Category Archives: BREAKFAST RECIPES

MIXED NUT AND DRIED FRUIT GRANOLA

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Included in our Christmas package from daughter Ursala, was a special gift for Mr. C. His own package of granola. (He shared his granola with me, so I let him live. Smart guy that he is!) Anyway, the granola was over-the-top delicious. So I asked for the recipe. (Well, of course I did!)

Now I know what you’re thinking – “Patti, you’ve already posted two granola recipes on this site”. True enough. But if you and your family are anything like me and mine, well granola as part of a well-balanced and hearty breakfast is a must. And who doesn’t like variety in their food selection, especially in cereal?

Now for those of us in the baby boomer (and older) generation, a big old bowl of granola might add too many calories if accompanied by toast, egg, and a breakfast meat. But for someone like myself, who is trying to be good, a delicious breakfast of a plain piece of toasted grain and seed bread, topped with 2 over-easy eggs, a chicken sausage patty about the size of an Oreo cookie, a quarter cup of homemade granola with a small amount of fresh fruit and a quarter cup of vanilla yogurt is only about 500 calories. And I’m telling you, there is no way I am ever going to be hungry before lunch when I start my day with this high in protein and fiber breakfast. I truly look forward to a small variation of this breakfast menu every morning. OK, not as much as my cup of coffee and the newspaper, but it’s next on my list.

And yes, I know there are some really good granolas that can be purchased at your local grocery emporium. But they come at a price – a very high price! And while homemade granola isn’t exactly inexpensive to make, you sure as heck get a better return for your hard earned dollars! Plus, you have control over the quality of the ingredients. Which, in case you haven’t already deduced, is the main reason, along with eliminating ingredients with names that I can’t pronounce from my diet, that I am such an advocate of home cooking.

OK, off your soap box Patti. After all, it is clearly pointless to attempt to convert those who by their very interest in this recipe have already demonstrated a love of home cooking. (Maybe someday I will learn not to “preach to the choir”. But alas, that day has yet to come. Sorry!)

Thanks again darling Ursala for the granola. 

  • ½ c. + 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ c. honey
  • ¾ tsp. vanilla
  • 1¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp. fine-grain sea salt
  • 4 c. oats
  • 3 c. nuts (slivered or whole almonds, pecans, cashews, hazelnuts)
  • 2 c. unsweetened coconut
  • 2 c. chopped dried fruit, such as dates, cherries, apples, apricots, blueberries, etc.

Whisk together the olive oil, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl. Add the oats, nuts, and coconut.  Spread evenly on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. (Don’t wash the bowl yet.)

Bake in a 325 degree oven until lightly browned, about 25-30 minutes. Stir once or twice during the baking. (Watch carefully, as coconut and nuts can burn easily.) Remove from oven and scoop back into the mixing bowl. Add the chopped dried fruit. Stir to combine. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Based on a Michael Symon recipe.

 

CORNED BEEF HASH BREAKFAST SCRAMBLE

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So, here it is the day after St. Patrick’s Day and you have a big old hunk of left over corned beef staring at you every time you open your refrigerator. You already know that Reuben sandwiches are in your near future, but what to do with the rest is still nagging at you from the edges of your organized mind. Well, I have the perfect solution to your quandary. Make hash!

Now, you need to know that I love corned beef. So when I go to the bother of braising corned beef, I don’t stop with just one brisket. I usually braise 2 at a time. And yes I do mean braise. The term “braise” means (at least to me) taking a less-tender cut of meat (often beef) and slowly (low heat over a long period of time) cooking it partially covered with a liquid until tender. (Think pot-roast.) And especially with corned beef, the result of braising rather than boiling is significant. Boiling seems to draw all the flavor out of the meat, while braising seems to impart the flavor of the herbs and spices, while at the same time allowing the meat to obtain a very pleasant firm but tender texture. (Boiling alone seems to make for a loose texture that I personally find less desirable.)

But back to this scramble.

The only time Mr. C. and I eat breakfast out is when we are traveling. And why – well – breakfast is easy to fix, and I have control over everything from the amount of salt and fat used, to the quality of the eggs. But breakfasts can become a bit tedious. So every once in a while I like to replace our usual over-easy eggs with an egg dish that surprises our taste buds. And that’s just what happened this morning when I served up some of this scramble. My taste buds were on full alert because this dish was so yummy. Even Mr. C., who, if never presented with another potato, except in the form of French fries, had to agree that this scramble was mighty fine. (He even had seconds!)

So if you too would like to serve a new and different taste treat for breakfast some morning, give this recipe a try.

If you would like to check out additional corned beef recipes, including a recipe for a killer Rueben Sandwich, search under “corned beef” on this site.

Lastly, don’t even think of using canned corn beef in this recipe. You would be visited by three spirits, all of whom would look just like me! And each one would be even more unpleasant than the ones that visited Ebenezer Scrooge!

