Okay, I have to admit, I’m a sucker for Monkey Bread!!! Yes, I know, it probably can’t be considered the height of the culinary arts, but damn it’s good. What’s not to like; rich caramel, buttery goodness, a crisp crust and gooey interior. It’s got everything you need to start the day off right!! Add a cup or 2 of coffee and you can start your day in high gear.

There are a number of recipes out there for Monkey Bread. Some use store bought biscuit dough, others use store bought bread dough, and yet others have you make everything from scratch. While “made from scratch” is often my favorite way to go, I have to admit that, in this case, I am partial to the recipes using store bought biscuits. Not only do I like the soft texture of the Monkey Bread made this way, but it cuts down on a lot of prep work, which makes it a great breakfast for when you have overnight guests. Get a couple of the kids involved, they love to help shake the dough in the sugar, and you can have this on the breakfast table in no time.

Money Bread

3 cans (12oz each) biscuit dough
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
1 cup, packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted (optional)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Grease a large bundt or tube pan. Meanwhile mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon and either leave in a large bowl or place in a large ziplock bag. Cut the biscuits into quarters and toss them in the sugar-cinnamon mix until well coated. Arrange the pieces in your prepared pan sprinkling with the optional pecans and/or raisins as you build up the layers. In a saucepan mix the butter and brown sugar over medium high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Pour over the biscuit pieces and immediately put into the oven to bake. Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 8-10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. Don’t allow to cool longer or the Monkey Bread might stick to your pan as the sugars cool.

My family isn’t super big on breakfast, at least on the weekdays. It’s usually a grab and go affair as both me and my wife would rather spend the extra few minutes in bed than get up and make something substantial, although we always see to that our daughter gets a good breakfast. Things change on the weekends. If we don’t go out for breakfast then we will usually cook a substantial meal. My wife usually does the cooking in the morning as I am not much of a morning person, though I do a fair share of the breakfasts as is evidenced by the number of breakfast food posts I have done.

It was Valentine’s Day today so I decided that for one of my gifts to my wife, I would do breakfast. I love to make hashes of all kinds and thought hash and poached eggs would be a great choice for the day. Hashes, traditionally, have been a way to use up the previous night’s leftovers, and I find them a great way to clean out a fridge and turn those leftovers into something tasty and useful. Hashes are a great way to stretch out meat since hashes oftentimes rely heavily on potatoes and vegetables.

The has I created for our Valentine’s Brunch did not incorporate any leftovers but was still rather economical and full of great flavor!

Smoked Turkey Hash with Sweet Potatoes
serves 4

2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into a 1/4″ dice
2 cups Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into a 1/4″ dice
2 cups smoked turkey breast, from the deli counter, cut into 1/4 -1/2″ dice
1 small onion, minced
1/4 cup green or red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup 1/2 & 1/2
Tabasco to taste
salt
pepper

Bring 2 pots, with a quart of water in each, to a boil. Cook the potatoes, separately, for 4 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. In a large, heavy bottomed skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. of vegetable oil and 1 Tbsp. of bacon fat (you can use all vegetable oil if necessary). Add the onions and cook 1 minute. Add the potatoes, turkey, and bell pepper.

Stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 & 1/2 and tabasco. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium high and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Gently press down on the hash and allow to cook for about 3 minutes. Gently flip the hash and press down again so that as much of the hash can come into contact the with bottom of the skillet as possible. Cook 4-5 minutes then flip again. Continue this process until the vegetables are tender and you get the hash as crusty as you like.

Divide among 4 plates and serve topped with 2 poached eggs.

