Brunch Archives - The Midnight Baker

Air Fryer Scotch Eggs

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 15 Oct 2022 23:00:19 +0000

Scotch eggs are a breakfast or dinner treat. They’re easy to make in your air fryer.

Air Fryer Scotch Eggs–A Real Treat

What can be better than a grab-and-go breakfast? That’s exactly what these air fryer Scotch eggs are. They’re so good you can serve them for brunch or even dinner.

Traditionally, they are shallow fried. And they’re delicious that way. Since sausage is pretty fatty, you don’t want to add any more fat than you have to. Air frying is the perfect solution. I’m not saying that because they’re air fried that they automatically become totally healthy, they’re still a treat that should be eaten in moderation.

Air frying does not affect the taste. In fact, I prefer them air fried and I’m not very observant about what I eat. They just have a “cleaner” taste to me.

The Sausage

Here’s where you can make the flavor as interesting as you like.

There are many varieties of sausage ranging from plain to spicy. If your family is into heat, then try these Scotch eggs with a hot-flavored sausage. Like maple? There’s maple flavored sausage too. And of course, the traditional breakfast variety. I choose a mild flavor because I like the taste.

There’s also plenty of store-made specialty sausage so they’re worth a try too. You just need a pound of sausage and bulk is the one to use. However, if there’s a flavor you like that only comes in links, then by all means remove the meat from the casings.

Egg Size

I prefer to use medium eggs for this. That way you are assured you’ll have enough sausage to wrap around them. That’s just a personal preference, but I wouldn’t use anything bigger than USDA large.

Mostly these are made with hard-boiled eggs, but I’ve seen them done with “jammy” eggs too. If you want to have a go with jammy eggs, these will have to be served immediately. With hard-boiled anything left over can be stored in the fridge to be reheated as necessary.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Air Fryer Scotch Eggs

Great for breakfast, lunch or dinner

Prep Time10

Cook Time12

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: scotch eggs in the air fryer, scotch eggs with jammy eggs

Servings: 6

Calories: 372kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

6 hard-cooked eggs shells removed and patted dry
1 lb bulk sausage meat
1/4 cup flour
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Divide sausage meat into 6 equal portions. Flatten the sausage in a circle about 1/4-inch thick.
Wrap each piece of sausage around each egg, making sure the egg is completely sealed in the sausage meat.
Roll each egg in the flour, then dip in the beaten egg and roll in the breadcrumbs
Place the eggs in the air fryer and air fry at 390F/200C for 12 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time.

Nutrition

The post Air Fryer Scotch Eggs appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Johnny Cakes

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 13 Aug 2022 23:00:33 +0000

You can’t get more New England than Johnny cakes. They’re a real weekend breakfast treat.

Johnny Cakes Are Pure New England

Even though there’s a Jamaican version of Johnny cakes which are something unto themselves, this version is a New England staple.

Johnny cakes are a substantial pancake that many find reminiscent of cornbread. They are in a way and then again, they are not. This version has a texture somewhat like cornbread, but I don’t think they taste similar in any way.

There are many different versions of the same thing, but this is the basic recipe for the New England style cakes.

The Cornmeal

Traditionally, white cornmeal is used. I always have yellow on hand so I use that. It really doesn’t make any difference unless you don’t wish to have the yellowish color in the pancakes. As always, use what you have or what’s available.

Because cornmeal must hydrate not to be gritty, the batter has to stand for about 10 minutes and hot milk has to be used. I make mine with milk and butter. However, there are other ways to do this and I even found one recipe that uses bacon fat in place of butter. Whilst I love bacon, I don’t think that flavor in Johnny cakes would send me. But again, it’s up to what your tastes are so proceed with that.

Enjoy Like Pancakes

Johnny cakes are enjoyed just like regular pancakes with butter and maple syrup or the syrup of your choice.

