Tuesdays with Dorie: Coffee Break Muffins

I'm not sure if you can tell from the photos but these muffin cases actually have little coffee cups on them. Which makes them perfect for this week's Coffee Break Muffins chosen by Rhiani of Chocoholic Anonymous.

We had a garage sale on the weekend and had a bit of a working bee last Wednesday to prepare. What better pick me up than a coffee break muffin for morning tea!

I always replace the espresso powder (which I've never found here) with regular freeze dried instant coffee and I did the same thing here without thinking. This resulted in a lovely speckled muffin but I think hubby was little disappointed the speckles weren't chocolate!


The taste test ...

I'm a decaf drinker but I really enjoy coffee flavoured desserts and these muffins were no exception. Lucky I made a full batch because they disappeared really quickly. Definitely a winner.

Thanks for a great pick Rhiani! Make sure you check out Chocoholic Anonymous for the recipe.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Strawberry Shortcakes

So this week Cathy of The Tortefeasor chose Dorie's Tender Shortcakes. I, having no real idea what a shortcake was, wasn't particularly enthused. Till I figured out they were big, buttery scones covered with cream and berries!

These are incredibly quick to make but just as with the Sweet Cream Biscuits from a few weeks ago, the amount of liquid/cream in the recipe was woefully inadequate. I had to add a full 1/4 cup extra to get something even resembling a crumbly, scone dough. Certainly nothing like a soft dough that you scoop out and plop on the baking tray.

No matter. These baked up buttery, golden and melt-in-the-mouth tender. Smothered with diced strawberries and a big dollop of sweetened whipped cream, you have something truly sensational!

I made just a half batch and got 7 gigantic shortcakes. Some are headed straight for the freezer.

You will find the recipe at The Tortefeasor under today's date. Thanks for a great pick Cathy!

Next week we have Raisin Swirl Bread chosen by ... ME!

Tuesdays with Dorie: Brioche Plum Tart

Having mastered the Kugelhoph previously I was delighted that Denise of Chez Us picked Brioche Plum Tart this week. Brioche? Phaw, too easy!

That said I'm still always unsure whether I've stuffed up the dough as it is extremely soft and gooey for most of its resting and slapping down stage. But after an overnight rest in the fridge it was really easy to play with.

I used tinned plums with plum jam, brown sugar and pecans and added a sprinkle (maybe a tablespoon) of ground almonds to soak up any excess juice from the plums.

The taste test ...

Rich and buttery brioche with sweet, slightly tart plums ... definitely a winning combination! The crust did get a little darker than I would have liked, and I already tented it after just 10 minutes instead 20 as per the recipe. However even the dark bits were delicious. This got the thumbs up from all my taste testers and my mind is swimming with other possible toppings.

And seeing this blog is called food.baby here is another pic of Oscar, this time in his new Bumbo seat which he loves! It gets him right in the thick of the action at the table. Definitely a little foodie in the making :)

Tuesdays with Dorie: Blueberry Crumb Cake

Sihan of Befudlement chose Dorie's Blueberry Crumb Cake this week and I could not be happier with this pick! This recipe is definitely a keeper.

Like lots of others I had a few problems baking this one. It took closer to 75 minutes to be cooked by which stage the edges were getting pretty dark and I had a big pool of butter in the middle until the 70 minute mark. It also seemed to sink a little where the butter pool was but it was definitely cooked through.

All these were minor issues though and the end result was absolutely worth it.

The taste test ...

In a word ... divine. During baking this cake smelt like Christmas to me - cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest and walnuts. It was wonderful straight out of the oven, albeit incredibly difficult to cut because of the crunchy streusel topping! I had a second piece a few hours later which was moist and even more flavoursome. It would also make a wonderful dessert served warm with custard or cream. This would have to be in my top 5!

You can find the recipe at Befuddlement.

Tuesdays with Dorie: French Yoghurt Cake with Marmalade Glaze

A big thank you to Liliana from My Cookbook Addiction because I've had my eye on this recipe since day one! Now I know it's not the flashiest sounding cake and there isn't even a photo but I'm a sucker for anything French and I eat marmalade out of the jar by the spoonful. Yum!

