and boiled new potatoes – perfect for a Coronation Big Lunch!

1 x  20cm (8″) Flan Tin

Serves 6

125g plain flour
Pinch of salt
25g cold butter, diced
25g lard
2 tablespoons milk
Or 1 x 250g block of ready-made shortcrust pastry

Filling

125ml milk
175ml double cream
2 medium eggs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon,
Salt and pepper
100g grated cheddar cheese,
180g cooked spinach, lightly chopped
60g cooked broad beans or soya beans

To make the pastry…
Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl; add the fats and rub the mixture together using your finger tips until you get a sandy, breadcrumb like texture.
Add the milk a little at a time and bring the ingredients together into a dough.
Cover and allow to rest in the fridge for 30-45 minutes
Lightly flour the work surface and roll out the pastry to a circle a little larger than the top of the tin and approximately 5mm thick.
Line the tin with the pastry, taking care not to have any holes or the mixture could leak. Cover and rest for a further 30 minutes in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 190°C.

Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper, add baking beans and bake blind for 15 minutes, before removing the greaseproof paper and baking beans.
Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C.
Beat together the milk, cream, eggs, herbs and seasoning.
Scatter 1/2 of the grated cheese in the blind-baked base, top with the chopped spinach and beans and herbs, then pour over the liquid mixture.
If required gently give the mixture a delicate stir to ensure the filling is evenly dispersed but be careful not to damage the pastry case.
Sprinkle over the remaining cheese. Place into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until set and lightly golden.

Asian flavors · Breakfast · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Rice · Vegan · Vegetable-related

Sticky coconut rice cake with turmeric tomatoes

Belinda

In this dish from Ixta Belfrage’s ‘Mezcla’ cookbook, sticky coconut rice cakes are served with a delicious turmeric tomato sauce

Notes
I use Thai Taste brand sticky rice, which doesn’t need to be soaked. If you’re using another brand, check the instructions on the side of the packet, as the rice may need to be soaked overnight.
Make ahead
Both parts of the dish can be made the day before and reheated in a warm oven.

SERVES 4

FOR THE RICE CAKE
400g Thai sticky rice (aka glutinous rice or sweet rice), rinsed and drained (see notes above)
400g tin of full-fat coconut milk (at least 70% coconut extract)
250g water
2 small cloves of garlic, finely grated/crushed
2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
2 spring onions(scallions), very finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp fine salt

FOR THE TURMERIC TOMATOES
400g sweet, ripe cherry tomatoes
15g fresh ginger, peeled and julienned
15g fresh coriander (cilantro), stalks and leaves
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
70g olive oil
2 tsp maple syrup or honey
1⁄2 tsp ground turmeric
1 1⁄4 tsp cumin seeds
1⁄2 tsp fine salt

TO SERVE
2 spring onions, finely sliced
5g fresh coriander
1 lime, cut into wedges

Preheat the oven to 230°C fan/250°C/475F. Line a 23 x 23cm baking tin (or a similar- sized ovenproof dish) with non-stick parchment paper.

Whisk all the ingredients for the rice cake together, making sure to get rid of any lumps of coconut milk. Pour into the prepared tin and flatten the top.

For the tomatoes, put all the ingredients into an ovenproof dish that’s just big enough for them all to fit snugly in a single layer.

Put both dishes in the oven – the tomatoes on the top shelf and the rice on the bottom shelf (or preferably both on the top shelf, if they’ll fit). Bake for 30 minutes. The tomatoes should be soft and slightly charred and the rice should be cooked through and golden-brown on top.

Remove both dishes from the oven. Cover the tomatoes to keep them warm. Leave the rice to rest for 20 minutes. Turn the oven grill to its highest setting.

After 20 minutes, lift the rice cake on to a flat baking tray lined with the paper. Tear away any overhanging parchment that could burn under the grill. Grill for 5–8 minutes near the top of the oven, or until the rice is crisp and golden- brown on top.
All grills are different so this could take more or less time. If you have a blowtorch, use it to crisp up and lightly char the surface a little more.

Leave to cool for 5 minutes before slicing into squares. Serve with the warm tomatoes and garnish with the spring onions (scallions), coriander (cilantro) and lime wedges.

Baking · Breakfast · Dessert · Do-ahead · Egg based · Gluten Free · Rice

Nigella’s rice pudding cake

Belinda

From Nigella
“This is every bit as wonderful as it sounds: an Italian torta di riso, refracted through the prism of someone who loves a bowl of very British rice pudding. The Italians like to stud their rice cake with candied peel, bake it in a tin lined with breadcrumbs or crushed amaretti, and eat it cold; I sprinkle mine with nutmeg, and serve it warm, most frequently with a jewel-bright jam sauce. But it’s also lovely with poached fruit and I can’t help thinking it would be fabulous with a bit of golden syrup drizzled on top, too.

