Apple Waffles

We went to the apple orchard yesterday, so I've got a million apples (ok, "just" 32 pounds...), so for Sunday brunch I was looking for something delicious & different & that preferably used apples! We hadn't done waffles for a while, so I flipped through our copy of Waffles from Morning to Midnight by Dorie Greenspan & found "Apple Waffles!" Perfect! It was yum & so very seasonal that I thought I'd better share. Also, my kids LOVED them. To make them even more apple-y, I'd recommend adding an extra half-an-apple, cut into tiny chunks*.

Dorie Greenspan's Apple Waffles
Makes about 5 waffles

3 Tbl. unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. double-acting baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
pinch of grated nutmeg
1/4 c. granulated sugar [You know that's 4 Tbl., right?]
1/4 c. firmly packed, but lump-free light brown sugar [...and again, you've got the measuring spoons out anyway, don't you?]
1 1/2 c. milk
2 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 medium-sized apple, peeled & grated
[I'd recommend peeling & cutting up another half an apple into tiny chunks and adding that, too.*]

1. Preheat your waffle iron. If you want to hold the finished waffles until serving time, preheat your oven to 200F. [Mine heats so fast, I have to wait until I'm about to mix the dry & wet ingredients, so consider your own waffle iron.]
2. Melt the butter; reserve. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, spices, and sugars. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and vanilla until very well blended. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with the whisk until just combined. Fold in the grated apple and the melted butter.
3. Whether or not your iron's grids are well seasoned or made of a nonstick material, it's best to light butter or spray the grids of your waffle iron since this batter is very soft and can stick. Brush or spray the grids again only if subsequent waffles stick.
4. Spoon out 1/2 c. of batter (or amount recommended by your waffler's manufacturer) onto the [hot] iron. Spread the batter evenly over the grids & close the lid. When the underside of the waffle is lightly browned, carefully turn over the waffle and brown the other side. [If necessary for your iron. Mine was fine.]
5. Serve the waffles immediately or keep them, in a single layer, on a rack in the preheated oven while you make the rest of the batch.
   

*That's because when I ran into tiny chunks of too-small-to-grate apple, I really liked the extra texture & apple-i-ness.

Egg Baked in Cream

Addendum 9/28/10: I had this on our weekly menu, but the day I was to make it, I realized, "I have no leeks!" Instead, I caramelized some onion (always caramelize more than you think you're going to need 'cuz it cooks down so much) and steamed/sauteed some Swiss chard from our CSA & threw that in too. Results = delicious!!!


I know I just posted a recipe that came from The Wednesday Chef, but I actually made two of hers that week & the other was so good, too, that I wanted to share it. Of course, you should really pop over to her site to read her mouth-watering description of Camino's Egg Baked in Cream and see some yummy-looking pictures. We had it for supper, but I think it would make a fabulous brunch dish & comes across as fancy and difficult. So, perfect for impressing the in-laws for brunch!

It's really quite easy. I think you could probably even saute the leek mixture ahead of time and then just allow a little longer for cooking. Luisa mentions cooking the leeks longer than recommended since she likes them softer, and since I do, too, that's how I did it. Mr. Kluges and I threw some torn-up spinach leaves in the ramekins on top of our leeks & it was great! The girls opted for no leeks & their spinach as a salad, but each ate TWO plain baked eggs with cream, so that was a winner for us. I have to confess that Mr. Kluges & I liked it so much that we ate two each as well! *grin* So, you may want to allow for seconds if you're not serving it with a lot of side dishes!

Egg Baked in Cream
Serves 1 with leftover leeks for many uses

1 1/2 tablespoons butter
4 leeks, sliced, light green and white parts only
Salt
2 sprigs thyme, leaves roughly chopped
2 sprigs parsley, leaves roughly chopped
1 large farm-fresh egg
About 2 tablespoons half-and-half
Coarsely ground black pepper
Grilled or toasted bread slices

1. Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. In a small sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks, a splash of water and a pinch of salt and cook until the leeks are tender, about 2 minutes. Add the herbs and transfer to a 6-inch cazuela, cocotte or other ceramic dish, covering the bottom with the butter, leeks and herbs.

2. Crack the egg into the middle of the dish. Add enough half-and-half to barely cover the white. Sprinkle with salt and coarsely ground pepper. Cook until the white is set, 8 to 12 minutes. Serve with grilled or toasted bread.

