The End of Boring Breakfast

I'm not a regular at Williams-Sonoma but I bought something there recently and now I am getting catalogs. That's all good with me. It's nice to look through and dream of a day when I can spend $25 on a spoon and not feel bad about it. (That day will never happen.)

However, one of these catalogs featured their winter mail order treats and sitting there taunting my tastebuds was a perfect waffle topped with bacon and caramelized apples. And I died. Naturally, I had to make it. My stomach would not let me move on with my life until I tried it.

And once I tried it, I could not believe I had been eating REGULAR waffles my whole life. My whole damn life!

Now, theirs may look prettier than mine, but I'm sure mine is better - right? I made my favorite rice waffles, threw the apples in a skillet with 2 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp brown sugar, and made some bacon. Then I made a waffle ladder to heaven and my life was changed forever. Go try this right now. It's time to eat!

Lumberjack Cake

I saw this recipe in a magazine a couple of years ago and I ripped it out and have magically held onto it all this time. (If you know how many places I've lived, you know that this is a miracle.)

I have tried to figure out why they call it Lumberjack Cake. No one in the world seems to know. No one. So I'm just going to assume that its called Lumberjack Cake because lumberjacks really like delicious foods and this cake is a heavenly piece of gooey perfection. Richard is, apparently, not a lumberjack. He thought this cake was a little too gooey. But I think if you love German Chocolate cake, then you'll love this. Coconutty, gooey tastiness.

A disclaimer: I was not trying to be all Betty Crocker by grating fresh coconut. I would have gone straight for the bagged, shredded coconut but the store was out. However, a very helpful clerk told me "Why don't you grate it yourself? We got fresh coconut." As if that's just something you do every day. 

1 cup chopped, pitted dates
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract (I substituted coffee liquer and it was great!)
1 apple, peeled, cored, diced
1/2 cup shredded coconut


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch springform pan; line the bottom with parchment paper.


In a small saucepan bring dates and 1 cup of water to a boil. Stir in baking soda; set aside and allow to cool.


In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt.

In a large bowl or standing mixer, beat butter, sugar, egg and vanilla on medium speed . Slowly beat in date mixture until combined. Add flour mixture gradually until just combined.

Gently fold in apple and coconut.

Spread mixture evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool on wire rack. Gently remove sides of pan and then parchment paper.

Banana Pecan Soycakes

I like dairy. I like it a lot. Butter, milk, cheese. Bring it on! But some of my dearest friends have sensitivities to dairy and I've had many requests for a dairy-free breakfast option. Well my friends, this is it!

These fluffy delights are full of chopped pecans and caramelized banana slices.

 

1 cup All Purpose Flour

2 tbsp. Sugar

2 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 cup Soy Milk

2 tbsp. Olive Oil

1 Large Egg

1/2 cup Chopped Pecans

1 Large Banana, sliced thin

Additional sugar

 

Heat griddle or skillet over medium heat.

 

In a small bowl combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. In a large bowl whisk together egg, milk and oil.

 

Add flour mixture and mix until just moistened. (There should be a few lumps.) Stir in pecans and let the batter rest 5 minutes.

 

Sprinkle banana slices with additional sugar and place 4-5 slices close together on the griddle for each pancake. Pour about 1/3 cup of batter over each group of bananas on griddle. Cook for about 3 minutes or until sides of the pancake look cooked and the tops are bubbly. Place 4-5 slices on top of each pancake before flipping. Cook for about 2 more minutes.

 

Makes 6 pancakes. It's time to eat!



Crispy Rice Waffles

This recipe was created out of a desire to make a light, wheat-free breakfast. These crispy treats are so light that you certainly won't be stuck with that bloated, food coma feeling after enjoying them.

Rice flour is surprisingly easy to find, but it isn't cheap. At about $4.50 for 4 cups worth of flour, it isn't likely that most people will toss out their wheat flour and stock up on rice flour. But it is a handy item to have in the kitchen and has become my go-to for breakfast breads. Rice flour has a natural hint of sweetness to it and it's powdery fine texture is divine.

Waffle irons are a fantastic kitchen utensil and everyone should have one. They don't have to be expensive and honestly, most fancy waffle irons are no better than a $20 generic one.

Crispy Rice Waffles



Ingredients

1 cup rice flour

1 large egg

1 cup rice milk or regular milk

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tbsp granulated sugar

1/2 cup blueberries (optional)

In a medium mixing bowl, beat egg until fluffy. Add remaining ingredients and mix until just combined. Let rest for 3-5 minutes. 

Lightly grease waffle iron with cooking spray or vegetable oil. Heat waffle iron. Use a ladle or measuring cup to pour batter into waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Serve warm with syrup.

Get your brunch on! Sticky buns for all!

As a southern girl, decadent foods are what I do best. Low fat, reduced calorie...that's all well and good. But sometimes you just need to put on your fat pants and fall in love with your food. This little recipe is made for crowd pleasing and super indulgence. As a bonus, here is our first video post!





Sweet & Salty Sticky Buns

Ingredients

3-4 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp table salt

1 tsp kosher salt

2 pkgs active dry yeast

1 cup warm milk (120 degrees)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup softened butter

1 large egg

1 cup pecans, chopped

1 cup salted peanuts, chopped

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 tbsp butter, melted and cooled

Caramel topping

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup dark corn syrup

In large stand mixer or large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, granulated sugar, table salt and yeast. Add milk, softened butter and egg. Beat on low speed for 1 minute then medium speed for 1 minute. Mix in enough remaining flour to handle dough easily. On lightly floured surface, knead dough until smooth and springy (about 4 minutes). Place the dough in a well greased bowl, turning to coat, then cover loosely with plastic wrap and a towel. Let rise for about 1 hour and 45 minutes or until doubled.

While the dough rises, make caramel sauce. In a saucepan, heat butter and 1 cup brown sugar, stirring constantly until boiling. Remove from heat and stir in corn syrup.

Pour caramel sauce into 13x9 pan and sprinkle with kosher salt and 1/2 cup pecans.

Push fist gently into dough to deflate. Roll dough into a large rectangle on a floured surface. Brush dough with melted butter. In a small bowl, combine1/2 cup pecans, 1 cup peanuts, 1/4 cup brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the dough. Roll the dough tightly into a loaf and pinch the edges to seal.

Cut the roll into 1-1 1/2 inch thick slices. Place the slices in the pan about 1/4 - 1/2 inch apart and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled (20 - 40 minutes).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 35 - 45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest for 2 minutes. Cover pan with serving dish or cutting board and flip over. Let sit 2-3 minutes. Remove pan and serve.