Dutch Baby

Love this dish. Lots of great variations too.

INGREDIENTS

Yield: 3 to 4 servings

3 large eggs, at room

temperature

ó cup all-purpose flour

ó cup whole milk, at room

temperature

1 tablespoon sugar

Pinch of nutmeg

4 tablespoons unsalted

butter

Syrup, preserves,

confectioners' sugar or

cinnamon sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine eggs, flour, milk, sugar and nutmeg in a blender jar and blend until very smooth. Batter may also be mixed by hand.

Place butter in a heavy 10-inch skillet and place in the oven. As soon as the butter has melted (watch it so it does not burn) add the batter to the pan, return pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the pancake is puffed and golden. Lower oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake 5 minutes longer.

Remove pancake from oven, cut into wedges and serve at once topped with syrup, preserves, confectioners' sugar or cinnamon sugar.

Matzo Brei

A favorite breakfast. LINK.

INGREDIENTS

2 sheets matzo

2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 large eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon water

 Large pinch fine sea salt, more to taste

SAVORY: Large pinch black pepper. Or, chopped chives, for serving

SWEET: 1 tablespoon Demerara sugar, more to taste. Or, honey or maple syrup, for serving

1. Under cool running water, rinse matzo sheets until they are quite wet. Set it aside and let sit to soften while you prepare the pan.

2. Place a large, preferably nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add butter. Once it melts and the foam subsides, break matzo sheets into bite-size pieces and add to pan. Sauté matzo in butter until it browns all over, about 2 minutes.

3. Add eggs, salt and pepper (if you’re making the dish savory) to pan and scramble the mixture until it is just set but still light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with sugar (if you’re making it sweet) and toss well.

4. Serve matzo brei sprinkled with salt and topped with chives (savory), or with salt, additional sugar and maple syrup (sweet).

Zucchini Bread

Smitten kitchen kills it with this recipe. 2020 is the summer of zucchini here in Pine Bush.

2 cups (13 ounces or 370 grams) grated, packed zucchini, not wrung out, grated on the large holes of a box grater

2 large eggs

2/3 cup (160 ml) of a neutral oil (I use safflower), olive oil, or melted unsalted butter

1/2 cup (95 grams) packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon fine sea or table salt

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons (25 grams) raw or turbinado sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 6-cup or 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Place grated zucchini in a large bowl and add oil, eggs, sugars, vanilla, and salt. Use a fork to mix until combined. Sprinkle cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and baking powder over surface of batter and mix until combined — and then, for extra security that the ingredients are well-dispersed, give it 10 extra stirs. Add flour and mix until just combined. Pour into prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with the raw or turbinado sugar — don’t skimp. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick or tester inserted into the middle cake but also into the top of the cake, closer to the dome, comes out batter-free.

Let cool completely in the pan. Leave in pan, unwrapped, overnight or 24 hours, until removing (carefully, so not to ruin flaky lid) and serving in slices. Zucchini bread keeps for 4 to 5 days at room temperature. I wrap only the cut end of the cake in foil, and return it to the baking pan, leaving the top exposed so that it stays crunchy.

Classic Matzo Brei Recipe - NYT Cooking

Best with sautéed onions and served savory. The sweet version is less appealing, to me.
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018671-classic-matzo-brei

Best Blueberry Muffins

Makes 12 muffins. From Cook's Illustrated.

If buttermilk is unavailable, substitute 3/4 cup plain whole-milk or low-fat yogurt thinned with 1/4 cup milk.

Ingredients
Lemon-Sugar Topping
1/3 cup sugar (2 1/3 ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated zest from 1 lemon
Muffins
2 cups fresh blueberries (about 10 ounces), picked over
1 1/8 cups sugar (8 ounces) plus 1 teaspoon
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 1/2 ounces)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk (see note)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions
1. FOR THE TOPPING: Stir together sugar and lemon zest in small bowl until combined; set aside.