(On a friendlier note – check out the picture at the end of this post. Max, on the left, and Miles next to my computer, helping me write yesterday’s post. So nice to have office help.)

  • 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 unpeeled russet potatoes, cut small dice
  • 2 T. unsalted butter
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 c. diced baked corned beef (see recipe below)
  • 8 lg. eggs
  • ½ c. milk
  • 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ tsp. seasoned salt
  • 1 T. chopped fresh parsley leaves, opt.

Whisk the olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper together in a medium sized bowl. Pat the diced potato pieces dry and add to the bowl; stir until potato pieces all covered with a thin coating or oil. Place potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake in a pre-heated 450 degree oven for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. (Use convection if available.) Remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile melt the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and red pepper and fry, stirring often, until onion becomes translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the corned beef and fry, stirring frequently, until slightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the reserved potatoes.

While the hash is frying, whisk the eggs, milk, Worcestershire sauce, and seasoned salt together and pour over the hash.  

Reduce heat and stir gently lifting the mixture off the bottom of the pan and flipping until the egg mixture is set. Serve immediately garnished with parsley.

Note: Before you add the egg mixture, the hash can be frozen. It freezes beautifully.

CORNED BEEF

  • 2 lg. bay leaves, torn into tiny pieces
  • 1 tsp. black pepper corns
  • 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp. coriander seeds
  • ½ tsp. mustard seeds  

Combine bay leaves, pepper corns, red pepper flakes, coriander, and mustard seeds along with the little packet of spices that comes with the corned beef. Set aside.

Place brisket in a large covered Dutch oven. Pour 2 cups of water into the pan along with 1/3rd of the spice mix. (The spices should be in the water.) Cover Dutch oven with lid and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 1 hour. After 1 hour, use your sucky upy (my term for a turkey baster) to drain/suck the water from around the corned beef.* Add 2 cups fresh water, another third of the spice mix and cover. Bake another hour. After second hour, drain and replace water and add the last of spices. And you guessed it, bake for another hour, or until the brisket reaches an internal temperature of 175 degrees and is fork tender. Remove from oven, place on a platter, and let rest at least 45 minutes before cutting into small cubes.  Note: This way of cooking corned beef results in a very flavorful tightly grained but tender meat. Perfect for hash. Great for sandwiches too.

*An alternate method for changing the water is to remove the corned beef from the pan and simply pour off the water.

 

 

BLOODY GOOD MARY

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I recently realized that I hadn’t posted any recipes for adult beverages since December of 2015. That’s just sick and wrong! Because mixed drinks, when done correctly, rank right up there with any other truly great recipe. So I plan to immediately remedy my deplorable lack of good judgement in this regard.

The first recipe I am going to post is my rendition of a Bloody Mary.

To begin with, I don’t start with V-8 or any other already doctored tomato juice. I like to control the flavor completely by just the ingredients I add to the mix. Plus, V-8 tends to be more expensive than plain tomato juice, and contain more sodium.

Now one thing you should know about this recipe. It’s not for sissies! It possesses a goodly amount of pucker power from the lemon juice and a lively kick from the hot sauce and horseradish. But what it does for simple vodka is nothing short of amazing.

So next time you feel like greeting the morning with a new taste sensation, build a batch of this seasoned tomato juice. Then simply add a bit of vodka (or none at all for that matter) and watch the sun rise with new found enthusiasm. Good morning, America!

  • 1 c. tomato juice
  • juice of 1 lemon (save the juiced lemon carcass in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for when you serve the drink) 
  • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 5-6 drops hot sauce (I use Frank’s Red Hot)
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp. celery salt
  • 1 tsp. prepared horseradish, or more to taste
  • 3 oz. cold vodka
  • kosher or other coarse salt
  • celery stalks, pickled beans or asparagus, etc., garnishCombine the tomato juice, lemon juice, W. sauce, hot sauce, pepper, celery salt, and horseradish in a pitcher. Refrigerate overnight. Just before serving add the vodka. Adjust seasoning. When ready to serve, rub the reserved lemon carcass around the rim of the glass and dip in coarse salt. Add ice to 2 glasses and pour in tomato juice mixture. Garnish with celery stalks, leaves side up.

     

KRENDL (RUSSIAN CHRISTMAS BREAD)

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I dearly love being invited to a dinner party where everyone is asked to bring a dish to compliment a theme, be it ethnic or as a side to a particular main dish, or to include a particular ingredient, etc. I love this type of invitation because it often forces me to search the web. (Like I need a dinner party invitation to search out new and exciting dishes to share with you!)

Anyway, I was recently invited as a guest of a guest (my dear friend Vicky) to be her date. (Her husband and mine were gigging together during the dinner hour. So I was basically Mark’s replacement at table.)

