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Posts Tagged ‘breakfast’

Vanilla-Sage Scones with Brown Butter Glaze

Posted in Holiday, Recipes, tagged , , , , , , on May 14, 2012 | 4 Comments »

A few months back, we picked up a couple of scones from the Clinton Street Baking Company for breakfast. Adam has brought some of these scones to a work meeting a few days earlier, and couldn’t stop talking about how fantastic they were. As a fan of any sort of baked good, I was more than happy to be an accomplice to his revisit.

I went with a fairly standard scone that was speckled with some sort of fruit – raspberries, I believe – and it was, sure enough, delicious. But the scone that Adam couldn’t stop talking about was this chive and goat cheese scone. To me, it sounded contrary of what a good scone should be – sweet! – but Clinton Street had never steered me wrong before, so I gave it a nibble.

And boy, was I blown away! The natural crumbly, slightly sweet nature of the scone was amped up by the fragrant earthiness of the chives, and the goat cheese added just a hint of tangy flavor. The overall layers of flavor were off the wall, and I made a mental note to revisit them in the future.

Enter this weekend – Mother’s Day! Since I wasn’t making a homemade brunch for my mom this year (instead, we went out to eat), I wanted to incorporated a bit of that “breakfast in bed” sentiment into my gift to her. Since both of my parents loves scones (you should see them around those Starbucks scones!), I decided that would be my baked good of choice. Then I remembered Clinton Street, and as I mused about herbs, sage popped into my mind. Quickly followed by browned butter. I think you can see where this is going.

A rustic, soft, creamy vanilla scone perfumed with the flavor of fresh sage leaves, topped with a thick, gooey brown butter glaze. Some of my favorite tastes, all wrapped up in one old-fashioned confection. Working with these flavors in a new way as I was, I just needed to set aside one scone as a taste tester – but one bite in, I realized that all the remaining scones were now in danger – these were that good! I’ve said at least three times this weekend that these are the best thing to ever come out of my kitchen – and this may very well be true. Just ask my mom!

Oh yes… and I even got carried away and candied the left over sage leaves as a bit of decoration – a simple step that adds a really lovely, quaint touch to the scones. These scones are perfection with sage and vanilla and lightly browned butter, but the essential recipe can be customized with any of your favorite mix ins. They come together in 10 minutes and take just 10 more to bake, which means they can be on your table for brunch (or dessert) in no time at all.

So really, how can you resist?

Vanilla Sage Scones with Brown Butter Glaze – Makes 8 scones

Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen

Ingredients

For the scones

  • 2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 5 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons of minced fresh sage
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

For the glaze

  • 1 stick (4 ounces) of unsalted butter
  • 1 cup of powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract

For the candied sage leaves

  • Sage leaves
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
  • 1 tablespoon of water

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and adjust rack to center.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Whisk for a few seconds to combine.

3. Add in cold, cubed butter and using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingers, work quickly to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles course cornmeal with some larger bits (note – if using a food processor, pulse 12 times to combine butter and flour). Add minced sage and toss to combine.

4. Using a rubber spatula, fold in heavy cream and vanilla extract until dough is just combined. Turn out onto a surface and knead by hand for a few seconds until the dough comes together into a sticky ball.

5. Shape the ball into a large disk, about 3/4 of an inch thick. Cut the disk into 8 triangular slices (like a pie). Transfer to a greased baking sheet. Bake until the scones are lightly browned, about 10 – 12 minutes. Remove from pan immediately and cool.

6. While scones cool, make the browned butter glaze. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and cook until it bubbles and just begins to brown. Remove from heat and swirl in hot pot until a golden brown color is achieved. Remove from pan immediately and place in large bowl. Add vanilla extract and sifted powdered sugar to butter, and stir to combine.

7. Once scones have cooled, gently dip the top of each in the brown butter glaze. Allow thirty minutes for glaze to set.

8. To make candied sage leaves, add sage leaves, sugar, and water to a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar begins to boil and large bubbles form. Remove from heat and stir to ensure leaves are fully coated. Transfer leaves to parchment paper and lay flat. Sprinkle with more sugar and allow to harden in the refrigerator. Top each scone with one leaf.

