62 posts tagged “breakfast”

Caramel Apple French Toast
Yields 6 servings

1 cup brown sugar
3 Tablespoons clear Karo syrup
6 Tablespoons butter
whole pecans
3 Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon corn starch
12 slices Texas Toast or 1" thick cut French bread
12 oz. cream cheese
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup whipping cream or half and half cream
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon (or 1 teaspoon cinnamon + 1 teaspoon nutmeg)

Grease generously 13"x9" glass pan. Combine sugar, syrup, butter and boil in pan for one minute. Pour and spread over bottom of greased pan. Sprinkle with pecans. Combine apples, water, cinnamon, sugar, lemon juice and cook, stirring constantly, in pan over medium heat just until apples begin to soften. Add cornstarch and continue to stir until thickened. Remove from heat.

Thickly spread cream cheese over 6 slices of bread and place in single layer to
cover caramel mixture in pan (cream cheese side up). Distribute apple mixture
over bread/cream cheese layer. Cover with remaining 6 slices of bread.Blend together eggs, milk, cream, vanilla, cinnamon and gently pour over bread layers in pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight (not more than 24 hours). Remove cover and bake at 350F., 60 minutes or until brown and slightly puffy. Immediately invert each serving on plate, sprinkle with powdered sugar, top with sweetened whipped cream and garnish with pecans, cinnamon, or nutmeg.

NOTE: Fresh pears or peaches may be substituted for apples with cinnamon/nutmeg
seasoning. Fresh raspberries or strawberries may also be sprinkled over apple
mixture stuffing for additional color and flavor.

Layered Spring Omelet
Serves 6

1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ripe tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
21 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup grated Vermont cheddar cheese
3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese
2/3 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, torn in half
8 ounces spinach, leaves picked and torn in half
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 small leek, julienned, for garnish
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives, for garnish

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add tomatoes, and simmer until almost all the liquid has evaporated, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Transfer tomatoes to a stainless-steel colander, and drain any excess liquid. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine eggs, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. Lightly beat mixture with a fork. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a 10-inch heat-proof, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Pour one-third of the egg mixture, about 1 1/2 cups, into skillet. Using a rubber spatula, stir eggs until they just begin to set, about 1 minute. Sprinkle both cheeses on top. Using spatula, gently pull sides of omelet toward center so any uncooked liquid runs underneath. Cook until eggs have almost completely set, 3 to 4 minutes.

Transfer the skillet to oven, and bake until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove skillet from oven. Place a baking sheet on top of skillet, and invert skillet onto baking sheet, releasing the omelet layer; hold both baking sheet and skillet firmly so omelet doesn’t slide. Set aside in a warm place.

Carefully wipe out the hot skillet with a paper towel. Add 1 tablespoon butter, and melt over medium-high heat. Pour another third of the egg mixture into the skillet, and stir with the rubber spatula until the eggs just begin to set, about 1 minute. Add half of the reserved cooked tomatoes to the eggs. Using the spatula, gently pull sides of the omelet toward the center so any uncooked liquid runs underneath. When the eggs have almost completely set, spread the remaining tomatoes on top.

Transfer skillet to oven, and bake until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and place another baking sheet on top of skillet; carefully invert skillet to release second layer. Carefully slide on top of the first one, and set the two aside in a warm place.
Wipe out the hot skillet with a paper towel. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter, and melt over medium-high heat. Pour the remaining third of the egg mixture into the skillet, and stir with the rubber spatula until the eggs just begin to set, about 1 minute. Add half of the spinach and thyme; incorporate into the eggs. Using the spatula, gently pull sides of the omelet toward the center so any uncooked liquid runs underneath. When the eggs have almost completely set, spread remaining spinach and thyme on top. Transfer skillet to the oven, and bake until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Invert the third layer onto a baking sheet, and slide on top of the other two layers. Transfer the three-layer omelet to a serving platter, and garnish with leeks and chives. Serve warm.

Morel and Scallions Omelet
Serves 2

1/2 ounce dried morel mushrooms
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
4 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 large eggs
4 large egg whites
Freshly ground pepper

Cover mushrooms with 1 1/4 cups hot water in a medium bowl. Set a small bowl on top of mushrooms to keep them submerged. Let stand until soft, about 20 minutes. Remove mushrooms with a slotted spoon. Cut large mushrooms lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips; keep small mushrooms whole. Set aside. Strain soaking liquid; set aside.

Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until scallions are wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in mustard, mushrooms, and 1/4 cup soaking liquid. Cover; cook, stirring, until mushrooms are tender and liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes more. Set aside. Whisk eggs, egg whites, remaining salt, and 2 pinches of pepper in a medium bowl. Melt 1/2 teaspoon butter in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add half of the egg mixture. Stir gently with a rubber spatula to create curds. Use spatula to pull cooked egg awayfrom sides, allowing raw egg to flow underneath; cook until almost set, 3 to 4 minutes. Top with half of the mushroom filling. Cook until set, 1 to 2 minutes more. Gently fold one half over the other. Slide omelet onto a plate. Repeat with remaining butter, eggs, and filling. Season with pepper.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Makes 2 loaves

2 cups plus 1 1/2 teaspoons warm water (100 to 110 degrees)
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
5 3/4 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons nonfat powdered milk
4 teaspoons sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 cups dark raisins
Canola oil, for bowl and plastic wrap
3/4 cup sugar
7 teaspoons cinnamon
1 large egg, beaten
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg white, beaten

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine 1/4 cup warm water and yeast. Let sit until yeast is foamy, about 10 minutes. Add flour, powdered milk, sugar, salt, 3 tablespoons melted butter, and 1 3/4 cups warm water. Mix, using the paddle attachment, on low speed for 1 minute. Change to dough hook, and mix on medium-low speed for 7 minutes. Or knead by hand, 15 or 20 minutes. Add raisins, and mix on medium-low speed until dough is firm but not dry, 3 minutes.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface, and knead by hand into a ball. Place dough, smooth side up, in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

Butter two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans generously, and set aside. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon, and set aside. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface, and cut in half. Cover one piece of dough loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Press the other piece of dough into a 10-by-12-inch rectangle. Brush with half of the beaten egg, sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar, and drizzle with half the melted butter. Rub the surface with the back of a spoon to blend butter and cinnamon sugar. Starting at a short end, roll up dough tightly, and pinch together along crease. Roll the dough back and forth to make it cylindrical, and pinch the ends together. Transfer to a loaf pan, seam side down, and cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Repeat process with second piece of dough. Let loaves rise in a warm place, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Thirty minutes before this final rise is completed, place a baking stone, if using, in the lower third of oven. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Brush tops of loaves with egg white, and sprinkle each loaf with 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar. Bake 15 minutes; lower oven to 400 degrees;, and bake 15 minutes more. Remove from oven; cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Golden Pear Cream Puffs
Serves 6 to 8

3 Bartlett pears (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
6 large egg yolks
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 2/3 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup heavy cream
Pate a Choux Puffs (recipe follows)
Caramel Pear Slices (recipe follows)

Peel and core pears, and cut into 1/2- inch pieces. Place in a steamer rack set over a pot of boiling water, and cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Let cool. Purée in a blender until completely smooth.

Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in cornstarch. Heat milk in a medium saucepan over medium- high heat just until bubbles begin to form, about 3 minutes. Using a ladle, gradually add hot milk to the yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return mixture to pan; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture begins to bubble and becomes very thick, about 8 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, scrape bottom and sides of pan occasionally as mixture thickens. Remove from heat.

Pour through a large-mesh sieve into a bowl. Add butter; stir until butter has melted. Add pear purée; stir to combine. Place plastic wrap directly on surface; refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.

Put heavy cream into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into pastry cream. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain round tip (such as Ateco #802). Poke a small hole in the bottom of each pastry puff with a skewer. Fill puffs with pastry cream. Arrange 4 cream puffs on each plate in a pyramid. Spoon about 4 warm caramel pear slices over each serving, and drizzle with sauce.

Pate a Choux Puffs
Makes about 5 dozen

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
5 large eggs, plus 1 more, lightly beaten, if needed for dough

Preheat oven to 400 degrees;. Heat 1 cup water, the butter, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until butter has melted and mixture is boiling. Remove from heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour. Return to medium heat; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture pulls away from sides and a film forms on bottom of pan, about 4 1/2 minutes.

Transfer mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until slightly cooled, about 2 minutes. Raise speed to medium. Add 4 eggs, 1 at a time, mixing until incorporated after each addition. Batter should be shiny. Test batter by touching it with your finger and lifting to form a string. If a string does not form, mix in another egg a little at a time. If a string still doesn't form, add water 1 teaspoon at a time until it does.

Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip (such as Ateco #806). Pipe 1-inch rounds onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 1 inch apart. Whisk remaining egg and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl; brush over tops of rounds

Bake until rounds are puffed and pale golden, about 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees;; bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes more. Turn off oven, and prop open oven door with a wooden spoon to release steam; let puffs dry 15 minutes. Using a spatula, transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. Puffs can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 day or frozen up to 1 month.

Caramel Pear Slices
Makes about 3 1/2 cups

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3 Bosc pears, peeled, quartered, cored, and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pears, and toss to coat with butter. Sprinkle sugar over pears. Cook, stirring pears occasionally, until deep golden, about 30 minutes. Add lemon juice and 1/4 cup water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is syrupy, about 3 minutes. Serve warm.

Apple Puffed Pancake
Serves 6

6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups skim milk, preferably organic
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 apples, such as Gala or Red Delicious, peeled, quartered, cored and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon light-brown sugar
Confectioners' sugar, optional

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine eggs, milk, and vanilla in the jar of a blender. Blend until well combined. Add flour, granulated sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Blend until dry ingredients are well incorporated; set aside. Place butter in a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Transfer dish to oven and heat until butter has just melted. Carefully remove from oven and place apples in a single layer in baking dish. Return to oven and cook until butter begins to bubble, about 4 minutes. Pour batter over apples, sprinkle with brown sugar, and continue baking until puffed and golden, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, if desired; serve immediately.