The dinner was being hosted by Eric and Eliza and labeled as “Goose Fest”. But in reality, it was to celebrate Russian Christmas. Eliza is of Russian decent and apparently many Russians celebrate Christmas Day on January 7 in the Gregorian calendar, which corresponds to December 25 in the Julian calendar. The dinner party was actually on the 14th, but what’s a few days here and there among friends?

Anyway, one of the suggestions Vicki offered me for my contribution was Krendl. Never heard of it, but when has that ever stopped me. So off to web recipe land I ventured. And this incredible bread is the result.

I changed Barbara Rolek’s recipe just a bit, but not enough to hardly notice. So thank you Barbara for what is now one of my favorite sweet breads. (And no, I am not going to wait until next Christmas to make this bread again. In fact, I am going to make it for our next JazzVox pre-concert meal.)

This bread fulfills all of the basic desires I have when it comes to sweet breads. The dough is pleasantly sweet, the filling is full of fruit (think raisins in cinnamon rolls, for example), and the glaze is perfect. There is even a slight crunch to this bread from the sliced almonds. What more could you ask??

So if you love rich and tender bread, a filling resembling a fruit compote, and thin sweet almond flavored glaze, this is the bread for you. But please don’t wait until next Christmas to make this fabulous delicacy. It would be perfect served at an Easter brunch, to accompany coffee and tea at a book club meeting, or as a special treat to leave in your break room at work, to mention just a few examples.

And to make things a little different than what you usually experience when building a filled sweet bread, the filling is made before the dough is even started. Fun, eh?

Wonder why? I leave that for you to figure out my friends.

So get out your yeast and give this recipe a try. Just be advised that this bread is going to serve about 2 dozen people. The good news is that it feeds a lot of people and also freezes well. The bad news is that you are not going to be able to stop eating it. You’re just going to have to trust me on this. I speak from way too much experience.

Filling:

  • 1 c. sweet white wine (I use Muscato) or apple juice
  • 1 lg. apple, peeled and chopped
  • 2/3 c. finely chopped dried apples
  • ½ c. finely chopped dried apricots
  • ½ c. chopped pitted dried prunes
  • 1/3 c. golden raisins
  • 2 T. butter
  • 1 T. sugar
  • ¼ tsp. almond extract

In a large saucepan, combine wine, apple, dried fruits, butter, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until a jam-like consistency is obtained. Stir periodically. When desired thickness is reached, remove from heat and stir in almond extract. Cool to room temperature while you make the dough. Spread on dough as explained below.

Bread Dough:

  • 1 pkg. or 1 scant T. active dry yeast
  • 5 T. granulated sugar, divided
  • ¾ c. warm whole milk
  • ¼ c. (½ stick) unsalted butter + 3 T., room temperature
  • 2 lg. egg yolks
  • 1½ tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • vegetable oil
  • ½ tsp. ground cinnamon

In the bowl of your stand mixer, dissolve the yeast and 3 tablespoons of the granulated sugar in warm milk. Let proof for about 10 minutes. After allowing the mixture to proof, add the ¼ cup butter, egg yolks, vanilla, 1½ cups of the flour, and salt; mix with your dough hook on medium speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be slightly tacky). Knead until smooth and elastic, about 4-6 minutes. Pour a tiny bit of oil over dough and form into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 75 minutes.

Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; roll into a 32×10-in. rectangle. Melt remaining 3 tablespoons of butter; brush over dough to within 1-inch of edges. Mix cinnamon and remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar; sprinkle over top. Spread with cooled fruit mixture. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam and ends to seal.

Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, seam side down. Form into a pretzel shape. (Forming the dough may make the parchment paper go all wonky, but persevere. Remember, you are dealing with paper and a piece of dough and you are the boss. Now’s the time to allow the latent bully side of your personality come to full fruition!) Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a tea towel; let rise in a warm place for 30-40 minutes or until almost doubled.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to a wire rack. Spoon glaze over surface while the bread is still slightly warm. Quickly decorate with sliced almonds. (The glaze will start to harden as soon as it is spooned onto the bread.) Allow glaze to set before serving.

Glaze:

  • 1 c. powdered sugar, or more as needed
  • 2 tsp. milk
  • 1/8 tsp. almond extract
  • 2-3 tsp. warm water, or more as needed
  • ¼ c. sliced almonds

Whisk the powdered sugar, milk, almond extract, and warm water together. Add additional powdered sugar or warm water to reach desired consistency. (Glaze should be fairly thick, but not so thick that it doesn’t flow slowly and evenly when spooned onto the warm bread.)

 

 

FROSTED MAPLE PECAN SCONES

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One of my fondest childhood memories is of the after school treats I adored when I was in 4th and 5th grade. A small store occupied a part of the block just across from my elementary school.  And every afternoon after school I would walk across the street to the store and buy a maple bar. Then I would lovingly carry it to my bus stop and wait for my bus to take me home. And ever since, I have been passionate about the taste of maple.

