Tag Archives: breakfast

Sunday Brunch: German Pancake

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What’s better than a nice puffy pancake on a cold Sunday morning?

Nothing. That’s what.

I don’t remember exactly how the dutch pancake was introduced to our family, but I remember that I was young, and it involved a lot of melted butter, powdered sugar, and a 9×13 cake pan full of delicious.The huge, browned air bubbles were the best part.  The family would grab at it from around the table and despite the huge breakfast dish served before us (did I mention mom made it in a 9-BY-13 pan!?), there was never once a single bit left over.

Not even a bite.

Back then mom called it a “German” pancake, but since then I’ve also heard it called a “dutch baby” or “dutch pancake” as well.  I’m not sure which is correct.  I suppose you can call it whatever you like, after all, “A rose by any other name…” right?

Something like that.

I’ve made mine a bit fancier than mom’s by cooking and serving it in a pretty skillet and sprinkling it with fresh berries.  I’d love to say that it’s my favorite skillet because it cooks the best, or has some sort of magical powers of deliciousness, but really it’s just because it’s purple (what more reason do I need?)

Oh, and I give it a nice, healthy drizzle of my favorite top-secret 2-minute-berry-syrup… which will no longer be a secret by the end of this post (Lucky you).

I usually give it a dusting of powdered sugar too, but I had already made enough of a mess that morning and I didn’t want to tempt fate by carting out the powdered sugar.

sugar

Yes, that is my entire container of sugar that exploded onto the floor, in hopes of attracting every bug within a 10-mile radius.  Yes, I was annoyed.  Usually this would be the part where I would decide it “wasn’t meant to be” and call it a day.

But I didn’t.  I trudged on.

Only to be defeated yet again when I put the pancake in the oven and thought, “Hm, that’s not really poofing much…”

And then I realized I forgot the milk, which is basically half of the batter.  HALF OF THE BATTER!  The batter that is basically only 3 ingredients, and I forgot one.

Clearly, I was having one of “those” days.  How do I mess up the easiest recipe known to man?  Who knows, but after I cleaned up my sugary mess, threw my disgrace of a “pancake” into the disposal, and debated giving up on life a second time… I went full speed ahead for round two… and succeeded.

The “pancake” itself is rather neutral in flavor, I sweetened it just a bit with a dash of vanilla and a bit of sugar, but you can add whatever you like.  Though I serve mine with berries, mom always served it with  a stick-or-two “drizzle” of melted butter and powdered sugar.

No judgment.

This is the perfect recipe for your next breakfast or brunch, or a day when you have the house all to yourself and want to make something fast, then eat it just as quickly and pretend it never existed, leaving only a blog post as evidence.

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Did I mention I made this on a day when the only person in the house to eat it was me, myself, and I?

Oops…

To be fair, I think I earned it after all that work.

German Pancake

[ Printable Recipe ]

For the Pancake:

  • 2 Tablespoon butter
  • 3 eggs
  • ⅔ cups flour
  • ⅔ cups milk
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla

2-minute Berry Syrup:

  • 1 cup berries, fresh or frozen
  • 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon water
  • splash of lemon juice

For the pancake:

1. Put two tablespoons of butter in an oven-proof skillet and put it in the oven while it preheats to 400 degrees F

2. Put eggs in a blender and process on low until pale yellow in color. Add remaining ingredients and mix until smooth.

3. Carefully pour the batter into the hot pan and return to the oven.  Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce the heat to 350 and continue baking another 10 minutes or until golden brown and puffed.

For the “syrup”

1. Measure one cup of berries into a two-cup measuring cup or a bowl and toss with the powdered sugar.  If using fresh berries add about a tablespoon of water.

2. Microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes until the berries are popped and the liquid has leaked out.  (Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t bubble over the container).  Stir and allow to cool slightly before using.

* To make in a 9-x-13 pan, double the recipe

fruit smoothie with a secret

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I’m no beacon of health or anything, but it is a new year, and I know some of you may have health-related resolutions, or still have a bit of a sugar hangover from the holidays, and maybe you don’t want to stare at pictures of pie all day.  I understand that.  I get it.  I’m sensitive to your needs (for today, at least).  Besides, I’ve got resolutions too, ya know.

Well, probably more “goals” than “resolutions”.  I’ve never really been known for my strong will.

My main goal is pretty simple: eat more fruits and veggies.  I noticed that the majority of my vegetable-eating occurs at dinner, and is mostly just whatever side vegetable I have selected for our meal, or perhaps some sad, hastily assembled salad.  As for my fruit consumption, that can be described as abysmal at best.

That means not only more veggies at the dinner table, but packing (and remembering to grab) healthy snacks for work, and maybe even sneaking in a vegetarian meal or two (if I can find a way to do that without the BF noticing)… but the easiest way I could think of to get more fruits and veggies into my diet?  Putting a whole bunch into a blender and pulverizing them into oblivion.  Plus, I got this shiny new blender for Christmas and this seemed like the perfect excuse to use it.  At least until margarita season arrives (yes, there is such thing as a margarita season).