Now I’m left thinking – how good would these be with chocolate chips and a chocolate-brown butter glaze?! Too crazy – or just the right amount of crazy? :-)
What do you think – do you love scones? Or do you have a different breakfast baked good of choice?

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Vacation Recap + Oatmeal Walnut Pancake Recipe

Posted in Healthy Meal, Recipes, Travel, tagged , , , , , , on April 22, 2012 | 3 Comments »

Hola!

It’s so bittersweet to be back in rainy New York after a gloriously sunny, warm, wonderful week-long vacation. We just got back from a much needed vacation to Puerto Plata on the north coast of the Dominican Republic, and let’s just say, one week wasn’t enough.

The week was spent relaxing to the absolute max. Of the seven days we were there, most hours were spent laying on fluffy white beds on the beach (apparently lounge chairs are a thing of the past?), soaking up the sun, catching up on reading, and slurping down refreshing adult beverages.

We took only a couple of breaks, the first to visit a horse ranch and do a horseback tour of the island, which took us through Dominican farms and under hundreds of fruit bearing trees, past everything from avocados and mangos to coconut and papaya. Dominican farms look very similar to the jungle itself – not a whole lot of rhyme or reason that us foreigners could see, though apparently they’re planted this way to protect the soil and the land. The farms were all interspersed throughout the wild fruit trees, leaving the whole countryside laden with edible delights.

Our second break from laying beach-side was to visit the 27 Charcos de Damajagua – or the 27 Waterfalls of the Damajagua River – an absolute MUST do if you ever visit Puerto Plata. Essentially, we hiked through the jungle to the top of the twelfth in a series of connected waterfalls (the full 27-waterfall trek takes several hours), and then proceeded to jump, slide, and swim our way down twelve waterfalls back to the bottom of the mountain! All I can say is, you haven’t lived until you jump feet first down a cascading waterfall rapid! This trek was a total rush, not to mention a beautiful, fun, adventurous way to enjoy Puerto Plata. It was the highlight of the trip!

It was really, really hard to come back to the States after such a restorative getaway, but return we did. And one thing I have to admit that I was looking forward to getting back to was the food. We stayed at an all-inclusive resort in the DR, and while the food was overall pretty good (and better than I expected), I couldn’t wait for a hot, home cooked meal. And there was one thing in particular I was craving.

Pancakes.

To me, a pancake breakfast is synonymous with vacation. Sadly, though, the pancakes in the DR just did not cut it. To be frank, they were chewy, rubbery, and I’m pretty sure the same batter was used to make everything from pancakes to waffles to danishes. After a distasteful bite on the first day of our trip, I stuck to the much more delicious french toast at our hotel’s breakfast buffet for the whole week, but when I landed in New York, I was suffering from a fierce pancake craving.

But not just for any pancakes. Adam’s mom’s super special, ultra hearty oatmeal walnut blueberry pancakes. First thing Saturday morning I rushed downstairs to whip up a double batch for a family breakfast. Using the food processor, these pancakes come together in a snap, and are ready in minutes. Which means you can eat them even faster!

For an oatmeal lover like myself, these are pretty much the ultimate pancake. They’re hearty and comforting, fluffy, and full of nutty crunch from the walnuts. Blueberries, my berry of choice, add a tart burst of sweetness that balances the hearty oat flavor nicely – but you could add just about any berry, or bananas to the batter. Just don’t forget the butter and syrup – they might be slightly healthier, but they’re still pancakes, after all!

Oatmeal Walnut Blueberry Pancakes - Serves 4 to 5

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of all-purpose flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
  • 1-1/2 cups of whole rolled oats
  • 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 1-1/2 cups of skim milk
  • 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup of finely chopped walnuts
  • 1 cup of frozen blueberries

Method

1. Place flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, milk, vanilla, oil and eggs in a food processor and puree until smooth.