I thought there were some interesting techniques in this cake, from rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar which produced the most magical fragrance to stirring the oil through the batter rather than simply combining with the other wet ingredients. I also loved the fact there was no creaming of butter or sugar involved (which appeals to my lazy side which would prefer not to have to wash the mixer).

I used a thick greek yoghurt and light olive oil in the cake, and a classic breakfast marmalade for the glaze. I've never actually seen lemon marmalade though I will certainly keep my eye out for it now. I thought about using lime marmalade (Rose's makes a brilliant one) but I thought it might overpower the lemon in the cake too much.

I know Dorie said to strain the marmalade but the fruit is the best bit so I piled it all on top. Look at that drizzle!

The taste test ...

Ummm, did you read what I wrote up top? There was no way I wouldn't like this cake! It didn't disappoint. I cut one slice the same day as baking (just for the photos) but saved the rest for a morning tea the next day by which time the flavours had really come out. Yoghurt really does amazing things for cakes as this was incredibly moist. It was fabulous.

You can find the recipe at My Cookbook Addiction.

Walnut & Cinnamon Sticky Buns

I realised today that I am over my yeast phobia, because on a whim I decided to make sticky buns. Actually I think it is less of a phobia and more of an aversion because with most yeasty things it takes forever before you get to enjoy them! My first thought was to do hot cross buns but Easter is still a month away and anyway I've been buying them since Christmas!

I've had my eye on Dorie's Pecan Sticky Buns for ages but being based on a brioche dough they need an overnight rest in the fridge. I whipped out my version in just a couple of hours. These are my own adaptation.

Walnut & Cinnamon Sticky Buns
Makes 16 buns

For the buns:
4 cups plain flour
1 1/4 cups milk
2 x 7g sachets of instant yeast
1/3 cup caster sugar
1/4 ts salt
100g butter, melted and cooled

For the glaze and filling:
125g butter
1/2 cup golden syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups walnuts
1 tbs cinnamon

For the buns:

Grease a square baking pan, approximately 10 x 10, generously with butter and set aside.

In a small heavy based saucepan combine the milk and sugar and stir over low heat until warm (I always aim for blood temperature) and the sugar is dissolved. Switch off the heat. Stir in the yeast and leave for around 10 minutes. It should become thick and foamy which means your milk was warm enough and your yeast is active (if it does nothing take my advice and just start over again with fresh ingredients).

Sift the flour and salt together into the bowl of your mixer. Add the melted butter and yeast mixture and give a quick stir to combine. Using a dough hook attachment work the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic, approximately 5-8 minutes.

Place in a greased bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for an hour or until it has doubled in size.

For the glaze and filling:

In a small saucepan combine the butter, golden syrup and brown sugar. Bring to the boil over medium heat, keeping a close eye and stirring occasionally.

Pour the mixture into your prepared baking pan, reserving around 4 tbs in the saucepan. Tilt the pan to coat the surface evenly. Sprinkle over the walnuts then set aside.

To the reserved mixture add the cinnamon and stir well to combine. This forms the filling of the buns. You will need to reheat the mix over low heat to make it a spreadable consistency when you are ready to assemble the buns.

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees celsius.

Turn out the dough onto a floured board and roll out into a large square, approx 16 x 16. Spread the filling mixture over the top as evenly as possible. Starting with the edge nearest you, roll the dough up into a cylinder.

Cut the dough into 16 pieces and place cut side up into the baking pan on top of the glaze.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rest for around 30 minutes or until they have doubled in size, rising up to the top of the pan.

Bake at 200 degrees celsius for 10 minutes then reduce the temperature to 180 and bake for a further 15-20 minutes or until the buns are golden brown.

Turn out onto a platter or bread board covered in baking paper as soon as possible after removing the buns from the oven. Be very careful as the glaze will be scalding hot.

Try to hold out for a few minutes at least before digging in as you will most definitely burn your fingers and your mouth. But it's totally worth it!

Delicious!!!

Blueberry Oatmeal Pancakes

For the past couple of years Saturday has been just another working day for me. Working for yourself from home kind of means the days of the week are irrelevant anyway so I've never minded. Then for the past couple of weeks we've had birthing classes to go to which were a lot of fun but still an early start.