Brown-Sugar-Glazed Bacon
Serves 8

16 slices medium-to-thick-cut bacon (about 1 pound), cut in half crosswise
Nonstick cooking spray
1 1/2 teaspoons ground pepper
1/3 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Place a wire rack over parchment paper; spray racks with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange bacon in a single layer between the two racks. Evenly sprinkle with pepper and sugar. Bake until bacon is crisp and browned, rotating sheets halfway through, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Serve immediately.

Apple and Cheddar Frittata
Serves 4

8 large eggs plus 2 large egg whites
4 ounces white cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (1 cup)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon butter
2 Gala apples, peeled, cored, and sliced lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick pieces

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with rack set in top third. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, and half the cheese; season with salt and pepper. In a medium cast-iron or nonstick ovenproof skillet, heat butter over medium. Add egg mixture; while it cooks, 1 to 2 minutes until edge is set, arrange apples on top in a circular pattern, starting from the outside edge, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Transfer skillet to oven. Bake until frittata is set in the center and cheese is browned, about 20 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, release frittata onto a cutting board; let rest 5 minutes. Cut into wedges, and serve.

Buttered Crepes with Caramel and Pecans
Recipe courtesy of Rick Bayless
Serves 4

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground cloves
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
Canola oil, for brushing skillet
9 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
Goat Milk Caramel with Spirits (recipe follows)

Place cinnamon, cloves, milk, eggs, salt, sugar, vanilla, and flour in the jar of a blender or bowl of a food processor. Blend or process until smooth, stopping machine once to scrape down the sides with a spatula.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter. With the machine running, pour in melted butter. Let stand 2 hours before using. Mixture should have consistency of heavy cream. If it is too thick, add a little water to thin it out.

Place a 7-inch skillet or crepe pan over medium to medium-high heat. Brush pan lightly with oil. Add 1/4 cup batter and quickly swirl to coat the bottom of the pan; immediately pour any excess batter back into blender jar.

Cook until edges begin to dry, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Loosen edges with a knife and trim off jagged edges. Using a spatula, turn crepes, continue cooking until golden brown, about 1 minute more; transfer to a plate. Repeat process with remaining batter, stacking each crepe on top of one another as you work.

Place remaining 8 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add pecans and toast, stirring frequently, until nuts are toasted and butter is browned, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer nuts to a small bowl; reserve browned butter.
Butter a large baking dish and set aside. Lay a crepe flat on work surface and brush with browned butter. Place a scant tablespoon goat milk caramel on one side. Fold in half and press to gently spread out filling. Brush one side with butter and fold in half again. Brush top side with butter and place in prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining crepes and arrange each in the prepared baking dish in two layers, overlapping slightly. Cover with parchment-lined foil. Refrigerate until ready to serve, up until 1 day. Reserve any remaining caramel.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place crepes in oven until warmed through, about 10 minutes. Place caramel in a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until warmed through. Drizzle over warmed crepes and sprinkle with toasted nuts. Serve immediately.

Goat Milk Caramel with Spirits
Makes 1 1/2 cups

1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 quart goat milk
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1 1/2-inch cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon rum, brandy, or sweet sherry

In a small bowl stir together baking soda with 1 tablespoon water until dissolved; set aside. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan add milk, sugar, corn syrup, and cinnamon. Place over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until simmering. Remove pan from heat and stir in baking soda mixture. Continue stirring to keep the mixture from bubbling over.

Return saucepan to medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until large, glassy bubbles form, 25 to 40 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir frequently, washing the spoon in between stirring, until thickened into a caramel-brown syrup.

Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl or wide-mouthed jar. Let cool slightly before stirring in rum, brandy, or sweet sherry. Cool completely before covering. Caramel may be stored, refrigerated, for up to 1 month.

Lemon-Ricotta Poppy Seed Pancakes
Makes 16 pancakes

6 large eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Zest of 2 large lemons
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Vegetable oil, for griddle
Maple syrup, warmed
Berries, for garnish

Place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat until they form firm, glossy peaks. In a large bowl, beat together ricotta, butter, egg yolks, and vanilla. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, lemon zest, and poppy seeds. Using a rubber spatula, stir flour mixture into ricotta mixture. Fold a large spoonful of whipped egg whites into ricotta mixture. Continue folding in remaining egg whites.
 
Coat a griddle or large skillet with oil and heat over high heat until very hot, then reduce heat to medium. Working in batches, place 1/4 cup batter for each pancake on griddle, leaving space, as they will spread. Cook until golden and top begins to bubble, about 2 minutes. Gently turn and continue cooking until bottoms are light brown. Transfer to a serving plate and keep warm until all the pancakes have cooked. Serve with maple syrup and berries.