Brunch Bonanza

April 16, 2016 by Libby Harrison

I'm writing today from sunny (but windy) Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. I'm on a retreat with women from my church and having a wonderful time relaxing, praying, playing games and of course, eating! I signed up for making breakfast for our group this morning - and had two recipes in mind to make: scones and an overnight crockpot casserole.

When I first came on this retreat, I made buttermilk scones, using a recipe I had gotten from my bread baking class at King Arthur Flour. As soon as they came out of the oven, they were devoured in less than 10 minutes and I was told I wasn't allowed to come back on future retreats unless I brought these scones with me. So for three years running, these scones have made an appearance, and if you're not on time for breakfast - you'll be out of luck!

The other recipe I made for breakfast is a spinach, sausage & egg casserole. I've been making this recipe for years - but recently converted it to be made in a crockpot to feed a large group of people. It's so easy to assemble the night before and makes your kitchen smell amazing when you wake up.

See below for the recipes!

Buttermilk Scones (adapted from King Arthur Flour)

2 1/4 cups flour
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 Tbsp cold butter
1/2 cup cinnamon chips, chocolate chips or currants
1 egg yolk (reserve egg white)
3/4 cup buttermilk (or 3 Tbsp buttermilk powder plus 3/4 cup water)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Note: if you're using buttermilk powder, add it in with your dry ingredients - don't mix with the water.
Using a pastry cutter or working quickly with your hands, cut the butter into the flour mixture.
Mix in the cinnamon chips, chocolate chips or currants.
In a small measuring cup, add the egg yolk and enough buttermilk (or water if using buttermilk powder) until you reach 3/4 cup.
Gently stir in liquid mixture just until the dough comes together. You might need to use your hands to bring it all together.
On a lightly floured surface, briefly knead the dough. Flatten the dough into a disk about 3/4 inches thick.
Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cut into eighths and separate the wedges slightly.
Whisk the reserved egg white and brush the tops of each wedge. Sprinkle coarse sparkling sugar over the top. Note: If it seems the butter has gotten soft during some of the previous steps - chill the dough in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before baking.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until lightly browned.

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Spinach, Sausage & Egg Crockpot Casserole

1 (1lb 14oz) bag of frozen shredded hashbrown potatoes
1 (16oz) bag of frozen chopped spinach
1/2 (10oz) bag of frozen diced onion & green peppers - thawed and diced
2 (10-count) boxes of frozen turkey sausages (like Banquet)
1 (8oz) bag of shredded cheddar cheese
16 eggs or 1 (32oz) carton of egg substitute
1 1/2 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

In a large crock pot, mix together potatoes, spinach, onions & peppers, sausage and cheddar cheese.
Pour egg substitute and milk over the potato mixture and season with salt and pepper. Mix well.
Cook in crockpot on low setting for 6-8 hours.

Baking Club Adventure: Bread Pudding!

January 08, 2016 by Libby Harrison in desserts

At our September meeting, the subject of bread pudding came up since the pudding cake I chose to make for the September theme, was more like a bread pudding than a lava/pudding cake. Tonya mentioned that she had never had bread pudding before - and so the rest of us decided that our next theme had to be bread pudding - so that she could finally have a taste of one of my most favorite desserts! I can pretty much always be convinced to get dessert when eating out at restaurant, if bread pudding is on the menu. It's such a delicious comfort food and a great way to use up any kind of bread you have left over.

I've made bread pudding with French bread, challah, Irish soda bread...even Krispy Kremes! So if you ever have any leftover bread - don't throw it away - just put it into your freezer and pull it out for the next time you want to serve a crowd - for either dessert or brunch! Bread pudding makes for an excellent breakfast! (Think of it as a fancy baked french toast.) So when you've got enough bread on hand, all you need is some milk or cream, eggs and vanilla to whip up a delicious batch of bread pudding! There's even a simple ratio to keep in mind when putting together the egg custard in which the bread cubes are soaked: two parts milk to one part egg, plus sugar, vanilla and salt. So for a regular 1-lb loaf of bread, you'll need 2 cups of milk, 4 eggs, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 tsp vanilla and 1/4 tsp of salt. From there, the variations are endless - you can add additional ingredients like nuts, chocolate or fresh or dried fruit!

