Category: Breakfast

Baking · Breakfast · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Stuffing biscuits (scones)

Belinda

All the herby and aromatic flavors of a classic Thanksgiving stuffing—sage, rosemary, fennel seed, oniony scallion–are packed into this tender biscuit. Stacking pieces of dough before rolling out ensures plenty of tall, buttery layers. If you have any extra biscuits after The Big Meal, store them in an airtight container at room temperature overnight and prepare to have the most festive biscuits and gravy (featuring leftover Thanksgiving gravy, of course!) for breakfast the next morning.
Recipe from Bon Appetite

Makes 12
1 tbsp. Diamond Crystal kosher or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt
1tbsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. sugar
1½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4 scallions, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. finely chopped rosemary
3 Tbsp. finely chopped sage
1 (heaping) Tbsp. fennel seeds
1½ cups chilled buttermilk, plus more for brushing

Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 425F.
Whisk the salt, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, pepper, and 4 cups flour in a large bowl.
Add the butter and, using your fingers, work into dry ingredients, smashing and flattening and tossing to coat with flour, until you have some flat quarter-size pieces and some smaller pea-size pieces. Add scallions, rosemary, sage and fennel seeds and toss to evenly distribute. Add 1½ cups buttermilk and stir mixture with a fork just until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead once or twice to incorporate any loose pieces.

Pat dough into a 10 x 8″ rectangle. Using a large knife, cut in half crosswise, then stack 1 piece on top of the other. Turn rectangle so a long side is closest to you and cut dough in half crosswise again. Stack 1 piece on top of the other. (This process will build layers into your biscuits.) Turn dough and pat again into a 10×8″ rectangle. Cut into 12 even pieces (you should have a grid of 4 on the long sides and 3 on the short sides). Place biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing evenly, and freeze 10 minutes.

Brush top of each biscuit lightly with buttermilk and bake, rotating baking sheet halfway through, until golden brown, 22–26 minutes.

Baking · Breakfast · Do-ahead · Egg based · Holiday Food

Cheese croissant bread and butter pudding

Belinda

This indulgent cheesy croissant bread and butter pudding makes the ideal lazy breakfast to share with friends. Prep the dish the night before and chill in the fridge, to buy yourself more time in bed in the morning.

Serves 4-6
Knob of soft butter for greasing the dish
6-8 croissants, depending on the size, ideally a day or two old
8oz (200g) gruyère cheese, grated
5oz (150g) ham hock, finely shredded
8.5 fl oz (250ml) whole milk
15 fl oz (450ml) double cream
3 medium free-range eggs and
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
5 tbsp finely chopped chives
2 tsp English mustard powder

Heat the oven to 350F/160°C fan/gas 4.
Halve the croissants horizontally and lay them on a baking sheet. Put them in the oven for 5 minutes, then remove them to cool – you can turn off the oven now as you won’t need it for a bit. This helps the croissants dry out so they’ll greedily soak up the custard.
Arrange half the halved croissants, cut-side up, in the baking dish. Scatter over half the cheese and all the ham, then arrange the rest of the halved croissants, cut-side down, on top.
Stir the milk and cream in a pan and warm until just steaming. Remove from the heat, whisk in the eggs, yolks, chives and mustard, then season with salt and pepper. Slowly pour the mixture evenly over the croissants, then cover and chill for an hour or overnight. If you can, tilt the dish from time to time and baste the croissants with the custard to make sure it’s absorbed.
Reheat the oven to 350F/160°C fan/gas 4.
Remove the dish from the fridge, scatter over the rest of the cheese, put the dish on a baking sheet to catch any drips, then bake until the custard is just set and the cheese is bubbling (30-35 minutes). Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before serving with whatever your heart desires (within reason).
delicious. tips

* It only takes 15 minutes to prep but it needs time in the fridge, so if you’re not the type to get up early, make it the night before to the point where it’s soaked in the custard, then cover it, put it in the fridge and cook it the next morning.

Asian flavors · Baking · Breakfast · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Triple ginger muffins

Belinda

A baked good for the true ginger fanatic, these muffins pack some serious spice thanks to the addition of grated fresh ginger, ground ginger and minced crystallized ginger. Molasses, a key ingredient in traditional gingerbread, gives the muffins a beautiful golden hue and helps keep them moist for days — if they last that long. (Any variety of molasses will work here, but there may be some color variation depending on the brand used.) For larger, bakery-style muffins, use a jumbo muffin pan and bake the muffins for a few extra minutes.
Recipe by Lidey Heuck for the New York Times

1 cup/201 grams granulated sugar
½ cup/113 grams unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 large eggs, at room temperature
¾ cup whole milk
¼ cup molasses
1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger (from a 2-inch piece)
2 cups/256 grams all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
¾ cup/108 grams, plus 3 tablespoons/27 grams minced crystallized ginger

Heat the oven to 375 degrees and line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, butter, eggs, milk, molasses and grated ginger, and whisk until smooth.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ground ginger and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. (Be careful not to over-mix! The batter will be slightly lumpy.) Stir in 3/4 cup crystallized ginger, reserving the remaining 3 tablespoons for the topping.