As an adult, I mostly worked in downtown Seattle or downtown Bellevue. And on every street corner (or so it seemed) there was a Starbucks coffee shop. I didn’t much care for the coffee (I was a Torrefazione fan until they were purchased by – who else? – Starbucks. And no the coffee is not the same anymore!) Anyway, at the time, maple scones were one of the breakfast items that Starbucks offered.  And when I felt I needed a treat, I would buy a scone and eat it at my desk. (A maple scone and a cup of Torrefazione coffee – breakfast of champions I tell you.)

Then, to my dismay, Starbucks stopped making maple scones. I have to say, that was the final straw. Not only did they deprive me of my favorite coffee, they stopped making my favorite breakfast treat. I was devastated! But never being one to let a mega corporation ruin my life, I decided to make my own scones. And I tried. But they were never quite right. (I think the missing ingredient was the ground up oats.) So for several years I went without my beloved maple scones.

Then just before Christmas, I got a wild hair to try once again. So I looked on line and found the basis for this recipe on the Food.com website. I baked up a batch and low and behold, the universe was once again aligned along the right path.

So if you too were fans of Starbuck’s maple scones, I can hardly wait for you to give these a try. They are truly amazing. As far as Starbucks – I never go there anymore, unless of course, it’s a coffee emergency. Then all bets are off!

Scones:

  • ¾ c. oats
  • 1¾ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
  • ¼ c. packed light-brown sugar
  • ¼ c. granulated sugar
  • 2½ tsp. baking powder
  • ¼ tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ c. heavy cream
  • 1 lg. egg, room temperature
  • 1 tsp. real maple extract
  • ¾ tsp. real vanilla extract
  • 10 T. cold unsalted butter
  • 1 c. chopped toasted pecans, divided

In a food processor, pulse oats until ground into a coarse flour, about 1 – 2 minutes. Pour oats into a large mixing bowl along with the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk well to combine.

Using a box grater, grate cold butter and mix into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. (I use a regular table knife for this action.) Stir in 2/3 cup of the pecans.

In a small mixing bowl whisk together the heavy cream, egg, maple extract, and vanilla extract. Pour cream mixture into flour mixture and stir until evenly moistened and the dough starts to come together in large clumps. Gently knead mixture in bowl by hand several times until it forms a ball.

Scoop onto a lightly floured surface and gently shape into an 8-inch square. Cut into 8 equal squares. Cut each square diagonally. (You will end up with 16 small triangles.)  Transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven until set and golden brown on the bottom, about 13-15 minutes. (Don’t overbake.) Cool on a wire rack until just warm to the touch; spoon glaze over scones and sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup pecans. Allow glaze to set before storing in an airtight container.

Glaze:

  • 1 c. powdered sugar, or more as needed
  • 1 T. heavy cream, or more as needed
  • 1 T. whole milk
  • 1½ tsp. maple extract, or more to taste

Whisk together all glaze ingredients in a small mixing bowl until well combined. Thin with additional cream as needed, 1 tsp at a time. Or add more powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time.

 

 

BACON, SWISS CHEESE, AND GREEN ONION QUICHE (Lorraine to those who know her well)

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Like many other wonderful dishes, a good quiche takes time to prepare. But at my house, a homemade quiche is one of the best ways I know to show my dear husband how much I care. (That and Chicken Paprika. BTW also on this site.)

So when Mr. C. recently asked me to make a quiche for dinner, I simply could not refuse. And because I know how much he loves bacon, I decided on this recipe.

Now I know what you’re thinking – “Patti – everyone knows how to make a Quiche Lorraine”. And this might be true. But sometimes I like to include recipes that have been around for a while, because people have a tendency to forget about the classics when only focusing on “new and currently trendy” dishes. But with all the innovative ingredients that are being used in quiches these days, like smoked salmon, sausage, spinach, or prosciutto, to name just a few, there is even more reason to resurrect an old standard. At least by posting this old favorite, I hope to prod my readers into thinking about quiche again. (And I mean “prod” in a good way! As a reminder, not as a poke, jab, or dig!) Because when you think about it, there is no more perfect dish to serve for either breakfast, lunch, or dinner than a quiche. Or if there is, I have yet to discover it! (OK, there is pizza; but not everyone embraces cold pizza for breakfast!)

So do yourself and your family a favor. Build a quiche. And while you’re at it, also make a fruit tart. (For more information about why a tart and a quiche are hand and hand buddies, see my blog post entitled Rustic Peach Tart.)