2. FOR THE MUFFINS: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray standard muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Bring 1 cup blueberries and 1 teaspoon sugar to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, mashing berries with spoon several times and stirring frequently, until berries have broken down and mixture is thickened and reduced to ¼ cup, about 6 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in large bowl. Whisk remaining 11/8 cups sugar and eggs together in medium bowl until thick and homogeneous, about 45 seconds. Slowly whisk in butter and oil until combined. Whisk in buttermilk and vanilla until combined. Using rubber spatula, fold egg mixture and remaining cup blueberries into flour mixture until just moistened. (Batter will be very lumpy with few spots of dry flour; do not overmix.)

4. Following photos below, use ice cream scoop or large spoon to divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups (batter should completely fill cups and mound slightly). Spoon teaspoon of cooked berry mixture into center of each mound of batter. Using chopstick or skewer, gently swirl berry filling into batter using figure-eight motion. Sprinkle lemon sugar evenly over muffins.

5. Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm, 17 to 19 minutes, rotating muffin tin from front to back halfway through baking time. Cool muffins in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes before serving.

Apple Cinnamon Matzo Brei

Can't wait to try making this, from Martha Stewart, oddly enough.

* 1/4 cup whole pecans, broken into 1/2-inch pieces
* 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
* 5 tablespoons sugar
* Juice of 1/2 lemon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 cup golden or dark raisins
* 8 sheets matzo
* 3 cups boiling water
* 4 large eggs
* Pinch of coarse salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place pecans in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until they are light golden and aromatic, about 7 minutes. Shake pan halfway through baking to make sure the nuts toast evenly. Set aside to cool.
2. In a medium saute pan set over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add apples; cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons sugar over apples; cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved and caramelized, about 8 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, cinnamon, and raisins. Remove pan from heat; set aside.
3. Break matzo sheets into 3-inch pieces, and place in a colander set in the sink. Pour 3 cups boiling water, one cup at a time, over the matzo, and drain.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs. Add salt and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Stir in the soaked matzo; mix until well coated.
5. Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add matzo mixture, and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes. Stir in two-thirds of the apple mixture until warm; transfer to a serving plate. Garnish with the reserved toasted pecans and the remaining apple mixture. Serve immediately.

Basic Waffle

This Basic Waffle recipe is from Alton Brown. I am still hunting for the perfect recipe.

* 4 3/4 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 1 cup
* 4 3/4 ounces whole-wheat flour, approximately 1 cup
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 3 whole eggs, beaten
* 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
* 16 ounces buttermilk, room temperature
* Vegetable spray, for waffle iron

Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flours, soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar. In another bowl beat together eggs and melted butter, and then add the buttermilk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until combined. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Ladle the recommended amount of waffle batter onto the iron according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Close iron top and cook until the waffle is golden on both sides and is easily removed from iron. Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200 degree F oven until ready to serve.

Apple Spice Muffins

From my Stoneyfield Farm yogurt container: Moist and light, these muffins make a delicious breakfast.

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup vanilla Stonyfield Farm Yogurt
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup apples, peeled and chopped
Directions
Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda and cinnamon. In another bowl, blend eggs, yogurt and butter. Pour egg mixture into flour mixture, add apples and stir. Bake at 375ºF for 20-25 minutes.

Mary McMinn's Fruit Muffins

This comes from my friend Lauren's mom.

1 1/4 cup strawberries (or other seasonal fruit)
3 Tb butter
2 tsp. orange zest
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400. Combine first four ingredients in blender. Mix the rest and fold in together. Bake in muffin pans for 20 minutes. Double the recipe for a bundt size cake.

Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze

I got this recipe from the magazine Cooking Light and it was such a hit. The tangy lime glaze cuts the sweetness of the bread. Substitute apple juice for the rum if you prefer.

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
3 tablespoons dark rum
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon flaked sweetened coconut
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk to combine.

Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, rum, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon coconut. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Combine powdered sugar and juice, stirring with a whisk; drizzle over warm bread. Cool bread completely on wire rack.

Waffles

This recipe came to me via John's sister Mary. Mind you, this is for a huge amount but you can make just 1/3 of this easily.

6 cups Bisquick baking mix
4 cups club soda
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

Beat together and then bake on a very hot waffle iron. I serve with warm syrup and fresh strawberries.

Baked French Toast

1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Maple syrup

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.