Waffles for our new waffle maker!

We gave away our old waffle maker but luck would have it and we were gifted another!  This one was a little bit different; our old waffle maker made thinner, crispier Eggo-like waffles and this one was a little closer to Belgian waffles.

I tried my previous waffle recipe with this waffle maker and it didn't come out right.  I found this recipe on allrecipes and it worked really well.  I followed some tips from the reviews and beat the egg whites separately before adding them to the batter.  The waffles were perfect and I doubled the recipe so I could freeze the leftovers.  My daughter loves them for breakfast and I love that I can just pop them in the toaster oven.

They're great for breakfast but also a fun snack with cookie butter and peaches.

Thanks, oneshyofabunch!  

Waffles

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

 1 tablespoon white sugar

• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat waffle iron. Beat eggs in large bowl with hand beater until fluffy. Beat in flour, milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla, just until smooth.
2. Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Serve hot.

Biscoff (Cookie Butter) granola

I was kinda iffy on yogurt growing up until I realized that it became infinitely better when you added granola to it.  Store-bought granola can either be really delicious or really gross and lately the really delicious brand has been pretty expensive.  I decided to make my own, and I might not ever go back. 

The best part?  Being able to add whatever I want.  I've been getting ingredients from the bulk food section so it doesn't cost a fortune.

I forgot why I looked for a cookie butter granola recipe but I don't regret it.  This version is super easy and totally addictive.  

Thanks, Rachel Gurk!  I love this granola.  I should make some tonight.

Biscoff Granola

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup Biscoff spread (creamy, not crunchy)
• 1 tablespoon oil (I used coconut)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 cups thick cut rolled oats (I used quick oats instead)
• 1 cup sliced raw almonds
• 3 tablespoons ground flax 
• pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat baking mat.
2. Add Biscoff spread and oil to a small bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds on 50% power or until melty. Stir in honey.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine cinnamon, oats, almonds, ground flax (or wheat germ), and salt. Pour Biscoff mixture over the oat mixture and stir until well combined and all dry ingredients are coated. Spread onto prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Bake for 15 minutes, stir, and continue baking for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely before storing in airtight container.

Blackberry Scones

I'm getting close to my due date which means that I need to try and cook/bake as much as possible before I get banned from my kitchen.

Blackberries were the inspiration for these scones, but they were just as good without the blackberries, too.  They were light and lemony.  I think you could easily use this as a base for other berries or even chocolate chips.

Thanks to Joanne and Adam Gallagher of Inspired Taste for creating this recipe!  The website has a great step-by-step tutorial as well.  Grating butter is definitely the way to go for maximum butter distribution.  I had to substitute yogurt for sour cream which made the batter a little too moist but I just dropped them like biscuits and baked them for 16 minutes.  This yielded 12 smaller scones for me.

Blackberry Scones

You Will Need

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, frozen
• 1/2 cup sour cream, cold
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 1 container (6 oz) fresh blackberries

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, the baking powder, salt and baking soda.
3. Now, use a box grater to grate butter into flour mixture OR cut the butter into small cubes then work in with fingers until mixture looks like coarse meal.
4. In a small bowl, whisk sour cream, egg and lemon zest with a fork then add to flour and butter. Use the fork to stir everything together until just moistened. Add blackberries and gently stir into dough. Don't worry if some of the berries are smooshed or crushed a bit.
5. Empty the loose dough out onto a clean, floured work surface then shape the dough into a 7-inch circle then cut the dough into 8 wedges and carefully transfer to the baking sheet. Sprinkle the top of each scone with the remaining sugar and bake 14 to 16 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 5 to 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Notes and Tips

Use a box grater with large holes for grating the stick of butter, and make sure it’s very cold for best results.

Store cooled scones in an airtight container at room temperature 1 to 2 days or in the refrigerator 3 to 4 days. They can also be frozen up to 3 weeks.

Cinnamon Rolls

Pioneer Woman has a classic cinnamon roll recipe which looked fun, delicious, and surprisingly easy enough for me to accomplish in one afternoon.  I've made it three times now and it's never disappointed me.  I most recently made it with my mom and toddler and they were able to help with the assembly process (and had a lot of fun in the process.)  My daughter loved them so much that she did her best to eat more than one roll at each sitting (and often succeeded.)

