Category Archives: Breakfast in Bed
Breakfast in Bed: Walnut Bread
Post by Alison Hein.
Finding myself with a plethora of mixed nuts on hand after the holidays, I decided to make a sweet, dense walnut bread. Dark brown sugar provides a lovely colored base and texture for the deep, nutty flavor. A couple of eggs and a healthy dollop of sour cream add the needed lift, and a dash of cinnamon infuses a faint, lingering spice after each bite.
I wanted to give some Walnut Bread to a couple of friends, so I used three mini-bread pans for baking. You can also use a muffin tin, if you like. Just be sure to check on and monitor your baking a little earlier in the process to avoid over-cooking. Other types of nuts such as pecans or hazelnuts can also work well here, of course depending on your preference. Or, halve the amount of nuts used and add an equal amount of raisins or dried cranberries.
It doesn’t take long to mix up and bake this batter, but be prepared to wait until your bread is completely cooled before slicing or you may find yourself with a handful of sweet crumbles instead of sweet, crumbly slices.
A little more cakey than bread, and definitely more bready than cake, Walnut Bread is delicious at tea time with a strong cup of English Breakfast tea. Or, if you prefer, save it for the morning, slice it up properly and enjoy a sweet, nutty breakfast in bed.
Ingredients
6 tablespoons butter, softened
¾ cup dark brown sugar
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup sour cream
1½ cups chopped walnuts
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°, and lightly grease 1 large bread pan, or 3 mini bread pans.
In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until fully blended and slightly creamy. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Gradually add dry ingredients to the butter mixture, stirring until mixed to a light, sandy texture. Mix in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and sour cream until smooth batter forms. Fold in chopped walnuts. Spread batter in greased pan(s). Bake at 350° for 45 to 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on rack at least one hour before slicing.
Note: If using mini-pans, bake for 35 to 40 minutes, then test with toothpick.
Breakfast in Bed: Eggnog French Toast
Post by Alison Hein.
Please forgive me! I purchased too much eggnog this holiday season. Last year, we went through it like water so I wanted to be prepared. Don’t get me wrong – I absolutely adore eggnog (see the recent Eggnog Waffles post. The trouble is, with too much eggnog on hand and not enough milk, I was forced to concoct another once-a-year holiday breakfast treat – Eggnog French Toast.
Rich and golden, eggy and sweet, it only takes a few minutes to prepare enough for your whole family. This thick, yellow batter works best with stale bread – allow it to sit for a few minutes to fully absorb the pure eggnog flavors. If you like, sprinkle in a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg, for holiday cookie-like flair. Cook the bread somewhat slowly (medium-low heat) and you’ll achieve an all-over golden brown glow on your French toast. Start off the new year right and let the kids help on this one – it’s super easy and almost foolproof. Your children will delight in creating this egg-a-licious meal.
So, if you didn’t try the recent waffle recipe, and find yourself (like me) with an overabundance of eggnog in your fridge, perhaps you might whip up a batch of Eggnog French toast for a lazy New Year’s Day breakfast in bed.
Happy New Year!
Ingredients
1 cup eggnog
2 eggs
Dash of cinnamon (optional)
8 slices day-old bread
2 to 4 tablespoons butter
Preparation
In large, shallow bowl, whisk together eggnog and eggs. Stir in cinnamon. Dip bread slices into the eggnog mixture, turning once to completely saturate. If bread is very hard, let it soak in the eggnog mixture for a few minutes until softened. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in heavy skillet. Add soaked bread slices and cook over medium to medium-low heat, turning once, until golden and cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add more butter as needed. Remove from pan and serve warm with real maple syrup.
Makes 4 servings.
Breakfast in Bed: Vannilekipferl
Post by Alison Hein.
Once upon a time, long before Google search, people had to work very hard to obtain special recipes. Finding just the right one might involve a trek to the library and a search through hundreds of cookbooks; tricking friends and neighbors into giving up their family secrets; or hours and hours of trial and error and a messy, messy kitchen. Vannilekipferl was just that hard won.
Every Christmas a friend’s mother would whip up batches of these melt-in-your-mouth holiday specialties. Year after year I begged her for the recipe. After about three years, she agreed that I could help her bake. The following year she finally relented and gifted me her hand-written, cherished instructions. Next obstacle – translate the directions from German to English, and convert the quantities from metric to US measurements (my friend’s mother was Austrian). Again, an easy task today with Google translate and a multitude of online converters. But back in the day, it took time and a little fudging to get it just right. I have made these sweet, nutty crescents annually ever since, and they continue to be the favorite cookie on our holiday plate.
Make sure you chill the dough thoroughly before you begin the fussy shaping process. With no eggs in the batter, the dough can be a little finicky. Same holds true when you remove them from the oven. Fragile when hot, they can break easily, so be gentle and give them lots of support when transferring to a cooling rack and rolling them in sugar. If you break a few, by all means, indulge immediately. If you can hold out, save some for a hard won, special breakfast in bed.
As they say in Austria, Frohe Weihnachten!
Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
½ cup confectioner’s sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup finely ground walnuts or pecans
1¾ cups flour
Preparation
Beat butter, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla in a large bowl with electric mixer until fluffy. Add nuts and mix until blended. Gradually mix in flour until just blended. Wrap dough and chill until firm enough to handle, at least 2 hours. Heat oven to 325°. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. On lightly floured board, form each piece into a ½-inch thick rope, then cut into approximately 1½-inch lengths. Bend into crescent shapes, tapering ends slightly. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until light golden and firm. While warm, roll in confectioner’s sugar to coat. Let cool on racks. Recoat with confectioner’s sugar. Store in waxed paper-lined tins for up to 3 weeks.
Yield: 8 to 9 dozen.
Breakfast in Bed: Herbed Breakfast Crostini
Post by Alison Hein.
Whenever possible, slightly sad ingredients are repurposed in our household. Take stale bread for example – revitalization possibilities include homemade breadcrumbs, Bread Pudding, and Crostini. These crispy “little toasts” are made using stale French or Italian bread sliced very thin, brushed lightly with olive oil, maybe dusted with herbs or spices, and baked in a moderate oven for ten minutes. Their small and sturdy texture, along with a cracker-like adaptability, make crostini the perfect salver for your favorite cheeses, vegetables, fish or meats.
We enjoyed some recently as pre-dinner appetizers, slathered with a smoky chipotle chickpea spread and chopped organic grape tomatoes. The next morning, I thought, why not breakfast crostini? So I slow-cooked some eggs and whipped in a little sour cream for a smooth, rich creaminess. Fresh dill, thyme and rosemary added herbaceous depth. When done, I spooned the lush egg mixture onto the crostini. They still needed something. Then I remembered the tomatoes. I sliced them into thin rounds, and placed them on top with a sprinkling of dill. Now they looked just right. The result? Crispy, crunchy, creamy – Crostini!
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
2 eggs
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs (I used dill, thyme and rosemary), plus additional for garnish
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 slices crostini (see recipe below)
3 to 4 cherry tomatoes, sliced thin
Preparation
Melt butter in small, heavy pan over medium low heat. Break eggs into small bowl and whisk well with sour cream. Season eggs with salt and pepper, and stir in fresh chopped herbs. Add eggs to heated pan and cook slowly and gently. Stir and lift frequently with wooden spoon to avoid sticking. Cook until eggs are light and fluffy, and cooked through.
Spoon a small portion of cooked eggs onto each crostini. Top with sliced cherry tomatoes and garnish with a bit of fresh herbs.
Makes 6 crostini, or 2 servings.
Homemade Crostini
Approximately ½ to ¼ loaf of day old Italian or French Bread
¼ cup of olive oil or Homemade Dipping Oil (http://www.charlesprogers.com/blogs/archives/8554)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°. Slice 12 very thin slices of bread on the diagonal. Lightly brush bread slices with olive oil or Homemade Dipping Oil and place on cookie sheet. Bake in oven until golden and crispy, about 10 minutes.
Breakfast in Bed: Eggnog Waffles with Brandied Fruit
Post by Alison Hein.
From Thanksgiving to January, you will often find me enjoying an eggnog latte at Starbucks, or sipping from the festive cartons I purchase at Trader Joe’s. It’s also the time of year I like to concoct wintry, indulgent breakfast recipes. So, I’m thinking frothy, yellow eggnog, I’m thinking thick, buttery waffles, and voila! Eggnog waffles!
Egg-rich and with a hint of nutmeg, these waffles are rich and sturdy enough to support the sweet, strong and syrupy brandied fruit. I like to use a colorful fruit mixture (strawberries, mangoes, kiwi and blueberries), but simple berries, hardy apples or even bananas also work well here. By all means, feel free to substitute apple or grape juice and omit the sugar for a non-alcoholic version.
Impress your friends and family by adding Eggnog Waffles to your elegant brunch table, or simply snuggle up with a loved one and indulge in a wintry, waffley breakfast in bed.
Eggnog Waffles
2 cups flour
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1½ cups eggnog
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup vegetable oil, or butter, melted and slightly cooled
½ cup sour cream
Cooking spray
Brandied fruit (recipe below)
Preparation
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg in large bowl. In separate bowl, add eggnog, eggs and vanilla and beat until frothy. Pour oil or melted butter into liquid mixture and stir well. Using a wooden spoon, whisk, or hand mixer, gradually add liquid mixture to dry ingredients until batter is smooth. Stir in sour cream.
Spray waffle iron with cooking spray and heat to high. Pour ½ cup to ¾ cup batter into center of iron, making sure you have enough batter to evenly spread across the surface of your waffle iron. Cook until golden brown and crisp and waffle pulls away easily from iron, about 5 minutes. Serve warm with brandied fruit.
Makes 4 to 5 waffles.
Brandied Fruit
2 cups mixed fruit, chopped or sliced into bite-size pieces
¼ cup brandy
1 tablespoon sugar
Preparation
Mix all ingredients together and let rest for at least two hours, or better, overnight.
