Category Archives: BREAKFAST RECIPES

STRAWBERRY OR RASPBERRY, ALMOND, AND COCONUT GRANOLA

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Strawberry Dream Granola

In my mind I refer to this granola as Strawberry or Raspberry Dream Granola. Because it is so darned delicious and pretty darn healthy too. Not a lot of oil, and even then, it’s a “good” oil. And mostly sweetened by honey, with only a couple tablespoons of brown sugar thrown in to enhance the sweet-tart flavor from all the strawberry/raspberry action going on! All in all, a very delightful combination of ingredients if I do say so myself. And a lovely way to get any morning off to a good start.  

Now I know I already have several recipes for granola on this site. But we eat a lot of granola and I never want our taste buds to get bored. Plus, it’s really fun to experiment with different flavor combinations. But, in truth, almost any homemade granola is better for us and more to our liking than any similar product on the market. (No nasty, unpronounceable ingredients either!)  

And although some of the well-known brands like Nature Valley and Quaker Oats offer a good product, these cereals simply can’t compete with homemade granolas that include our favorite additives – nuts, dried and freeze-dried fruit, and coconut. (You notice, I didn’t mention chocolate chips. Because as much as I love chocolate chips, I just can’t imagine them in a breakfast cereal. Plus, I don’t want to experience any guilt from the breakfast food I consume. It would set a bad precedent for the rest of my day. Even though, it is almost inevitable that something I eat later in the day will fulfill my daily ration of food guilt! But if possible, I prefer to keep my guilt under control as far into my day as can be expected from a person with no will power!)

So, now you have the full story of why I enjoy preparing and consuming homemade granola. My work here is done.

As always, keep loving your time in the kitchen. Keep finding new and delicious ways to keep yourself and your family healthy. And continue striving to serve food that your family will still be enthusiastically talking about for days on end.

I realize it can be a daunting challenge. I get that. But as cooks, most of us still take no greater pleasure than in making people happy with the food we prepare. It must be part of our DNA makeup. So, I guess it all comes down to – just be yourself. And everything else will just naturally and beautifully fall into place.

Peace and love to all.

⅓ c. extra virgin olive oil

⅓ c. honey

2 T. brown sugar

1 tsp. fine-grain sea salt  

2 tsp. vanilla extract

6 c. old-fashioned rolled oats  

1½ c. roughly chopped almonds (or nut of choice)

1 c. coconut flakes

1 c. dried strawberries OR raspberries

4 T. freeze dried strawberry OR raspberry powder

1 c. freeze-dried strawberries OR raspberries (I use a 1.2-oz. package from Trader Joe’s)

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the olive oil, honey, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla together. Stir in the oats and nuts until they are evenly coated with the olive oil mixture. Spoon the granola evenly onto a large-rimmed baking sheet or sheets lined with parchment paper. (Don’t wash the mixing bowl.)

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and stir in the coconut flakes. Return to oven and bake an additional 11-12 minutes or until the oats are a lightly golden color.

Remove from oven and scoop back into the mixing bowl. Stir in the dried strawberries or raspberries and the freeze-dried strawberry or raspberry powder. Allow to cool undisturbed until completely cool. (The granola will crisp up as it cools.) Stir in the freeze-dried berries.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Wonderful served with milk or for a special treat, serve as a parfait with yogurt.  

    

QUICK AND EASY SOURDOUGH PANCAKES (using sourdough discard and pancake mix)

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This recipe makes about 6 pancakes. Leftover pancakes warm up perfectly in your toaster.

There are many aspects over which we have control when it comes to our own bodies. We can choose to be thin or a bit padded. We can choose to eat healthy and hope it leads to a longer and better life. We can change our hair color or eye color (tinted contacts) and decide whether or not to be physically fit by the amount of exercise we perform. But as much as we would wish to be taller, shorter, freckle free, darker shinned, lighter skinned, have long eyelashes or naturally pearly white teeth, etc. etc., there isn’t anything we can do mentally to make these wished for changes happen. And that also applies to magically becoming a “morning person”.

Because God knows, over the years, I have tried my darndest to train my body to embrace early morning awakenings. To look forward to sunrises, getting chores done early in the day, my daily exercise in before late afternoon, etc. etc. But all my hope and efforts have been to no avail. I simply cannot manipulate my body into resetting my circadian clock! My body remains firmly against early mornings and much prefers late nights. (I’m actually most efficient and cognizant at about 4:00 in the afternoon.) So, you might ask, what has this to do with pancakes? Allow me to elucidate.

As stated above, I’m really not at my best in the morning. So, making breakfast now that we are both retired, usually doesn’t happen until between 9:00 or 10:00 am. And even then, it has to include simple preparations. Oh, don’t get me wrong. We always have a hearty hot breakfast, but no dishes that include too many moving parts. (So, to speak!) But I found a way to limit the amount of mental capacity required to make really delicious pancakes before I am truly awake.

Now, you know, I rarely use packaged mixes. But desperate times call for desperate measures! And there is no one more in need of assistance in the morning than I am. So, where I used to use buttermilk to get that sour flavor I love in pancakes, I now use sourdough starter discard. Right out of refrigerator. No special treatment required. And I must say, our pancakes this morning were absolutely delicious. And why I never thought to use sourdough starter instead of buttermilk before now I will never know. Except of course, it probably has to do with the morning fog that I usually experience. (That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!)

