Dad's Waffles

My dad is famous for his waffles, at least in our family anyway. He'd make them fairly often on Sunday mornings, and we'd gorge ourselves on their slightly nutty, soft, fluffy wonderfulness. Sometimes we'd even add Mom's strawberry freezer jam, and we'd experience a mouthful of pure heaven. He doesn't measure, so this is what he thinks he does. I've tried it out a couple of times, and it's never quite the same, but still fantastic.

DAD'S WAFFLES

2 eggs, separated
1/3 C whole wheat flour
2/3 C white flour
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 t salt
1 1/4 t baking powder
2 T cooking oil

Whip egg whites until stiff peaks form, set aside.

Mix all remaining ingredients together until well combined. Gently fold in egg whites. Cook in your waffle iron until golden brown.

Cranberry Muffins

From Allrecipes.com
Makes 18 muffins

2 C all-purpose flour
1 C white sugar
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
2 t orange zest
1 1/2 t ground nutmeg
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 C shortening
3/4 C orange juice
1 t vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 C chopped cranberries
1 1/2 C chopped walnuts

1 (8 ounce) can whole cranberry sauce
2 T brown sugar, packed
1/4 C margarine

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray or grease a 12 cup and a 6 cup muffin tin.

Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, orange peel, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger.

Cut in shortening; stir in juice, vanilla, eggs, cranberries and nuts. Pour into muffin cups and bake for 25 minutes or until brown.

Prepare the topping in a saucepan over low heat by whisking together the cranberry sauce, brown sugar and margarine. Cook until heated and smooth. Reomve from heat and serve as a spread for the muffins.

**Notes from Em**
-Honestly I didn't even bother with the sauce. It sounds like it would be good though.
-I added about 1/4 t of salt. It didn't feel right to be baking without any salt.
-I found it a little heavy on the nutmeg. I'll cut back a little on it next time.

French Toast

From Williams-Sonoma
Makes 3-4 servings

6 slices sturdy French or sourdough bread, about 3/4 inch thick
1 1/2 C whole milk
4 large eggs
1 T vanilla extract
1 T Grand Marnier (optional)
1/4 C granulated sugar
1 t grated orange zest
1/4 t freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 t fine sea salt
2 T unsalted butter
Confectioners' sugar for dusting
Pure maple syrup, warmed, for serving

In a large baking dish, place the bread slices in a single layer.

In a large glass measuring pitcher, thoroughly whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla, Grand Marnier (if using), granulated sugar, orange zest, nutmeg, and salt. Pour evenly over the bread and let stand for 1 minute, then turn the bread over. cover the dish with plastic wrap and let stand for at least 10 minutes or for up to 30 minutes.

Place an ovenproof platter in the oven and preheat to 200F. In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt 1T of the butter. When the butter has foamed and the foam begins t o subside, add as many slices of bread as will fit in the pan without overlapping. When the slices are golden brown on the bottom, after about 3 minutes, carefully turn them over and cook until golden brown on the second side, about 2 minutes longer for custardy French toast, or about 3 minutes longer for drier French toast. Transfer the finished slices to the platter in the oven. Melt the remaining 1T butter and repeat with the remaining bread slices. Transfer the French toast to individual plates, dust the tops with confections' sugar, and serve at once, with warm maple syrup.

Whole Wheat Sourdough Pancakes

My first adventure into the wonderful world of sourdough.

1/2 C sourdough starter
1/2 C wheat flour
1/2 C milk
1 egg, beaten
1 T oil
1 T sugar
1/2 t salt
1/4 t baking soda

The night before you want the pancakes, combine the starter, wheat flour, and milk. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined, cover with a towel, and leave on the counter for 8-12 hours. The longer you leave it, the more 'sour' your pancakes will be.

In a separate bowl mix together the egg, oil, sugar, and salt. Add the baking soda and mix well. Immediately add the egg mixture to your sourdough sponge. Mix gently until just combined, and then let it rest for 5 minutes.

