Jamie’s Recipes

The new year is coming fast, we are just days away from 2010. Can you believe that? I am sure everyone has satisfied their sweet tooth with all the delicious Christmas candy, sweets, and treats (I know I have). I had a couple more Christmas candy recipes I wanted to share with you, but instead my computer charger decided to fizzle out on me. My battery died moments after posting my chocolate covered toffee recipe and it was a long ten days before a new charger arrived. My battery is now fully charged, but I figured my readers did not want to hear about chocolate-covered-this and peanut-butter-smeared-that. I will spare you the sweets and save it for next Christmas.

Many of you may have plans to attend or host a New Year’s Eve party or a New Year’s Day brunch. Here are some recipes from my archives that may inspire you. I hope you all have a happy and healthy 2010. Thank you for reading, I enjoy your comments and feedback so keep it coming.

See you in twenty-ten!

Jamie

NEW YEAR’S EVE IDEAS:

Boneless Chicken Wings

Olive Penguins

Date and Cheddar Cheeseball

Homemade Irish Cream

NEW YEAR’S DAY BRUNCH IDEAS:

The Best Cinnamon Rolls Ever

Gluten Free Sticky Rolls

Marbled Chocolate Banana Cake

Breakfast Cups

Egg Bake or Breakfast Casserole

Æbleskiver, have you ever heard of it? Maybe you’ve seen it spelled more “American” as ableskiver, aebleskiver, or ebleskiver. Æbleskiver is a delightful Danish fluffy pancake-like ball.  These pancake balls can be filled with chopped apples or your favorite jam, and enjoyed sprinkled with a little powdered sugar.

Before you get excited about this Danish breakfast treat, I must let you know that you have to have a special Æbleskiver pan. Æbleskiver pans have several half-circles which you pour in your batter and fry that side first. Then using a skewer or knitting needle you flip them over to fry up the other side. For years I have been wanting a pan, and within 10 months I have been gifted two (thanks Mom & Grandma!). Below are pictures of what my two pans look like.

With Fall in the air and Thanksgiving right around the corner, I have been seeing lots of recipes featuring pumpkin pop up. Nicole from Pinch My Salt made pumpkin cake doughnuts that I could not get out of my mind. I have made yeast doughnuts before, and have always wanted to try my hand at making cake doughnuts. Unfortunately, one needs to plan ahead if one wants cake doughnuts for breakfast. This is where the idea for pumpkin Æbleskivers was born. Æbleskivers don’t require all the time that is required for doughnut making, but taste just as wonderful. Instead of dusting them with powdered sugar, I rolled them in a sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg mixture. I served the pumpkin Æbleskivers with a dollop up whipped cream. I hope my Danish ancestors would be proud of my adaptation.

PUMPKIN ÆBLESKIVER
2 1/4 c AP flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 T sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c pumpkin puree
2 egg yolks
2 egg whites
4 T butter, melted
2 c buttermilk
vegetable oil for frying

Whisk together dry ingredients. Stir together egg yolks, pumpkin puree, melted butter, and butter milk. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir until combined. Beat egg whites together until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg whites in to the batter.

Over medium-medium high heat preheat your Æbleskiver pan. Pour a little oil into each cup. Add about 1-2 T of the pumpkin batter to each cup. Cook for about 2 minutes, then using a skewer or knitting needle turn each Æbleskiver over. Cook for another 2 minutes, until both sides are golden brown. Remove to paper towel lined plate. Toss with sugar mixture. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream. ENJOY!

SUGAR MIXTURE
1/2 c sugar
1 T cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Mix all together.

WHAT OTHERS ARE COOKING UP:
The Mennonite Girls made Frosted Pumpkin Doughnuts
Food for Thought made traditional Æbleskivers
and of course the inspiration Pinch My Salt’s Pumpkin Doughnuts

I received sugar snap peas from Brian and Kelly of Black Sheep Farms. They wanted me to develop some recipes using these sweet delicious green peas. These peas are so wonderful raw, I could (and did) pop them in my mouth just like potato chips. When I would open the refrigerator door to find something for dinner or to get a glass of milk for one of my children, I would see those peas sitting so nicely in their bowl, and I would pop them in my mouth –just one or two at a time. After all, I still wanted to use them in a recipe. As a parent you are modeling behavior for your children so I caught my little girls popping entire pea pods into their mouths and enjoying the sweet green crunch. Needless to say this “snacking” dwindled down my supply of peas, after all was said and done I was left with about 20 or so pods.