So, if you too have sourdough starter discard you would like to use, an egg, a bit of milk, and a bag of pancake mix (I use Krusteaz Pancake Mix), I hope you will give this quick and easy recipe a try. These pancakes served with warm maple or berry syrup or sauce (see some recipes below) are bound to start everyone’s day off to a great start.

As always, keep having fun in your kitchen, keep serving up delicious food, and keep trying to expand your limitations.

I still dream of the day when I can wake up early, sit up in bed, and admire a beautiful sunrise with all the passion my dear husband shows for this daily event. (He is truly a morning person.) Of course, with my luck, it would probably coincide with pink porcine critters flying over our roof top. But still a girl can dream.

Peace and love to all.        

½ c. sourdough starter discard

1 egg

¼ c. milk

1 c. pancake mix, more or less

Whisk the sourdough starter, egg, and milk together in a mixing bowl. Stir as much pancake mix as needed to bring the batter to your desired thickness.

Melt butter on a non-stick griddle over medium-low heat. Pour quarter cups of batter onto the melted butter leaving enough space that you can easily flip the pancakes. Cook the pancakes until they are bubbly on top and golden brown on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Then flip the pancakes until they are golden brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes more. Serve with more butter and warmed maple or berry syrup or sauce (see recipes below). Or my personal favorite, a dollop of sour cream.

Chunky Fresh Strawberry Syrup

3 c. diced fresh strawberries

¾ c. granulated sugar

1 T. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

Combine strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to a gentle simmer until the strawberries are soft and the syrup is thickened and reduced by ⅓ to ½ in volume, approximately 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla bean paste. Serve warm.

Chunky Frozen Raspberry Syrup

1 12-oz. bag frozen unsweetened raspberries, divided  

¾ c. granulated sugar

½ c. + 2 T. water, divided

½ tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. cornstarch

1 T. unsalted butter

Stir 1½ cups of the raspberries, sugar, and ½ cup of the water together in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved. Heat the mixture to boiling, stirring often. Reduce heat and add the vanilla.

In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and remaining two tablespoons of water together. 

Pour this into the boiling raspberry mixture. Stir and boil over medium-low heat until the mixture has thickened a bit. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Allow the mixture to cool for 15 minutes, then stir in the remaining raspberries. Serve warm.   

Chunky Fresh Blueberry Syrup

2 c. fresh blueberries 

½ c. + 2 T. water, divided

¼ c. granulated sugar

2 tsp. cornstarch

½ tsp. pure vanilla extract  

Place the blueberries, ½ cup water, and sugar in a heavy pan. Heat over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a low boil and blueberries are just beginning to break apart. Stir occasionally.

In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons water and cornstarch together. Pour into the blueberry mixture and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat and simmer on low heat for 3-4 minutes or until syrup reaches your desired consistency. (If the syrup is too thick, thin with 1 tablespoon of water at a time.) 

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Serve warm.   

Blueberry-Rhubarb Sauce

3 c. blueberries

1 c. sliced rhubarb

¼ tsp. lemon zest

3-4 tsp. fresh lemon juice (I used 4 teaspoons because I love me my lemons)

½ c. granulated sugar

tiny pinch ground cinnamon, opt.

1 T. water

1 T. cornstarch

Combine the blueberries, rhubarb, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon in a medium-size saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often until the berries and rhubarb begin to give off some liquid and the sugar has dissolved.

Bring the mixture to a boil. Partially mash the fruit with a fork as it cooks.

In a small bowl, whisk the water and cornstarch together. Stir into the blueberry mixture and return to a boil. Boil for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until the mixture thickens. Serve warm.

Strawberry Rhubarb Orange Sauce 

¾-1 c. granulated sugar (depends on how sweet you like your sauce)

2 T. orange juice concentrate

scant ½ c. water

5 tsp. cornstarch

3 c. diced rhubarb

3 c. chopped fresh strawberries

1 tsp. vanilla

1 T. Cointreau (or any other orange flavored liqueur)

Combine sugar, orange concentrate, water, and cornstarch in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the rhubarb; reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb is tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the strawberries, cook for 30 seconds and remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla and Cointreau. Serve warm.

DRIED BLUEBERRIES, COCONUT, AND ALMOND GRANOLA

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And yes, that measuring cup stays in the container. We only allow ourselves 1/4 cup of cereal for breakfast. Of course, that’s not all we eat. We usually have half a piece of fruit, a couple bites of breakfast meat, an egg, toast, and yogurt too. So yes, our breakfasts are very hearty.

So, it’s just another routine day here at Chez Carr. Got out of bed, threw on my bathrobe, trundled out to the living room, drank my Americano while reading the paper, took my shower, got dressed, fixed breakfast, ate breakfast, did the dishes, put on my “head”. (“Head” meaning apply the minimum amount of makeup to make me less scary looking). After making myself presentable, I then sat down at my desk and read the email posts that interested me, made a quick revue of Facebook posts, and got my daily dose of reality by reading Heather Cox Richardson’s Letters from an American. Pretty darn interesting way to begin a day, right? (Actually, at my age, any day that I wake up still alive and kicking is cause for celebration!) But, if somewhere each morning I’m fortunate enough to find even one small morsel of delight in my daily morning routine, I’m pretty much assured that the rest of my day is going to run smoothly. And today’s delightful bright spot was this granola.