This may sound strange, but I can remember the first time I ate an english muffin. I was rather young, but I remember that I had decided, like so many kids do, that I did not like english muffins though I had never tasted one before. Why I decided I didn’t like them I’ll never know. Then, when I was around 5 or 6, I believe, we had a family get together. For one of the breakfasts, someone had toasted up a whole platter full  of them. I refused to eat them, but was told that it was the english muffins or nothing as the general rule with our family was that the kids were to eat what the adults ate. You either ate it or went hungry until the next meal (not to worry as, when we have family get togethers, its usually not long before someone is cooking up something again!). That left me with no choice, but to try the things. So I slathered one up with lots of butter and jelly and tentatively tried it (there were probably a few tears involved also, but I don’t remember). One taste and I was hooked. I couldn’t believe I had wasted all that time not eating english muffins.

As far as I am concerned, the english muffin is the perfect vehicle for butter and jam or jelly. Split open with a fork, the interior is a landscape of nooks and crannies just waiting to be filled with lakes of melting butter and seas of jelly. When properly toasted the english muffin harbors the perfect ratio of crispy outside and soft moist interior (a big plus for me if you haven’t realized that from some of my other posts).

I have always been satisfied with just buying my muffins at the store, but after having just made Lime Marmalade I thought that the homemade marmalade really deserved a homemade english muffin to go with it. After reading numerous recipes I created one that I felt would give me exactly what I wanted. While not perfect, by my standards (the crumb-interior texture-is just a little too dense and uniform), this recipe creates a muffin that easily rivals any store bought brand, and in my opinion surpasses all but the best of them. I will be making these again this week and I think a little longer first proofing will take take of those 2 small issues.

English Muffins
Makes 9 or 12 muffins

1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
3/4 cup water heated to 110F
1/2 cup milk heated to 110F
3 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp. salt
cornmeal
vegetable oil

Place yeast, sugar, water and milk into the bowl of a mixer. Allow the yeast to proof until the it is foamy-about 5-8 minutes. Add the flour, butter and salt. Using the dough hook, mix, on low speed, until everything is combined and the dough starts to come together, about 2 minutes. Increase to medium high and knead for 5-7 minutes. Shape dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and place in a warm place until dough doubles in size, about 2 hours. Gently punch dough down then divide into 9 or 12 pieces (the recipe really should make 12 english muffins but I like mine a little larger and a little thicker for I only portion it into 9). Shape the dough into balls then flatten to about 1/2″ thick. Place on a cookie tray that has been dusted with cornmeal (I like to use coarse ground for added texture but the regular fine ground works well also). Flip the muffins to coat both sides with cornmeal.

Cover and allow to rise slightly, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile heat a griddle to medium-low to medium. Lightly brush the griddle with vegetable oil and add the english muffins. Allow to cook until a light golden brown on bottom. This should take about 5 minutes. Any less and the interior might not get cooked all the way through. When browned flip over and gently press down, just slightly to flatten the bottom. Cook for 5-7 minutes longer. If you have portioned the dough into only 9 pieces the cooking time will be slightly longer. Remove to a cooking rack. Allow to cool completely before placing in a bag for storage.

To serve, split with a fork to help create the uneven surface that does so well at catching all that butter. Toast to desired darkness and butter while still warm. Top with your favorite jam, jelly or preserve.

As I stated a few days ago, I had wanted to post this recipe just before Christmas, but weather forced us to change our travel plans and leave early. Leaving early didn’t really make much of a difference anyway, as, instead of missing the crappy weather, we drove right into it! Snow, sleet, freezing rain, we had it all, and the mixture was coming down so hard the highway was covered in about 3 inches of nasty, slippery slush. We watched 2 cars slide off of the road right in front of us and saw numerous others in the ditch. Luckily we only had about 60 miles of that stuff, then it turned completely over to rain a few miles south of the Illinois/Wisconsin border and we were able to continue our travels relatively stress-free, which is more than I can say for the thousands stranded by the storms over the holidays. I hope that each and every one of you made it to your destination safely and had an enjoyable holiday.

As for the recipe, for someone who doesn’t care for eggnog too much I sure seem to have a number of recipes that use it as a flavoring agent. Go figure! I first served this for Christmas a few years ago and it was a big hit. Since then I have made a few times for groups both big and small, with positive reactions every time.