Mom and Dad sent me home with a few zucchini fresh from the garden the last time I visited. I chopped them up to add to my scrambled eggs, along with some sauteed onions. I thought the sugar snap peas would be a nice addition, and boy was I right. After quickly gobbling up my veggie scrambled eggs, I wished I had more peas so I could enjoy this dish again the next day for breakfast. I love summer time and all the fresh fruits and vegetables we get to enjoy here in the Midwest.

SUGAR SNAP PEA, ZUCCHINI, AND ONION SCRAMBLE
Serves 2
20 or so Sugar snap pea pods, shelled
1 small -medium zucchini, chopped into half moons
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 T Olive Oil
3 eggs, beaten with a splash of water
salt & pepper to taste
cheese, optional

Heat skillet over medium-medium high heat. Add oil, onion, and zucchini. Cook until zucchini and onion soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in peas, cook for 1-2 minutes. Pour egg mixture over the cooked vegetables. Stir to scramble. Cook until eggs are soft. ENJOY!

Broccoli was another ingredient in my box of produce from Black Sheep Farms. My husband loves broccoli. Currently my favorite way to enjoy broccoli is serving it roasted (directions at the bottom of the page). Since it is Father’s Day weekend, I am doing a special recipe for my husband. Broccoli Quiche. I made a ham and broccoli quiche, and a sausage and broccoli quiche. You can use your favorite breakfast meat or leave the meat out entirely. Brunch type foods are my favorite and these quiches are no exception. It is a great way to use ingredients that are in season. The great thing about this recipe is that you can choose the ingredients according to your personal preferences, it is also a great way to use up your leftover meat and veggies. Another great thing is that aside from the pie crust, I could find all the ingredients at my local farmers market. Buy Fresh, Buy Local, and eat a damn good meal!

BROCCOLI BREAKFAST QUICHE
1 pie crust
4 eggs *
1 1/2 c milk
1 tsp onion powder (you could use less)
1 c cheddar cheese
1/2 lb sausage, cooked (or ham, bacon, etc.)
2 c broccoli, steamed (asparagus is good too!)
1 Roma tomato, sliced
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place pie crust in 9 inch pie tin. Place cooked sausage in bottom of pie crust and top with steamed broccoli. Beat eggs and milk together until thoroughly combined. Add onion powder, salt & pepper and 1/2 c cheese, to egg mixture and stir well.  Pour egg mixture over sausage and broccoli. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 c cheese over the “pie”. Lay tomato slices over everything. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until egg mixture is set. ENJOY!

*I used 3 egg whites and 1 egg –just to lighten it up a bit.

OTHER RECIPES USING BLACK SHEEP FARMS PRODUCE:
Beet Greens and Garlic Scapes with Pasta
Tom Thumb Lettuce Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette
Baby Bok Choy Pesto

ROASTED BROCCOLI
1 bunch broccoli, chopped
2 T EVOO
salt & pepper
shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Toss broccoli with oil and salt & pepper. Let broccoli cook for 10-15 minutes, turning half way through. ENJOY!

My mom recommends serving with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese –I haven’t tried it this way yet, but I am sure it is delicious. The broccoli picks up a delicious nutty flavor when roasted. I am addicted to roasting almost all my veggies.

Take note fathers and children, Mother’s Day is quickly approaching. Do you want to serve your mother or wife breakfast in bed? Bless your heart! These breakfast cups take little effort to put together, and they can be personalized to your family’s flavor preferences. In the bottom of my cups I have colby-jack cheese and bacon, you could substitute any meat or cheese you would like. I left my egg whole, but you could lightly beat it and stir in some chopped veggies, which would be delicious. Using crescent rolls from the refrigerated section at your local grocery store make this breakfast a cinch. Have fun coming up with your favorite meat, cheese, veggie combos! I think these would also be cute for a bridal shower or baby shower brunch. Yum!