And yes, I make granola all the time. In fact, there are several great granola recipes already on this site. But this one was especially fun to make because it includes freeze-dried fruit. And I’d never worked with freeze-dried fruit before. And I find that I like freeze-dried fruit – a lot! At least I like the blueberries. I also purchased freeze-dried strawberries and raspberries, and I can’t imagine that I won’t find them just as delicious. Eating freeze-dried blueberries is just about as good as eating the crunch berries in Cap’N Crunch, without the corn flour, sugar, oat flour, brown sugar, palm and/or coconut oil, salt, sodium citrate, natural and artificial flavor, red 40, malic acid, reduced iron, niacinamide, (one of the B vitamins), yellow 5, strawberry juice concentrate, zinc oxide, blue 1, yellow 6, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid (4 more B vitamins), BHT (preservative), and tocopherols (preservative). (And no, I do not routinely eat crunch berries. I wish I could because they are truly a guilty pleasure. But I must draw the line somewhere. And my Cap’N Crunch line is drawn in indelible as well as inedible ink!) But back to freeze-dried fruit.  

There is however one itsy, bitsy problem inherent with freeze-dried fruit. It’s damn expensive! So, as much as I would like to eat it every day, it ain’t going to happen! At Chez Carr, freeze-dried fruit has now been relegated to the list of “once in a while if you’ve been really, really good” that includes, but is not limited to, that crème de la crème of steaks – filet mignon, saffron, a pound of fresh cracked crab (that I don’t have to shell), and Scharffen Berger baking chocolate.

But if you happen to have some freeze-dried fruit just lying around, I would highly recommend that you use it in this granola recipe. Of course, if you don’t happen to have any around, this granola is still wonderful without its inclusion. Let’s face it, the next time I prepare this recipe, there won’t be any freeze-dried fruit in my cereal either!

As always, be happy with what you have. Some things, like freeze-dried fruit are lovely, but going without them is OK too. In fact, if we all got everything we wanted, and all our wishes were invariably granted, how would we ever know the pure joy that simple pleasures can bring?

I treasure what I do have. And I don’t pine away for the things that are out of my realm of possibility. My dad taught me to be happy. And I will always be more than grateful for his insight. Peace and love to all.  

⅓ c. extra virgin olive oil

⅓ c. maple syrup or honey

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. fine-grain sea salt  

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

6 c. old-fashioned rolled oats  

1½ c. roughly chopped whole almonds (or nut of choice)

1 c. coconut flakes

1½ c. dried blueberries

1 c. freeze-dried blueberries, opt. (I used a 1.2-oz. package)   

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the olive oil, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon together. Stir in the oats and nuts until the oats and nuts are evenly coated.  

Spoon the granola evenly onto a large-rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and stir in the coconut flakes. Return to oven and bake an additional 11-14 minutes or until the oats are a lightly golden color.

Remove from oven and stir in the dried blueberries. Allow the granola to cool undisturbed for at least an hour or until completely cool. The granola will crisp up as it cools.

Stir in the freeze-dried berries. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Wonderful served with milk or for a special treat, serve as a parfait with yogurt.   

  

PARMESAN CHEESY GRITS

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And yes I know, most of us over the age of 50 who grew up in Western Washington, did not grow up eating grits. Maybe you had grits if you were a kid growing up in the South, but this gal growing up in Kenmore, Washington, who hated hot grain cereals to begin with, was never offered the choice. Cream of Wheat, oatmeal, Malt-0-Meal, Maypo, and Roman Meal – possibly. I can’t really remember what we had around because as a kid I hated all of them. And still do. Well, almost all. I love grits loaded with lots of cheese, butter, and heavy cream. I willingly and enthusiastically will eat grits as part of any breakfast, lunch, or dinner. (BTW – I love polenta too.)  

But grits never entered my culinary realm until we were visiting daughter Eden several years ago, and she served us White Cheddar Cheese Grits (recipe on site) for breakfast one morning. OMG. I was hooked from that very day.

And what an easy side dish to prepare. The only reason I don’t fix grits more often, is because of the fat content. But once in a while, when I can’t help myself, I succumb to my craving and throw a batch together.

And last evening was one of those times. And as much as I love cheddar cheese grits, I wanted to change things up a bit. So I went on line and did some research. And I learned a few things. First of all, never use instant or quick-cooking grits. Stick to stone ground unbleached white or yellow grits. And use the KISS (Keep It Simple Sister) principle. Do a pre-boil of the grits using only water, and in this case a bay leaf. Don’t add salt and don’t use milk or cream for the pre-boil. Cream can easily burn and salt inhibits the dried grits from hydrating properly. Salt, other flavorful additives, butter, cream or milk can all be added later. And don’t over-cook the grits. They are perfect when they are al dente.