  • 8-inch pie crust, unbaked and set in pie plate (see recipe below)
  • 8 slices thick, meaty bacon, chopped and cooked until crisp
  • 2 c. grated Swiss, Gruyère, or Emmanthal cheese
  • 1/3 c. sliced green onions
  • ¾ tsp. dry mustard
  • 1 1/3 c. milk (whole milk is best)
  • 4 eggs
  • dash ground nutmeg

Scatter cooked bacon over pie crust. Layer cheese on top of bacon. Add sliced green onions. Whisk together the dry mustard, milk, and eggs. Hint: Place dry mustard in bowl and add just a tiny splash of the milk. Whisk until there are no mustard powder lumps. Then add the remaining milk and eggs, and whisk all together. If you add all the ingredients together at once, you often end up with mustard lumps that, trust me, are very hard to incorporate with the other ingredients.) Pour liquid mixture in pie pan. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven until set, about 45 minutes.

Hint: to keep your pie crust edge from getting too brown, cover with aluminum foil. (See picture below.)

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PIE CRUST (makes a double crust)

  • ¼ c. very cold water
  • 2 c. flour
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • heaping 2/3 c. Crisco

Step 1 – Pour cold water into a small bowl.

Step 2 – Measure flour and salt into a mixing bowl.

Step 3 – Take 1/3 cup of the flour back out of the mixing bowl and stir it into the water. Make a paste. Set aside.

Step 4 – Add the Crisco (heaping 2/3 cup) to the flour and salt mixture. Mix together. (I use my KitchenAid mixer.)

Step 5 – Add the water/flour paste to the flour/shortening bowl and mix just until blended. Do not over-mix. Roll out dough and place in pie plate. This recipe makes enough dough for a double crust pie, if using a regular sized pie plate, or one large bottom crust with a little left over for pastry cookies or small tart like the one shown below.

Helpful hint: Use a pastry cloth to roll out your pie crust. It really makes a difference. You can find pastry cloths in almost any kitchen wares shop. Well worth the $10 or so.

 

BISCOTTI – 6 WAYS FROM SUNDAY

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Peppermint Candy and Chocolate Chip Biscotti

I recently decided that you all deserved to know more about biscotti. Because if there ever was a versatile cookie (Italian biscuit), the lovely biscotti is it. Perfect with coffee in the morning or dunked in wine after dinner. Not too sweet, but packed with flavor. Almost perfect in every way. (They would be perfect, but for whatever reason, they seem to disappear from our biscotti jar. I’ve asked Mr. C. about this phenomenon, but he too remains as puzzled as I am! Sure he is!)

And since I have several favorites, but remain totally unable to determine which I prefer, I’ve decided to leave that onerous task of making a decision to you. Thus 6 biscotti recipes from which to choose. “Gee baby, ain’t I good to you!”

The root words “bis” and “cotto” literally mean “twice” and “baked.” (Kind of like twice baked potatoes, but not.) But please do not be intimidated by the fact that you have to bake them for a while, take them out of the oven, cool for a few minutes, slice them, and put them back in the oven to finish baking. It really is an easy process and truly not that time consuming.

And the results? Well let me just say – you haven’t lived until you’ve stumbled into the kitchen in the morning, prepared yourself a nice, hot cup of coffee, and sat down with the morning paper and a couple homemade biscotti. To my thinking, life simply does not get any better. Bon appetito!

ALMOND CHOCOLATE CHIP BISCOTTI

  • 7 T. + 2 T. unsalted butter
  • ½ c. + 2 T. sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ tsp. almond extract
  • 2 c. flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 1 c. coarsely chopped almonds
  • 1¼ c. chocolate chips, divided
  • 2 tsp. unsalted butter

Cream butter and sugar together. Add the eggs and almond extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine with butter mixture. Stir in 1 cup of the chocolate chips.

Using your hands liberally greased with butter, divide the dough in half. On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, pat each half into a 12 x 3-inch rectangle. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a light golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool for 10 minutes. Then cut each roll diagonally into ½ inch thick slices. Turn the slices cut-side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes more or until firm. Remove pan from oven, but do not transfer to cooling rack.

Melt the 2 teaspoons butter and remaining ¼ cup chocolate chips together. Slowly drizzle chocolate mixture over biscotti. Let cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Note: I suggest baking biscotti with straight oven heat. Convection baking browns them too quickly. These are soft biscotti.

ANISE BISCOTTI WITH ALMONDS (traditional Italian favorite)

  • ½ c. unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 c. sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp. anise extract
  • 3 c. flour
  • 1 T. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 c. chopped almonds

Cream butter and sugar together. Add the eggs and anise extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine with butter mixture. Stir in the chopped almonds.

Using your hands liberally greased with butter, divide the dough in half. On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, pat each half into a 12 x 3-inch rectangle. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a light golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool for 15 minutes. Then cut each roll diagonally into ½ inch thick slices. Turn the slices cut-side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until firm. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

Note: I suggest baking biscotti with straight oven heat. Convection baking browns them too quickly. These are delicious, but they are jaw breakers! Best for dunking.

