Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins: Nothing Beats Homemade

Cinnamon raisin English muffins are really easy to make! Many people have raised eyebrows about this, but it’s true! In fact, it’s one of the simplest things to make.

It’s also a very popular flavor. I think it’s right up there with the traditional English muffins. It’s one of my favorite flavors in the muffins, bread and bagels.

The cinnamon will color the dough, but don’t let that worry you. The results are totally delicious.

It Starts With A Starter

These cinnamon raisin English muffins begins with a starter. Technically it’s a “sour dough” but as with any sour dough breads, the flavor intensity is based on how long the starter sits.

With this recipe, if you’re in a hurry, it only has to sit for an hour. If you let it sit for 3 days, you’ll get a more intense flavor. I generally let my starter sit for 24 hours. As with any yeast dough, there’s a time investment for raising so even though the recipe is as easy as can be, there’s waiting time involved. However, the really great thing about this recipe is the dough can be put in the fridge to raise in there–for up to 3 days–so you can get a head start. It also means you can make them fresh when you need or want them.

Raisins

If you’re anything like me, you have raisins on hand that you bought some time ago. Even though I keep them in an air-tight container, they always seem to get dry.

So what I do is soak them in some warm water for about 15 minutes to plump them up, then drain them well and use them. I’d even recommend doing that regardless of the age of the raisins in this recipe. It’ll keep them juicy.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box Go to Collections

Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins

Nothing beats homemade

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Rising Time & Starter3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cinnamon raisin english muffins, homemade english muffins, sourdough english muffins

Servings: 12

Calories: 232kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

Starter:

• 3/4 cup bread flour Strong flour in UK
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 1/2 tsp yeast the dry kind not fresh

Muffin Dough:

• 1 cup lukewarm milk NOT skim milk
• 1 tsp yeast instant or active dry
• 2 tbs sugar
• 2 tbs unsalted butter melted
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup raisins
• 1-2 tbs ground cinnamon
• 3-3 1/4 cups bread flour strong flour in UK
• Cornmeal
• 1 tsp butter for the griddle

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Mix the starter ingredients in a medium bowl (because it bubbles up). Cover and keep at room temperature for 12-36 hours. The longer it sits, the better the muffins will taste.
• Using a stand mixer, combine the milk, yeast and the starter. Beat well so the starter is well incorporated into the milk.
• Add the sugar, cinnamon, raisins, butter and salt. Add the flour, beginning with the lowest amount called for. Switch to the dough hook and knead for 8 minutes, adding additional flour so that the dough is soft yet not sticky. It should feel slightly tacky but not stick to your fingers nor the bowl.
• Place dough in a lightly oiled large bowl, cover and let rise in the fridge overnight or up to 3 days.
• Place dough on a lightly floured surface and shape into a round disk. With a large knife, cut 12 equal portions. Roll each portion into a smooth round ball.
• Sprinkle some of the cornmeal on a large baking sheet. Place the balls about 2-inches/5 cm apart. Sprinkle the tops of the balls with cornmeal as well. Let rise until puffy--for cool dough this will take about 1 1/2-2 hours.
• Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Grease the skillet or griddle with the butter (I use a tissue to distribute the butter then use the buttery tissue to grease the griddle for the next batches).
• Working in batches (probably about 3-4 muffins depending on the size of your pan/griddle. Don't crowd the pan) cook the muffins for 5-6 minutes on one side until they're golden brown.
• Flip the muffins and cook for 5-6 minutes on the other side, gently pressing the muffins down with a wide spatula to flatten slightly.
• For extra insurance that the muffins are fully cooked, you can put them in a pre-heated 350F/180C oven for 5-8 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 210mg | Potassium: 190mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 104IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Diner Style Home Fries–An American Classic

From coast to coast in the USA, diner style home fries are on the menu with any egg breakfasts in diners.  There’s a good reason for this; they’re simply delicious.

Talking about simplicity, they’re very easy to make too. I’m willing to bet that almost all people have the ingredients you need on hand. No extra shopping or anything fancy. Do you have potatoes, onions and a few simple spices? You got it. You can even prep them ahead too–either just the potatoes or the entire recipe. I can attest to their flavor being just as good, if not better, reheated.

The Proper Potatoes

In a pinch, any old potato will do. However, the best results are obtained with a mealy baking-style potato. Now, that may seem strange since they are so fragile, but it’s the texture you’re after here more than the potato holding it’s shape.