So with all that said, give this recipe a try. Grits are truly an effortless side dish to fix. And so, so delicious. And perfect as an accompaniment to simple meat entrees. Or as a base for a variety of different dishes.

As always, keep experimenting in the kitchen. Keep thrilling your family with new and delightful offerings. And most importantly, keep resisting the urge to let down your guard when it comes to covid-19. The bug is still out there, and it’s still going strong. Peace and love to all.  

3 c. water

¾ c. stone ground corn grits – not instant or quick-cooking grits (I use Old School Brand Stone Ground White, Unbleached Grits) (Thanks Jim for turning me on to this wonderful product & for fixing grits for us the other evening. You are a kitchen KING!)

1 bay leaf

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

tiny pinch crushed red pepper flakes

4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter

2/3 c. grated Parmesan or Pecorino-Romano cheese (I used a combination)

¼ c. heavy cream

Whisk the water and grits together in a heavy lidded pot. Add the bay leaf and bring the mixture to a boil. As soon as the water starts to boil, remove pot from heat, cover, and set aside until about 20 minutes before you plan to serve. (I did this step about 2 hours before I served dinner. I just let the pot sit on the stove until I was ready for it.)  

Uncover the pot, and whisk in the salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Return the grits to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, and cook for 10-20 minutes, whisking regularly to prevent clumping and the grits sticking to the bottom of the pan. The grits are ready when most of the water is absorbed and the grits are al dente (tender with a toothsome bite).

Remove from heat. Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the butter, Parmesan cheese, and heavy cream. Adjust seasoning. Serve immediately or if necessary, cover until ready to serve.

BAKED CINNAMON NUTMEG CAKE DONUTS

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OK, your donuts will not look like these. This was my first attempt with silicon donut pans. I didn’t grease the pans. So I had to dig the little darlings out of the pans. So yes, you are looking at the bottom of the donuts. Frosted, but never-the-less they are upside down. Next time I will GREASE THE PANS. Plus, I didn’t bake the donuts long enough. Next time I will do that too. And I let the icing sit too long before I spread (tried to spread) it on the donuts. Lessons learned. But the taste? Wonderful! At least I got that right!!

OK, so here’s the deal. I am not a donut person. Why, I have no idea, except it might have started as far back as grade school for me.

Back when I was in 4th and 5th grade (around the time when dinosaurs became extinct), our elementary school was right across the street from a small convenience store. Don’t really remember more about the store than that it was quite tiny and sold the best maple bars ever. Ever!!! And I bought one every opportunity I could. Never candy bars, or ice cream bars, not even Hostess cupcakes. I bought maple bars. And ever since, I have never found another fried donut type goodie to equal those amazing, incredible, perfectly fried and frosted wonders.

So among most of my friends and relatives, I am kind of an enigma. Because, after all, who doesn’t like donuts? But when you have experienced perfection at an early age like I did, it’s very difficult to settle for second best.

But recently our friend Carol Anne posted a picture of some cake donuts she made aboard their boat. They looked so delicious. So I decided if Carol Anne could bake donuts for her and her husband Dave on a boat, I should be able to build a batch for Mr. C. and me from our kitchen. So that’s just what I did.

However, while I was plotting how to top these little babies, I thought about those maple bars I loved so long ago. (And yes, I have eaten a few maple bars over the last 65 years, but probably not more than 5. They just don’t make um like they used to! Yup, I’m getting old.)

Anyway, given the donut ingredients, including cinnamon and nutmeg, I decided a maple icing would make a really nice topping. So that’s what I did for this batch. (You notice I said for this batch. Because the donuts turned out so well, were so easy to make, and so darned delicious, I’m sure I will be making them again and again.)

The donut recipe came from one of my favorite food sites -sallysbakingaddiction.com. Sally’s recipe called for the cinnamon sugar topping you will find below. I added the recipes for vanilla glaze and maple icing recipes because I always appreciate having options, and I presume you do too. Luckily for me when I asked Mr. C. which topping he would prefer, there was no hesitation. I would have made the maple icing regardless, but it was nice of him to pick the correct choice.

So my friends, I have to eat my words once again (no wonder I have digestive issues once in a while). I now have to state unequivocally, that I like donuts. Well not all donuts. But I sure as heck like these guys. Hope you do too.

As always, peace and love to all.

Donuts:

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour (fluffed)  

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter

2/3 c. brown sugar, packed

½ c. whole milk

½ c. sour cream

2 lg. eggs, at room temperature

1 T. vanilla extract

Spray metal or silicon donut pans with non-stick spray. Set pans aside.

Please note: Donuts baked in a silicon pan take longer to bake.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a large glass mixing bowl. Whisk in the brown sugar, milk, and sour cream. Finally add the eggs and vanilla, whisking until fully combined. 

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients; mix just until combined. Do not overmix. The batter will be quite thick.

To transfer the batter to the cavities on your donut pans, fill a quart sized zip-lock freezer bag with the batter. Zip the top closed. Cut off a corner at the bottom of the bag, and pipe the batter into each donut cup, filling only ¾ of the way full.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 7-13 minutes for small donuts, or 9-16 minutes for regular sized donuts, or until the edges are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into a donut comes out clean. Do not under bake. (I made that mistake. Never again!)