Note: Regarding the ratio above, remember that you have to use the same units of measure for your ingredients. Two cups of milk to one egg is not the proper ratio (an egg isn't an equal unit of measure for milk). Instead, you'd have to measure your eggs by weight or volume to get the proper ratio. For standard large eggs, 1 egg = 2 ounces. So for this ratio, 2 cups of milk (16oz) and 4 eggs (8oz) fits the 2:1 ratio.

The Baking Club had a wide range of breads and flavors added to our bread puddings - some came with sauces, some were served plain. All were delicious!

LIBBY: Apple and Maple Bread Pudding (via Bon Appetit)

I had just returned from vacation in Montreal & Quebec - so had maple on the mind when I picked this recipe. Maple can be an overwhelming flavor - but I liked how it wasn't overpowering in this dish. I decided to pair this bread pudding with a classic creme anglaise - a cooked custard sauce that is so delicious, I could (and would) just eat it with a spoon! I chose to use Julia Child's recipe - and it produced a deliciously smooth and creamy sauce that is perfectly mopped up with a bite of this bread pudding.

GINA: Classic Bread Pudding (via Cooks Illustrated) and Milk Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding (via Food & Wine)

Gina made two different variations on the bread pudding theme. The first was a classic bread pudding with good quality challah and a simple, but rich, egg custard. With no additional flavors or ingredients - this recipe lets the simple flavors of the pudding shine. What was unique about this recipe, is that you reserve some of your toasted bread cubes and sprinkle them on top of the soaked pieces, and brush them with melted butter. This helps crisp up those pieces, so you get a nice contrast in texture. So so good. This was one of my favorites and a recipe I'll definitely make on my own!

Her other recipe used croissants (yum!) and chocolate (more yum!). The egg custard is mixed with melted chocolate to make a chocolate custard and then additional chocolate pieces are mixed in along with the croissant cubes. We all liked it, but felt that the custard itself didn't taste chocolatey enough. I think you could try melting the full amount of chocolate in the recipe and add to the custard and then still add the called-for-amount of chocolate. Or, you could also omit the melted chocolate from the custard and just let the chocolate pieces be the sole source of your chocolate flavors.

KLARE: Pecan and Butterscotch Bread Pudding (via Bon Appetit)

Last, but definitely not least, Klare made a pecan and butterscotch bread pudding. The original recipe calls for bourbon in the butterscotch sauce, but she omitted it, as none of us in the club are big fans of liquor in our desserts (call us crazy). For the bread, Klare used Parkerhouse rolls from a local bakery, since that's what she had on hand - and they worked perfectly in this recipe. As far as bread puddings go, this is a pretty standard recipe - but what makes this stand out are the addition of pecans (my favorite nut) and a delicious butterscotch caramel sauce. Perfection!

My First Baking Club Adventure: Crumb Cake!

May 31, 2015 by Libby Harrison

A few months ago, I attended a friend's neighborhood book club and met a woman, Klare, who was looking for someone new to join the baking club she was a member of. A Baking Club. I mean, is there ever a more perfect group for me to join? I immediately gave her my contact information and not long after, received an "initiation" email inviting me "to prepare [my] top five recipes for [them] to determine if [I] meet [their] standards" and that I should "select recipes with the idea to 'wow' and 'impress' [them] but also to demonstrate [my] breadth of talent, skill and artisanship." Of course, this was all in jest- but I was definitely ready and willing to meet their demands!

So last month, I attended my first Baking Club meeting. The theme was crumb cake and we all found different recipes that represented the theme. It was so much fun talking about and (more importantly) eating crumb cake and to see the nuances of the different recipes. Some were butter based, others shortening based. Some called for cake flour; others all-purpose. Some had sour cream added for flavor and some had fruit added. What they all had in common was that they were OYUMG delicious!!

Read on for recipes and photos from each member!