CANDIED ORANGE, DRIED CRANBERRY, AND CHOCOLATE CHUNK BISCOTTI

  • ½ c. unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ¾ c. sugar
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 1½ tsp. vanilla
  • 2 c. flour
  • 1½ tsp. baking powder
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 4 oz. candied orange peel
  • 1/3 c. dried cranberries (can use dried cherries)
  • 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar together. Add the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the candied orange peel and dried cranberries to the flour mix and stir (I use my fingers) until orange pieces and cranberries are coated with flour. Combine with butter mixture. Mix in chocolate chunks.

Using your hands liberally greased with butter, divide the dough in half. On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, pat each half into long logs, and flatten to 1-inch. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a light golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool for 10 minutes. Then cut each roll diagonally into ½ inch thick slices.

Turn the slices cut-side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until firm. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

Note: I suggest baking biscotti with straight oven heat. Convection baking browns them too quickly. These are soft biscotti.

CRANBERRY-ORANGE ANISE BISCOTTI WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIPS

  • ½ c. unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ¾ c. sugar
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 1¼ tsp. vanilla
  • ¼ tsp. anise extract
  • 2 c. flour
  • 1½ tsp. baking powder
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 2 T. grated orange peel
  • ¾ c. dried cranberries, chopped
  • 1 c. white chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, vanilla, and anise extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the orange peel and dried cranberries to the flour mix and stir (I use my fingers) until orange peel and cranberries are coated with flour. Combine with butter mixture. Mix in white chocolate chips.

Using your hands liberally greased with butter, divide the dough in half. On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, pat each half into a 2 x 10-inch rectangle. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a light golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool for 10 minutes. Then cut each roll diagonally into ½ inch thick slices.

Turn the slices cut-side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes to toast. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

Note: I suggest baking biscotti with straight oven heat. Convection baking browns them too quickly. These are soft biscotti. This is my niece Mya’s recipe. Thanks again darling girl.

DRIED CHERRIES, ALMONDS, AND WHITE CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI

  • ½ c. unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ¾ c. sugar
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • ½ tsp. almond extract
  • 2 c. flour
  • 1½ tsp. baking powder
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • ½ c. dried cherries, chopped
  • ½ c. lightly toasted slivered almonds
  • 1 c. white chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dried cherries to the flour mix and stir (I use my fingers) until cherries are coated with flour. Combine with butter mixture. Mix in the toasted almonds and white chocolate chips.

Using your hands liberally greased with butter, divide the dough in half. On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, pat each half into long log, and flatten to 1-inch thickness. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven.  Cool for 10 minutes. Then cut each roll diagonally into ½-inch thick slices. Turn the slices cut-side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until firm. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

Note: I suggest baking biscotti with straight oven heat. Convection baking browns them too quickly. These are soft biscotti.

PEPPERMINT CANDY AND CHOCOLATE CHIP BISCOTTI

  • ¾ c. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ¾ c. granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs, room temperature
  • 2 tsp. good peppermint extract
  • 3¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 1 c. crushed peppermint soft mint candy, like Sees, King Leo, or Bob’s Sweet Stripes
  • ½ c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips or ½ cup chopped regular chocolate chips
  • melted white chocolate, milk chocolate, or semi-sweet chocolate for drizzle, opt.

In your mixer bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the peppermint extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the crushed peppermint candy and the chocolate chips. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, beating only until blended. Using your hands liberally greased with butter, divide the dough in half. On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, pat each half into a 12 x 2½-inch rectangle. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool for 10 minutes. Then cut each roll diagonally into ½ inch thick slices. Turn the slices cut-side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until firm. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

Note: Drizzle with melted chocolate if desired. (I usually don’t decorate them because I’m lazy, and frankly they are sweet enough already. But if you are making them as a gift, a chocolate drizzle is a lovely touch.)

I suggest baking biscotti with straight oven heat. Convection baking browns them too quickly. These are soft biscotti.

 

WHOLE WHEAT AND SEED BAGUETTES

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OK, you may yell at me all you want because I know I have been away from my blog for way too long! But first I was sick with this nasty cold/flu that’s going around. Then I had JazzVox concert food to prepare, then I went on vacation, and then when I got home last Wednesday, I was hit over the head with home owner’s association minutia. (Please note. This is probably the best advice I will ever share with you. Under no circumstance should you ever accept the position of president of your home owner’s association. It’s a thankless job that can only lead to sleepless nights, hair loss, and an inordinate fondness for adult beverages.) You’ve been warned. Now – on to a very pleasant topic – bread.