2. Transfer the batter to a bowl. Add the chopped walnuts and blueberries and stir to combine.

3. Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Cook until golden brown on both sides and set in the middle. Serve hot with butter and maple syrup.

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Cheffy Things (Plus Roasted Apple Oat-Wheat Pancakes)

Posted in Culinary School, New York Antics, Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , on October 13, 2011 | 2 Comments »

It’s been a while, which is usually what happens when I spend way more time cooking than having time to think about or write about it. Cooking, and attempting to get my future culinary career on course has been my primary concern the past couple of weeks, and for good reason. It’s hard to believe, but in just over two months ICE will be turning us loose on the culinary industry, and we’ll be fending for ourselves. Despite any fears of being a” little fish in a big pond” (sort of unavoidable in New York City, regardless of the industry) or extended “funemployment” while searching for a new job, I’m insanely excited for this next big step in my life. And although graduation is hell-bent on getting here before I have time to say “mise en place,” taking a step back and trying to enjoy the awesome experiences I’ve been having has been a priority. Here’s a quick recap of some of the awesome “Cheffy” things I’ve been doing over the past few weeks.

Wild Eggs Brunch at the James Beard House (photos from Joan Garvin Photography)

A few Sundays back, I signed up to volunteer at the James Beard House for a brunch event they were hosting for about eighty guests. I was pretty excited to get to explore and experience this historic culinary landmark and institution for myself – when you’re a culinary arts student in NYC, it’s pretty much “James Beard this” and “James Beard that” from the onset. Let’s just say a lot of famous (and infamous) chefs have walked through those doors.

I was lucky enough to have a really positive, awesome learning and cooking experience at JBF! The culinary team from Wild Eggs, a restaurant based out of Louisville, Kentucky, was in town and treating the guests of the Beard House to a multi-course, decadent brunch where the feature ingredient was –  you guessed it! – EGGS! Every dish had eggs incorporated in one way or another, but it was so interesting to see first hand the creative ways eggs were used beyond the traditional scrambled, or sunny side up. There were paper-thin omelets that were rolled into sushi, eggs that were poached fifty at a time, only to be topped with paper-thin shaved white truffle, and eggs whisked into crepes that were topped with an other-worldly bourbon-apple compote.

Another show stealer from this event? Everything Muffins. The idea behind this confection is genius – basically, it’s everything that would go on top of an everything bagel (my personal favorite), stirred into buttery muffin batter. It’s loaded with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, onion, and garlic, and with just a hint of sweetness, the contrast is dead on. I’ve definitely considered traveling down to Louisville just to snag a couple more of these muffins.

All in all, working at JBF was such a great experience. I felt like I was finally getting a real sense of the pace at which a restaurant kitchen operates, and got a sneak peek at how things that seemed impossible, like poaching fifty eggs at once, or plating hundreds of hor d’oeurves in a two-by-four space, actually gets done. The icing on the cake was how fun, welcoming, and professional the Wild Eggs team was to work with – I’m sure not all chefs are this down to earth and yet inspiring at once, but these guys definitely made the day a great one!

StarChefs International Chef Congress

The following sunday I was hitting the pavement bright and early once again, this time for the StarChefs International Chefs Congress, a culinary industry expo held once a year in NYC. I’d say StarChefs is a little bit more targeted to culinary professionals than the general public, like how the NY Food and Wine Festival might be, but I still think that any culinarian would enjoy this event. As an ICE student, I was impressed to see how many other students, as well as instructors, were at StarChefs, working hard along seasoned chefs to make the event a success.

I quickly realized that at a huge event like StarChefs, volunteering would become whatever it was I chose to make it; at an event so big, it was easy to get lost in a shuffle, and one could easily spend several hours just chopping lettuce in a back room. I was lucky enough to get introduced to some chefs from US Foods, a premium supplier to restaurants across the country, and got started helping them. Before long I was actually working the saute station at their booth, cooking up crispy soba noodle cakes and sautéed hoisen beef short ribs to hungry patrons. I felt as though I had been dropped into an episode of Top Chef, and the mix of cooking on the fly while talking to guests and the chefs all at the same time was one hell of a rush! I truly hope I get the chance to do that again in the future!