Using an ice cream scoop or a large spoon, divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle the reserved crystallized ginger onto the tops of the muffins, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the muffins spring back when lightly pressed.

Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then carefully transfer muffins to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Breakfast · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food

Gingerbread oatmeal

Belinda

This gingerbread oatmeal is made on the stove-top using chewy steel oats, gingerbread spices and molasses for a true gingerbread taste!
Lovely for Christmas morning whilst still being healthy too.
Recipe from blog, “Running to the Kitchen”

Serves 2

1 cup steel cut oats (use gluten-free if needed)
2 tbsp ground flax seed
2 cups almond milk (or any milk of choice)
1 1/4 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp molasses

Combine the oats, flax seed and milk in a sauce pot over medium heat on the stove. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer stirring occasionally.
After about 5 minutes when it starts to thicken, reduce heat to medium-low and stir in the remaining ingredients.
Continue cooking for about 10 more minutes, stirring frequently until desired thickness is reached. Oats will be chewy but cooked.
Serve with a splash of additional almond milk, pecans and drizzle of molasses or maple syrup.

Baking · Breakfast · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Savory scones with gruyere, prosciutto and green onion

Belinda

I must say, when you talk of baking in the USA it usually means sweet things, and I personally LOVE savory things.
Savor these with tea or coffee at brunch or pair with an earthy red wine as an appetizer.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup butter
2 large eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup grated gruyere
1/2 cup chopped prosciutto
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup chopped green onion
2 tablespoons half and half
sea salt
additional parmesan for sprinkling

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture, until you have course crumbs. This can also be done with two knives or a food processor.
Whisk the eggs lightly and combine with the buttermilk. Add to the flour mixture and stir until just moist.
In a small bowl, mix together the gruyere, prosciutto, parmesan and green onion. Add this to the batter, then mix lightly. The dough will be sticky.
On a lightly floured surface, turn the sticky dough out and knead lightly until all the cheese, prosciutto and green onion are incorporated into the dough. Roll the dough 3/4 inch thick. Cut out 3 inch squares, then cut diagonally to make triangles.
You should have about 10 scones.
Place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat, and lightly brush with half and half. Sprinkle with sea salt.
Place the scones in the freezer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400F.
Once the scones are chilled, bake for 20 minutes, or until golden. Sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese and serve warm.

Baking · Breakfast · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Spiced eggnog scones

Belinda

This recipe is perfect for enjoying during the Christmas season with a cup of coffee or tea. Not only is eggnog baked right inside of this holiday scone, but the top has a delicious eggnog drizzle. So good!

2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup sugar
1 stick cold butter, cut into small cubes
1/3 cup eggnog
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp vanilla

EGGNOG GLAZE:
1 cup powdered sugar
2–3 tbsp eggnog
1/2 tsp vanilla
Cinnamon, for dusting

SCONES:
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and sugar. Add the cubes of butter to the dry ingredients and cut in the butter with two butter knives, your hands, or a pastry cutter until only pea-sized pieces of butter remain.
In a separate bowl combine the eggnog, egg, sour cream, and vanilla. Whisk together with a fork, and pour the wet ingredients mixture over the dry ingredients and mix with spatula or spoon until most of the way combined, then use your hands to knead the dough a few times to finish mixing it.

Transfer the dough to a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and shape the dough into a circle about 1 inch thick.
Cut the dough into 6 or 8 triangles and pull them back from each other on the baking sheet to give them room to rise as they bake. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Allow them to cool before adding the glaze.

GLAZE:
In a small bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, eggnog, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle generously over the scones.
Dust with cinnamon. Store the scones in an airtight container.

Baking · Breakfast · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food

Easy Spiced Hot Fruit Bake or “Hot Alabama fruit”

Belinda

A delicious and healthy Holiday breakfast bake for something a little different.
This gluten free spiced hot fruit bake also makes for a great topping for waffles, pancakes, oatmeal, or by simply by itself! A nutritious dish to add to your Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s Brunch! Vegan friendly.
Another reason to love this is the smell as it’s baking… you know, the smell of spices, the smell of Christmas morning breakfast.

2 cup sliced apples
2 cups pear slices
1 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1 cup pineapple chunks (save the juice)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup coconut palm sugar (unrefined) or brown sugar
1 tbsp maple syrup, agave, or honey
1 tsp cinnamon (extra for topping)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 stick melted butter (4 to 5 tbsp melted vegan butter can be substituted)
Optional – An additional 2 teaspoons melted coconut oil or butter to coat walnuts
1/3 cup chopped raw walnuts or pecans
extra cinnamon for nuts or serving

Preheat oven to 300F.