Remove for oven and allow the donuts to cool for about two minutes before transferring to a wire rack set on a large baking sheet. Top the donuts with one of the three topping options listed below.

This recipe makes about 16 small donuts. My silicon pan cavities measure 2.9 inches across. So my pans make fairly small donuts.

Cinnamon Sugar Topping:

½ c. granulated sugar

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ c. (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted

Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Dip the donuts in the melted butter, then dunk into the cinnamon sugar mixture coating just the top half

Note: Donuts are best served immediately. Leftovers keep well covered tightly at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Vanilla Glaze:

½ c. powdered sugar

½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 small pinch salt

1 or 2 T. whole milk

In a medium bowl whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Add 1 tablespoon of milk, and whisk to combine. If the glaze is too thick, add additional milk, ½ teaspoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

Maple Icing:

3 T. unsalted butter

½ c. brown sugar, packed

2 T. whole milk

¾ c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. maple extract

In a small heavy saucepan, heat the butter, brown sugar, and milk together. Bring to boil and simmer for 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes. Add powdered sugar and maple extract; blend well. Add additional powdered sugar as needed.

Spread on cooled cake donuts. Let set before serving.   

Note: Donuts are best served immediately. Leftovers keep well covered tightly at room temperature for up to 2 days.

You can freeze the donuts for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm up to your liking in the microwave. I usually just nuke them for a few seconds.

 

  

INDIVIDUAL JAM FILLED CREAM CHEESE DANISH PASTRIES

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OK, I know. You don’t make pastries. You are gluten challenged. And you don’t eat sweets! Got it. But if you did, aren’t, and do, you should most definitely add this recipe to your “must make for breakfast at my earliest convenience” list. Because this recipe is easy, almost fool proof (I made it after all), and absolutely delicious. And did I mention it was easy. Yah I did. But it bears repeating.

So the other morning I really wanted to fix individual pastries to share. (Social distancing of course.) Our friends are in the process of building a new home, selling the home they are living in (which of course means packing every last thing they own), and staying well (covid-19 free) all at the same time. Any one of these 3 things is stressful all by itself. But in combination? Might as well just take a hammer and beat yourself up with it as take on this great an adventure at this time. But who knew the coronavirus was going to impact our lives to the extent it has? At least my crystal ball didn’t share that information with me. And apparently theirs didn’t either. So I thought a bit of something fun for their breakfast the next day would add a bit of sunshine to their morning. (Wouldn’t hurt as a nice beginning for our day either.)

So being a cheese Danish lover I decided to do some searching on how to make individual cheese Danishes. (My recipes Cream Cheese Danish and Dried Cranberry and Almond Braided Danish are terrific, but they aren’t individual pastries.)

I found the recipe for the dough part of this pastry on the letthebakingbegin.com site. The fillings part I lifted from my Cream Cheese Danish recipe, along with dusting each Danish with granulated sugar before the final rise. And I must say, the overall product was better than I anticipated. Actually I didn’t really know quite what to expect. But what a surprise when the finished product not only tasted terrific, it was pretty to boot! (I love it when a plan comes together.)

So if you too have a burning desire to prepare a pastry that truly looks and tastes like it just came from a bakery, then this is the recipe for you.

As always, keep baking, keep pushing yourself to try recipes that even a year ago would have scared the pickles out of you, and don’t think less of yourself if you try something and it doesn’t look like Martha Stewart was personally directing your every action. Most of us are just home cooks. Pretty darn good home cooks, but never-the-less we don’t have the advantage of having attended culinary school. (At least I’ve never had that opportunity.) So I cut myself some slack when I make a mistake, my final product doesn’t look like the one pictured on the creators site, or I have to look up a culinary term I had never heard of before. I’m not a trained chef. I’m a home cook.

Several years ago my good friend Christine and I were talking about food preparation. She hit the nail on the head perfectly when she said she was simply a good “mommy” cook. And I realized, at that time, that’s exactly what I was too. I’ve expanded my repertoire of dishes since then, but only because I have more time than I did when I was a working mother feeding a family.   So again, try new dishes, but don’t berate yourself if the final product isn’t perfect. Perfection is overrated anyway. I think Guy Harrison truly had the right idea when he wrote: “Perfection is overrated, boring. It’s the imperfections—the vulnerabilities, the weaknesses, the human elements—that make us who we are, that make us real, beautiful…necessary.” Peace and love to all.

Pastry Dough:

1 c. lukewarm whole milk

2 tsp. active dried yeast 

⅓ c. granulated sugar

2 T. sour cream

4 egg yolks

¼ tsp. kosher salt

3 oz. (¾ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

3½ – 4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

vegetable oil 

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the lukewarm milk, yeast, and sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Add the sour cream, egg yolks, salt, butter, and about 3 cups of the flour. Using your dough hook, mix/knead the dough for 6-8 minutes or until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, and feels slightly tacky to the touch. (You will probably need more flour. And there will still be a bit of dough that wants to stick to the bottom of the bowl when it’s time to stop the machine.)

Pour a bit of veggie oil over the dough, and using your hands, roll the dough into a ball. Make sure the entire ball of dough is lightly oiled. (This helps keep the dough from cracking and drying as it rises.)   