BREAKFAST CUPS
Serves 4

1 package crescent rolls
4 eggs
2 pieces bacon, cooked
cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 4 muffin tins. Unroll crescent rolls, pinch together two triangles and fit to muffin tin. Place a little cheese and half a slice to bacon in bottom of crescent-lined muffin tin. Carefully add egg. Cook for 10-15 minutes. You want the crescent roll to become golden brown and the egg to be set. ENJOY!

I am new to the whole tofu thing, and I made the mistake of picking up silken tofu instead of firm tofu. Honestly I did not know that there were different kinds. Apparently according to Peta there is even technology available to make CloFu (George Clooney scented Tofu) –I think that is dancing a close line to cannibalism.

I figured a breakfast smoothie was a terrific way to use up the tofu, and combined with fresh pineapple and frozen orange juice it was a refreshing breakfast option.

PINEAPPLE-ORANGE SMOOTHIE
6 oz Silken Tofu, cubed
1 1/2 c ice, crushed
2-3 T frozen orange juice concentrate
1-1 1/2 c pineapple, cubed
1 T honey
splash of vanilla extract

Put all ingredients into blender and pulse until desired consistency. Sit in the warm morning sun and ENJOY!

Other Smoothie recipes:

Diet, Dessert and Dogs: Sweet and Simple Sweet Potato Smoothie
Tongue Ticklers: Papaya Smoothie
Simply Recipes: Mango Lassi

There is something about buttery cinnamon and sugar encased in a warm dough, slathered with cream cheese that makes you say “AHHHH”. The smell of cinnamon evokes a warm homey feeling for me –and I don’t think I am alone here. Romans used to use cinnamon in their love potions, Egyptians in their embalming rituals, and I used it in the World’s Best Cinnamon Rolls.

I have made several different recipes for cinnamon rolls for the years, all were good, but when I made these I knew I found the recipe that I hope to become famous for –at least in my family. My great grandma Dorothy makes a mean cinnamon roll(I don’t have her recipe, yet), but I would totally take this recipe and do a Bobby Flay style throwdown against her. I mixed the dough and let it rise in my bread machine, before I rolled it out and filled it. These cinnamon rolls are as big as your head and incredibly delicious. I looked through the cupboard and realized I was out of vanilla extract, so I added some vanilla instant pudding and skipped the additional sugar.

THE BEST CINNAMON ROLLS EVER
1/4 c warm water
1/2 c milk, room temp.
1/2 c half & half, room temp.
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c butter, softened -divided
1/2 tsp salt
4 c AP flour
1 box vanilla instant pudding mix
1 T rapid rise yeast
1 c brown sugar
2 T cinnamon

You may want to look at your owners manual for your breadmachine, but this is how I did it for mine.

Add the ingredients through yeast in the order listed, use 1/4 c of the butter. I used the dough cycle. Once it was done kneading and rising, roll the dough out on a floured surface into a 18×30 inch rectangle. Mix together remaining 1/4 c butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread this mix over the rolled out dough. Starting at the long edge of the dough, roll up tightly, pinching to seal. Using plain dental floss, slide it under the dough log and slice your rolls every 2 inches.

Line a jelly roll pan with greased parchment paper. Place rolls 2 inches apart. Cover and let rise in a warm place (the oven with the light on is perfect) until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Rolls should be touching each other after rising, if not push them together so they are touching.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 c confectioners sugar
1/2 stick butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla

Mix until smooth and well combined.

Spread on warm cinnamon rolls and enjoy immediately! ENJOY!

Scone, apparently the correct pronunciation rhymes with John, is a biscuit like bread served with tea in England. I think most people in the US know what a scone is because they can find them in the pastry case at Starbucks. Accompanied with a hot cup of coffee or tea, scones make a delicious breakfast. However, if you prefer something super sweet with your coffee, you better opt for a muffin instead (or increase the sugar to 1/2 c). Scones are not super sweet, but with the addition of blueberries and almond extract they do pack a lot of flavor. Start brewing your coffee or tea and enjoy a tasty scone for a quick on-the-go breakfast or a nice sit down brunch.