As awesome as that was though, what was the biggest highlight? Getting to work directly with TopChef pastry Chef Zac Young of Flex Mussels (one of my favorite Upper East Side restaurants), who was creating US Foods’ dessert that day! Chef Young and I actually worked together (I’m still in shock) prepping Finger Limes, a rare and expensive type of lime indigenous to New Zealand, by scraping out the flesh inside of the lime which looked like caviar. This “lime caviar” was then used to top Chef Young’s lemon curd dessert, which was absolutely delicious.  It’s worth mentioning, too, that Chef Young is an ICE graduate, and clearly a favorite among the staff, who kept coming up to him while we were working to say hello. He’s such a friendly and nice person, and among the myriad of ego-driven NYC chefs that us culinary students hear horror stories about, it was really great to work with one who was so kind and down to earth.

Click for source

Externship Exploration

Last but certainly not least, all this volunteering has been leading up to the grand finale, the last piece of the culinary school puzzle – my externship. This has been floating around in the back of my mind since I started school, as I tried to piece together how I would manage to pay rent and bills, do my externship, and keep myself with one foot in the job market. But all the pondering quickly became reality once StarChefs ended, and the time to start setting up interviews and trails had arrived!

Unlike many of my classmates, who want to do their externships in restaurant kitchens with the hopes of being a chef or owning their own restaurant someday, my interests align most strongly with food media. As anyone who reads this blog can probably tell, creating recipes, cooking them in my own kitchen, tweaking them and then sharing them with others is something I love to do and am so passionate about. And in fantasy land, my ideal job would be doing just that – but at a food magazine or media outlet where the recipes I work on can reach far greater numbers than they ever could on this little blog. So with this fantasy-notion in mind, I set out.

It was extremely lucky that I was able to get an interview at my top choice food magazine right off the bat. I won’t mention the name, though I can narrow it down significantly by saying that it has a top-notch reputation, glamorous NYC location, and puts out incredible, elegant food each month. To prep for my Q & A session with the head of the Test Kitchen, I spent the whole weekend in my own little test kitchen, cooking up dishes like red-wine braised beef short ribs, domino potatoes, and creamy chanterelle, oyster, and shiitake mushrooms. And for an amazing breakfast recipe that came out of my weekend of aggressive cooking, just keep reading ;-)

Needless to say, the preliminary interview was short and sweet, but went very well. I’m back in that test kitchen in a few weeks for an official “trail,” or “stage” (pronounced stah-jeh), which is essentially a day long “try-out” for a full-time externship. Fingers crossed, all will go well!

Til then, I’ll be cooking as much as I can to keep my skills (and knives) sharp, and hopefully documenting it as much as possible. Stay tuned….

In the meantime, please give these Roasted-Apple Wheat-Oat Pancakes a whirl! With apple season coming to a close, many of us have a fridge full of apples just begging to be cooked into these fluffy, hearty pancakes. This breakfast encompasses some of my favorite flavors of fall – sweet, crisp apples, hearty wheat, and spicy cinnamon and nutmeg. Plus, the whole wheat flour and oats add lots of filling fiber! These will keep you full and happy all morning long :)

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes (makes 9 4-inch pancakes)

Adapted from Gourmet

  • 2 small apples, peeled, cored, and chopped into 1/2″ cubes
  • 3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
  • 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons vanilla soy milk (or buttermilk)
  • 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F. On a greased baking sheet, spread out apple cubes and roast for about 15 minutes, or until tender.  Soak oats in 3/4 cup buttermilk 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl. Stir egg, butter, brown sugar, remaining 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk, and oat mixture into dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in roasted apples.