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 70-90 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Meanwhile, prepare the cream cheese filling. Once the dough is doubled, punch it down and divide into 14-16 equal sized pieces.

Shape each piece of dough into a ball by tucking the ends underneath until you get a smooth surface on top. Set the balls on large parchment paper lined baking sheets evenly spaced. Make sure the pastries are at least 3 inches apart.  Let rest for 10 minutes, then dip the bottom of a glass into the middle of each pastry to form an indentation that goes almost to the bottom of the ball.

Using a medium sized ice cream scoop, fill each pastry indentation with the cream cheese filling. Smooth out the filling, and plop a heaping teaspoon of jam or preserves in the middle of the filling. Lightly dust the entire pastry with granulated sugar. Place in a warm place and allow the pastries to almost double in size, about 45 minutes.

Starting the 2nd rise.
Isn’t that the cutest little pastry you ever saw?

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 19-22 minutes, or until the outside is golden brown. The internal temperature of the pastry should be at least 190 degrees.

Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container on your counter for up to a day. Then move to the refrigerator. When ready to serve, warm on high for 20 seconds in your microwave. You can also freeze the pastries for up to a month. To thaw, pop them in the oven straight from the freezer for about 5 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cream Cheese Filling:

2 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, room temperature

1 c. granulated sugar, plus more for dusting

1 tsp. vanilla

jam, jelly, preserves, or curd of choice (strawberry, peach, apricot, raspberry, marionberry, lemon, etc.)   

Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Set aside until needed.  

       

BUTTERY SOURDOUGH BISCUITS

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OK, these are not your every day, ordinary baking powder biscuits. These guys taste like they are cheese biscuits. I kid you not! And the texture is also reminiscent of a cheese biscuit. (Not what you would consider light and fluffy.) But there is no cheese in these babies. I keep saying cheese, but there is no cheese in any way associated with these darlings. So that means you can serve these biscuits all by themselves with any of your favorite soups or stews, alongside your eggs at breakfast, or any time a cheesy biscuit would be lovely to serve. And no cheese expense involved. And for those of us who are trying (I said trying) to avoid sugar, you don’t even need jam on these puppies. Or even butter. (There truly is enough butter already in the biscuit, so no, no additional butter is necessary.) And these guys are kind of crunchy. Why you ask? I haven’t the slightest idea. But they are!  

Now if you prefer light as a feather biscuits, these are not for you. But I still have you covered. You want the perfect biscuit, try my Easy Buttermilk Biscuits. They are truly de light ful. But if you want a biscuit that is just a bit different, quick and easy to build, and helps you use your sourdough discard, you simply must give these darlings a try. (Thank you King Arthur Flour for the recipe.)

For breakfast yesterday morning, I went whole hog and served us each a full biscuit that had been split (carefully), toasted, then filled with bacon, scrambled eggs, thinly sliced cheddar cheese, and a couple drops of hot sauce. Oh baby, those were really tasty breakfast sandwiches.

Now this recipe really only makes 4 biscuits. So if you have a hungry mob to feed, I would suggest you double the recipe. For us, these biscuits will be perfect for 3 breakfasts. And because they are so darned fast and easy to build, I’m going to be serving them a lot in the future.

As always, take care of yourself, take care of your family, and be the kind of person who respects other people and can also point to yourself in the mirror and say “I like and respect that person too!”  

For over a decade, the Staple Singers recorded songs that were very political in nature. The songs focused on the issues of racism, and contributed to the African American civil rights movement by persuading people to learn to respect themselves. The song, Respect Yourself, (lyrics below) written by Luther Ingram and Mark Rice and recorded by the Staple Singers in 1971, was actually written as a message song to encourage self-empowerment and dignity, especially within the black community. Even though the words are almost 50 years old, they remain a good reminder to each of us of the importance of respect. Love and peace to all.

Respect Yourself Lyrics:

If you disrespect anyone you run in to…….

How the world do you think anybody’s s’posed to respect you?

If you don’t give a heck ‘bout the man with the bible in his hand……….

Just get out the way and let the gentleman do his thing!

You the kind of gentleman that want everything your way……….

Take the sheet off your face boy, it’s a brand new day.

Refrain:

Respect yourself, respect yourself.

If you don’t respect yourself ain’t nobody gonna give a good cahoot – Respect yourself, respect yourself

If you’re walkin’ round think’n that the world owes you something ‘cause you’re here,

You goin’ out backwards like you did when you first come here.

Keep talkin’ ‘bout the president won’t stop air pollution………

Put your hand on your mouth when you cough, that’ll help the solution.

Oh, you curse around women and you don’t even know their names……

And you dumb enough to think that make you a big ol man!

Refrain:

Respect yourself, respect yourself.

If you don’t respect yourself ain’t nobody gonna give a good cahoot – Respect yourself, respect yourself

Recipe:

1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour 

2 tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp. kosher salt

8 T. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, grated

1 c. sourdough starter discard

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir the grated butter into the flour until the mixture is unevenly crumbly. Add the starter, mixing gently until the dough comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and gently pat it into a square 1-inch thick. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 4-6 square biscuits.   Place the biscuits onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2″ between them. (They’ll spread a bit as they bake.) Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, or until a light golden brown and feel set to the touch.