It's not a fast recipe (you need at least 2 1/2 hours from start to finish, more if you refrigerate the dough for a little) but it yields a lot of cinnamon rolls.  I usually don't add coffee to the frosting but I'm sure it'd be delicious if I did.  It was a nice intro to baking with yeast as well.

Thanks, Ree!  

Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 quart Whole Milk
• 1 cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 packages Active Dry Yeast, 0.25 Ounce Packets
• 8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Reserved) All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
• 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt
•  Plenty Of Melted Butter
• 2 cups Sugar
•  Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon
•  _____
•  MAPLE FROSTING:
• 1 bag Powdered Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Maple Flavoring
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1/4 cup Melted Butter
• 1/4 cup Brewed Coffee
• 1/8 teaspoon Salt

Preparation Instructions

For the dough, heat the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat to just below a boil. Set aside and cool to warm. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit on the milk for 1 minute.

Add 8 cups of the flour. Stir until just combined, then cover with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside in a relatively warm place for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove the towel and add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the remaining 1 cup flour. Stir thoroughly to combine. Use the dough right away, or place in a mixing bowl and refrigerate for up to 3 days, punching down the dough if it rises to the top of the bowl. (Note: dough is easier to work with if it’s been chilled for at least an hour or so beforehand.)

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

To assemble the rolls, remove half the dough from the pan/bowl. On a floured baking surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 30 x 10 inches. The dough should be rolled very thin.

To make the filling, pour 3/4 cup to 1 cup of the melted butter over the surface of the dough. Use your fingers to spread the butter evenly. Generously sprinkle half of the ground cinnamon and 1 cup of the sugar over the butter. Don’t be afraid to drizzle on more butter or more sugar! Gooey is the goal.

Now, beginning at the end farthest from you, roll the rectangle tightly towards you. Use both hands and work slowly, being careful to keep the roll tight. Don’t worry if the filling oozes as you work; that just means the rolls are going to be divine. When you reach the end, pinch the seam together and flip the roll so that the seam is face down. When you’re finished, you’ll wind up with one long buttery, cinnamony, sugary, gooey log.

Slip a cutting board underneath the roll and with a sharp knife, make 1/2-inch slices. One “log “will produce 20 to 25 rolls. Pour a couple of teaspoons of melted butter into disposable foil cake pans and swirl to coat. Place the sliced rolls in the pans, being careful not to overcrowd. (Each pan will hold 7 to 9 rolls.)

Repeat the rolling/sugar/butter process with the other half of the dough and more pans. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cover all the pans with a kitchen towel and set aside to rise on the countertop for at least 20 minutes before baking. Remove the towel and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown. Don’t allow the rolls to become overly brown.

While the rolls are baking, make the maple icing: In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, butter, coffee, and salt. Splash in the maple flavoring. Whisk until very smooth. Taste and add in more maple, sugar, butter, or other ingredients as needed until the icing reaches the desired consistency. The icing should be somewhat thick but still very pourable.

Remove pans from the oven. Immediately drizzle icing over the top. Be sure to get it all around the edges and over the top. As they sit, the rolls will absorb some of the icing’s moisture and flavor. They only get better with time… not that they last for more than a few seconds. Make them for a friend today! It’ll seal the relationship for life. I promise.

Pancakes

V loves breakfast foods. When I'm home in the morning with her I'll try and make breakfast more interesting than cereal and milk.  Today she wanted pancakes, and this recipe is my go-to for easy pancakes that don't require ingredients not normally in my pantry.

Dakota Kelly, thanks for posting this on Allrecipes!

Good Old Fashioned Pancakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp white sugar

1 1/4 cups milk

1 egg

3 tbsp butter, melted

1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix until smooth.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

I used coconut oil in my frying pan and it worked pretty well. 

Breakfast Enchiladas

I'm a little competitive when it comes to, oh, I don't know, EVERYTHING, so when I heard a friend was bringing potato pancakes to a brunch  I decided to up my game and bring something more interesting than the quiche I was planning.  (Don't get me wrong-quiche is delicious!)  This plus a surplus of tortillas inspired me to see if breakfast enchiladas existed.  Lo and behold- they do!  And they're delicious and relatively easy.  I think I put this together in 30 minutes, including bake time.