But now I am officially on maternity leave ... no clients, no classes, nothing to do but get ready for this baby who will be here in 6 weeks (!!!) And what better way to celebrate a Saturday morning than with pancakes!

I've been on an oats kick for the past month or so, having either porridge or bircher muesli every day without fail and although I wanted pancakes I wasn't ready to give up on my oats either. Lucky for me this recipe has been floating around for awhile, first at Joy the Baker, then at A Whisk and a Spoon.

They were the perfect start to the day. We also finally got out to the movies for the first time in about 6 months and saw Ghost Town. We liked!

Blueberry Oatmeal Pancakes
Adapted from Sunset Magazine

1 1/2 rolled oats
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries or raspberries ( I used frozen)
butter or oil to grease the pan

1. In a bowl mix oats and buttermilk. Let stand at least 15 minutes, or up to 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In a large bowl, beat eggs, milk and vanilla. Stir in flour and oats mixture. Mix until evenly moistened, then fold in blueberries.

4. Place a nonstick griddle, or nonstick frying pan over medium heat. When hot, coat the pan with a few teaspoons of a light colored oil (you can eyeball the measurement).

5. Pour batter in 1/2 cup portions onto griddle and cook until pancakes are browned on the bottom and the edges begin to look dry, about 2 minutes. Turn with a spatula and cook another 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Coat pan with more oil as needed to coat remaining pancakes.

6. Serve the pancakes as cook or keep warm on a baking sheet, in a single layer in a warm oven (less than 100 degrees Celsius or they will dry out) for 15 minutes, or until you’re able to serve them.

7. Stack and serve with berries, maple syrup, ice cream - whatever takes your fancy!

This quantity will easily feed 4 people. We did find the batter a little runny. so next time I would use only 3/4 cup milk and double the baking powder to give them a little more lift.

N's First Omelette

When I first met him, N was allergic to egg. This was staggering because it meant he had never tried cake, quiche, custard, meringue or pancakes. Can you imagine?? We did some research and found a treatment which cured his egg allergy (and yes it was a true, medically diagnosed food allergy from birth which played havoc with vaccinations etc) once and for all.

I'm amazed I hadn't cooked one for him before but he assures me that after more than 6 years together this was his first omelette. And he liked it!

After all my whinging about the weather the temperature has dropped about 10 degrees since yesterday which made it perfect to have an omelette on hot buttered toast for dinner.

We filled them with sauteed onion, garlic, mushroom, ham and asparagus with a smattering of chedder.

Delish!

Jam Doughnut Muffins

Oh. My. God. I'm actually a little worried that I made these because now I know how easy it is I could make them all the time! I've had doughnuts on the brain for the past week or so and while I considered making some the whole vat of hot oil thing does scare me a little. Then I remembered these little beauties that I bookmarked months ago and voila ... doughnuts! Well doughnut muffins to be exact but the end result is truly awesome.

The recipe says it makes 6 and I made 6 jumbo sized ones. It is telling that I ate a whole one but take my advice and make them smaller ... your hips will thank you!

Jam Doughnut Muffins
recipe from Taste.com.au

300g (2 cups) self-raising flour
2/3 cup caster sugar, plus 1/3 cup extra to coat
80ml (1/3 cup) vegetable oil (I used melted butter)
1 large egg
175ml buttermilk (I made my own with 1 tbs apple cider vinegar topped up with milk)
1 tsp vanilla extract (I just realised now that I forgot to add this!)
6 tsp good-quality strawberry jam
100g unsalted butter
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 180°C and grease a 6-hole muffin pan. Sift the flour into a medium bowl, then add a pinch of salt and the caster sugar.

In a jug, combine the vegetable oil, egg, buttermilk and vanilla extract. Add to the dry mixture and stir to only just combine.

Place a spoonful of the mixture in each muffin hole and make an indent in the centre. Fill each indent with a generous 1/2 teaspoon of strawberry jam. (I misjudged slightly so my jam ended up in the bottom third of the mix). Cover the jam with the remaining muffin mixture and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, melt the butter. Combine the extra sugar and the cinnamon in a large bowl. When the muffins are cool enough to handle, brush each muffin with the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar.

Serve while still a little warm (the jam in the middle really holds its heat so watch out!)