For best results, the potatoes need to be partially cooked. This step can be completed a day or two before you plan to cook the entire recipe. In fact, the potatoes should be cool or even cold when you do the final cooking.

My late husband even used canned potatoes once to make these and they came out pretty good.  But for authenticity, Russets or Maris Piper (for UK/EU people) is the way to go.

Cast Iron Is Best

If you have a cast iron skillet, use it for these. It conducts heat very evenly and it’s naturally non-stick. You will get the best results if you use one. Shy away from light-weight non-stick pans as the potatoes will not brown and crisp properly; they’ll burn.

A high-quality cast iron skillet is really an investment because it will last forever and the more you use it, the better it gets.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box Go to Collections

Diner Style Home Fries

Perfect for a weekend breakfast

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: authentic home fries, cast iron potato recipes, diner breakfast recipes

Servings: 4

Calories: 266kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs russet or Maris piper potatoes
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 3 tbs olive oil divided
• 1 tbs butter

Seasoning:

• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp paprika smoked is best
• 1 tsp garlic powder

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Peel potatoes and cut in cubes about 1/2 in/1.25 cm. Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Add about 1/2 tsp salt. Bring potatoes to boil and cook for 2 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until the onion is soft--about 5 minutes. Remove onions from the pan and set aside
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and butter to the pan. Add the potatoes in a single layer (if possible). Cook without stirring for 10 minutes so the bottoms become brown and crispy.
• Add the onions and seasonings and stir well to combine. If you prefer the potatoes crispier, fry for an additional 5 minutes

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 1198mg | Potassium: 793mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 585IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Diner Style Home Fries appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

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 Go to Collections

Florentine Eggs

Elegant and easy breakfast or brunch

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

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

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 367kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 219mg | Sodium: 871mg | Potassium: 242mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 638IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 200mg | Iron: 2mg

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

Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Here’s a cake where you get the best of both worlds. Since it has a cheesecake layer sandwiched between coffee cake and crumbs, it’s perfect for those who love coffee cake and cheesecake!

The cake itself is rich and buttery. So are the crumbs and there’s plenty of them too. I think that the crumbs are peoples’ favorite part of any coffee cake. Entenmann’s (famous to NYers) even make a cake that’s mostly crumbs due to their popularity.

Now if you didn’t think you could get much better than that, here’s this cake with it’s luscious cheesecake layer.

The Cheesecake Layer

This is where this simple recipe gets a bit tricky.

It’s always hard to spread a tenuous mixture, such as this cheesecake filling, over any batter. Trying to do it with a dry spatula can be daunting. My suggestion is to use a wet spatula because it’ll make the process a lot easier.

However, the easiest way I have found is to drop the cheesecake batter evenly across the top of the other layer than using your wet (but surgically clean) fingers to spread it evenly. I know it sounds gross, but it’s the best method to get the job done. And after all, the cake is going to be baked so worries about bacteria are eliminated.

These tips are good for the bottom layer as well.

Easy Crumbs

The way I make crumbs is easy and they come out perfect every time.

My “secret” if you can call it that is starting with melted butter. Any time I made them the other way by cutting the butter in, they’d melt and didn’t even look like crumbs. I picked up that trick years ago with a cranberry coffee cake. That cake was quite forgettable, but the crumb method used was a keeper.

The flour is variable when you make crumbs this way so start with the minimum amount (which is given in the recipe) and add more if you need it. It’s one of those methods where your eye will tell you if it’s right.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box Go to Collections

Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

A great coffee cake with a cheesecake layer

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time45 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cheesecake filled coffee cake, coffee cake with cream cheese, easy coffee cakes

Servings: 12

Calories: 588kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 egg
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda

Filling:

• 16 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg

Topping:

• 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup butter melted
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup flour approximate

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F/175C. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish (the best approximation outside the US is a 3L rectangular baking dish) with non-stick spray.
• For the cake:
• Mix the flour, baking soda and baking powder in a small bowl; set aside.
• Beat the sugar, butter and egg until smooth. Add the sour cream and vanilla; mix well. Stir in the 3 cups of flour mixture until a sticky dough forms. Spread 1/2 of the dough evenly in the prepared pan. TIP--I distribute portions evenly around the pan them pat it to fit with wet hands. Alternately, you could use an offset spatula, but the damp hands work better.
• Beat the cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and egg in another bowl until very smooth. Spoon mixture over the dough in the pan and spread it as evenly as you can.
• Drop the remaining dough by spoonfuls over the cream cheese mixture.
• Mix the topping ingredients together. If the crumbs seem a bit wet, add a tablespoon or two more of flour. Sprinkle the topping over the crumbs.
• Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 588kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 355mg | Potassium: 202mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 1063IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Cream Cheese Coffee Cake appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Easy French Toast Bread

Looking for a great all-around bread? This French toast bread fills the bill nicely.