Thank you to ValSoCal and Ashley Covelli of "Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen"!  I also made the homemade taco seasoning that Ashley found on Allrecipes.  The taco seasoning recipe is easy to put together and much cheaper than buying pre-made seasoning.  Thanks, Bill Echols!

Taco Seasoning

Original recipe yield: 1 ounce

1 tablespoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon paprika
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

1. In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container.

Breakfast Enchiladas

7 flour tortillas
9 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons of taco seasoning
2 teaspoons canned green chiles
3 green onions, sliced
salt and pepper ( to taste )
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup of monterey cheese
1 can enchilada sauce
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 avocado, diced

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile in a skillet heat 2 tablespoons of butter.

2) In a large bowl whisk eggs, milk, taco seasoning, green chilies, onions, pepper and salt.

3) Place egg mixture in the skillet with melted butter. When eggs are almost – cooked through add half a cup of cheese.

4) When eggs are cooked through place eggs into the tortillas and roll them and place in a baking dish. Pour sauce over the rolled tortillas, add cheese and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes. Place tomatoes and avocados on top.

*Note – you can add sour cream and cilantro as toppings.

Martha Stewart's Banana Bread

I love my other banana bread recipe but this one made good use of what I had: two bananas and sour cream.  My sister-in-law liked it because it didn't taste too banana-y (she's a good sport for trying it even though she doesn't love bananas) and my mother-in-law even called to say how much she liked it.  

Thanks, Martha Stewart!

Martha Stewart's Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat to incorporate.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine. Stir in nuts, and pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

Sausage and Pepper Frittata

"Brinner" (Breakfast for dinner) is delicious but it's hard to make eggs to order for a group if you want to actually spend time with your guests.  To solve that problem I decided to make a frittata, which is essentially a large, thick omelet started on the stove and finished in the oven.

This recipe calls for a dozen eggs but I used 8 and felt like that was plenty.  Some reviewers used 6 and that was probably fine, too.  I wanted more protein since we were feeding a bunch of boys.

Thanks, Anne Burrell and Food Network!

Sausage and Pepper Frittata

Ingredients

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 links hot Italian sausage, removed from the casing and crumbled
• 1 red bell pepper, 1/4-inch dice
• 1 yellow bell pepper, 1/4-inch dice
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 12 eggs, beaten with 1/4 cup water
• Salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Coat a nonstick 10-inch saute pan with olive oil. Add the sausage and brown. Add the peppers and saute until they are soft.

In a bowl, add the Parmigiano to the beaten eggs and season lightly with salt. Using a heat-proof rubber spatula, stir the eggs into the pan with the sausage and peppers. Stir the eggs to evenly distribute the sausage and peppers throughout the eggs. Once the eggs set on the bottom and around the sides of the pan, place the pan in the preheated oven for 7 to 8 minutes or until the eggs are cooked through. Remove from the pan. Cut into wedges and serve hot or a room temperature.

Waffles

We received a waffle iron/griddle for our wedding three years ago and used it once.  Once!!  It's ridiculous!  Luckily W wanted to have people over for the Pats/Broncos game and I wanted to have breakfast for dinner so we got an opportunity to bust out the waffle maker.  After a little research (and a friend's blog) I found this recipe for "Waffles of Insane Greatness" on the Food Network site.  The waffles were exactly what I hoped for, and I made extra so we could freeze them and have them for breakfast during the week.

Thanks to The Cooking of Joy for pointing me in the right direction!  I made them with buttermilk because that's what other reviewers suggested and I liked the results.  I also appreciated how I didn't have to spray my waffle iron with cooking spray. I love non-fussy recipes!

Waffle of Insane Greatness

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk or buttermilk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Butter and syrup, for serving

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; mix well. Add the milk, vegetable oil, egg, sugar and vanilla and mix well. Let the batter sit for 30 minutes.

Preheat a waffle iron. Do not use non-stick spray on the waffle iron; the oil in the batter will allow the waffle to release easily. Follow the directions on your waffle iron to cook the waffles. Serve immediately with butter and syrup.