LIBBY: Sour Cream Coffee Cake

This recipe was originally given to me by an old boss of mine. It is a really easy and super yummy coffee cake - the cake batter alone is a treat in and of itself. (Seriously, I could just keep licking the spatula until there was no batter left!). It also features a delicate brown sugar and toasted pecan topping that adds just the right amount of crunch and nuttiness. I deviated slightly from the theme of crumb cake for this coffee cake, as I had just made the crumb cake Tonya made for our meeting the week prior. But it was fun to compare and contrast our baking experiences and the results from us making the same recipe.

2 sticks butter, melted
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup pecans, toasted & chopped
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Combine melted butter, sugar, eggs, sour cream and vanilla in a large bowl; mix well.
Stir dry ingredients into butter/sugar mixture until just combined.
In a separate bowl, combine pecans, sugar and cinnamon and toss to mix well.
Pour half of batter into a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle half of nut mixture. Cover with remaining batter and sprinkle with remaining nut mixture. (Optional: Add 1-1 1/2 cups tart berries/fruit before adding the remaining batter and nut mixture.)
Bake until golden on top and firm, about 30 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

KAREN: Big Crumb Coffee Cake (via Smitten Kitchen)

This cake is butter based with sour cream and uses cake flour. The crumb called for cinnamon as well as ginger. The original recipe also called for a rhubarb filling - but Karen opted for some fresh blueberries instead. I think it was a winning substitution! The cake was moist and tender and was balanced by a hefty amount of crumb on top.

KLARE: New Jersey Crumb Coffee Cake (via Erren's Kitchen)

This is another butter based cake but also includes buttermilk. Klare made a slight modification and added cinnamon to the batter as well as to the crumb. The results were a dark, caramelized-like crumb topping - with a deep, browned-buttery flavor.

TONYA: Buddy Valastro's Crumb Cake (via Rachael Ray)

This is the recipe that both Tonya and I had made - so it was fun to talk about the process and results for the same recipe. This recipe makes for a really thick cake and crumb. It also differs from the other recipes in that the sponge cake is oil based and the crumb is shortening based. Not a stick of butter to be found in this recipe. And for my taste, it was noticeable. I would have preferred, particularly in the cake, to have a butter base, as it would have added a much deeper level of flavor. But overall, I did like the balance of cake to crumb and how tall the cake itself is (almost 3 inches high!).

GINA: New York-Style Crumb Cake (via Food.com)

Gina's recipe, similar to Klare's, calls for butter and buttermilk in the batter. The cake in this recipe was very tender and the perfect compliment to the crunchy, buttery crumb topping. Definitely a classic crumb cake - and one that I look forward to making in the future.

Oatmealpalooza

March 23, 2014 by Libby Harrison

Oatmeal. Most people love it or hate it. I used to be an oatmeal hater - I always found it bland and too much like the stuff you use to hold bricks in place.

But then I discovered the phenomenon that is the Growing Bowl of Oatmeal. I first read about it at Hungry Girl several years ago. I was intrigued that you could get such a big bowl of oatmeal out of a regular serving size. The concept is simple: use double the amount of liquid and double the cooking time. But while the original recipe called for some almond milk, cinnamon and Splenda, it still didn't have enough flavor to completely win me over.

So how do I make a bowl of oatmeal so yummy and flavorful that I'll want to eat it EVERY morning for years to come? Get creative.

First, I started with the oats. I found I liked using quick oats vs rolled oats as they definitely absorb the liquid better and faster and don't overflow the container as much. Then for flavor, I decided to add some fruit and settled on a banana as a healthy, flavorful addition, plus I thought it would be a good thickener. Then I added a healthy amount of cinnamon, a dash or two of kosher salt and some packets of Splenda. Next, I took a look at my liquid options. I liked the idea of unsweetened vanilla almond milk - but mixing it with water? No, thanks! I decided that Chai tea (essentially hot flavored water) would be the key to mixing with the almond milk for a creamy, yet spicy addition to the oatmeal. And so a morning ritual began.

The real beauty of this recipe is that it is so easy to prepare at work! Most office kitchens have Splenda and one of those fancy coffee machines with umpteen options of coffee and tea (including Chai!) - so right there, two of my ingredients were covered. Plus, there's a microwave. All that I needed was a bowl. And a big one. I had found in my first trials of this recipe that oatmeal has a pesky tendency of bubbling up and over its bowl. I settled on a 5 cup Rubbermaid container.