While the batter is resting, heat your pan to medium. Pour about 1/4 C of batter onto the pan. When the edges start to dry out, and you have bubbles coming to the top, flip the pancake. Cook another 1-2 minutes until golden brown.

Fruit Pizza

From AllRecipes.com
Serves 10

1/2 C butter, softened
3/4 C white sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
1 t cream of tartar
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 C white sugar
2 t vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. Mix in egg. Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Press dough into an ungreased pizza pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 12/ cup sugar and vanilla until light. Spread on cooled crust.

Arrange desired fruit on top of filling, and chill.

Orange-Poppy Seed Muffin Mini-Muffins

With their lively crunch, poppy seeds make a festive addition to quick breads. To enhance and deepen their subtle flavor, steep the seeds in milk before adding to the batter. Like nuts, poppy seeds are rich in oils, and they should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer if kept for more than a few months. you can also bake these muffins in 12 standard muffin cups. Fill them three-fourths full, and increase the baking time to 15-18 minutes. For a simpler topping, omit the glaze and sprinkle the Demarara sugar before baking.

Orange-Poppy Seed Muffins

From Williams-Sonoma

Makes 24 mini or 12 standard muffins

3 T poppy seeds
1/2 C whole milk
1 3/4 C all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 t grated orange zest
2 large eggs
3/4 C granulated sugar
6 T unsalted butter, melted
1/2 C plus 1 T orange juice
1/2 C confectioners sugar

Position a rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat to 400 F. Butter 24 mini-muffin-pan cups or line them with paper liners. In a small bowl, combine the poppy seeds and milk and let stand for 20 minutes. In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest. Set aside.

By Hand:
In a bowl, whisk the eggs until blended. Stir in the granulated sugar, butter, the 1/4 C orange juice, and milk-poppy seed mixture, stirring until smooth. Add to the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula just until moistened.

By Mixer:
In a large bowl, beat the eggs on low speed until blended. Add the granulated sugar, butter, the 1/4 C cup orange juice, and milk-poppy seed mixture and beat on low speed just to combine. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until moistened.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each cup about three-fourth full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 12-14 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack fr 2 minutes, then turn out onto the rack.

To make the glaze, in a small bowl, stir together the orange juice and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Drizzle over the tops of the warm muffins in a zigzag pattern. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Golden Pancakes

Ok, I know that these sound really weird, but they're actually REALLY good, and by far, more healthy for you than regular pancakes. Not to mention a lot more filling.

Serves 2
From Eating for Life

1 C uncooked whole-grain oats (non-instant)
6 egg whites
1 C fat-free cottage cheese
1/4 t vanilla extract
1/4 t ground cinnamon
2 packets sugar substitute
1/2 C sugar-free maple syrup
1/4 C mixed berries

Lightly coat a nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray; place over medium heat.

In a blender, combine oats, egg whites, cottage cheese, vanilla, cinnamon and sugar substitute. Blend on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute.

Pour batter, about 1/4 cup at a time, onto hot skillet. Cook pancake until bubbly on top an ddry around edges, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook other side until golden brown, about 2 more minutes.

While pancakes are cooking, microwave maple syrup until warm, about 20 seconds.

Place a portion of pancakes on 2 separate plates. Top with warm maple syrup and mixed berries. Serve and enjoy!

**Notes from Em**
I used 3 whole eggs instead of 6 egg whites. Sure it changes the nutritional content a little bit, but the texture was still what I imagine it needed to be.

Cinnamon Rolls

I notoriously don't like cinnamon rolls. They're far too sweet for me and usually make me really sick, These, however, were really good and worked up surprisingly quickly.

Cinnamon Rolls

From Allrecipes.com

Makes 16

1 package active dry yeast
3/4 C warm water (110 degrees F)
1/4 C white sugar
3/4 t salt
1 egg, room temperature
2 1/2 C bread flour
1/4 C butter, softened
1 T ground cinnamon
1/2 C brown sugar

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

in a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture with the sugar, salt egg and 1 cup flour; stir well to combine. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well with each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly flour surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.