One caveat is they take a bit longer to cook that regular buttermilk pancakes. They will take about 10 minutes and should be flipped when they are brown on one side. For this I use the griddle that came with my stove and I use medium heat. They can be done in a large cast iron frying pan and personally, I think that’s the best way. However, with the skillet you will have to cook in batches. An investment in a cast iron double burner griddle would be a good choice for this.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Johnny Cakes

A New England special

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Batter Standing Time10

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cornmeal pancakes, johnny cakes, new england traditional foods

Servings: 6

Calories: 220kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups milk
1 tbs unsalted butter
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
2 tbs sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 egg beaten
Butter for griddle

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place milk and butter in a small saucepan and heat until it simmers. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk this together so it's well mixed.
Add the milk mixture and whisk until it's well combined then whisk in the egg. Let this stand for 10 minutes.
Heat a large non-stick pan or griddle over medium heat. Add a pat of butter to grease the griddle.
Drop about 2 tablespoons of the mixture in the pan and swirl with the back of a spoon to make a round "pancake" about 3-inches7.5 cm wide.
Cook about 10 minutes total flipping when one side is brown.
Serve with butter and maple syrup.

Nutrition

The post Johnny Cakes appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Toad In The Hole

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 26 Jul 2022 23:00:18 +0000

Toad In The Hole is an old British standby that’s been around for ages. It’s a great and inexpensive way to use leftovers.

Toad In The Hole–Very British

Toad In The Hole has got to be one of Britain’s old standbys. I can tell you that my mom ate plenty of this growing up.

One of the best things about this is that practically anything can be added to it. Traditionally, it’s made with whole sausage, but bulk sausage meat can be substituted for that. With whole sausage it makes quite a nice presentation.

By the way, this is one meal you most definitely wouldn’t see served to the “upstairs” crowd at Downton Abbey. However, it was most likely served a lot below stairs. It’s a real meal of the proletariat if you will.

Yorkshire Pudding

Basically, this is a Yorkshire pudding with add-ins. And those add-ins can be anything you like, including leftovers.

In fact, it’s a great way to use any leftover meat or vegetables you have on hand. Even though sausage is traditional, anything goes here. It’s also nice topped off with some brown gravy.

Of course this can be served as a main for dinner, but it’s a terrific luncheon dish.

Easy Peasy

Did I mention this is very easy to make? Well it is! You just mix up a few simple pantry ingredients and let it stand for 30 minutes. I really can’t say why it needs the standing time because there’s nothing to rise in this batter. But I do know that it won’t come out right if you don’t. The same holds for a regular Yorkshire pudding.

Another tip for success is the pan must be piping hot when you pour the batter in. For this reason, I HIGHLY recommend using cast iron or another metal.

If you are not using drippings or sausage–which gives you the required fat–you can use a bit of butter with a bit of oil.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Toad In The Hole

British favorite

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Batter Standing Time30

Course: Brunch, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: British

Keyword: british traditional foods, downton abbey foods, toad in the hole

Servings: 4

Calories: 577kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 cup milk
1 cup flour
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1 lb mild sausage or bulk sausage meat
Drippings from sausage or about 2 tbs butter

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Whisk together the milk, flour, eggs and salt in a medium bowl until well mixed. Let the batter sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Butter a 9-inch/23 cm pie dish.
Scatter the sausages over the bottom of the prepared dish. Place the dish in the oven for about 10-15 minted to render some fat from the sausage.
Remove dish from the oven and pour the batter over the sausage. Return to the oven.
Bake for 45 minutes until sausage is cooked through and batter has puffed up and browned.

Nutrition

The post Toad In The Hole appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Marinated Bean Salad

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 09 Apr 2022 23:00:55 +0000

Marinated bean salad is one of those salads that can be a complete meal. Totally vegan but totally delicious.

Marinated Bean Salad–An All-Season Salad

When my neighbor saw this she said it reminds her of summer. She’s right there because this or my Mexican 3 bean salad is generally on my menu when I have cookouts on my deck.