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The verdict?  Success!  Great success, even!

Not only did my blender perform beautifully, but I had a breakfast consisting of purely fruits and vegetables!  AND IT WAS FILLING!  I could drink these things all day long.  This particular smoothie tastes like your typical berry smoothie, but it has a secret ingredient:  Spinach!  It might sound weird putting spinach in a fruit smoothie, but you don’t even taste it.  Honest, I swear you wouldn’t even know the spinach was in there if you didn’t put it in there with your own two hands!

Oh, and remember guys and gals, this is a smoothie, not a chemistry experiment, so approximation and experimentation are OK here.  Use any fruit or leafy green you like!

Sneaky Fruit & Veggie Smoothie

[ Printable Recipe ]

  • 1 cup water or fruit juice (apple or orange juice might be a good touch)
  • 1 cup pineapple, cut into even chunks
  • 2 handfuls baby spinach, about 2 cups loosely packed
  • 1/2 cup sliced banana (about 1/2 medium banana or 1 small banana)
  • 1/2 cup fresh berries (I used some blackberries and blueberries that I had in the freezer)
  • Bonus: 1 oz B12 liquid for an energy boost (since drinking this AND my morning coffee would be too much)

Put water or juice in the blender, and pile everything else on top of it.  Blend at low-speed (1 on my blender) for one minute, then at medium speed (3 on my blender) for another minute. 

Makes about two 10-oz servings

*Note – the smoothie had darkened significantly by day two, so I couldn’t bring myself to drink the rest of it.  I think I will try adding a tablespoon or two of lemon juice to it next time to see if that helps to keep the smoothie nice and bright.

banana pancakes

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banana pancakes

Look at those luscious, warm pancakes… calling your name. So unassuming, covered in warm maple syrup. Look how light and fluffy they look. But these warm, fluffy, luscious, delicious pancakes have secrets.

Deep, dark secrets. The kind of secrets you would only tell your best friend. Maybe not even them. The kind of secrets you keep hidden from your future pancake-eaters while they sit in the other room patiently awaiting their breakfast. Smelling the sweet pancakes as they cook, none the wiser that these pancakes … well, they’ve got a dark side.

It’s not just the over-ripe bananas that add a softness to the texture and a layer of sweetness. Not just the cinnamon that will immediately warm even the coldest of hearts… it’s… well, I’m ashamed to say it. I’ll just tell you. Are you ready? Shh, don’t tell anyone

It’s pancake mix.

Try not to judge these for their pancake mix, but for their infinite adaptability and ease of preparation. I often add crumbled, cooked bacon (for BF), but we didn’t have any around the house due to my lack of control around my new turkey bacon… anyway…

So yes, I’m using pancake mix, but when it’s early in the morning and you want something a little bit different and you’re not motivated enough to make anything from scratch, or even change out of your pajamas… you’ll thank me. You really will. I promise.

Banana Pancakes

[ Printable Recipe ]

  • Pancake mix, prepared to directions
  • 2 ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • pinch of ground nutmeg (maybe like 1/8 tsp?)
  • Sliced bananas, for serving
  • Warm maple syrup, for serving

1. Mix cinnamon and nutmeg with dry pancake mix. Mix vanilla with wet ingrdients. Gently add wet ingredients to dry.

2. Mash bananas and gently fold into batter.

3. Cook according to directions (I heat the pan until a drop of water will dance around the pan before it evaporates), flip pancakes when bubbles start to pop on the surface, and keep cooked pancakes warm in a 170 degree oven.

4. Serve with sliced bananas and warm maple syrup. Feel happy inside.

 

baked french toast

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baked french toastYesterday was BF’s birthday… not just any birthday, the big 3-0. (Looks like it’s about time to trade in for a newer model, eh?) 😉 Like any loving girlfriend, I did what I could to make his big day special, starting with breakfast. Since he let me open one of my Christmas gifts early this year, which just happened to be Baked Explorations, I thought it would be sweet to bake something from the book he got me for Christmas for his birthday… are we still following?? Their baked french toast recipe inspired me to try my own, so the night before (note: you must prep the night before), I prepared the french toast, and left it in the fridge to soak overnight.

Now let’s take a moment to talk about things that bother me: one of which being vague directions. They say to “arrange the bread in the pan” and pour the egg mixture over it, but then when it’s time to bake, you “arrange the bread in an overlapping pattern”… so how am I supposed to arrange it originally? NOT in an overlapping pattern?  I’ll tell you that with my challah, that was the only way to arrange it, so i just left it as is and prayed for the best. I did return to the fridge to tilt the pan randomly to make sure all the slices were getting coated…

Lucky for me, it all worked out. BF got a delicious birthday breakfast, followed by a swedish massage, lunch at his favorite pizza place, several hours of “free time”, a fancy-pants dinner at an overpriced restaurant downtown, and last but not least, surprise cake and present time with his family (who were kind enough to oblige my request to park down the road and wait in the dark in our house on our way home from dinner).