Since it makes great French toast, it’s the bread that’s most often used in diners to make this dish. Any diner I visited in New York City uses it exclusively to make this popular breakfast item. There’s a reason for that too.

Because it’s soft and has a slightly sweet taste, it absorbs the egg custard easily. Also, since it’s an egg-based bread, it will brown gloriously when it’s grilled.

Don’t sell this bread short though; it lends itself to many other uses.

Not Just For Breakfast

Don’t let the name fool you.

This bread can be used just like any other loaf of bread. It make great regular toast, bread crumbs and sandwiches. If you make Monte Cristo sandwiches, this bread is the perfect choice. I’ve always considered that sandwich a cross between French toast and a ham sandwich. There’s a sweet yet savory factor there and this bread is perfect for that.

Are You A Bread Artist?

If you’re an artist with yeast breads then braiding this bread will come easy and will be perfect. My mother was such an artist. Unfortunately, I didn’t inherit that skill. I braid, but not very well.

But does that really matter? Think about it. It doesn’t. What you’re going for here is the bread itself and not a work of art. Merely making it as a regular loaf works just as well. So if you’re all thumbs at braiding or shaping, just divide the bread into two pieces and plop each piece in a loaf pan. It works.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box Go to Collections

French Toast Bread

Much like challah this easy bread makes great toast and sandwiches too

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Total Raising Time3 hours hrs

Course: Breakfast, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bread for french toast, breakfast breads, challah bread, easy breads with egg

Servings: 10

Calories: 443kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 tsp instant yeast or 2 packets
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 3 eggs at room temp
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tbs kosher salt
• 7 cups flour
• sesame seeds

Egg Wash:

• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbs water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Dissolve yeast in the warn water in a large bowl. Add the milk, eggs, butter, sugar, salt and 3 cups flour. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in only enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. It is possible you will need more flour so you can add about 1/2 cup. I used 6 cups of flour in the loaves in the pics. The amount of flour can vary so always go by the consistency of the dough.
• Turn dough out on a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic; about 8 minutes. Alternatively, if you have a heavy stand mixer, switch to the dough hook and let the machine do the work.
• Place dough in a greased bowl turning once so the top of the dough is greased. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Punch dough down and turn onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 6 equal portions. Roll each portion into a 14-inch/36 cm rope.
• For each loaf, braid 3 ropes together on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel (no plastic here) and let rise until doubled; about 50 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375F/190C.
• Beat egg yolk and 2 tbs water. Brush over loaves and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 443kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 739mg | Potassium: 215mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 298IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 4mg

>

The post French Toast Bread appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

An Iconic Fall Flavor: Pumpkin Spice

Since pumpkin spice has become such an iconic flavor for fall, you often see jokes made about it.

This flavor has been popular for years. It’s only lately that you are able to find practically everything made with the flavor.

I’ve always been a fan of the fall season and everything that goes with it. I’m also a lover of French toast and cheesecake so as a result, this is one of my favorite breakfasts; for fall or any time for that matter!

The Bread Makes A Difference

Challah is usually my go-to bread for most French toast I make. However, with this pumpkin cheesecake variety, I’m pretty partial to–wait for it–French bread!

If you can get a nice substantial loaf of French bread or a baguette, you’re in business.

The reason I prefer French bread to challah for this is that I don’t want a highly flavorful bread, such as challah, to compete with the spiced cheesecake filling. With French bread, the flavor will meld rather than work at cross purposes.

One other important thing here is you want bread that’s not very fresh so what I do is cut the slices the day before and store them in a plastic bag in the fridge. This method produces the perfect texture for the bread.

The Filling

The delicious cheesecake filling is very easy to make. Just make sure to use plain pumpkin–not the canned pie filling.