But I tend to think of this marinated bean salad as an all-season treat. In fact, it is a meal in itself when you think about it. Beans are a great source of protein and also a wonderful source of fiber so it’s pretty filling. To top that off–if you could–it’s totally vegan. Therefore, it’s a great main course when you’re serving those who don’t eat meat.

Economical Salad

Perhaps one of the best things about this recipe is that it is very economical.

Face it, beans are cheap. With rising prices, we’re all trying to economize where we can. Pasta, rice and beans are some of the best money savers around. Many of us are cutting down on meat too because it’s very high in price at the moment. What better way to save than with this delicious bean concoction.

It calls for canned beans which a lot of us already have in our pantry to begin with. I used white (cannellini) and red kidney beans because they make a great presentation. But you can use any variety or a combination of such.

Marinade

Basically, the marinade or dressing is a vinaigrette.

One tip I picked up from watching numerous Julia Child shows is that the proportion of oil to vinegar is a highly personal choice. She said she preferred more olive oil to vinegar and/or lemon juice. I’m totally the opposite. Therefore I suggest you mix up the marinade first and taste it. Then you can adjust for your personal taste.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Marinated Bean Salad

Totally vegan and totally addictive

Prep Time10

Cook Time0

Course: Main/Side, Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: marinated kidney beans, mixed bean salad, salads using canned beans

Servings: 6

Calories: 305kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

30 oz cannellini beans 2 cans, drained and rinsed
15 oz dark red kidney beans 1 can, drained and rinsed

Bean Marinade:

1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tbs chopped fresh chives
1 tbs chopped fresh dill
1 clove garlic finely minced
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tbs finely chopped red onion
1/4 tsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place beans in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, mix all the marinade ingredients. Pour over beans and toss to coat.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Toss well before serving.
Will keep well for about 3 days so you can make this ahead.

Nutrition

The post Marinated Bean Salad appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 20 Mar 2022 00:00:53 +0000

Who doesn’t love a great sandwich? These Instant Pot French dip sandwiches are sure to be a hit.

Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches

This has got to be one of the most beloved sandwiches ever and there’s a good reason. Instant Pot French dip sandwiches are delicious; it’s that simple.

The most common way of making French dip is in the slow cooker. The long slow cooking is what gives the meat and the associated juices very flavorful. It takes at least 8 hours to achieve this so patience is definitely a virtue.

But did you know you can get the same flavor–and tastier at that–in a fraction of the time? Well you can and the Instant Pot is the way to do it! Pressure cooking extracts awesome flavor because of the method used. That’s a boon for recipes such as this.

Choose The Beef Roast

Without a doubt, one of the most flavorful cuts is chuck or shoulder. However, it may not be the ideal cut for this sandwich and the method of cooking–whether that be slow cooking or pressure cooking. Chuck is fatty which is why it is so flavorful. If you do want to use it, there’s quite a bit of prep work to remove most of the fat. Bear in mind that not only will the meat be fatty but so will the juice. This is the reason I shy away from it with French dip.

I prefer to use bottom round or sirloin. There’s much less fat and therefore much less prep and trimming. The juice will not be overly fatty; there’ll be just enough for good flavor. Also the piece of meat is pretty solid. Because of this, you can also slice it easily if you prefer slices on the sandwich rather than shredded meat.

FYI for my UK readers, bottom round is silverside for you.

Cheese

I like French dip with melted cheese, but if you don’t just omit it.