This recipe calls for 4 types of seeds. Using all of the seeds is not necessary. Any combination will work. You don’t like poppy seeds – don’t use them! You like other types of seeds like flax, by all means add them to the mix. Just whatever you do – make this amazing bread adapted from a recipe by Martha Rose Shulman. It is just wonderful. Of course, there are a couple of basic ingredients missing from this bread recipe. Yep, you’re right. No sugar and no oil. But if you are like me, that isn’t going to bother you in the least. 

So next time you get an urge to bake bread, give this recipe a try. You will be so glad you did. And when you realize how much money you saved by baking your own healthy “specialty” style bread, you might even remember to thank me. Better yet, put a good word in for me with my neighbors. That old adage attributed to John Lydgate – “you can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time” is never more true than for decisions made by the board of a homeowner’s association. Of course Oscar Wilde had it right too. “No good deed goes unpunished.” Enjoy the bread recipe. 

  • 1 c. water
  • 3 T. sunflower seeds
  • 3 T. sesame seeds
  • 2 T. pumpkin seeds
  • 1 T. poppy seeds  
  • ¼ c. rolled oats
  • scant T. active dry yeast (or one pkg.)
  • 1½ c. bread flour
  • 1 c. lukewarm water
  • 1¼ c. whole wheat flour (if more flour is required, add additional white bread flour)
  • 1½ tsp. kosher salt
  • olive oil
  • corn meal

In a small bowl containing the 1 cup water, set the seeds and rolled oats to soak covered with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, in the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the yeast, bread flour, and the lukewarm water; mix together until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to ferment at room temperature for two hours or until doubled in volume. Remove the seeds and oats from the refrigerator, drain and set aside to come to room temperature.

After the yeast mixture has doubled in size, add the drained seed mixture, the whole-wheat flour, and the salt. Start mixing on medium speed. If the dough is too dry, add a small amount of additional water. If the dough is still sticking to the bottom of the bowl, add additional bread flour just until the bottom of the bowl is dry. Then, continue mixing the dough until it is elastic, about 5 minutes. Form the dough into a ball and pour a small amount of olive oil down the side of the bowl. Using your hands, lift the dough from the bottom of the bowl and coat with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm area to rise for 1 hour. Meanwhile, lightly sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal and set aside.

After the dough has rested for an hour, punch down and divide in half. Set halves on prepared baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for 15 minutes. Then, using your hands, form each half into an elongated, 12-14 inch loaf and place back on the prepared pan. (To shape the dough, I pick up each piece, holding the dough with both hands, then I squeeze the dough up and down its length until I have the desired size I need. Then I finesse it a bit once I have it back on the pan. (A little additional shaping here and there until it is roughly symmetrical.) Then cover the baguettes with a tea towel and place in a warm spot for one hour.

After 30 minutes, place a pan of water on the bottom rack of your oven. Set the other rack in the middle of the oven. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.

After your dough has rested for an hour, remove the tea towel, and using a very sharp knife, make an ½-inch deep cut down the length of the loaves from one end to the other.

Place pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for a total of 30 to 35 minutes, or until the loaf is dark brown and sounds hollow when you tap the bottom. 10 minutes into the baking time, carefully remove the pan of water.

After the loaves come out of the oven, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely for at least 45 minutes before slicing. Or prepare a day ahead and keep wrapped in a kitchen towel until needed. Slice and serve with room temperature butter. Or for the most amazing breakfast treat, slice thick pieces of bread, toast, slather with butter, and top with jam. (The best!) 

 

GRANOLA WITH OATS, NUTS, SEEDS, DRIED FRUIT, AND COCONUT

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There is just nothing better than waking up to a lovely Americana handed to you by your husband along with the morning paper. This is how I start every morning. (Not a bad gig, right?) Well, to make it up to him, I usually fix him a breakfast that is both nourishing and delicious. And one of the ways I do this is by making my own granola. Now granted, I don’t serve granola every morning because that would get too monotonous. (And as you well know, breakfast can be a bit tedious if you don’t change things up every day.) So when our dear friend Peggy offered me her granola recipe, plus a sample, I jumped at the chance to taste another person’s homemade version of this very expensive (off the grocery shelf) breakfast staple. And oh was it good! So of course I had to make some for us, and share her basic recipe with you. (And yes I changed a couple of things, but I simply can’t help myself!)

At this point, I really should explain what constitutes a typical breakfast at Chez Carr. I basically like to serve a variety of items for breakfast in much the same way I would serve several small tapas at a dinner party. Small portions, but a nice variety. So breakfast at our home usually consists of a piece of whole wheat toast, a small piece of breakfast meat (one slice of very lean bacon or 2-oz. of chicken breakfast sausage), an easy over or scrambled egg, a half piece of fruit, and a small bowl of granola with either a dollop of Greek yogurt and blueberries (for example), or a small amount of milk. And when I say a small amount of granola, I mean about 3 tablespoons. And the dollop of yogurt is about 2 tablespoons. Just enough granola to add crunch to our meal, and just enough yogurt to give us that delightful creamy mouth feel we so dearly love. So all in all, really not a heavy breakfast. Once in a while I go nuts and fix us pancakes. But they’re made with whole grain or oat flour, so they really do have some protein and therefore some redeeming nutritional value! Oh, and Mr. C always has a small glass of juice every morning with breakfast. (Can’t leave that out!)