You might have some left over, depending on how much you want to use to fill the bread slices. The amount you use is totally up to you. I had about a half cup left over. But there’s no waste going on here. The filling makes a wonderful sweet dip for graham crackers or cookies!

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box Go to Collections

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake French Toast

A super fall breakfast or brunch

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: fancy french toast, holiday breakfasts, holiday brunches, pumpkin spice, weekend breakfasts

Servings: 6

Calories: 464kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1 French bread or baguette
• 2-3 tbs unsalted butter

Custard:

• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Filling:

• 8 oz cream cheese softened
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 3 tbs brown sugar
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Cut the French bread into 1-inch/2.5 cm slices.
• Beat together all the filling ingredients.
• Spread about 2-3 tablespoons of the filling on HALF the bread slices. Place a plain slice on top of the one with the filling making a “sandwich.”
• Whisk together the eggs, milk and pumpkin pie spice. Pour into a large (13 x 9 is good) deep pan.
• Place the “sandwiches” in the egg mixture and let it soak in for about 3 minutes; turn and soak the other side.
• Melt half the butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. When the butter starts foaming, place the french toast in the pan but do not overcrowd the pan. Fry for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Turn, add the remaining butter and brown on the other side for the same time.
• To keep warm, place on a cookie sheet in a 200F/100C oven.

Notes

For UK folks--mixed spice is a good substitute for pumpkin pie spice.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 464kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 140mg | Sodium: 525mg | Potassium: 340mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 7198IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 165mg | Iron: 4mg

The post Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake French Toast appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Quiche Is Back

Seems that quiche is back in style again. I wasn’t aware it was ever “out” but it hasn’t been trendy for quite a long time.

However, by what I’m seeing on line and in print, quiche appears to becoming popular again. I like that because quiches are easy, they can use up leftovers and most of all, they are very tasty.

There’s a secret to getting a perfect quiche every time–and it’s so easy that you’ll create some delicious ones once you know how to do it!

It’s In The Custard

A quiche is basically a custard which everyone knows is milk or cream and eggs.

The key is getting the right proportions of each of those ingredients so that it’s successful each and every time you make one.

The very first thing is use the dairy product with the highest amount of fat. For me that’s heavy cream. You can’t beat it for flavor or quality of the custard. If you use heavy cream, your custard will be velvety all the time. The next choice is light cream or half and half (for those outside the USA, half and half is 50 percent whole or full-fat milk and 50 percent light or single cream). Those two choices will give very good results too. The last is full-fat or whole milk.

Stay away from low or non-fat milks and half and half. It simply won’t taste good.

Now comes the eggs. For each 1/2 cup/120 ml of cream or milk, use 1 whole large egg. Yes, it’s that simple!

One Last Thing

Ever wonder why some quiches you’ve eaten taste better than ones you’ve made? I wondered that too and when I was watching an old Julia Child show from the early 1960s, I got my answer, or rather answers.

First, pre-bake your crust. This will prevent, as Julia Child says, the proverbial “soggy bottom,” which makes the whole experience unpleasant.

Second thing is you add a teeny pinch of nutmeg to the custard. You don’t taste the nutmeg at all but it enhances all the other great flavors. If you have whole nutmeg, it’s one or two scrapes on the grater. That’s all there is to it!

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box Go to Collections

Ham and Swiss Quiche

Serve it hot or cold—delicious either way

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Crust Pre-Baking20 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: French

Keyword: egg based brunch recipes, making the perfect quiche, quiche secrets, savory pies with egg

Servings: 6

Calories: 266kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1 pie crust 9-inch deep dish

Filling:

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups milk half-and-half or cream
• 1/2 cup diced ham
• 1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• pinch of nutmeg

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Place crust in a 9-inch/23-cm quiche pan or standard US pie plate. Line the base of the crust with parchment or aluminum foil and fill with pie weights, dry beans or rice. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the beans and parchment and let the crust cool slightly.
• Preheat oven to 350F/180C
• Whisk the eggs and cream together. Stir in remaining ingredients and pour in prepared crust.
• Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 131mg | Sodium: 527mg | Potassium: 182mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 365IU | Calcium: 185mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Ham and Swiss Quiche appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Versatile Potato Recipe

These sautéed potatoes wear many hats. They are equally good for a dinner side dish and with eggs at breakfast.

