brunch

Loving Lately

We’ve all seen those tasty videos; those amazing little cooking videos that take you from beginning to finished product in about 30 seconds. It’s like watching the Mary Poppins version of the Food Network. Just snap your fingers, and all the veggies are diced and sautéing in the pan…It’s magic. Two of these videos has been on Sadie’s to-do list for way too long, “Puff Pastry 4 Ways” and “Puff Pastry Decorations 4 Ways“. This is what we learned:

  1. Powdered sugar is your best friend. Almost any mess up can be gently erased with a dusting of powdered sugar- that’s where the real magic is at.
  2. Don’t over fill. If the recipe calls for a teaspoon of filling and you think a Tablespoon sounds better… it can be messy. Refer to No 1.

3. If you ask Rachel to participate in a “puff pastry hacks” post she will go over the top… but eggs baked in puff pastry wells, topped with Gruyère and bacon are so good! It’s a do.

3. A sharp paring knife worked best for imitating most designs. Finish the video before you send your pastry to the oven; otherwise, you might end up with something different.

4. Different might be better! Get creative… look at all of the surface area on that baked apple for caramel topping. Yeah!

5. Things left in the oven too long get burned. (We’ve all done it. Powdered sugar won’t help this.) Use a timer!

6. Fig jam with caramelized shallots is our new favorite puff pastry filling. Oh my goodness.

7. Baked fruit can look dull, an apricot glaze (even from a jar of apricot preserves) can bring it back to life… or refer to No 1.

8. Fresh herbs, such as mint or chives, add beauty and depth of flavor to sweet and savory pastries. And if you have powdered (confectioner’s) sugar, you can add a squeeze of a lemon or a little milk to make an icing. Tip: A little melted butter in the icing adds another layer of delicious.

9. Mommy bloggers have a way of always incorporating the kids.

10. Pre-made store bought puff pastry can be a lot of fun. We love it… almost as much as Tasty Videos!

One more pic… because puff pastry is pretty.

Pannu Kakku

I remember the first time I ate this growing up. The name sounded so exotic. My mother had learned the Finnish oven baked pancake recipe from a close family friend. The dish was served warm and topped with syrup. It was sweet and comforting. And although all of the ingredients were familiar to me, the almost soufflé like appearance and custard like texture turned this into something completely different and very special. The ratio of milk to eggs and sugar varies based on personal preference, this is how we like it the most.

As organic as possible:

1 stick Butter

1 cup Flour

4 Eggs

1 cup Milk

1/2 cup Sugar

1 Tbsp Vanilla

Preheat the oven to 400°. Melt the butter in a 13 x 9 inch pan until bubbly and starting to brown. In the mean time, add eggs, milk, vanilla and sugar to flour. Mix until all is incorporated. When butter is ready remove pan from oven and turn down to 375°. Carefully swirl the butter around the pan to cover bottom and sides. Pour batter into the pan and bake 25-30 minutes, until center is set (not runny). Serve warm with syrup or fruit.

Everyday Chocolate Chip Pancakes

To be clear, I am not suggesting that you should eat chocolate chip pancakes everyday. I am inferring that you can make these pancakes from everyday items you already have. Maybe they should be called Anyday Chocolate Chip Pancakes? We eat pancakes at least once a week at our house, my kids love them. Rarely do I keep buttermilk in the refrigerator, and even less often do I have the forethought to mix up a batter the night before I make them. (If I had that kind of forethought, I’d probably have buttermilk in the fridge.) These are a little sweet, so I like to balance it out by serving it with a side of sausage (don’t judge me).

Makes about 10 Medium sized Pancakes (And this recipe can be easily doubled)

As organic as you can:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp sugar (rounded)

1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup milk

2 Tbsp oil (I like sunflower, but you can use canola or vegetable)

Butter for your griddle

3/4 cup chocolate chips (give or take)

Okay, now I am going to be very specific about this, because I like my system and I think it saves on dishes. That said, please feel free to use your artistic license and dirty as many bowls as you’d like to clean, separate your dry from your wet, etc.

Add the dry ingredients in a batter bowl (that pours) and whisk them together. In a measuring cup, using the same whisk, beat your egg with the vanilla. (Side note: I don’t remember when I first learned about the egg/vanilla thing, but it really is a thing… and why, I don’t know, but  I do it every time.) Then dump your egg and vanilla right on top of the dry ingredients. Next, in the same measuring cup, measure your milk and pour it into the batter bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Now I like to mix the ingredients, with a wooden spoon, lightly until incorporated. (Side note: Wooden spoons seem nostalgic, but again use your creativity…) Then add the oil and lightly stir again until everything has come together. Don’t ‘over-mix’ because things get tough, but you don’t want flour pockets either. Just do it perfectly… And don’t worry about a few little lumps.

Then while that sits a minute heat your griddle (or pan) on medium heat and put a tab of butter on it. When it starts to melt, move the butter around until the surface is coated. Now if your batter seems too thick, add a little more milk and stir. If it seems thin, add a little flour. When ready, pour the batter in little round circles about 4 inches in diameter. Immediately following, sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly around the pancake. I do it this way, because that’s how my kids like it; and they eat the chocolate chips in lieu of syrup. However, if you have traditionalists who want plain pancakes (like myself) this step can be omitted completely or on a to-order basis.

When the batter starts to get those little bubbles breaking through to the top, flip them over. After about 1-2 minutes, when lovely and golden, remove the pancakes to a platter or plate and start over with the butter, batter and chips cycle. Along the way gauge your pan, if your butter is browning quickly, turn down the heat (maybe even wave your pan in the air a couple times to let it cool, just saying). If your pancakes are white and oozy, you probably need to turn the heat up. And have fun, by golly! Sneak a chocolate chip, or better yet, let your kids! (But give them a wink and a smile, or permission, so they know you see, and that way they’re not really being sneaky).Because life is too short not to enjoy yourself!

Serve right away, while warm. And if you are so indulgent, top with syrup and whipped cream. Delicious.

Banana-Pecan Muffins

I don’t know about you, but I like my bananas with pecans. It’s not to say I don’t like walnuts, I have a great recipe for walnut pie in which no other nut will do. But when it comes to bananas and nuts in my baked goods, it’s got to be pecans. They even sound better together. Say banana pecan muffin, now say banana walnut muffin. You see what I mean? They’re meant to be.

Makes 12 Medium Muffins

As organic as you can:

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar (rounded)

1 cup chopped pecans

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c sunflower oil (you can use canola or veg)

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla

3 ripe bananas (medium) mashed

3 tbsp milk

Preheat the oven to 375°. Grease a standard 12 cup muffin tin, and set aside. In a bowl stir together the flour, sugar, pecans, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix the oil, egg, mashed bananas, vanilla, and milk. Then add the dry ingredients into the banana mixture and stir just until it is all wet and mixed together.

Scoop the batter into each muffin tin about 3/4 of the way full (and unofficially, if you have any extra batter, continue to dollop it on the top of each muffin cup until it’s gone- just try to keep them even).

Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick, when poked into a center muffin, comes out clean. Let them cool (on a metal rack if you have one) for about five minutes. Then remove the muffins and serve or save for later. Enjoy!

Side note: We almost always have bananas going bad in our house so this recipe is a great way to use them up. However, we rarely have buttermilk; but, if you do please feel free to substitute the buttermilk for milk… You just might like it