Provolone–especially the aged variety–has a nice piquant edge that adds a great flavor profile. That’s my general choice. But any cheese that melts can be substituted so if Provolone isn’t your bag, use a cheese that is.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches

The Instant Pot gives the sauce the best flavor

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 30

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy french dip sandwiches, french dip in instant pot

Servings: 6

Calories: 566kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

3 lb bottom round beef roast
1 medium onion sliced
2 cups water
2 envelopes au jus gravy mix
1 clove garlic crushed
1 bay leaf
6 sub/hero rolls
6 slices aged provolone

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

rim any excess fat from beef roast. Place roast in the Instant Pot. Top with onions.
Mix water, au jus mix, garlic and bay leaf in a small bowl. Pour over roast.
Seal Instant Pot and set for high pressure for 90 minutes. When cooking is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally.
Remove roast and either slice or shred the meat. Split the rolls and divide meat evenly over each of the rolls. Place a slice of provolone on top of the meat on each and place under a hot broiler for about 2-3 minutes or until cheese begins to melt.
Serve with the pan juices.

Nutrition

The post Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Glazed Raised Donuts

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 00:00:23 +0000

These glazed raised donuts are delicious! As close to Krispy Creme as you can get.

Glazed Raised Donuts: A Real Treat

You’ve bought these at the supermarket and at those famous donut shops and loved them. Did you know they’re easy enough to make at home? They’re fun to make too.

Since they are fun to make, if you have kiddos, let them help you! Kids love playing with dough and the funny thing is, the more you “play” with it, the better the end product will be. When first mixed, the dough is a bit on the sticky side. While you may be reluctant to handle it because your hands will get some dough on them, I never met a kid who wouldn’t look forward to that…

Finally, what can be better than something you make where you know the ingredients that make it up–ones you can pronounce.

The Yeast Dough

As mentioned above, the dough initially is a tad sticky. That’s because it’s a sweet yeast dough.

Of course you can do this by machine, but since this is a small-batch recipe, you may not want to haul out that big stand mixer. Again, it’s your choice, but with these sweet doughs, I prefer to do it by hand to make sure the texture is just right,

The dough’s texture is quite soft and as I said, sticky in the beginning. However, when you begin to work the dough by kneading and adding small amounts of flour, the dough becomes less sticky. It should have a smooth and silky texture.

As with any yeast concoction, there’s a time investment. Most yeast doughs can be risen in the fridge so I’d take advantage of that if you don’t have time to complete the task in the same day. Just remember to let the dough come to room temperature before you start rolling and cutting.

Don’t Have A Donut Cutter?

Don’t buy one! You simply don’t need it.

I used a biscuit cutter that was about 2.5-inches/5-cm in diameter and managed the hole with a soda bottle cap. If you want to make twists, then you need no utensils. Just take about a walnut-sized piece of dough and roll it into a rope about 8-inches/20-cm long, fold in half and twist the ends together.

I glazed these but they’re also good rolled in cinnamon sugar. Surprisingly, they’re good keepers. While they won’t be as good as the day you made them, the next day they’re almost as good. The dough is also good, minus the hole, for making jelly donuts.

Just double the ingredients to make a larger batch. I got about a dozen out of the small-batch recipe

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Glazed Raised Donuts (small batch)

Simple but delicious

Prep Time15

Cook Time5

Rising Time2

Total Time2 20

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: krispy creme copycat, raised donuts, yeast donuts

Servings: 12

Calories: 182kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1/4 cup warm water
2 1/4 tsp dry yeast 1 envelope
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tbs milk
2 1/2 tbs vegetable shortening
1 egg
2 tbs sugar
pinch of salt
2-2 1/2 cups flour
oil for frying

Glaze:

1 cup confectioner's icing sugar, sifted
1-2 tbs water
1/2 tsp vanilla

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place yeast in the 1/4 cup of warm water, add the 1 tsp sugar, stir and let it stand for about 5 minutes until foamy.
Heat milk and shortening in a small saucepan. Let stand until it's lukewarm.
Mix sugar, salt and the egg in a large bowl. Stir in the cooled milk mixture and the pinch of salt. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
Add the yeast mixture and 1 cup of the flour. Mix until a soft batter forms.
Add enough remaining flour until you get a soft dough consistency. The amount of flour is variable in different weather conditions. You may need more flour than stated. The dough should be pretty soft and slightly sticky--it's texture you're aiming for.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth--the dough will be sticky.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rise until double--about 1 1/2 hours.
Roll out dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Using a donut or biscuit cutter (I used a large biscuit cutter and a soda bottle cap for the middle hole) cut out the donuts and place them on a floured piece of parchment. Let rise until light--about 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 1-2 inches of oil in a large deep skillet until it's 325-350F/160-180F. Fry donuts until golden brown on each side. I flip them with wooden chopsticks. Don't crowd the pan--fry in shifts. Drain on paper towels.
Mix glaze ingredients and drizzle over warm donuts.
Makes about a dozen medium donuts.

Nutrition

The post Glazed Raised Donuts appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Florentine Eggs–Perfect Poached Eggs

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 05 Dec 2021 00:00:54 +0000

Florentine eggs are an elegant breakfast or brunch and can even be made ahead. Also learn how to make perfect poached eggs.

Florentine Eggs

Do these look complicated? Surprise, they aren’t.

Florentine eggs are just an assembly job and most of the components can be made in advance. Yes, even the eggs!

Since you will want perfect-looking poached eggs for this elegant dish, I’ll give instructions in this post for how to achieve a perfect poached egg right in this post.

You can change some of the components as well. Ham or Canadian bacon can replace the bacon. You can use Hollandaise sauce instead of the simple cheese sauce recipe I give. For me, Hollandaise is a bit too fussy and moreover, I don’t really care for it that much (surprise, I know!!!). But if you think it would complement this better than by all means. And that goes for any sauce you like!

Perfect Poached Eggs

Perfect poached eggs are easy–that is if you have fresh eggs and by fresh I mean it just dropped out of the chicken. Lots of folks are keeping chickens now so this is definitely a possibility. Fresh eggs have high-standing yolks that are centered and the white clings around the yolk.

However, most of us buy eggs in the supermarket and how fresh that egg is is up for debate. But if you use the following method, your eggs will come out decent looking all the time.

The secret is boiling your egg for 10 seconds to “set” the outer part of the white. First you pierce a hole with a needle or a cork board tack in the large end of the egg. The reason for that is there’s an air pocket up there and piercing relieves the pressure. Then you drop the egg into fast-boiling water for 10 seconds. Then you remove the egg.

Now, to poach eggs, you never let the water boil. You just want simmering water–where you see some small bubbles at the bottom of the pan. Don’t salt the water at this point, but add 1/4 cup of white vinegar per quart of water. This helps the whites to coagulate.

Now break your eggs as close to the water as possible so they gently fall into the water. Let them simmer for 4 minutes, then remove them to a bowl of cold, clean water. The cold water stops the cooking and gets rid of any trace of the vinegar.

At this point the poached eggs can be kept uncovered in the fridge in that bowl of water till you’re ready to use them. To reheat, just place them in some salted simmering water for about a minute. Remember to pat them dry before placing them on any other food.

Other Methods

There are other methods to get good-looking eggs.

One better known method is using these egg poachers (affiliate link). I have them and they work pretty well.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Florentine Eggs

Elegant and easy breakfast or brunch

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: eggs benedict, florentine eggs, holiday breakfasts, make perfect poached eggs

Servings: 4

Calories: 367kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

4 English muffins
4 poached eggs
8 slices crispy bacon
1 recipe Asian spinach

Cheese Sauce:

2 tbs butter
2 tbs flour
1 cup hot milk
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Separate English muffins into halves and toast.
Divide spinach evenly between the English muffins. Lay 2 slices of bacon over each muffin and top with a poached egg. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of sauce over each egg.
Serve immediately

Nutrition

The post Florentine Eggs–Perfect Poached Eggs appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Baked Pumpkin Crumb Donuts

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 16 Oct 2021 23:00:15 +0000

Pumpkin crumb donuts that are lower in fat since they’re baked not deep fried.