While I consider this a “Christmas” meal, it is a great breakfast anytime during the holidays as it is simple to prepare and seems rather upscale-you don’t have to tell anyone how simple it is! This would also make a great breakfast for New Year’s Day, after a night of imbibing a little too much. Nothing in the recipe is a real assault on the tastebuds-a good thing when nursing a hangover, and in fact the little alcohol left in the dish after flambeing the rum helps with a little “hair of the dog.” You could serve this any time of year actually, if you made your own eggnog, but keep it simple on yourself and serve this during the holidays when store bought eggnog is readily available.

Eggnog French Toast with Bananas Foster Sauce

12 slices French or Italian Bread, cut on a bias, 1″ thick
3 cups Eggnog, store bought is fine
1 cup milk
3 each eggs, beaten

4 each bananas, peeled and sliced 1/2″ thick
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/3 cup dark rum
3 Tbsp. butter

Combine the milk, eggnog, and eggs and mix together. Soak both sides of the bread slices in mixture and saute on a griddle set over medium heat and brushed with a little butter. Cook until golden brown on both sides and cooked all the way through, about 5 minutes per side. Don’t let the french toast brown too quickly or the middle will be soggy when the outside is done. Meanwhile combine the butter, and brown sugar in a saute pan and heat over medium high until the brown sugar melts. Add the rum and carefully flame it. Do this by allowing the rum to heat up then igniting it with a long handled lighter. Be careful as it can ignite rather quickly and in bright light the alcohol flame can be almost invisible. Lean back as you light it so as to not, accidentally, light your hair on fire!!! Once the flames die down add the sliced bananas and spices. Cook just until the bananas are warmed through. Add the butter, remove from heat and swirl until the butter has melted into the sauce. Serve each person 3 slices of the french toast topped with the banana sauce. Garnish with a sprinkling of powdered sugar, and maybe a strawberry or two if you want some color.

In my last post, I said I wasn’t going to offer up any Thanksgiving recipes. Well, I lied…kinda…sorta. I am not going to offer up any recipes for dishes to be served during the holiday dinner, though I guess you could serve these then if you wanted to. They would make a great change from the standard dinner roll. But what I really wanted to offer up is a wonderful breakfast treat you could serve to any overnight guests you might have.

Let’s face it, we all try to avoid breakfast on T-Day, in anticipation of the huge, gluttonous feast we plan on consuming later in the day, but if you are like me there is no way you will make it until then without an sustenance, especially as all those heavenly aromas waft through the air, igniting your hunger. Besides, as a host to those overnight guests I feel bad if I don’t offer up something for breakfast.

These popovers fit the bill quite nicely. They are light, but flavorful. Just the thing one needs to just take the edge off of the hunger until dinner is ready. If you have a full house consider doubling or tripling this recipe as they go quickly. Also serve immediately as popovers are best when still steaming hot.

I chose to use sage in these popovers as a little preview to the dinner ahead, but you could substitute out any herb you like. Both rosemary and thyme make nice additions.

Not many people own popover pans any more so I made these in muffin tins. If you have popover pans feel free to use them though you might have to add just a few minutes to the final cooking and you might not get 12 popovers out of the recipe.

Sage Popovers

2 each eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp. melted butter
1 Tbsp. fresh sage, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. salt

Heat oven to 450F. Generously grease muffin tin. In medium bowl beat eggs slightly. Blend in remaining ingredients just until smooth. Fill cups about half full. Bake at 450F for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350F and bake for 15-20 minutes longer or until golden brown. Makes 12 popovers.

Souffles have fallen out of fashion, at least in regards to home cooks. I have hundreds of cookbooks spanning back over 120 years. In many of those books, dated from the 50’s through the 70’s and even 80’s, you’d find recipes for all sorts of souffles from sweet to savory. In the 80’s their popularity started to wane and now it is rare to find a new cookbook with a souffle recipe in it. That’s too bad as I think every decent home cook should know how to make a souffle.