BLUEBERRY SCONES
Yield: 12 scones

2 3/4 c AP Flour
1/3 c sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 T baking powder
8 T cold butter
1 pint blueberries, dusted with flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract(I think lemon would be good too)
2/3 c half & half

Stir together all dry ingredients. With a pastry blender cut in cold butter, it is alright  if some chunks remain. Stir in blueberries. In a separate bowl mix together the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture, being careful not to “pop” any blueberries. On a parchment lined cookie sheet divide dough into two rounds. About 6 inches across, 1 inch thick. Moisten the tops of the rounds with a little brushed on milk, and sprinkle with a little sugar. Using a cold knife cut each round into 6 triangles.  Carefully pull the triangles apart, so there is a 1/2 inch space between each. Put cookie sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F, bake scones for 25 minutes, or until baked all the way through.  They are delicious served warm. ENJOY!

Others who are talking about scones:

Pinch My Salt: Buttermilk Cranberry Scones
Karina’s Kitchen: Strawberry-Chocolate Chip Scones (Gluten Free & Vegan)
Mennonite Girls Can Cook: Cranberry Scones
Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy: Apple Cheddar Scones Sounds Yummy!
Vegan Eats!: Hungry Girl’s Snazzy Blueberry Scones
101 Cookbooks: Raspberry Mega Scones

Up until a couple weeks ago, I thought English muffins were a magical bread product that could only be produced in commercial bakerys, that the recipe was a secret and baking them would be an impossible task for the amateur baker. I was extremely happy to find out how wrong I had been. Baking or rather cooking English muffins in your home is an attainable goal. Like me, you may be surprised to learn that you do not bake English muffins, instead you cook them on a griddle. I now have no need to purchase store bought English muffins EVER again.  You mix the dough in your bread machine, roll it and cut out the muffins, allow to rest for 20 minutes, and finally cook for about 10 minutes. Can you believe how easy it is? I found my recipe at the home baker’s Mecca… King Arthur Flour.

I love my English muffins twice toasted with butter and jam, or as a breakfast sandwich with egg, ham (sausage or bacon will do) and cheese, or as Eggs Benedict. Mc Donald’s has nothing on me!

ENGLISH MUFFINS
from King Arthur Flour
Makes about 16 muffins

1 3/4 cups (14 ounces) milk, warm
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) butter
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons (7/8 ounce) granulated sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
4 to 4 1/4 cups (17 to 18 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast

Place the ingredients in the pan of your bread machine following the manufacturer’s instructions. Use the “dough” or “manual” setting. After the cycle is complete, transfer the dough to a cornmeal-sprinkled surface and roll it out until it’s about 1/2-inch thick. Cut out circles with a floured 3-inch cutter. Re-roll and cut out the leftover dough. Cover the muffins with a damp cloth and let rest for about 20 minutes.

Heat a frying pan or griddle to very low heat. Do not grease, but sprinkle with cornmeal. Cook four muffins at a time, cornmeal side down first, for about 7 minutes a side. * Warning: the cornmeal can burn, causing your kitchen to get a little smokie. Make sure to use your exhaust fan if you have a highly senstive smoke alarm.

Check after about 3 to 4 minutes to see that the muffins are browning gently and are neither too dark nor too light; if they seem to be cooking either too fast or too slowly, adjust the temperature of your pan or griddle.

When the muffins are brown on both sides, transfer them to a wire rack to cool, and proceed with the rest. If you have two frying pans (or a large griddle), you’ll be better able to keep up with your rising

I have a series of apple related posts, after receiving a giant bag of apples from my grandma, I have made tons of applely treats. My daughter Sasha loves pancakes and applesauce, and I thought she would be delighted if I combined the two. Needless to say, she was not disappointed. These are a perfect fall breakfast, we paired our pancakes with a sausage patty.

APPLE PANCAKES
2 c AP Flour
1/4 c brown sugar
2 T baking powder
1 t salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 c milk
1 single serving container of non sweetened applesauce
1/4 c butter, melted

Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Combine eggs, milk, applesauce, and butter; add to dry ingredients and mix well. Pour about 1/3 cup of batter onto a lightly greased hot griddle. Turn when bubbles form on top; cook until second side is golden brown.

APPLE TOPPING
2 T butter
3-4 apples, pealed and sliced thinly
1/8 c brown sugar
2 T half and half

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Simmer apples and sugar in butter until apples are soft and carameled colored. Stir in half and half. Serve warm over pancakes. ENJOY!

My other pancake recipes
Banana Walnut Cornmeal Pancakes
Biggest Loser Blueberry Pancakes

My other apple recipes:
Apple Fritters
Apple Pie with Strudel Topping