I’m very happy to eat leftovers cold, should I be lucky enough to get them (very much recommended for breakfast) but first time out, I feel, it must be warm, by which I mean to indicate a gentle warmth, rather nearer room temperature than hot. This means the cake is still quite tender, so I should caution you against trying to remove it from its base.”

Yields: 8-12 slices

¾ cup arborio rice
scant 3 cups whole milk
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 lemon
5 tablespoons soft unsalted butter (plus more for greasing tin)
3 large eggs (at room temperature)
⅓ cup superfine sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
nutmeg (for grating)

FOR THE SAUCE
1 cup seedless raspberry jam
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Put the rice, milk and salt into a heavy-based saucepan – I use one of 18cm / 7 inches diameter – and finely grate the zest of the lemon into it.
Over high heat, and stirring regularly, bring to the point where it looks like it’s just about to boil, though do not let it actually boil. Turn the heat down to low, and continue to cook the milk and rice for about 30 minutes, stirring every now and then, until the rice is cooked and the milk is absorbed. Keep an eye on it, as you don’t want the milk to start boiling, nor do you want the rice to stick to the bottom of the pan.

Take the pan off the heat, and stir in the 75g / 5 tablespoons of butter until melted. Scrape the contents of the pan into a bowl large enough to take all the remaining ingredients. Leave for about 1 hour to cool. Once it’s at room temperature, you can move on, so heat the oven to 160°C/140°C Fan/325°F, and butter a 20cm / 8-inch springform cake tin.

Separate the eggs, letting the whites fall into a large grease-free bowl (which could be the bowl of a freestanding mixer) and drop the yolks into a wide measuring jug (or a bowl). Whisk the whites until stiff, and set aside for a moment. Add the sugar to the yolks, and whisk – I use a balloon whisk with vigor, rather than an electric one here – until pale and mousse-like.
Add the vanilla extract and 2 teaspoons of juice from the zested lemon to the yolks and sugar, and then pour gradually into the cooled rice, folding it in well as you go.

Dollop a large spoonful of the stiffly whisked whites into the rice bowl and stir briskly to lighten the mixture, and then fold in a third of the remaining whites gently but thoroughly, then another third, and when that’s incorporated, fold in the rest. Pour and scrape this mixture gently into the prepared tin.

Grate nutmeg over generously and bake for 45 minutes; by then the top will have set, with no hint of wobble underneath.
Sit on a wire rack for about 1 hour, until it’s just slightly warm.
To ease the unmolding, slip a small spatula all around the edges, unclip the tin, and transfer the cake, still on its base (unless, like me, you don’t mind risking damage trying to remove it), to a flat plate.

Just before you are ready to serve the cake, gently heat the raspberry jam with the lemon juice in a small saucepan, giving it the occasional stir, during which time leave a suitable pitcher filled with hot water in the sink. When the sauce is hot, fill the warmed pitcher (obviously, emptied of its water!) with the garnet-glossy sauce.

Breakfast · Egg based · Fruit

Salmon and spinach risotto with poached egg and herb cream

Belinda


This is definitely a rich dish, but an excellent one for a Sunday brunch (serve something simple like roast or poached fruit afterwards – keep it simple). It makes a good, luxurious Friday night supper as well.

Recipe from Diana Henry

Serves 4

Ingredients for the herb cream
15g butter
1 shallot, very finely chopped
½ tsp flour
175ml double cream
1 tsp Dijon mustard, or to taste
½ tbsp each parsley and chervil, finely chopped
Leaves from 2 sprigs tarragon, chopped
Juice of ½ lemon, or to taste

For the risotto
30g butter
1 large leek, washed and sliced
200g risotto rice
200ml dry vermouth
700ml chicken stock
125g baby spinach leaves
200g hot smoked salmon, broken into chunks, skin discarded
4 medium or small eggs

Make the cream first – you can reheat it at the end. Melt the butter in a small pan and sauté the shallot until it softens. Stir in the flour for about 1 minute. Take the pan off the heat and gradually add the cream.
Return it to the heat and gently bring the cream to the boil. Turn the heat down, add the rest of the ingredients, and season.
Let the cream simmer for a couple of minutes until the flavors of the herbs come through. Check for seasoning – you may want to add a little salt, lemon juice or mustard.

For the risotto, melt half the butter in a saucepan. Add the leek and a splash of water. Cover and sweat for about 15 minutes (stirring occasionally).
Add the rice, making sure it’s nicely glazed with the fat. Add the vermouth and let it bubble, stirring until it’s absorbed.
Get your stock simmering and add it slowly, one ladle at a time. Make sure the liquid is fully absorbed before adding more. Stir constantly during this stage, which should take about 20 minutes. Use boiling water if you run out of stock.
Stir in the spinach, which will wilt, then gently stir in the salmon – you don’t want it to break up too much. Check for seasoning and stir in the rest of the butter.
Cover with a lid while you quickly poach the eggs and reheat the herb cream.
Serve the risotto topped with an egg and spoon on the herb cream. Serve immediately.