Wednesday Fun #94 - Cereal Choosings

I know some of you read Tomato Nation, but for those who don't, Sarah is currently finishing out the "N Cereal AA." Good fun to read and vote on your fav in cereal matchups, and, as of this typing, it's down to the final two - Frosted Flakes vs. Honey Nut Cheerios! (So, you know, vote!)

It got me thinking... if you could only ever eat ONE kind of cereal for the rest of your life, what would you choose? With other foods, fine, variety away, but cereal would have to be singular. As in, "I, [my name], take you, [cereal of my choosing], to have and to eat, for breakfast every day (unless I'm having eggs and pancakes or whatnot), for as long as I shall live and you are available in stores."

How about it? Who'd be your life-long cereal partner?


(Edited to add - Your choice does not have to be FF or HNC or anything that was in Tomato Nation's brackets, but feel free to check it out for ideas.)

Oven-Easy Omelet aka Egg Bake

This is another recipe I got from my mom, but it's infinitely easy to adapt. In fact, I don't know the last time I actually looked at the real recipe (other than now!). In case you were ever at a GAW when we made individual Egg Bakes, yeah, this is it.

1 1/2 c. shredded Swiss cheese
1 1/2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
2 Tbl. flour
6 slices bacon, fried & crumbled OR some ham OR some sausage
3 Tbl. diced fresh red peppers OR 2 Tbl. cut-up canned pimento
2 Tbl. parsley leaves (opt.)
8 large eggs
1 c. milk

Heat oven to 350F. Toss together cheese & flour. Spread cheese mixture in bottom of greased 8" baking dish or casserole. Scatter bacon, pepper, and parsley over cheese. Beat eggs and milk together. Pour egg mixture over ingredients in baking dish. Bake 30-45 minutes (depending on size/shape/depth of dish) until puffed and completely cooked. Serves 6.

This can also be made in small loaf pans, especially if you want to let people choose their own toppings. Also, faster cooking!


Now, FYI, in my head, the recipe for Egg Bake goes more like this:

Mental Egg Bake

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Put a LOT of shredded cheese (various kinds or just Cheddar) in bottom of greased pan; stir in big spoonful of flour so cheese doesn't stick together. (Don't forget the corners if it's a square pan!)
   
3. Toss on sliced mushrooms and/or cooked bacon and/or ham chunks and/or diced bell peppers and/or diced onion and/or any other food you might put in an omelet. (Good way to use up ends and bits of leftovers or homemade pizza toppings!)
4. In a separate bowl, mix together some eggs with quite a bit of milk. Pour over cheese and toppings. Realize you didn't mix together enough eggs/milk since most of the topping is still sitting there high and dry, so mix together a few more eggs with some milk. Add to dish.
5. Stick in oven for what seems like a long time because it always smells good and makes me hungry well before it's ready!

Coffee Cake

Finally broke down and called my mom for this wonderful recipe. This is my simplified version as I hate mixing dry ingredients separate and then adding them to wet. Throw it all in at once I say! Turns out just fine!

This makes a 9x13 pan.

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Beat this till creamy and then add:
2 c. flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
1 c. sour cream

Filling/Topping:
3/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp all spice (optional) (or any other spice you like. Cloves and or nutmeg are also good to add IMHO)
1/2 c chopped nuts (optional)

Put 1/2 or a bit more of batter in a greased 9x13 pan. The batter will be rather thick, so you will have to spread it out.
Put 1/2 of filling on top of batter. Then place rest of batter in the pan (again, a bit tricky to spread) and top with remaining brown sugar mix.

Bake for 30 min at 350.

Enjoy!

Cinnamon-Raisin Whole-Wheat Waffles

This is probably our favorite waffle recipe so far. It comes from Waffles from Morning to Midnight by Dorie Greenspan. It makes 4 or 5 waffles.

3/4 c. plump, moist raisins [really good with chopped mixed dried fruit or dried berry mix instead or halvsies!]
4 Tbl. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. whole-wheat flour
1 Tbl. double-acting baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbl. firmly packed light brown sugar
2 Tbl. granulated sugar
1 3/4 c. buttermilk
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs

1. If your raisins [or dried fruit mix] aren't moist and plump, place them in a heatproof bowl [or Pyrex cup] and pour boiling water over them. Let the raisins steep for a minute, drain, then out onto a paper towel, and pat dry. Set aside.

2. Preheat your waffle iron. If you want to hold the finish waffles until serving time, preheat your oven to 200F. [My waffle iron heats fast, so I wait until I'm about ready to mix the dry and wet ingredients to start it.]