There seems to be a mystique surrounding souffles and how difficult they are to make. Most of it is a load of crap. I can’t begin to count the number of souffles I have made, in both professional kitchens and at home, and I think I have had only 1 turn out a failure. They really aren’t that difficult to make, and they most certainly are not nearly as tempermental to bake as the myth has it.

I want to share 4 tips that will allow you to serve a perfect souffle almost every time. There’s nothing secret about these, nor are they all that enlightening, but follow these 4 tips and your success rate will be like mine.
1. Don’t over whip your egg whites. Leave them just shy of stiff peak to get maximum rise out of them.
2. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into your base to lighten the base then gently fold in the remaining whites. It’s okay to leave a few streaks of white unincorporated. This is better than over stirring and deflating your whites.
3. Once in the oven do not open the oven door for the 2/3 of the baking.
4. Serve the souffle as soon as possible after coming out of the oven. Even the best made souffle will start to collapse as it cools down. Time is of the essence.

This recipe makes a great breakfast souffle that will serve 4 people when accompanied by toast, bagels or pastries.

Cheese and Bacon Souffle

1/4 cup Flour
1/4 cup Butter + more for greasing the mold
1 cup Milk
Fresh nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Dry Mustard
1/2 tsp. Granulated Garlic
3-6 dashes Hot Sauce
2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese, grated
6 oz. Cheddar cheese (sharp or medium)
3 sliced Bacon, thick cut
5 each eggs

Preheat oven to 375. Dice bacon and render until crisp. Pour off fat and reserve bacon. Grease a 2 qt. Souffle mold or high sided baking dish with butter and dust with parmesan cheese. Place in the fridge. Separate eggs with whites in 1 bowl and yolks in another. Meanwhile melt remain 1/4 cup of butter over medium heat. Combine flour, a couple grates of fresh nutmeg, mustard, and garlic and add to the butter. Cook for 2 minutes then add the milk. When thickened add hot sauce and stir in cheddar cheese. Continue to heat until cheese has melted. Remove from heat. Whip egg whites to a point just short of stiff peak. Temper cheese mixture into yolks, stirring to combine. Add bacon. Gently fold in 1/3 of the white into the yolk mixture then fold in the remaining whites. Pour into mold and bake for 25 minutes. After 20 minutes quickly check for doneness. To test a souffle for doneness test just like a cake. Insert a toothpick or small knife into the souffle. If it comes out clean then it is done. Serve immediately.

I don’t eat breakfast a lot. I think I’ve said that before on this blog but it is worth repeating. Sometimes I grab a quick bowl of cereal or a piece of fruit on my way out the door, or if I have to stop for gas I might grab a donut and a coke (healthy I know!!!!), but that is pretty much it during the weekdays. On weekends we a much more likely to cook a breakfast even though that doesn’t happen regularly, but since we have the time and it is not something we do often we usually go all out and make up quite a spread. This past weekend it was I who decided to make breakfast, and since I had apples on the mind (a trip to The Littler Farmer was planned for later in the day), Apple Pancakes seemed the perfect choice. Round out the breakfast with a homemade Maple-Cider Syrup, Hungarian bacon and coffee and we were geared up for a day of cleaning out the basement and a trip out to The Little Farmer.

Maple-Cider Syrup
2 cups Cider (try to use fresh, unpasteurized, local cider though store bought cider will work fine, just stay away from Apple juice)
1 tsp. Cornstarch
1 Tbsp. Water
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
1 each Lemon wedge (lemon cut into 1/6ths)

Bring cider to a boil and reduce by 1/2 to 1 cup. Dissolve cornstarch in water and stir into cider. Return to a boil and cook 1 minute to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in maple syrup. Add lemon juice from lemon wedge to syrup and hold syrup warm.