Heat a griddle over medium heat until hot and lightly brush with oil. Working in batches, pour 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto griddle and cook until bubbles appear on surface and undersides are golden-brown, about 1 minute. Flip with a spatula and cook other side, about 1 minute more. (Lightly oil griddle between batches.)

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Blueberry-Almond French Toast Bread Pudding

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , on August 1, 2011 | 3 Comments »

Most people I know are sort of obsessed with brunch. In fact, most people I don’t know are completely obsessed with brunch as well. People in New York City (and by people, I mean me) will wait well over an hour just to snag a seat in a well-revered brunch institution, whether it be for their insanely scrumptious eats (Clinton Street Baking Co…) or unbeatable boozy brunch deals (Essex, for one).

One of my favorite questions to ask when I sit down for brunch with a group of friends is: sweet, or savory? I find it so interesting that many people will loyally stand by their affiliation to one or the other denominations of brunch fare, when in twenty-four years, I’ve never been able to make up my mind. A mexican fritatta with chorizo and softened bell peppers makes me drool just as well as a stack of fluffy buttermilk pancakes, smothered in syrup and candied pecans. What can I say? I’m an equal opportunity bruncher.

But if any dish were to make me claim an allegiance, it would be this one.

Everyone loves bread pudding. If you tell me you don’t, I’ll probably tell you that you’ve been lying to yourself, and then stick a spoonful of this in your mouth. I’ve been a big fan of bread pudding for years, always ordering the banana-bread or cinnamon-raisin carbolicious puddings off of dessert menus anywhere I could! But it wasn’t until earlier this spring, when I visited my cousin Danie’s house for a baby shower, that I became obsessed with introduced to bread pudding as a breakfast food. So simple. So obvious. And so insanely delicious.

This is the sort of dish you need to restrain yourself to eating only a couple of times a year, lest you dive straight over the edge into full-blown baked breakfast oblivion. My mom decided to whip it up for our Sunday family brunch this weekend since Adam and I were in town, and she likes any excuse to cook over-the-top finger licking food (where do you think I get my food-fascination from?). She opted to add in blueberries and almonds to this recipe, but the great thing about it is that the bread pudding is a blank canvas for any mix-ins you’d like! You could add walnuts and bananas for sort of a banana-nut-muffin spin on french toast, or peaches and toasted hazelnuts – whatever you like! This is your brunch party!

It’s worth mentioning that this dish was adapted from a Paula Deen recipe. Why? Well, ”Paula Deen recipe” is code for butter-glazed heavenly deliciousness. I think that’s in the dictionary. So anyway… you should go make this.

Blueberry-Almond French Toast Bread Pudding

Makes 6 – 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf of Challah bread (13 – 16 ounces)
  • 8 large eggs
  • 2 cups of half-and-half
  • 1 cup of milk
  • 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 cup of blueberries (fresh or frozen; add more to taste)
  • 1/2 cup of slivered almonds (add more to taste)
  • 1 stick of butter
  • 1 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of light corn syrup
  • Maple syrup, if desired

Method

Slice Challah bread into 1 inch thick slices, then turn lengthwise and cut again so you’re left with 1 to 2 inch cubes. Arrange the cubes in a well-buttered 9 x 13″ flat baking dish. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and whisk well to combine. Pour mixture over bread cubes and toss to make sure all are evenly covered. Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least an hour, but up to overnight.

When you’re ready to cook, pre-heat the oven to 350 F.

To make caramel topping for bread pudding, combine the stick of butter, brown sugar and corn syrup in a small sauce pan over low heat. Cook until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture begins to bubble. Reserve.

It’s up to you whether you want to mix the berries and nuts in with the bread pudding or just sprinkle them on top. We mixed the blueberries in by sprinkling half over the bread pudding and gently tossing it to combine. Sprinkle the remaining berries and almonds over the top of the bread pudding, and drizzle the caramel topping evenly over the top as well.

Bake for 4o minutes or until puffed and lightly golden. Mix any leftover caramel topping with maple syrup, and serve alongside bread pudding. Extra fresh blueberries optional :)

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