Remove the biscuits from the oven and serve warm. Or cool completely, wrap in plastic, and store at room temperature for several days. Heat before serving. (I split mine and used the toaster. Worked great!)   

GINGER SPICE GRANOLA

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And yes, I know I have other recipes for granola on this site. But I like variety. And we eat a lot of granola. Oats are good for us. But one of us, hates oatmeal. With a purple passion. And can’t even get it passed her nose. So therefore, I have to get oats into my diet in some other form.

I love oatmeal cookies, but that probably isn’t what my doctor would recommend as a way to get oats into my daily eating routine. (My doctor has no sympathy or compassion when it comes to my weight and high blood pressure. And why should she? She’s 30 something, skinny as a rail, and probably never tasted a really good cookie in her life! But to her credit, she cares if I live or die. So really, I can’t fault her for that!) So it’s granola for Mr. C. and me. (And yes, I will and do make cooked oatmeal for Mr. C. upon request. But he must prefer granola, because he rarely asks for cooked steel cut oats with brown sugar, cinnamon, and cream.)  

And thankfully, homemade granola is not only delicious, and easy to prepare, it’s a whole lot less expensive than the stuff you can buy in the store. I mean really! How can oats with a bit of nuts and fruit cost so much? Who are these manufacturers trying to kid? We consumers aren’t stupid. Most of us know how much ingredients cost. But apparently there are those who either don’t care, or don’t have the time to make homemade granola that not only tastes much better than store bought, but is a fraction of the cost. (OK, granola isn’t inexpensive to make. But if you take into consideration the ratio of nuts and fruit to oats in a homemade granola as compared with store bought, you are really getting more bang for your bucks when you prepare granola at home. OK, I’ll get off my high horse now and get back to how wonderful this granola tastes when topped with vanilla yogurt, fruit, or just a bit of milk.)

And yes I know that granola can be very caloric. But when you only eat ¼ cup a day, like we do, how bad can that be?

So if you too love granola, but are tired of paying an exorbitant price for oats that have been lightly mixed with a couple of additives, plus ingredients you can’t pronounce that both you and I know can’t possibly be good for us, give this, or any of my other granola recipes a try. Or pretty much any homemade granola recipe that appears on the internet that takes your fancy. Any granola that contains oats, no fillers or preservatives, and plenty of fruit and nuts, just has to be better for you than what you can purchase at your beloved local grocery store.

So do it. Make your own granola. Treat your family to a breakfast that really lives up to the promise of “breakfast of champions”.

And as always – have fun in your kitchen, fix food that is not only tasty but nutritious, and whenever possible, don’t buy deli dinners or food that is prepared, packaged, processed, or contains ingredients you can’t pronounce. OK, once in a while is acceptable. But as a habit, just learn to say – no thank you! Love and peace to all.

1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil

1/3 c. real maple syrup

2 T. molasses (not Blackstrap)  

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. fine-grain sea salt  

1¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

6 c. old-fashioned rolled oats

1 c. pecans

½ c. walnuts

½ c. hazelnuts

1 c. unsweetened coconut (I use Bob’s Red Mill Unsweetened Coconut Flakes) 

½ c. chopped dried cranberries

½ c. chopped dried apple slices

½ c. chopped candied ginger

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. (Actually, you may need more than one pan.)

In a large bowl whisk the olive oil, maple syrup, molasses, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and ginger together. Stir in the oats, nuts, and coconut.

Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet(s) and spread into an even layer. (Don’t wash the bowl.)

Bake until lightly golden, about 23 to 25 minutes, stirring halfway through the baking process. Remove from oven, pour back into the same bowl, and stir in the dried fruit. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Note: Use any kind of nuts you prefer in this granola. Same with dried fruit. The nuts and fruits I used above are just a guideline. But I must say, the candied ginger was terrific in this granola. So if you have some, I would recommend you use it, albeit gingerly. (Sorry, couldn’t help myself.)   

SOURDOUGH COFFEE CAKE WITH SUNKEN WALNUT TOPPING

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OK, when I started my written ramblings in a recent post about rhubarb muffins, I stated that I wasn’t particularly enamored with either muffins or coffee cake because I often found them too dry. But in my quest to supply you with a superfluity of recipes that contain a sourdough starter, I stumbled upon some recipes for sourdough coffee cake. So I gave out a loud sigh, bit the bullet, and cobbled this recipe together.

Now in all honesty, I wasn’t expecting very much from this venture. But surprise, surprise. This coffee cake is one of the best baked goods I have ever made. It’s moist, delicious, crunchy, not too sweet, and just about everything you could ask for in a breakfast treat. And yes, I like to make our breakfasts as delicious and well planned out as our dinners. I enjoy changing things up a bit every morning by serving a variety of breakfast meats (not all in the same meal you realize), Greek yogurt, homemade granola or cereal, different kinds of home-baked items containing gluten, and fresh fruit. We almost always have an over-easy egg, but that’s about the only constant at the Carr breakfast table. I just happen to believe it’s important to start the day with a hearty and delicious breakfast. Kind of sets the tone for the whole day.

