breakfast Archives - Page 9 of 11 -

November 27, 2014

Maple Apple Breakfast Bread

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.” Psalm 136:1

Today I give thanks for God’s steadfast love enduring even in the moments when I am most unlovable and for His love that carries me through all of the joys and struggles of life. His love endures forever.

Leaving you with a simple recipe for this Maple Apple Breakfast Bread that we’ve been enjoying as our happy start to our past few days. This bread is whole wheat, naturally sweetened, and a festive way to transition from fall to winter. I used a combination of white whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flour to keep the texture light and and the buttermilk makes the bread incredibly moist and tender. I finished it off with a coconut sugar glaze that soaks into the bread ever so slightly. We loved this glaze, but a light dusting of powdered sugar would also be nice alternative to the glaze.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Maple Apple Breakfast Bread

Ingredients

Bread:

1½ cups white whole wheat flour
1½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
1¾ teaspoons baking powder
1¾ teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
½ cup usalted butter (8 tablespoons), melted
¾ cup maple syrup
3 eggs. lightly beaten
2 tablespoons vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
2½ cups chopped peeled apples, I used Pink Lady

Glaze:

½ cup coconut sugar
1-2 teaspoons water

Instructions

Bread:

Preheat oven to 350. Butter or spray a 8½-inch bundt pan.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the butter, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir together until just combined. Fold in chopped apples.
Bake for 50 minutes -1 hour, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes in pan and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Glaze:

Whisk ½ cup coconut sugar in a blender on high speed until it becomes powdered sugar.
In a small bowl, mix the powdered coconut sugar with 1-2 teaspoons of water until smooth. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake.

Notes

adapted from The Black Dog Summer of the Vineyard Cookbook

October 20, 2014

Pistachio Almond Baked Donuts

How did it take me so long to buy a donut pan?! For a long time I kept convincing myself that I did not need another specialty baking pan, but after seeing this recipe, I finally decided that I could go no longer without a donut pan. Now I wish someone had convinced me that I needed a donut pan a long time ago. In terms of cookware, donut pans are relatively inexpensive and they take up very little space. I think this could possibly be my best purchase of 2014.

Baked donuts have brought such a welcome change from the usual muffins and quick breads that I often bake. Shape indeed does make a difference. Since I have been making them mostly for breakfast, I wanted to create a recipe that was whole-grain and refined sugar-free. These Pistachio Almond Baked Donuts are a combination of some of my favorite flavors. They are made with whole wheat pastry flour and ground pistachios, lightly sweetened with coconut sugar and honey, and finished with a dark chocolate glaze. I like these best served warm out of the oven.

Pistachio Almond Baked Donuts

Serves: 6 donuts

Ingredients

Donuts

¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour
⅓ cup finely ground pistachios, plus extra for sprinkling on top
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 egg
⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1½ teaspoon almond extract

Glaze

1.5 ounces dark chocolate
¼ teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon coconut oil

Instructions

Donuts

Preheat the oven to 400.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, ground pistachios, baking powder, and salt.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, butter, coconut sugar, honey, and almond extract.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together until just combined. Do not over mix.
Pipe the mixture evenly into the donut pan. (I use a small ziploc bag and cut the tip off one corner for piping.)
Bake for 10 minutes, until donuts are light golden brown. Let cool in pan for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Dip donuts in chocolate glaze and sprinkle with additional ground pistachios. Donuts are best served slightly warm.

Glaze

Melt chocolate and coconut oil together in a double boiler or in a microwave. If using a microwave, heat for 15 second intervals and stir after each interval. When chocolate is almost completely melted, remove from heat and stir until smooth. Stir in almond extract.

October 13, 2014

Whole Wheat Apricot Scones {with Oats and Flax}

My very first experience with scones was at afternoon tea at the Hong Kong Peninsula Hotel. My dad used to take our whole family to the Peninsula for tea during our trips to visit my grandmother. It was a special outing that we always looked forward to. Everything about the Peninsula’s afternoon tea is remarkable- the service, the atmosphere, the classical music, and of course, the food. My definition of what a scone ought to be comes from my enjoyment of the scones served at the Peninsula. Their scones are a bit like biscuits with a soft interior and only subtly sweet. I once did a google search for the Peninsula Hotel scone recipe and found one that resulted in scones very similar to the ones served at the Peninsula. Over the years however, my taste preferences have gravitated more towards whole-grains and I’ve adapted a scone recipe that I enjoy every bit as much as the Peninsula’s. These whole wheat apricot scones are made with whole wheat pastry flour, oats, flax, and are lightly sweetened with dried apricots and honey. Often times I substitute other dried fruits for the apricots and occasionally I will use almond extract instead of vanilla. If I am ambitious I make a double batch and freeze one batch unbaked. Frozen unbaked scones can be baked directly from the freezer with just a few additional minutes of baking time. Those are perfect for days when you feel like baking, but don’t want the work the work of baking because let’s face it, don’t we all have days like that?

Whole Wheat Apricot Scones {with Oats and Flax}

Serves: 12 small scones

Ingredients

2¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup rolled oats
3 tablespoons ground flax seed
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
⅔ cup chopped dried apricots
¼ cup honey
¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk, divided
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, flax, baking powder, and salt. Cut butter into small cubes and add to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter cubes into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the dried apricots.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the honey, ¾ cup buttermilk, egg, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.
Transfer dough to a well-floured surface and form two circles ¾" thick. Use a floured knife to cut each circle into 6 wedges. Transfer scones to the baking sheet, leaving at least 1" between each.
Use a pastry brush to brush scones with the remaining buttermilk. Bake 12-16 minutes, until golden brown around the edges.

Notes

adapted from Whole Foods