Apple Pancakes

1 cup Flour, all-purpose
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
3 tsp. Baking Powder
1 each Egg, beaten
1 cup Milk
1/2 cup Applesauce (if unsweetened add 1Tbsp. Granulated Sugar)
1 each Apple, peeled, cored and diced into 1/4inch cubes (chose your favorite apple, though stay away from Red & Golden Delicious as they pretty much turn to water when heated)
2 Tbsp. Butter, melted

In a small bowl combine flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder. In a large bowl combine egg, milk, applesauce, sugar (if using), diced apple and butter. Stir to combine. Add flour mixture to liquids and stir to bring together. Don’t over stir or pancakes will get tough. Cook, on a greased griddle, over medium to medium high heat. Flip pancakes when the edges start to look somewhat dry and the bubble that form on top burst, leaving little holes. Pancakes are best served the minute they come off the griddle but if you need to hold them until all are done, place them on a cookie sheet, cover with paper towel and put them in an over set to 175F. Makes 8 pancakes.

The last few days, here in Wisconsin, have been pretty cold and gloomy-typical Autumn weather. In fact, on Saturday it even snowed. Not much, but more than just an occasional flake floating through the air. It’s been good weather to bundle up with a cup of coffee or spiced cider, spiked with bourbon or rum, of course and read or watch a movie or two. It has also gotten me in the mood to whip up a big batch of granola. I always associate granola with fall and winter. I’m not sure why as granola makes a great breakfast year, but for some reason I have always associated it with colder weather.

One of the great things about granola is it is so easily customizable to what is on hand or what I have a taste for. Sometimes I load it up with tons of nuts, other times it takes a decidedly tropical twist with coconut and various dried tropical fruits. Sometimes it is heavily spiced or really sweet, other times I go for a more subtle flavor profile, it all depends on my mood.

The granola I offer today falls into that last category, lightly spiced and just slightly sweet, studded with pieces of sweet-tart dried apricots, sliced almonds, and as a nod to Fall, pumpkin seeds.

Apricot, Almond & Pumpkin Seed Granola

5 cups Oats
1 1/2 cups Sliced Almonds
1 cup Pumpkin Seeds (I used purchased pumpkin seeds without the shell)
1/2 cup Wheat Germ
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Honey
2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
2 tsp. Almond Extract
1/2 pound Dried Apricots, diced

Preheat the oven to 300. Combine oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds and wheat germ in a large bowl. In a small sauce pot combine oil, sugar and honey. Heat to dissolve sugar. When sugar is dissolved, remove pot from heat, allow to cool for 10 minutes then add the cinnamon and almond extract. Slowly pour over oat mixture, stirring to combine. Stir until well mixed then pour onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 35-45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes for the first 30 minutes, then every 5 minutes until done. Granola is done when it is all a light golden brown and crunchy. Allow to cool completely then fold in the dried apricots. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Serve in a bowl of milk, like cereal or topped with yogurt and a drizzle of honey.

I don’t often eat breakfast. On days that I work I leave the house too early to even think about eating. It’s not that I dislike breakfast fare, it’s just that I’d much rather spend the extra few minutes in bed than take the time to eat breakfast, besides, if I eat too early I just feel sick to my stomach. That’s not the case on weekends though, when I can get up at a decent hour and slowly adjust to being awake. Then I’m ready for breakfast….well brunch, considering the time, but let’s not split hairs here!

To me, peaches and bourbon are a great combination. They just seem to go together. Besides, what better way to start the day than with a little bourbon to get you going.

French Toast with Bourbon Peach Sauce
serves 2

3 medium Peaches*, peeled, pitted and sliced
1 Tbsp. Butter
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
1/3 cup Bourbon
2 Tbsp. Butter

4 slices Texas Toast or Brioche, cut thickly
2 each Eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cups 1/2 & 1/2
1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
2 Tbsp. Granulated Sugar

3 Tbsp. Pecans, chopped and lightly toasted

To make the sauce, melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a saute pan, over medium high heat. Add the peaches and cook for 2 minutes. Add the sugars then carefully add the bourbon, away from the stove. Return to the stove and cook until the peaches are tender but not falling about. Remove from heat.