3. Melt the butter; reserve. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until combined. Whisk in both sugars. In another bowl, beat together the buttermilk, vanilla, and eggs with the whisk until well mixed. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Fold the raisins and melted butter into the batter.

4. Lightly butter or spray the grids of your iron, if needed. Brush or spray the grids again only if subsequent waffles stick.

5. Spoon our 1/2 to 2/3 c. of batter (or a little more than your waffles' manufacturer suggests) onto the iron. Use a metal spatula or wooden spoon to spread it almost to the edge of the grids. Close the lid and bake until browned and set. Serve the waffles immediately or keep them, in a single layer, on a rack in the preheated oven while you make the rest of the batch.

[Extras, especially if a little undercooked, keep well in the freezer for homemade frozen waffles!]

Apple- Raisin Breakfast Bread Pudding

Apple- Raisin Breakfast Bread Pudding

You might call this baked French Toast ... you might call it Breakfast Bread Pudding ... but it's simple and delicious. Plus it includes our friend, Heavy Cream, yay! Great for brunch.

Prep Time: 20
Cook Time: 45
Servings: 12

Ingredients:
1 (16 oz) loaf of cinnamon-raisin bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored (and diced, but don't dice until next morning to keep it from turning brown)
6 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract


Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together cinnamon, brown sugar and melted butter. Toss sliced apples in mixture to coat.
Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Arrange sliced apples on the bottom of the baking dish in a single layer.
In another large bowl combine eggs, nutmeg, milk, heavy cream and vanilla. Whisk to combine. Stir in bread cubes to coat with egg mixture. Let bread and egg mixture sit for 5 minutes for the bread to soak up the eggs. Pour over the sliced apples, cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees (F). Remove dish from refrigerator, dice the final apple and sprinkle the apple over the top of the bread pudding.
Bake at 375 for 40 minutes. Remove foil, turn on broiler and broil for 5 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

Cambodian Pancakes

This is really more of a tip than a recipe, but is something I like to make every once in a while and reminds me of our wonderful trip to Cambodia.

There was a restaurant there where you could get crepes or pancakes. I would often get the pineapple pancakes (they also had banana, apple, etc).

Here's the deal.

Use any pancake batter you wish (I usually just do the Bisquick thing).

Thinly slice some banana or pineapple (If using canned pineapple you will need to thin the slices or chunks).

Poor batter onto the hot griddle.

Place the thinly sliced pineapple (or banana) on the batter and then use the existing batter on the griddle to cover the slices you just put down. You will probably also need to spoon a bit of extra batter on top of the slices.

Cook as usual.

Enjoy!

Kristina Kringler

This is another family favorite and great to bring to a morning coffee or meeting. I usually make it in the morning before I take is somewhere as it is best eaten same day. It is almost always gone and someone is asking how to make it.

What I like best is it is made out of staples so you can always make this one without shopping.

¼ pound butter
1 C. flour
2 T. water


1 C. water
¼ lb. Butter
1 C. flour
3 eggs
¼ t. salt
½ t. almond extract


1 T butter melted
1 C powder sugar
½ t. almond extract
cream/milk small amount

Step 1: Cut ¼ lb. butter into 1 cup flour. (I have always used my mixer.) Divide dough in half. On an ungreased cookie sheet, press dough using the heel of your hand into two 3-inch strips the length of the cookie sheet.

Step 2: Mix 1 cup water with ¼ lb. butter and bring to a boil. Take off the stove and add 1-cup flour. Beat in 3 eggs one at a time; then add ¼ t salt and ½ t almond extract. (I always use my mixer.) Spread on the first mixture and bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

When cool, frost with 1 T butter to 1 Cup powdered sugar. Add ½ t almond extract and enough cream to make the right consistency to spread.

Buttermilk Pancakes

This is my Grandmother’s recipe and we just love them.
For a special treat we eat them with ice cream and strawberries on top.

Large Recipe
1 qt buttermilk
2 t. salt
3 T sugar
6 eggs
2 t. baking soda
4 C. plus flour
4 Tbls melted butter


Mix together and fry. If you do not fry these all the first day, store the mix with some cling wrap right against the batter as the air will start to turn it green. It is still fine just does not look as good.

Swiss Potato Casserole

I will be asking my mom to make this for me when we get to the US as I can't buy hash browns here (and sour cream is hard to come by).

This dish works as a breakfast, with a side of ham or bacon, or as a potato dish at dinner. It can be mixed the night before and put in the oven later, but if you do this you may wish to reduce the onion. It also re-heats well.

2, 1 lb packages hash browns (I recommend Simply Potatoes)
1/2 C. melted butter
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 c. chopped white onion
8 oz sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
10 + oz grated cheddar cheese

Mix hash browns with all ingredients in large bowl. Blend well. Place in a greased 3 qt casserole or 9x13 pan (I always use the 9x13 pan). Top with a sprinkling of paprika.

Bake at 375 for 50-60 min, covered. (till center is very warm)
Remove cover and bake 15 min more.

Enjoy! (Man I miss this!!!)

Swedish Oven Pancake (Plus Bonus Recipe)

This puffed egg pancake is wonderful with a side of ham. I usually make it for guests and it always gets rave reviews. Recipe can easily be halved, put in an 8x8 or 9x9 pan, and then will serve 2-3 depending on how hungry you are.

I serve with sliced fruit, usually strawberries, and whipped cream. But, below I am posting an alternate recipe along with an apple topping.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Mix:
6 eggs
1 tsp salt
1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. flour

Add slowly while beating: 2 1/2 c. milk

Put butter the size of an egg into a 9x13 pan and melt. (I use a glass pan.) Pour butter into batter and then patter into pan (or you could just spray the pan and then add the melted butter to the batter I guess).

Bake 1/2 hour.
Serve right away (it will deflate). Top with fruit and whipped cream that are on the side. Enjoy!


Below I am also posting an alternative puffed oven pancake recipe from Great Cooking for Two. This version is heaver/thicker as it doesn't use as many eggs or as much milk. It's still good and is for 2 people.

Spray 8 1/2" pie pan with non-stick spay
Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix:
2 eggs
1/3 c flour
1/3 c milk
dash of salt.
Put batter into pan and bake for 25 min. Serve right away.

Spiced Apple Sauce (for 2 people):
1 med to large apple, thinly sliced
1 T raisins (optional)
2 T butter
2 T brown sugar
2 T apple juice, apple cider or water
2 T half-and-half, light cream or milk
1 T apple brandy or orange juice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon or apple pie spice
2 T chopped nuts (optional)

In medium saucepan cook apple, raisins and butter until apples are almost tender, stirring frequently. Add brown sugar, apple juice (or cider or water), half-and-half (or milk), apple brandy (or orange juice), and cinnamon (or other spice). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 min. Stir in nuts.

March's Theme - Breakfast

March's theme has been revised to be breakfast foods. YUM! Thanks, Diplowhat, for the suggestion and thanks to everybody who weighed in on the poll. I'm looking forward to getting some new breakfast/brunch ideas. (And trying to make some of the fancy pancakes that have been promised!)

We do have a label for "breakfast" and now one for "eggs" as well. Let's keep the "eggs" one for dishes that are primarily egg-based or eggs are a big component - omelets, egg bakes, frittatas, breakfast burritos, etc.

• Pancakes are a classic breakfast food, and here's Pusher's recipe for Ricotta Pancakes.
• Nectarine's Pumpkin Spice Muffins would be nice to have on hand for those mornings when you're running out the door and need a quick-to-grab, eat-during-the-commute breakfast.
• Pusher posted a Wild Rice, Asparagus, and Goat Cheese Frittata a while back that might be a lovely brunch dish (or supper or lunch or breakfast!).
• These Orange Butter Scones aren't quite your typical scones, but they are delicious, if I do say so myself!

Looking forward to hearing YOUR breakfast/brunch recipes!

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

We made these today. They are "healthy" with no oil!! The kids love them. I would add more spice next time.

1 box spice cake mix
1 can pumpkin
4 egg whites (or 1/2 cup egg substitute)
2 Tablespoons water
Allspice---add to taste. (I did 1-2 t pumpkin pie spice and 1 t allspice could still use more)

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until creamy. Fill muffin cups. Bake at 350 for 18-24 minutes.

Ricotta pancakes

RICOTTA PANCAKES
3 eggs, separated
1/2 lb. Ricotta cheese
2/3 c. milk
1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
Dash of salt

Separate eggs. Combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine milk, egg yolks, and cheese. Mix into dry ingredients. Beat whites until stiff, then fold in. Cook on hot griddle as for any pancake, turning when bubbles. Serve with fresh fruit or preserves.

Orange Butter Scones

I could have sworn I posted these before, or maybe emailed them to someone, but I can't find it anywhere, so I must just be remembering writing it down or something. One of Mr. Kluges's coworkers wanted this, so I figured if I was bothering to type it up anyway, I'd put it on here, so I could find it again.

This comes from The Ballymaloe Bread Book by Tim Allen. No, not the tool guy, but the husband of Irish food guru Darina. These measurements are primarily by weight, but I'll try to remember to make note of standard ones when I can... or even come back later and edit them in the next time I make it.

Scones:
450 g./ 1 lb. plain white flour [about 4 cups]
3 rounded tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
25 g./1 oz. castor sugar (superfine sugar, but standard is ok or powdered)
85 g./ 3 oz. butter, chilled [3/4 stick; 6 Tbl.]
2 medium eggs
200-225 ml. / 7-8 fluid oz. fresh milk (The eggs plus the milk should total 10 fl. oz.)

Orange butter:
2 oranges, finely grated zest
85 g./ 3 oz. butter [3/4 stick; 6 Tbl.]
100 g. / 3 1/2 oz. icing sugar, sieved (powdered sugar)

Topping: (I never bother with the topping because 1) it's sweet enough without it & 2) I forget to do it.)
egg wash
50 g. / 2 oz. granulated sugar (standard)


Prepare the orange butter in advance. Cream the butter with the finely grated orange zest, add the sieved icing sugar and beat together until light and fluffy. (You could even do this a day ahead.)

Preheat the oven to 250C / 475F / regulo 9.

To make the scone dough, into a large, wide bowl, sieve the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add the castor sugar. (I just mix them all right away.) Cut the chilled butter into cubes (or thin slices). Then rub the butter into the dry ingredients.** Make a well in the centre.

Break the eggs into a two cup measuring cup and whisk lightly. Add the milk, bringing the liquid up to the 300 ml / 10 fl. oz. mark. Pour nearly all of the milk and egg mixture into the flour. Using one hand with the fingers open and stuff, mix in a full circle drawing the flour from the sides of the bowl, adding more milk and egg if necessary. Bring the ingredients gently together into a soft dough. (I just use a spoon. Much easier and less messy.)

Turn the dough out onto a very well-floured work surface. Knead lightly and briefly, just enough to bring it all together.

Now gently roll the scone dough into a rectangle about 2 cm / 3/4 in high and about 35x23cm (14x9"). Using a plastic spatula, spread the orange butter over the top surface of the dough. Gently roll up the dough as you would roll a Swiss roll.

With a sharp, metal dough butter lightly dusted with flour (or just a knife), cut the rolled scone dough into about 14 slices.

Place the scones cut side down on a 9x13" pan. The recipe actually calls for a baking sheet, but the 9x13 keeps the melted butter closer in to the scones so it soaks it back in instead of letting it burn around the edges.

First brush the scones with the egg wash, then sprinkle over the top with granulated sugar. (I skip this step almost always. It looks a tiny bit fancier, but tastes just as good without it.)

Put the scones into the preheated oven to bake for 5 minutes, then turn down the heat to 230C / 450C /regulo 8 and leave to bake for a further 10 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack. Then tuck in!


** Yeah, basically you stick your hands in the floury stuff and rub the small pieces of butter into it until it gets kind of crumbly... the texture will be sort of like Bisquick? This takes a while, and you could possibly get a similar effect by just using a pastry cutter, but it wouldn't be as well-distributed.

Recipe: Frittata

I tried this out last week because it sounded so light and spring-like, and it was! Quite a bit of zing between the goat cheese (you could easily sub feta) and lemon zest. I wish I'd served it with a starchy side or garlic toast or something to undercut it a bit.

Wild Rice, Asparagus, and Goat Cheese Frittata

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
5 large eggs
4 large egg whites (I just used 7 whole eggs, because that's how many I had. It was fine.)

1 cup asparagus slices (1-inch)(about 1/4 lb)
1 clove garlic minced
1 cup green onions thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh basil thinly sliced
1/2 cup grape tomatoes halved
1/2 cup wild rice, cooked
1 teaspoon lemon rind grated
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese (1-oz)

Instructions:
1. Preheat broiler.
2. Combine first 5 ingredients, stirring well with a whisk; set aside.
3. Heat a large in an oven-proof skillet (I used cast iron) over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add asparagus and garlic, and saute 2 minutes. Add onions, and saute 1 minute or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Add tomatoes, rice, basil, and rind; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Reduce heat to medium. Pat mixture into even layer in pan; sprinkle with cheese. Pour egg mixture over rice mixture; cook 4 minutes or until almost set.
4. Move to broiler; broil 4 minutes or until golden brown and set.