In a large bowl, toss your fruit and add in 1-2 tsp lemon juice. Set aside.
In another glass bowl, combine your melted butter, spices, and honey or maple syrup.
Mix in a few tablespoons of your leftover pineapple juice as well.
Add this sugar/butter mixture to your fruit and coat evenly.
Pour fruit evenly in a 9×12 baking dish.
Pour the leftover sugar/butter/oil mixture on top.
Baking for 1 hr.

OPTIONAL – Toss your nuts in a tiny bit of melted coconut oil or butter and pinch of cinnamon. I usually just coat the nuts in the leftover butter/sugar from the fruit mix bowl. Then sprinkle the nuts to the top of dish and bake all together for 1 hr.
Sprinkle any additional cinnamon and spiced over hot fruit bake before serving, if desired.

NOTES
You can prep this dish the night before and baking the day of. There are a few ways.

Option 1: You can mix everything, place in casserole dish, place in fridge, then bake the next morning.
Option 2: The fruit is is more bright and crispy if you mix the fruit in lemon, place in a large dish, cover. Then mix the melted butter, sugar, spices in another bowl. Place that in fridge too. In the morning, reheat the butter/sugar mix and pour it over the fruit. Then bake.
Option 3: Bake everything the night before and then simply reheat for 20 minutes at 300F before serving.

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

Apple, cheddar and sage scones

Belinda

Enjoy these cheesy scones for breakfast, with a warm bowl of soup, or in a Thanksgiving bread basket!
Recipe from blog, “The View from Great Island”

Makes 8 scones

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp light brown sugar (optional, this isn’t enough to make the scones taste noticeably sweet, but helps balance out the flavors. You can omit it if you’d like.)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces
1/2 cup milk, buttermilk, or half and half
1 cup finely chopped apple
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh sage leaves, plus a few small leaves for laminating the tops of the biscuits, if desired.
2 Tbsp milk or cream for brushing, optional

Preheat oven to 375F and line or butter a baking sheet.

Place the flour, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.
Add the butter to the food processor, and continue to pulse until no large chunks of the butter remain and the mixture is coarse and crumbly.
Slowly add in the milk and pulse until the dough comes together into a ball.
Remove the dough from the food processor and place it into a mixing bowl with the chopped apple, shredded cheese, and sage. By hand, mix it all together until everything is well dispersed, but try not to over-mix it.

Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat or gently roll it into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Using a 2 1/2 inch scone cutter, cut about 8-9 scones and place them on your prepared baking sheet.
Brush the tops of the scones with milk or cream, and place a small sage leaf or two on top of each scone, brushing it with more milk so that they stay put.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Baking · Breakfast · Do-ahead

Zucchini and cheddar soda bread

Belinda

Soda bread is one of those wonderful rustic, crusty, easy breads that requires very little kneading. This one is particularly lovely with the added cheese and zucchini flecked through it.

14oz (400g) self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
2 medium zucchini
2oz (50g) rolled oat
1 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
3oz (75g) mature cheddar, grated
small bunch thyme , leaves only
10 fl oz (284ml) buttermilk
1 tbsp clear honey
1 egg , beaten

Heat the oven to 400F/gas 6 and dust a baking sheet with a little flour. Place a box grater on top of a clean tea towel and coarsely grate the courgettes. Lift the corners of the tea towel and, holding it over the sink, twist to compact the courgettes and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.

Put the flour, oats, bicarb and 1 tsp fine salt in a large bowl. Add most of the cheddar (save a little for the top), the thyme and the courgette. Mix the buttermilk and honey, then pour into the flour mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough starts to clump together, then tip onto a work surface and knead briefly to bring all the loose bits together – try not to overwork the dough or the bread will be heavy.

Shape into a round loaf and place on the baking sheet. Brush with egg and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Use a sharp knife to score a deep cross on top of the loaf, then bake for 40 mins until deep golden brown. Best served warm, but leftovers will keep for 1-2 days.

Baking · Breakfast · Do-ahead

Mrs. Myers’ sweet and moist banana bread

Belinda1 Comment

Author c/o Alexandra Stafford from “Alexandra’s Kitchen”

Overripe bananas freeze beautifully — just peel them and place them in a ziplock bag in the freezer. When you’re ready to use them, place them in a colander in the sink to drain — they’ll give up a lot of liquid and look totally repulsive, but they work beautifully.

To make homemade buttermilk: place 2 teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup. Fill cup with milk until it reaches the 1/2-cup line. Let stand for five minutes.

Loaf Pans: I use a 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan for this recipe. You need two pans for this recipe.

Screen Shot 2020-03-15 at 7.16.24 AM

Yield 2

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
3 cups sifted flour (I never sift)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. table salt
5 eggs (I use 4)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup nuts (I never add nuts)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 quart mashed bananas, about 8 (ripe to overripe)

Screen Shot 2020-03-15 at 7.16.47 AM

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Butter two loaf pans. (I butter generously.)
In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the vanilla, buttermilk and bananas.
Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Divide batter between the two prepared pans. Bake for approximately 1 hour.
Remove from oven and turn loaves out onto cooling rack immediately.
Let cool.