Apple muffins

One of W's favorite desserts is apple cake, and these muffins actually taste like miniature versions of his beloved cake.  The outside of the muffin gets crunchy somehow, and it's a nice contrast to the warm, soft apple inside.


Side story:  I had class or something so I wasn't able to make it to a church event.  W had a piece of the famed apple cake and liked it so much that he brought back a piece for me just so I could try it.  I like it when we share food!


Thanks to The Girl Who Ate Everything!


Apple Muffins

Source: Marissa Pinon
Cream together:
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup oil
1 Tablespoon vanilla

Sift: (She didn't sift and either did I and they turned out great )
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 cups peeled, cored, diced apples (around 3 apples)
Brown sugar for topping (around 1/2 cup)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. The batter will be very thick. Add the diced apples.

Butter & flour muffin tins or use paper liners. Fill muffin tins almost to the top about 3/4 of the way full. Sprinkle with brown sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Makes 18-24 muffins.

Banana Bread

My dad hated buying bananas because more often than not we'd let them sit around until they were too mushy to eat and then we'd throw them out.  I think he still hates buying bananas to this day. 

Luckily I now know that mushy bananas can be transformed into banana bread!  You have to make sure the bananas are ripe.  We're talking LOTS of brown spots cuz that means the starches have turned to sugars. 

Random story- we went to Hawaii in high school for a school trip and we went to this "secret island" somewhere.  After playing in the sun and surf I remember eating multiple pieces of banana bread at a little snack stand nearby.  Mmmm...

Usually I'd add chocolate chips but I decided to try the recipe as written.  I appreciated the simplicity.  Thanks to Elise from Simply Recipes for posting it!

Banana Bread

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Method

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.
Yield: Makes one loaf.

Biscuits and Gravy

Usually February is the choice month for showing love but around here it's October.  October = birthday month so I find myself making W's favorites, no matter how unhealthy.  I think he first got hooked on biscuits and gravy at our college brunch and since then he's been a fan of any kind of Southern breakfast.

Please make sure you have plenty of friends around to help eat this!  We reheated the gravy a few days later and it was good (with a little milk to thin it out) but the biscuits don't do as well.  They're fantastic the day you make them.

Thanks to Kelly from Eat Make Read and Laura from The Cooking Photographer!

buttermilk biscuits  from Eat Make Read

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/4 cup (2 oz.) homemade butter (or store-bought), very cold and cut into small pieces
3/4 cup (or more) homemade buttermilk (or store-bought)
Special equipment: a 9-inch cake pan or cookie sheet
Makes 8-9 biscuits

1. Preheat the oven to 500°.
2. Lightly grease (or spray with cooking spray) a 9-inch cake pan.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and rosemary.
4. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or two knives. The butter pieces should range in size from a large pea to a little lentil.
5. Add the buttermilk, gently stirring until the dough starts to come together. You will have a fairly wet dough.
6. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface, and knead gently for one to two turns. Roll or pat out to about 3/4-inch thickness.
7. Using a floured 2-inch biscuit cutter, stamp out as many biscuits as you can, taking care not to twist the biscuit cutter into the dough. Re-roll the scraps as necessary.
8. Place the biscuits into the cake pan, letting the sides touch.
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown.

 Sausage Gravy 
from the Cooking Photographer
1 package Jimmy Dean All Natural Regular Pork Sausage
4 tablespoons butter, diced
3 tablespoons extra light olive oil or vegetable oil

1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

4 cups milk

Break up sausage into a very large skillet or wide bottom pot. Cook over medium high breaking apart the sausage into small pieces. When no longer pink and well cooked remove the sausage from the pan leaving the grease behind and set the meat aside. Add butter and oil and stir occasionally until the butter is melted.

Next, add the flour and cook for 3 to 4 minutes stirring frequently. Add the salt, pepper, and cayenne. Rub the thyme between the palms of your hands to crush it while adding to the pan. Slowly stir in the milk and bring it to a simmer stirring constantly until gravy is thickened to taste. Add the sausage back in and cook for a couple minutes to warm through.

Season with more salt and pepper if needed and serve hot over biscuits.