So if you too would like to add a bit of excitement to your morning meal, make up a batch of this healthy granola. Your whole family will appreciate the delicious flavor and crunch. And even though they might not equate their newfound energy with eating this protein rich cereal for breakfast, they should be able to make it to lunch now with energy to spare. This is simply not Captain Crunch my friends! This is the real deal. And no preservatives with names only a biology professor can pronounce. Just healthy ingredients that are easy to assemble and ever so easy to get everyone in your family to eat. Word of warning to you parents with school age children: Don’t be surprised if your children start wanting this granola for an afternoon snack. This grandma advises – let them! Granola is sure a lot better for your kids than candy, cookies, chips, or any form of frozen after school snack.

Thanks again Peggy for this wonderful recipe. And for my recipe for granola, search under Granola, and mine will magically appear.

  • 3 c. rolled oats
  • 2 c. nuts & seeds (almonds, cashews, pecans, hazelnuts, pepitas, sunflower seeds, etc.)
  • 1 c. shredded unsweetened coconut or whatever coconut happens to be in your pantry at the time 
  • ¼ c. vegetable oil
  • ½ c. honey
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • 1-2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp. ground cardamom
  • ¼ c. roughly chopped candied ginger
  • 1 c. dried fruit (golden raisins, chopped dates, dried blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, apricots, etc.)

In a large bowl mix together the oats, nuts, seeds, and coconut. In a small bowl whisk together the oil, honey, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cardamom; pour over the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Spread evenly on 2 large baking sheets. Bake in a pre-heated 250 degree oven for 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. Remove from oven and stir in the candied ginger and mixed dried fruit. Return to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes. (Total baking time – 45 minutes.) Remove from oven and place baking sheets on wire racks. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Serve with yogurt and fresh berries or simply with milk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHEDDAR AND CHIVE BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

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There is nothing as delicious as a biscuit right out of the oven. Smothered in room temperature butter, there really is nothing finer. And this adaptation of one of Ina Garten’s recipes makes some of the best biscuits I have ever tasted. The combination of cheddar cheese and fresh chives is just amazing. And these biscuits are really easy to make. And there’s no fancy rolling them out, cutting them with a biscuit cutter, smooshing the remaining dough back together, rolling it out, cutting out more biscuits, etc. etc. You just plop the dough on a floured surface, pat the dough out, and cut it into 8 rectangular pieces with a sharp knife. Then drop the biscuits on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake them until they are lightly browned. Absolutely fool proof. And the greatest part. They are perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. A fun story about biscuits.

In a former life I had a father-in-law who loved to make breakfast. His wife was an excellent cook, and she prepared the other 2 meals each day, but breakfast was always my father-in-law’s responsibility. And when we visited, he and I had a running “battle” over who made the better biscuits. Because in his world, biscuits were always a part of breakfast. So when at their home, he would allow me to make the morning biscuits every other day. Well it became a running joke. Because regardless of who made the biscuits that morning, they were always the best biscuits any of us had ever tasted. Of course there was always a lot of kibitzing while the biscuits were being made, but that was half the fun. And of course, the end result was biscuits! Every morning! Yum!   

So if you too are a biscuit lover, please try this recipe. And thank you again Ina for “the bones” of yet another wonderful recipe. You are my hero!

  • 2 c. + 1 T.  unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
  • 1 T. baking powder
  • 1½ tsp. kosher salt
  • 12 T. (1½ sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
  • ½ c. cold buttermilk
  • 2 lg. eggs, divided
  • ¼ c. chopped fresh chives
  • 1 c. grated extra-sharp cheddar
  • 1 T. milk or water

Place the 2 cups of flour, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, add the butter and mix until the butter is the size of peas.

Combine the buttermilk and one of the eggs in a small bowl and beat lightly with a fork. With the mixer still on low, quickly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour and mix only until moistened. In a small bowl, mix the chives with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Add the cheddar and loosely coat the cheese with the flour. With the mixer still on low, add the cheese/chive mixture to the dough. Mix only until roughly combined.

Dump out onto a well-floured board and knead lightly about 6 times. Roll the dough into a rectangle 10 by 5 inches. With a sharp, floured knife, cut the dough lengthwise in half and then across in quarters, making 8 rough rectangles. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Whisk together the remaining egg and the milk. Brush the tops with the egg/milk mixture. (If you like, you can add a little grated cheddar also.) Bake in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops are browned and the biscuits are cooked through. Serve hot or warm.