Another great thing about these potatoes is that by varying the herbs used, they become totally different each time you make them. My favorite herbs for them are fresh thyme and fresh oregano or marjoram. Rosemary will work well too, especially when you serve them at dinner.

As always, I recommend using fresh herbs because they give the freshest flavor. If you don’t have access to fresh, then the amounts you’d use for dry would be half what I state for fresh.

Start With The Right Potatoes

To make these, you have to use a potato that’s not floury in texture.

Here in the US, the best potatoes to use would be red-skinned potatoes, new potatoes or Yukon gold.  The only ones I’m sure would work if you’re in the EU or UK would be new potatoes. I’d shy away from maris pipers and King Edwards due to their floury texture.

Great British Chefs has a good run-down on potatoes that you may find helpful as I am not familiar with many of these varieties.

Now that you have the right potato for the job, you have to dice them and keep them in slightly acidic water until you’re ready to use them. Just fill a bowl with cold water and add a drop or two of lemon juice or white vinegar. Then when you’re ready to start cooking, make sure they are as dry as can be. For this job, I use a highly absorbent bar towel.

Different Herbs Different Potatoes

This is another one of those “master recipes” that employ the same basic ingredients each time but are made into something different by additions.

In this potato recipe, it’s the herbs. The potatoes will taste entirely different according to what herb you use. As I mentioned before, thyme, rosemary, oregano and marjoram are very good choices.  It may sound crazy, but mint might be good if you intend to serve these with fish (especially salmon) or lamb.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box Go to Collections

Herb Sauteed Potatoes

Quick and easy potatoes to serve alone or as an ingredient in other dishes

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Course: Main/Side, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: potato recipe, potato side dish, potatoes, using herbs in cooking

Servings: 6

Calories: 77kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 4 cups cubed potatoes--red new or Yukon gold
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 tbs butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp of your favorite herb
• 1 tbs finely minced onion
• 2 tbs parsley
• 1 tbs butter optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Dry cubed potatoes either in a tea towel or between paper towels, Make sure they're as dry as you can get them.
• Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and butter.
• When butter foams, add the potatoes and fry until all sides are crisp and golden. Add the salt, pepper, onion and the 1/2 teaspoon of the herb you are using.If there are some pieces that need further cooking, cover pan and cook for 5 additional minutes.
• Add parsley and toss to coat. Add the 1 tablespoon of butter, if you are using it, and toss to coat the potatoes.

Notes

If you’re not going to cook them immediately, place the potatoes in a bowl of acidified water (see post)

If using dried herbs, use HALF the amount specified for fresh.

Post contains affiliate link(s)

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 77kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 237mg | Potassium: 235mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 225IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Herb Sauteed Potatoes appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

The Versatile Air Fryer

Do you have an air fryer? If not, you definitely should!

These appliances are so versatile because they can cook anything you can cook in a conventional oven–as long as it can fit and it cooks about 30% quicker than a conventional oven. The reason for this is an air fryer is really only a small but super-powerful convection oven.

I believe it was named “air fryer” because that name is a lot more catchy than “super convection oven.” It leads you to believe that it can replace a deep fryer. In my opinion, that answer is no. However, you can get credible crispiness cooking in it and make things that mimic deep fried food just like these fritters.

Based On Two-Ingredient Dough

Remember last-year’s fad with the 2-ingredient dough creations? This is based on that, although you have to add a couple of ingredients to it. One ingredient is optional although I highly recommend using it since it will help browning in these fritters.

The idea for this recipe came from a very inventive cook in one of my air fryer groups. Her recipe had several more ingredients than mine does; I merely streamlined hers and added a touch of sugar to the dough (that’s my optional ingredient).

As with most air frying, you have to spray these with some vegetable oil. This aids browning too and the little oil will make the fritters crunchier and give it that almost-fried flavor. However, it’s much less oil than you’d use with deep frying. Again, I highly recommend you spray them with oil. Otherwise they may be overly sweet from the glaze and the flavors won’t meld. This is the oil sprayer I use. Don’t be tempted to use non-stick spray. It won’t work and it will louse up the basket of your fryer.

Parchment?

I generally don’t use those parchment rounds that many use in air fryer baskets. For cooking meat and poultry, I find them useless to be honest. However, when it comes to baking right in the basket like you do with this recipe, they are a godsend. Mine stuck a little bit even to the parchment, but I was able to turn them without destroying the fritter because I used the parchment. The lady who originally made this said to use them and I totally see why she did. I get my parchment rounds from Amazon. They’re cheap so they won’t break the bank.