Baking · Breakfast · Do-ahead · Grains

Irish Brown Soda Bread Scones

Belinda

Recipe from SMITTEN KITCHEN

“Here is my replacement formula the Irish flour: 1 cup coarse wholemeal flour = 3/4 cup wheat germ + 1/4 cup wheat bran + 1/2 cup regular whole wheat flour. Yes, this appears to add up to more than 1 cup but germ weighs much less than flour. This will weigh 145 grams total.”

Serves 4
1 cup (145 grams) Irish coarse wholemeal flour (see Note above for swap; see Note at end for description)
1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (225 grams) buttermilk, plus another splash if needed
1 tablespoon (15 grams) unsalted butter, cold

Heat oven to 375°F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine wholemeal flour (see Note up top for swap; see Note at end for description), all-purpose flour, salt and baking soda in a large bowl, whisking to combine.
Pour buttermilk over dry ingredients, then coarsely grate butter over the buttermilk.
Stir to combine into a thick, somewhat gloppy mass, slightly damper than your average scone dough. If it doesn’t come together, add more buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at time, until. (I need at least 2 extra tablespoons when using a thick brand of buttermilk.)
Dollop dough in four big mounds on prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, until just lightly golden brown at edges and dry to the touch. Eat right away, split in half and spread with butter, jam, or chocolate.

** Let’s talk about coarse wholemeal (whole wheat) flour: The magic ingredient in most wholegrain or brown soda breads is Irish wholemeal flour. Irish wholemeal flour is coarse and gritty, high in fiber, and has a wonderful nutty flavor. It is not the same as our whole wheat flours here, which are milled fine and smooth, and I do not like the result when I use them as a full swap. Although I think I’ve come up with a solid copycat, it requires extra ingredients, which likely takes this out of the running for an easy breakfast baked good for others.
Here’s my advice: If you find you like these scones and want to make them more often, you could mix up a jar of my Irish flour swap and have it at the ready for your weekend mornings. Or, you could splurge on a bag of the imported flour. Prices range significantly (blame a supply chain crisis) but even when it’s overpriced, it is amortized over 56 scones, i.e. my favorite way to justify things.
Here are some places you can find the Odlums brand I use online: Amazon, Food Ireland, Mercato. It comes in Coarse and Extra-Coarse; both work.
Note: I know that King Arthur Flour also makes an Irish-style flour but it was out of stock when I was working on this recipe so I wasn’t able to test it. If it’s coarsely milled, you’ll be set.

Baking · Breakfast · Holiday Food · Vegetable-related

Parsnip, scallion and thyme gratin

Belinda

You’ve had potato gratin, well now there’s creamy parsnip gratin, flavored with nutmeg and fresh thyme then topped with sourdough croutons – it’s the ultimate side dish for roast meat.
Recipe adapted from Delicious Magazine

250g sourdough bread, torn into 1/2/2cm pieces
3 tbsp olive oil
10 fresh thyme sprigs
2 long sprigs fresh rosemary
2 banana shallots, finely sliced
6-8 scallions, trimmed and cut into thirds
1 tbsp plain flour
300ml heavy whipping cream
350ml whole milk
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
500g parsnips, quartered and any woody cores removed, cut into 1/4″/1cm chunks
300g Yukon Gold potatoes (halved if large), cut into 1/4″ /1cm slices
6oz Gruyère or mature cheddar, coarsely grated

You will need a 1.4 liter baking dish

1/ Heat the oven to 400F/200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.
Put the sourdough pieces on a large baking tray, then toss with 2 tbsp olive oil, the leaves from 4 thyme sprigs and the rosemary leaves, chopped. Season with salt and pepper, then bake for 10 minutes until golden and crisp. Set aside.

Turn down the oven to 350F/180°C/160°C fan/gas 4.

2/ Heat the remaining oil in a large pan or casserole over a medium heat, then cook the shallots and spring onions for 7-8 minutes until soft. Add the flour and stir for 3 minutes, then turn the heat to low-medium and add the double cream, milk, nutmeg and 2 thyme sprigs. Heat until just steaming. Add the parsnips and potatoes and cook for 10 minutes until softening. Season with salt and pepper, remove from the heat (discard any woody thyme sprigs), then stir in a third of the cheese.

3/ Pour the vegetables and creamy liquid into the prepared baking dish, sprinkle half the remaining cheese on top, then bake for 30 minutes. Scatter the croutons on top of the gratin with the rest of the thyme and cheese, then bake for 15-20 minutes more until the top is golden brown and the gratin is bubbling. Serve with a sharply dressed green salad.
delicious. tips
You could use other crusty breads such as ciabatta or baguette for the topping.

Prepare the gratin to the end of step 2 a few hours in advance, cool and keep in the fridge until ready to bake.

Store the herby, baked sourdough croutons in a sealed container.