To make the french toast combine the eggs, 1/2 & 1/2, cinnamon and sugar. Mix well. Dunk each slice of bread in the mixture, soaking both sides. You should have just enough of the custard for the 4 slices of bread. Place the soaked slices of bread on a tray and allow to sit for 5 minutes to allow the custard to penetrate all the way through. Meanwhile heat a griddle to medium heat. Add the french toast and cook until golden brown and set all the way through. When just about finished return peaches to the heat. When they come to a simmer add the last 2 Tbsp. butter, stirring constantly to make the butter doesn’t separate out. Cut 2 pieces of french toast in half, diagonally, place on a plate, and top with 1/2 the bourbon peach sauce. Garnish with 1/2 the pecans. Do same with the second plate.

I had forgotten how much I like properly shirred (baked) eggs, until this past Sunday, when I was searching for a simple, yet elegant dish for my wife and I to enjoy for Sunday brunch. I wasn’t in the mood for an omelet and we always tend to do a variation on Benedicts when looking for something a little special so I went digging around in my cookbooks and was reminded of shirred eggs. I hadn’t done something like that in years, so it would be a novel dish for my wife, and better yet, Shirred Eggs is one of those dishes that is just ripe for variations.

At it’s most simple, Shirred Eggs, are eggs that have been placed into a shallow custard cup, seasoned with salt and pepper, and topped with a little butter to help keep the top from drying out, then baked just until the whites are set, but the yolk is still runny. Doesn’t sound very exciting, does it? Not really. Like a good poached egg, shirred eggs are fine on their own, if not a little bland, but it is when they are part of a dish that they rise above their humble stature and become something almost sublime.

Virtually anything can be used as a base on which to make Shirred Eggs. Some of the more common bases are creamed spinach, various types of hashes, seafood, cooked grains, ham, bacon, other cooked meats and various other vegetables. Just like with omelets, the choice is really limited only by your imagination. Because I was looking for simply elegant this time I reigned the imagination in and created the recipe below, which serves 2. I accompanied the Shirred Eggs with toast and Maple Glazed Bacon, the recipe for which is below also.

Shirred Eggs with Ham & Manchego Cheese
4 each Eggs
1 tsp. Butter
2 Tbsp. Yellow onion, finely minced
1/2 cup Ham, finely diced
1/2 cup Tomatoes, finely diced
1/2 tsp. Fresh Tarragon, finely minced
4 Tbsp. Heavy Cream
1/3 cup Manchego cheese, shredded

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.Heat the butter, in a small saute pan, over medium high heat. As the butter finishes melting add the onions and cook without browning. Add the ham and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and tarragon. Heat just to warm the tomatoes then remove from heat. Divide the tomato-ham mixture between 4 small creme brulee cups or ramekins and spread evenly. Crack an egg into each cup or ramekin and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle each egg with 1 Tbsp. of cream. Sprinkle the cheese over top, dividing the cheese evenly among the 4 cups. Bake for 12-14 minutes, checking them after 10. Eggs are done when the whites are just set but the yolks are still runny. Serve immediately as the eggs will continue to cook a little longer.

Maple Glazed Bacon

Take 4 slices of thick cut, smoky bacon and cut them in half. Cook over medium high heat until 3/4 of the way done. Drain on paper towel. Meanwhile remove rendered fat from pan and wipe pan clean. Lower heat to medium low and add the bacon back to the pan. Brush with real maple syrup, flip over and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes. After about 1 minute brush other side with maple syrup. Flip over, when time and cook another 2-3 minutes. Remove to a cooking rack, set over a sheet tray, to crisp up. Make sure that bacon is not touching each other as it cools as it has a tendency to want to stick until it cools slightly.