Another thing that bothers me: the inability to get good natural lighting for early morning pictures. Like, any time breakfast is made. Or, this time of year, by the time dinner is made… early morning and late evening sun are the absolute WORST for pictures, but what can ya do? It’s not really about the pictures, it’s about the recipes… right? Ok, so it’s kinda about the pictures….( sorry )

Sorry for deserting you all for a while, as you may have noticed on my Facebook, the BF and I ran off to Vegas for a few days to eat some delicious food, then we came back, had birthday extravaganza, along with the usual holiday madness… Tomorrow: Christmas brunch. Oh, if you’re hosting brunch, maybe you should whip some of this together tonight and spare yourself a little hassle in the morning…  MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! 🙂

Baked French Toast

[ Printable Recipe ]

  • 1 loaf Challah bread, about 11 ounces
  • 4 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
  • 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
  • 3/4 cup milk (or 1/2 cup milk + 1/4 cup heavy cream)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Fruit

  • 1 lb strawberries (or other berry)
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Generously butter the sides and bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan. Slice the loaf into 1- or 1 1/2-inch slices and arrange them in the pan HOWEVER YOU LIKE. (I just arranged hem the same staggered way they would be, because I couldn’t smush them into the pan any other way). For spots that the whole slice of challah wouldn’t fit, I shoved 1/4 – 1/2 of a slice in to cover the empty area.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and yolk just until they break up. Add the half-and-half, milk, vanilla and cinnamon. (I suspect a splash of bourbon wouldn’t hurt, and if you’re not cooking for vegetarians, maybe a little chopped, cooked bacon).

Whisk until combined. Pour the mixture over the bread slices. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. (If you’re paranoid like me, periodically swirl the pan allowing the egg mixtures to coat the bread)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use your fingers to flip each bread slice over, making sure to coat the entire surface with the liquid. Arrange the bread in an overlapping pattern, allow to sit at room temperature while the oven preheats.

Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the French toast is golden brown and puffy.

Set aside to cool slightly while you make the berry sauce.

For some reason unknown to all those who are sane, BF actually prefers just sweetened fresh berries, so I let mine macerate at room temperature while the french toast baked instead of making an official “sauce” out of them. In a small bowl, toss the berries with the sugar.

The sauce in Baked Explorations uses 2 cups of raspberries + 4 tablespoons of sugar. Same instructions, cooked over low heat until the berries break down, about 10 minutes. Then strained into a container. I suspect strawberries would do fine in there, too. Maybe I’ll have to post my “quick berry sauce” recipe… which I haven’t made in forever. Hmmmm….

*If you don’t use challah, use italian or french bread, but I would add a couple of tablespoons of sugar to the egg mixtures since those breads aren’t as sweet as the challah.

cream cheese pumpkin muffins

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I sent half of these muffins to work with the boyfriend, and distributed the rest amongst a few of my coworkers. Since then, I have had a few requests from those anxious to get the recipe, so I figured I better hurry up and post it already…So, by popular demand, I bring you sweet, cinnamony, pumpkin muffins… with cream cheese filling.

Since you have to make the filling a couple hours ahead of time, you can’t make these muffins at the last minute (like you can with pretty much any other muffin or quickbread, hence the “quick”). You can, however, make the filling when you’re thinking about it, and then leave it in the freezer for however long until you decide you want some muffins.

Make sure you let them cool adequately, so you don’t end up with molten cream cheese magma burning the inside of your mouth… not that you would try to eat a muffin before it was cooled anyway… What kind of crazy person does that?

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

[ Printable Recipe ]

For the filling:

  • 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

For the muffins:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
  • 1 tbsp.pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 15-oz can pumpkin puree
  • 1¼ cups vegetable oil

For the topping:

  • ½ cup sugar
  • 5 tbsp. flour
  • 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 4 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

For the filling: Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar in a medium bowl until blended and smooth.  Transfer the mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 24 inches long, 1 to 1 ½-inches in diameter.  Fit tightly around the log, and reinforce with a piece of foil.  Transfer to the freezer and chill until at least slightly firm, at least 2 hours.

For the topping: Combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl; whisk to blend.  Add the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients until the mixture is coarse and crumbly.  Transfer to the refrigerator until ready to use.

For the muffins: Preheat the oven to 350˚ F and line muffin pans with paper liners.

1.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda; whisk to blend.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil.  Mix on medium-low speed until blended. Add dry ingredients in two additions, mixing just until incorporated.

To assemble:

1. Fill each muffin tin with just enough batter to cover the bottom (1 – 2 tablespoons).

2. Slice the log of cream cheese filling into 24 equal pieces.  Place a slice of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin well.

3. Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely.  Sprinkle a small amount of the topping mixture over each of the muffin wells.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving.