Ebelskivers

Many years ago, when our children were little, we made a road trip to southern California and Disneyland.  Along the way, we stopped at the little Danish town of Solvang.  It's full of quaint gift shops, art galleries, and bakeries. Most notable of the baked goods was ebelskivers, a round Danish pancake.  We tried some and were hooked!  Around the same time, a restaurant opened in our area that served a breakfast called "1-2-3"; 3 ebelskivers, 2 slices of bacon and 1 egg.  We would go there often, mostly to get the ebelskivers. My family kept telling me I should learn how to make them.  At the time, finding an ebelskiver pan was not easy (no Amazon back then!) I finally found a cast-iron one at a small cookware store.  The owner of the store gave me a recipe for them, which was nice because the recipes were hard to find, too! Well, I discovered that ebelskivers are very easy to make and it's become a family-favorite breakfast ever since!

Due to the sour cream, this recipe produces a very rich and tender batter.  We love them best dusted with powdered sugar and served with homemade strawberry jam to dip them in.  I have an ebelskiver cookbook full of various recipes for sweet and savory ebleskivers, as well as ebelskivers filled with apple filling and other fruit mixtures.  I keep saying I'm going to try something different, but each time I pull out my pans I find myself making our favorite.

Recently my Hubbers and I had a long weekend get-away and found ourselves in Solvang one afternoon.  We ordered a batch of ebelskivers and were so disappointed.  Theirs were drenched in a berry syrup and the ebelskivers were very grainy.  They were definitely not as good as we remembered them to be (maybe another bakery would have been different?) Ever since then I've been craving them and finally got around to making them one day for breakfast.  My Hubbers and granddaughter were quite happy! I shared with my next-door neighbors, much to their delight.  The ebelskivers are such a wonderful morning treat!

An ebelskiver pan has hemispherical indentations for the dough to cook in. Once turned, you have a round pancake! My drag racing friends can appreciate the irony of me baking with a "hemi" pan!

Ebelskivers

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups sour cream

Sift dry ingredients into bowl, add eggs and sour cream and mix until smooth (batter will be thick).

Brush ebelskiver mold indentations with melted butter, then fill half-full with batter. When light brown turn with skewer or fork and brown other side. Use rather low heat so inside of ebelskiver will be done, use a toothpick or skewer to check for doneness.

Serve with jam or syrup.

Mini-Skillet Breakfast Tarts

My Hubbers and I recently returned home from a long weekend along the central California coast. Our "home" for the getaway was our 38-foot motorhome. We love traveling in our RV, taking our bed and creature comforts with us, and the flexibility it gives us to stop and stay wherever we decide. We were lucky enough this trip to grab a spot on a little bluff overlooking Avila Beach and the pier. What a view! Each morning I would drink my latte and watch the fishing boats head out to sea, as well as the kayakers and paddle boarders cruising around the bay.  We spotted some otters and the sea lions were always making noise.  The Harbor Patrol deputy told us whales had been spotted but we were never fortunate enough to see any of those majestic creatures.

Life slows down when we're in the RV.  On a regular day at home we are rushing to go to the gym, to work, to run errands, so breakfast is usually a bowl of cereal or toast.  In the RV we eat late leisurely breakfasts, usually no lunch, and early dinners. We play cards, go for long walks or bike rides, drink wine and watch the views.  It's a great pace for relaxing.

Our RV is pretty well stocked with the basic kitchen essentials but I usually bring along specialty items from home for certain dishes I want to make. I love my mini skillets and use them often, they add a little cuteness to a dish that makes it a little more special. I threw them in the motorhome as I wanted to make this breakfast dish with puff pastry.  I always have puff pastry sheets in my freezer.  They are great for last minute appetizers, desserts, and breakfast dishes.  Here the puff pastry works as a substitute for toast, muffin or biscuit. I plated with some fruit and a few pieces of bacon. The bacon could easily be crumbled into the egg dish, as well. This egg dish is very easy and so very good!

Mini-Skillet Breakfast Tarts

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
Grated cheese (any kind, I used sharp cheddar)
4 medium eggs
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Unroll thawed sheet of puff pastry and divide into 4 equal squares. Place each square into a mini skillet and prick holes all over the bottom of each.  Bake for about 8 minutes or until barely browned and puffed.

Remove from oven and, using a spoon, make a little indentation in the puff pastry.  Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons cheese into the indentation and fill with a cracked egg.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and an additional 2 tablespoons of cheese.

Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake tarts for 7 to 9 minutes, or until the pastry has browned and egg whites are set, but yolks are still slightly runny.

Lemon Brioche French Toast

Brioche is a bread, French in origin, with a high egg and butter content.  As a result, it's very rich and tender.  I've had brioche while traveling and have made brioche rolls a time or two (no where near as light as what I've had in bakeries.  Sigh!) For whatever reason, it's almost impossible to find brioche in my local bakeries or grocery stores.  Recently, one of the higher-end grocery stores has begun to carry a brioche loaf.  I bought one with the intent to make this French toast casserole. We were at the race track when I made it.  My guys ate it but I think they preferred the more substantial biscuits and gravy I served them the next day! However, my daughter-in-love expressed an interest in having some so I made it again.  I enjoyed it both times!

French toast, by nature, isn't real flavorful.  It's basically bread dipped in eggs and milk, the flavor coming from the syrup or toppings.  The lemon zest in this dish adds a nice sweetness, which pairs especially well with fresh berries.  I used strawberries but raspberries, or any other berry, would easily work.

This recipe can be made and baked immediately or made the night before.  I like to slowly ease into my Sunday mornings so I assembled this dish and refrigerated it overnight.  All I had to do in the morning was make coffee, prepare the berries and wait for the casserole to cook. Breakfast doesn't get much easier than this!

Lemon Brioche French Toast

One 16 to 20-ounce loaf brioche
2 lemons, zested and juiced
3 large eggs
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 cups 2% milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups confectioner sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Grease 9×9 inch casserole pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Slice bread into 1/2-inch slices, then cut each slice in half. Arrange half of the bread layers in the baking dish. Sprinkle the bread with about half of the lemon zest.

Whisk eggs in a large bowl, then whisk in brown sugar. Whisk in the milk, vanilla, salt, nutmeg, and remaining lemon zest. Pour half of the egg mixture over the bread, then layer the rest of the bread on top. Pour the rest of the mixture over the top. You can either bake the casserole immediately, or place in refrigerator for up to 24 hours before baking.

When ready to bake, take the casserole out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before baking. Bake casserole for 30 minutes, or until slightly golden on top.

Let casserole cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar.

Serve with sweetened berries and/or maple syrup.

You can see how light and rich the brioche is!

 

Beignets!

The end of the Mardi Gras season is this Tuesday, also known as Shrove Tuesday or, by its French definition, Fat Tuesday. It's a day to indulge before the Lenten season. Eating is one of those indulgences! Mardi Gras is more commonly associated with the Louisiana area but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy some of the traditions while living in other areas of the country.

If you've been to New Orleans, you know that Cafe du Monde and their famous beignets are a must-have treat. Small little pillows of deep-fried dough smothered in powdered sugar. Yum! Though it's a fun city to visit, you don't have to go there to have beignets, you don't have to wait for Mardi Gras; they are easily made at home.

My Mom has been using this recipe for a while now.  She uses a powdered sugar glaze, I go the traditional route and douse them in plain powdered sugar.  Either way, they are good! The dough is made the night before, rests overnight in the fridge and requires no kneading. And I bet you can't eat just one! The recipe makes a lot, so invite some friends over.  We had a few neighbors over for beignets and mimosas! Laissez les bons temps rouler (let the good times roll)!

Beignets

1 package ( 2 1/4 teaspoons) dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup evaporated milk, undiluted
3 1/2 to 4 cups flour
Oil for frying
Powdered sugar

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water.  Add sugar, egg, and evaporated milk.  Gradually stir in 2 cups of the flour.  Beat until smooth.  Add remaining flour, 1/3 cup at a time, beating after each addition, to form a smooth, firm dough.  Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

In a large pan, heat oil to 370 degrees.

On a lightly floured board, roll out the dough to 3/8-inch thickness, adding more flour, if necessary.  Cut into 2"x 3" diamond or square shapes (a pizza cutter is ideal for this!)

In batches, drop dough into pan, being careful not to overcrowd them. Cook until golden brown, turning to brown both sides.

When done place on a rack over a sheet pan or on paper towels to drain. With a small strainer, shake powdered sugar over the beignets. Serve warm.

The dough doesn't look very impressive after mixing.

The next morning it's risen into a nice, billowy dough!

Little pillows of dough ready for deep frying!

Mother's Day Brunch

I've hosted Mother's Day Brunch for 4 or 5 years now. It's on the Saturday before Mother's Day. That way there are no conflicts with kids' in-laws or their own family plans. This year we had 11 in attendance...my Mom, my sister, my two nieces, two great-nieces, my step-daughter, daughter-in-law and two of my grandaughters. It was an age span of 17 months to 74 years!  Unfortunately, the 3 a.m. "crud" hit my daughter's house so she and my 2 1/2 year old granddaughter were unable to attend.

I try to keep the brunches to a theme, I find it gives me a direction for my decorating and food choices. This year the theme was "cherries". As cherries are now ripe in our area it's a timely theme, too!

I set two tables; one for the children and one for the adults. I kept the kids' table very basic and kid-friendly using paper plates, napkins, paper placemats. I included color crayons, some games, cherry-flavored popcorn. Also, at each place setting, were cherry-themed necklaces my niece made.

For the adult table I found some vintage-looking fabric and made a table runner. Again, I kept things pretty simple but it was still pretty. I found cute red pots at Beverly Fabrics and had a local floral shop put flowers in them. Each of my guests got to take an arrangement home.

I also made some cherry bath scrub that was set at each place setting.

I saw napkins similar to these on Pinterest so put my spin on them.  I used one of my rubber stamps to make the outline for the stem & leaf, emroidered them with a simple backstitch, then added buttons to make the cherries.  My Napolean Bee silverware adds to the springy theme.

We had a nice lunch of chicken salad (with dried cherries), fresh fruit salad & sour cream muffins.  Desserts were sugar cookies and chocolate cupcakes, filled with cherry filling, topped with cherry buttercream and chocolate ganache.

One of the gifts for my Mom was also cherry-related.  Again, a Pinterest-inspired creation.

 Here is my Mom and 4 of her 6 great-granchildren.  I think the smiles show that we had a wonderful brunch and many memories were made!

It's Thursday and I'm joining the group at Tablescape Thursday!