Sunday Brunch at Home

We've been going out for breakfast a bit lately and as nice as it is, it's becoming a bit expensive. This week we decided to do our own version of a 'big breakfast' at home and invited N's mum and my dad to share it with us.

The menu:

• Eggy crumpets with crispy bacon and real maple syrup
• Waffles with strawberry compote and icecream
• Fresh juice

Jungle Juice
Any combination of tropical fruits you like! We used:

1 large pineapple
4 pink grapefruits
1 lime
2 cm piece of ginger

Eggy Breakfast Crumpets
adapted from Jamie at Home by Jamie Oliver, p30

This is essentially french toast made with crumpets instead of bread and it's absolutely brilliant! Because of all the air bubbles, the crumpets soak up the egg mixture like a sponge so the end result is incredibly light and fluffy.

3 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 round crumpets
6 rashers of bacon
olive oil or butter
maple syrup, to serve

Lay out the crumpets in a single layer in a large baking dish. Whisk together the eggs and milk and season with salt and pepper. I usually add 1/2 ts vanilla and a glug of maple syrup as well. Pour the egg mixture over the crumpets and leave to soak, overnight if possible, or as long as you can (we always do ours the night before and by morning they have absorbed virtually all the liquid). If you are using them immediately make sure you turn them several times and really push them into the egg mix.

Heat a frypan over medium heat and fry the bacon until crispy. You shouldn't need to add any fat here. Remove and keep warm. Add a blob of butter and swirl the pan to coat.

Add the crumpets to the pan (we need to do 2 batches because of the size of the pan) and fry them for a few minutes until they are golden brown. Turn and fry on the other side until cooked through.

Serve topped with bacon and a genererous drizzle of maple syrup.

Crispy Waffles

We received our waffle maker as a wedding present just a few months ago and haven't gotten very adventurous with the recipe. We're still using the one that came with the instruction manual! Thank you Breville.

2 x 60g eggs, separated
2 ts sugar
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 ts vanilla
1/4 ts salt
2 cups (300g) self raising flour
2 tbs cornflour
80g g butter, melted

Beat the egg yolks and sugar together, then add the milk, water and vanilla and mix well.

Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl, add the egg mixture and melted butter. Beat mixture well into a smooth batter.

Beat the eggwhites until stiff and fold into the batter.

Allow to stand for 10 minutes before use.

Use 1/2 cup of batter per waffle. Makes 6.

Strawberry Compote
recipe from Taste.com.au

250g strawberries, washed, hulled and halved
1 tbs icing sugar (I used caster sugar)
1 ts balsamic vinegar (I used a delicious caramalised balsamic from Flaschengeist)

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until pulpy and syrupy. Remove from heat and cover until required. Perfect with waffles, french toast or just over ice cream.

After eating all that we went to the movies and saw The X-Files. I loved it when it was on tv and have seen every episode. Despite not being very hungry we then went to lunch at Chill on Oxford St. Now i'm absolutely stuffed!

All in all a lovely Sunday.

Sunday Brunch is ...

my favourite meal of the week. And one of our favourite places to go is Oxford St in Bulimba, a street filled with dozens of cafes, restaurants, quirky fashion boutiques and the Balmoral cinemas (our local).

Today we went to the Riverbend Teahouse, a gorgeous bookshop and cafe that is pretty well known in these parts. We arrived just after 10am and the place was buzzing. They were totally full but we managed to grab a couple of seats at the bar overlooking the street. I actually preferred this to being seated in the midst of heaps of people.

N always has a something sweet when we go out for breakfast whereas I'm the opposite. I can't handle too much sugar first thing in the morning, and I also like to choose things I wouldn't normally make at home. Today N chose a waffle stack with apple and sultana compote, poached peaches and marscapone. Delicious! (No photo of this one).

I had a poached egg (on the way out we noticed the menu said there were supposed to be 2 eggs?) on a spinach and fetta muffin with verjuice hollondaise. It was divine. The muffin was crumbly and salty and contrasted beautifully with the softness of the egg and smooth hollondaise.


We also had a 'jungle juice' each - I had orange, pineapple and mint, N had apple, cranberry and ginger. Both were delicious!

If you're in Brisbane I highly recommend checking out Riverbend. Just remember to book!

Riverbend Books and Teahouse