Watch The Video

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box Go to Collections

Air Fryer Apple Fritters

Apple fritters with less fat! And it gets better–just 4 ingredients!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fryer, apple fritters, apples

Servings: 4

Calories: 305kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

Fritters

• 1 cup self-rising flour
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tsp sugar optional
• 1 tbs cinnamon
• 1 large apple peeled and chopped

Glaze

• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 2 tbs milk or more, if needed

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Mix all fritter ingredients together in a medium bowl. Knead the mixture in the bowl about 3-4 times.
• Mix glaze ingredients together—this mixture should be on the thin side. Set aside.
• Line the bottom of the air fryer with a parchment round. Spray the parchment liberally with oil (NOT non-stick spray).
• Divide the fritter batter into 4 balls about the size of a handball. Flatten slightly and place in the fryer basket. Spray with vegetable oil.
• Air fry at 370 degrees F for 13-15 minutes, turning half way through the cooking. Spray with oil again after turning. Check for doneness with a toothpick.
• Drizzle or dip in the glaze then place fritters on a wire rack to cool and dry the glaze.
• Recipe can be doubled if you want more than 4-5 fritters.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1fritter | Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 23mg | Potassium: 171mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 2.6mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 0.5mg

*Post contains affiliate links

The post Air Fryer Apple Fritters appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Light And Easy

Here’s a recipe you can use for any meal!

It makes a rather hearty breakfast. It’s also excellent for a brunch and finally, it fills the bill for a light supper.

Another great thing is that it is meatless, so if you are eating less meat, you will find that this is just as filling. The base is portabello mushroom caps and they have been a great substitute for meat for a long time. And if you’re feeding vegetarians? Again, it’s perfect! To make it vegan, you would have to find a vegan cheese that melts, so if you can find one, voila! It’s also vegan!

The Bread Base

I used whole-grain English muffins for this. However, the possibilities are endless.

If you have a nice Artisan bread, use a slice of that. Sourdough works well too. I toasted my English muffins so they’d be a bit crunchy and if you do use English muffins, I’d advise toasting them because it brings out some flavor. But the toasting isn’t necessary with a peasant or Artisan bread. The bread will absorb some of the liquid so use your best judgement as to how to “prepare” it. You don’t want the base to get too soggy.

Prep And Cheese

This can be prepared ahead of time, so it’s one of those meals that’s good if you are pressed for time. Preparing ahead is also a boon if you are planning to make this for a breakfast or brunch. Then it just amounts to an assembly job. However, I’d leave making the Welsh rarebit until you actually plan to “cook” them.

This meal is best made with a nice sharp and strong cheddar since everything else is rather mild in flavor. Traditional Welsh rarebit is made with very sharp cheddar cheese, so it’s traditional. Any melting cheese can be substituted to your taste, but I’d stay away from cheeses that string–like mozzarella–because the rarebit flavorings probably wouldn’t taste so good with it. But mozzarella is absolutely fine if you don’t make the cheese mixture and just use a nice thick hunk of it on top!

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box Go to Collections

Open-Faced Welsh Rarebit Muffins

These Welsh rarebit muffins make a filling breakfast or a light meatless dinner.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Course: Brunch

Cuisine: British

Keyword: muffin recipe, Welsh rarebit

Servings: 4

Calories: 330kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 4 portabello mushroom caps
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 large tomato sliced in 1/4-inch slices
• 2 whole-grain English muffins toasted

CHEESE MIX:

• 4 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Whisk in the mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in the cheese and set aside.
• Lay the toasted English muffin halves on a baking sheet.
• Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Place mushrooms in the pan cap side down. Swirl each mushroom cap so they are nicely coated with the butter. Saute on each side about 1 minute, or until the juice just begins to run out of the mushrooms; remove from pan and place a mushroom cap in each toasted muffin half.
• In the same pan, fry the tomato slices on each side, just until they are hot. Place a slice of tomato on each mushroom cap.
• Set broiler to high heat.
• Divide the cheese mixture equally over each mushroom. Place in the broiler and cook for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and just begins to brown.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 439mg | Potassium: 497mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1014IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 301mg | Iron: 2mg

*Adapted from Mary Berry

The post Open-Faced Welsh Rarebit Muffins appeared first on The Midnight Baker.