Anyway, my point is that breakfast is important. That variety, even at the breakfast table when all in attendance might not even be fully awake yet, can make a difference in setting their (and your own) mood meter on positive rather than towards the other end of the scale. I’m not saying that everything will be perfect if you serve your family a nice breakfast. But it sure as heck can’t hurt!

So to all of you for whom breakfast is your responsibility, I salute you. It’s not easy being creative when you’re still half asleep. I know. When I was a single working mom, with three kids to feed, a hot breakfast was on the table every weekday morning promptly at 7:15 a.m. OK, it wasn’t fancy, but it was hot and nourishing. And it was a constant in my kid’s lives. And that was very important. Mom = love = safety = food = shelter = emotional security. (BTW, I did feed the kids breakfast on weekends too. They were just more elaborate meals and served much later than 7:15 in the stinkin’ morning!)

As always, keep fixing great food for yourself and your family, keep trying new recipes, and don’t forget to take time out for yourself whenever you get the opportunity. You deserve a break as much as anyone. Probably even more when it comes right down to it!  

Topping:

4 tsp. unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ c. brown sugar, packed

unsalted butter (I cut off the third cup of butter I need for the coffee cake batter, and simply use the rest of the stick for this topping.)  

½ c. chopped walnuts

Using your fingers, mix all of the topping ingredients together. Set aside while you prepare the cake batter.

Coffee Cake:

1 c. sourdough starter discard, room temperature

1/3 c. semi-melted butter (I only nuke until some of the butter has melted and the rest is just very, very soft.)

1 egg  

½ tsp. vanilla

1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour (remember to fluff the flour)

½ c. granulated sugar

¼ c. brown sugar, packed

½ tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

Whisk the sourdough starter, semi-melted butter, egg, and vanilla together. Whisk the flour, sugars, salt, soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, just until combined. Scoop dough into a lightly greased 9-inch square or 11×7-inch rectangular pan. Even off the top as much as possible. Sprinkle topping evenly over the batter.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. (A toothpick stuck into the coffee cake should come out clean.) Do not overbake. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before serving. Warm slightly if serving the next day.

A note about sourdough starters:

There is a lot of information about sourdough starters on line these days. Great information, but some of it paints a sourdough starter as just a little too precious for me to handle. I’m of the KISS (Keep It Simple Sister) principle. Especially since I only use my starter 2 or 3 times a week. I consider a sourdough starter as simply an ingredient, not an honored guest in my home. Yes it must be fed regularly because it contains living fungus – Saccharomyces cerevisiae. (At least my starter does, because I used active dry yeast to start my starter.) But feeding it twice daily as some references would suggest? Not this kid. Plus I insist that I be able to use my sourdough starter any old time I want, regardless of whether it has been recently “fed” or has happily been residing in my refrigerator for the last 7 days!

So most of my recipes, like this one, are based on a very liquidy, not just fed starter (often referred to as “discard”) that has come straight from the fridge. In this recipe however, please allow the starter to come to room temperature before adding other ingredients.

 

   

STREUSEL TOPPED RHUBARB AND WALNUT MUFFINS

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I will be the first to admit that I am not an avid fan of muffins. I adore cake, but muffins and even coffee cake have never really done it for me. I think that’s because they are often dry tasting. But, as in all things, there are exceptions. And this not-too-sweet muffin just happens to fall into that category. But then, it contains rhubarb. And I love rhubarb. And the muffin is crunchy from the walnuts. And I’m also crazy for crunchy. So there you go. I actually really like these muffins! I’m sure it’s mainly because they are extremely moist, but the beautiful rhubarb flavor sure doesn’t hurt.  

Also built into this whole equation is the fact that Mr. C. really likes muffins. So although I don’t wake up out of a sound sleep dreaming about a perfect muffin for breakfast, I do try to take Mr. Cs fondness for a particular type of food into consideration.  

Anyway, I don’t want to continue wasting your valuable time by blathering on and on about a mere muffin. But I do hope you build some of these muffins while rhubarb is still in season. They are a perfect breakfast treat.

Always remember, when it comes to your family and friends, nothing is too good for them. There is simply no better way to show in how high a regard you hold them, than by serving well prepared food in an attractive manner. Love and peace to all.

Muffin Batter:

½ c. brown sugar, packed

¼ c. (½ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 eggs

1 c. sour cream

½ tsp. vanilla

1½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

¾ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

1½ c. chopped fresh rhubarb (about a third-inch dice is perfect)

½ c. chopped walnuts

Cream the brown sugar and butter together. Add the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together and stir into the brown sugar mixture just until moistened. Fold in the rhubarb and nuts.

Using a large ice cream scoop (2-inch diameter is perfect), drop dough into paper muffin cup liners or greased muffin tins. Your choice. Top with streusel per instructions below. 

Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 25-28 minutes. (The internal temperature should reach at least 210 degrees.) Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. The muffins will stay perfectly happy on your kitchen counter for several days. Before serving, I stick them in my microwave for 20 seconds on high.

Streusel:

1 T. melted unsalted butter

¼ c. brown sugar, packed

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

¼ c. finely chopped walnuts

Blend the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the flour and nuts; mix until crumbly. Place the mixture on top of muffins and bake as instructed above.