Pumpkin Donuts–A Fall Tradition

Nothing says autumn like all things pumpkin–especially donuts. Not sure which fall donut is number one; apple cider donuts or pumpkin donuts. For me, I love them both and give each equal time.

These pumpkin donuts do contain less fat since they’re baked not fried. I have to be honest here because what you’re eating is a donut-shaped muffin. However, that doesn’t mean they’re not good. Actually, they are wonderful, but I don’t want anyone to think they’re an exact copycat of traditional cake donuts.

You do need a special donut pan (affiliate link) to make these–that is if you want them donut shaped. How much you fill them is a learning curve. I found that filling the recesses almost to the top resulted in the best shape.

Just think of these, or any baked “donut” as a treat and you’re batting a thousand.

Crumbs Make Them Special

First, it’s up to you whether you ant crumbs. It doesn’t affect the recipe at all.

But I do think they make these donuts a special treat. Most folks love crumbs on cake or muffins so the addition of them is a natural. They are buttery and spicy so they go great and add a little crunch with each bite.

If you decide it’s not your bag, then leave them off but do glaze the donuts if you bypass the crumbs. The glaze will actually help keep them fresh.

Glaze Pulls It Together

If you use the crumbs and glaze these donuts, it’s the glaze that actually pulls it all together.

It adds that extra bit of sweetness that most of us appreciate. Another interesting thing is that the donut becomes a lot like a coffee cake. Cake, crumbs and glaze are what comes to mind (at least to me) as the basic components of a coffee cake.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Baked Pumpkin Crumb Donuts

Tender and sweet fall treat

Prep Time20

Cook Time18

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, cakes, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baked donuts for fall, baked pumpkin donuts, pumpkin donuts

Servings: 12

Calories: 283kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree solid pack not pie filling
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice in UK use mixed spice
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 3/4 cups + 2 tbs flour

Crumbs:

1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbs butter
3 tbs quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup flour

Glaze:

1 cup confectioner's sugar icing sugar in UK
1 tbs milk

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Spray donut pan with non-stick spray.
Mix all crumb ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Beat the oil, sugar, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking powder in a large bowl.
Beat in the flour just until smooth.
Fill the baking pans--each "donut" uses about 1/4 cup to fill almost to the top. Top each with crumbs
Bake for 15-18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then carefully remove to a cooling rack.
Mix the glaze and drizzle on top of the donuts while they are still warm.
Makes 12-18 donuts (I got 18)

Nutrition

The post Baked Pumpkin Crumb Donuts appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Rustic Cheese Tart

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 23:00:54 +0000

Rustic cheese tart is very elegant but very easy! Vary the cheeses and herbs and it becomes something different.

Rustic Cheese Tart: Easy Yet Elegant

“Rustic” seems to be the watchword nowadays for things that are simple but make a big splash.

This Rustic cheese tart is no different. It’s as uncomplicated as you can get and makes a great presentation. That’s really saying something for a recipe that doesn’t take up much of your time since it uses common convenience ingredients.

The recipe makes only one, but I strongly suggest you double the recipe. Not only because it’s good and you can vary the cheeses so they don’t have to be the same, but because of how one of the ingredients is packaged.

Frozen Puff Pastry Sheets

I’ve often toyed with the idea of making my own puff pastry. Haven’t as of yet worked up the gumption to do it though. It’s pretty easy but for me it’s the time investment involved.

This is why I’m so glad it comes frozen in sheets. The brand I buy contains two sheets, however, they are not individually wrapped. This is why I suggested above that you double the recipe because the quality of the pastry sheets will deteriorate somewhat if it’s re-frozen. If you can manage to separate the sheets before they thaw, you are all set. I’ve never had much luck doing that which is why I made the doubling up something I would advise doing.

Change The Cheeses

The basic recipe uses a four-cheese blend and feta. However, you don’t have to limit yourself to those varieties.