Now we put it all together. While the fancy coffee machine is brewing my tea, I'm measuring the oatmeal, cinnamon and Splenda into my bowl. I measure my almond milk, add the tea when it's ready and pour it into the bowl with the oatmeal. Lastly, I mash up the banana with my fingers and then pop it in the microwave for five (5) minutes. While I wait, I usually make another cup of Chai tea for me to sip while I eat my enormous bowl of oatmeal. And warning: this oatmeal smells soooo good while it's cooking, don't be alarmed if your co-workers come crawling to the kitchen wondering what's going on!

Here's the full recipe:

Banana Almond Chai Oatmeal

1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 packets of Splenda
Dash of kosher salt
1 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
1 cup brewed Chai tea
1 ripe banana, mashed

In a large microwave-safe bowl or container, add oats, cinnamon, Splenda and salt. Add almond milk and Chai tea. Add the mashed banana. Microwave on High for five (5) minutes.

Yields: 1 serving

A few additional notes and helpful hints:

I recommend Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk. You can find this at your grocery store, generally in the natural foods section. However, your best prices will be at Costco or Trader Joes. Trader Joes also has a good store-brand version in their refrigerated section - comes in a half-gallon size.
All bowls and microwaves are different - watch your oatmeal as it cooks when you make this for the first time so you can catch it before it overflows. You may also need to adjust the amount of liquid based on how much it overflows and the consistency you prefer your oatmeal (really thick, sort of soupy, or somewhere in between).
There have been times when I've forgotten to bring in more almond milk or bananas and still wanted to make this oatmeal. You can substitute regular milk for almond milk and use other fruit, like apples in place of the banana.

So it wouldn't be an Oatmealpalooza without some other yummy oatmeal recipes! Over the past week, I've come across several recipes for oatmeal that are prepared in a variety of ways: in the oven, in the refrigerator and even in a crockpot! So here's a round up the oatmeal recipes I've discovered this week, including a savory one - oatmeal doesn't always have to be sweet!

Strawberry Baked Oatmeal

This was actually one of the very first pins I ever posted on Pinterest. I made it for my small group at church and it was delicious! I'm making it again this weekend for my group - so will post a picture then. In the meantime, you can find the recipe here.

As promised, here's the picture of the baked oatmeal I made today. It was a hit!

Slow Cooker Oatmeal

I made this a few years ago at Christmas. What better way to wake up on Christmas morning than with breakfast already waiting for you! The fruit bits flavor and sweeten the oatmeal as it cooks.

1 cup steel cut oats
4 cups water
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1 - 7oz. bag dried fruit bits (raisins, golden raisins, apricots, apples, peaches and cranberries)

In a crockpot, mix all ingredients and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Add additional toppings or sweeteners, as desired.

Over Night Oatmeal

I haven't tried this one yet, but here's another take on having oatmeal prepared while you sleep! It's all about using a 1:1 ratio of oatmeal to liquid and then jarring it and letting it set overnight in the fridge. You can read more about the variations on this concept, here.

Savory Oatmeal

And finally, a look at the savory side of oatmeal. (This one's for you, Caitlin!) In looking up recipe ideas, I came across this list from, blog favorite, The Kitchn. Apparently, there's a new-ish restaurant in NYC called Oat Meals. And, you guessed it, all they serve is oatmeal (must go on my next visit to The City)! One of their signatures is a Croque Monsieur Oats that is "studded with bits of ham, parmesan cheese, a little cream, black pepper and sea salt." Doesn't that sound amazing? I haven't found a recipe for it, so it sounds like something I must experiment with pronto! Anyways, The Kitchn's list of savory oats also includes what appears to be a very simple, yet very tasty recipe from Mark Bittman, involving scallions and soy sauce. That's it - sounds easy enough to me! Find the recipe, here.

Well, friends, that's enough from me on oatmeal today. Who knew there were so many options! Feel free to comment below if you have any favorite styles or toppings for oatmeal.