Bleu cheese or Stilton would be excellent for this and very gourmet. In that case I’d limit it to bleu cheese alone. Any combo you like would be good so you can get adventurous here.

As far as the herb–choose anything you like that you think will pair well with the cheese you used. For the basic recipe, I used thyme because it’s one of my favorite herbs.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Rustic Cheese Tart

So easy to prepare and delicious too

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Course: Appetizer, Brunch, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cheese and puff pastry tart, easy bread sticks with puff pastry, puff pastry appetizers

Servings: 8

Calories: 229kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1/2 cup Mexican or Italian shredded cheese blend
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 egg yolk
1 sheet prepared puff pastry
1 egg
1 tbs water
1 tbs chopped fresh herb of your choice I used thyme

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Combine the shredded cheese, feta and egg yolk in a bowl.
Roll out the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface to a 10 x 12-inch (25 x 30 cm) rectangle and place on an uncreased baking sheet. Lightly beat the whole egg with the water and brush over pastry
Scatter cheese mixture over the pastry leaving a 1-inch/2.5 cm border on all sides.
Bake for 10 minutes in a preheated 425 F/220 C oven.. Top with chopped herb(s) and cut into quarters then cut the quarters into thin wedges.

Nutrition

The post Rustic Cheese Tart appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

New York Crumb Cake

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 17 Jul 2021 23:00:26 +0000

New York is famous for many foods, but New York crumb cake is definitely in the top ten.

The Ultimate Crumb Cake

Who doesn’t love crumb cake? I’m sure there’s some but not too many.

New York is famous for a lot of foods–bagels, bialys, pastrami–the list is almost endless. But one thing is certain; New York crumb cake is in the top 10 on that list. Why? Because it’s scrumptious and loaded with crumbs.

One well-known commercial bakery even made a rendition of their top-rated crumb cake with extra crumbs. That’s how much folks love this.

Frankly, I’d buy the “boxed” from this company because it is good, but since it now costs a bomb, I was looking for something great that I could make. Out of all the coffee cakes I’ve made, this one is it.

Crumbs Galore

This cake has enough crumbs to satisfy anyone who loves them.

They’re rich and buttery because there isn’t any fake ingredients in them at all. They have a lot of butter–a full cup. Therefore, the flavor really comes through.

There’s lots of crumbs too. In fact, you may think you’ll never use the whole amount when you mix them up. You will, so don’t give up and cover that entire cake top with them. Trust me, it works.

Cake’s Good Too

Just when you think that the crumb topping is the star of this show, you taste the cake itself and it knocks your socks off.

The texture and flavor of the cake itself is so awesome, I really can’t find the words. Much like the crumbs it’s rich and buttery with a velvety texture. So it’s hard to decide which element is better. I’m going to refrain on a judgement on this because they work so well together. And really, is it necessary? I don’t seem to think so. Just enjoy it!

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

NY Crumb Cake

Rich and delicious with a ton of buttery crumbs

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: authentic NYC crumb cake, famous ny crumb cake, rich coffee cakes

Servings: 12

Calories: 689kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

Crumbs:

1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tbs cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter melted and warm
2 1/2 cups flour

Cake:

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups sour cream
1 tsp vanilla

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the crumbs: mix the sugars, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Add the warm melted butter and stir to blend. Add the flour and mix until crumbs begin to form (it will clump). Set aside.
For the cake: Preheat oven to 350F/180C and grease a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer--the batter is dense so it will require a sturdy mixer--until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until it's light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix until just incorporated. Don't overmix!
Add the flour in 3 additions, beating until just incorporated. Again, do not overmix.
Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly in the pan.
Squeeze small handfuls of the crumbs together to form small clumps. Drop the clumps evenly over the batter, covering the top completely. The crumb layer will be thick.
Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Avoid overbaking.
Cool at least 30 minutes on a rack before serving.

Video

Nutrition

The post New York Crumb Cake appeared first on The Midnight Baker.