Lightly grease an 8x8 inch square baking pan. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick rectangle. Smear the dough with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar. Roll up the dough along the edge until it forms a roll. Slice the roll into 16 equal size pieces and place them in the pan with the cut side up.

Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or cover and let rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake rolls until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

To Die For Blueberry Muffins

 

To Die For Blueberry Muffins

From AllRecipes.com

Makes 8-12 muffins

1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
3/4 C white sugar
1/2 t salt
2 t baking powder
1/3 C vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 C milk
1 C fresh blueberries (frozen can be used)
1/2 C white sugar
1/3 C all-purpose flour
1/4 C butter, cubed
1 1/2 t ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners

Combine 1 1/2 C flour, 3/4 C sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.

To make crumb topping: mix together 1/2 C sugar, 1/3 C flour, 1/4 C butter and 1 1/2 t cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Bake for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

**Notes from Em**
- This makes a very THICK batter, almost cookie dough consistency. I had to add another 2T of milk or so in order to get everything to incorporate, I'll blame that on high altitude.
- The recipe calls for 8 large muffins, I chose to do 12 normal sized muffins instead, which means baking for about 18 minutes instead.
- If you choose to use frozen blueberries, drop your heat down to 325 and bake a little bit
longer.
- I only did half of the crumb topping mixture and had WAY more than I needed.

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Bread

Recipe from Allrecipes.com
Makes 1 loaf

1/3 C oil or unsweetened applesauce
1/2 C honey
1 t vanilla
2 eggs
1 C mashed ripe banana
1 3/4 C whole wheat flour
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
1/4 C hot water
1/2 C walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat honey and oil/applesauce together. Add eggs, and mix well. Stir in bananas and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt. Add baking soda to hot water, stir to mix, and then add to batter. Blend in chopped nuts. spread batter into a greased 9x5 loaf pan.

Bake 55-60 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 1/2 hour before serving.

**Notes from Em**
The original recipe said nothing about using applesauce, I got that from the comments on the recipe. If you choose to do the applesauce, you'll need to bake it an extra 5-10 minutes.

It's a lot better if you add 1 tsp of cinnamon.

Instead of a loaf, you can do 18 muffins and bake for 18-20 minutes.

Crepes

Crepes

Serves 6-8

1 1/3 C flour
3 T oil
2 C milk
4 eggs
1 tsp salt

In mixer combine oil, milk, eggs and salt. Mix until well combined. Slowly add flour to egg mixture and combine until there are no lumps. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Remove cover and whisk until the crepe batter is well mixed - it will have separated while refrigerating. Heat a small, non-stick skillet to medium-high heat. Pour in just enough batter to cover about half the bottom of the pan, tilt the pan until the batter covers the entire bottom. Once the crepe looks dry flip it over and cook the other side for about 30 seconds. Remove crepe from pan and continue cooking until all the batter has been cooked.

Fill crepes with desired fillings such as cream cheese, Nutella, yogurt, or fresh fruit. Roll and enjoy.

Apple Pancakes

Flavored with warm spices, these apple pancakes are ideal for an autumn or winter brunch. Grated apple is blended into the batter, then a thing apple slice is cooked inside each pancake. Serve with warm maple syrup, if desired.

Apple Pancakes

From Williams-Sonoma

Makes about 12 pancakes

2 eggs
2 C all-purpose flour, sifted
1/3 C plus 2 T sugar
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
2 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
1/4 t freshly grated nutmeg
2 C plus 2 T buttermilk
4 T unsalted butter, melted
2 t vanilla extract
2 peeled Granny Smith apples, 1 cored and finely grated, 1 thinly sliced on a mandoline

In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs on medium speed until frothy. Add the flour, the 1/3 C sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, buttermilk, butter and vanilla. Stir just until smooth and no lumps of flour remain; do not over-mix. Add the grated apple and stir just until combined.

Heat a griddle over medium-high heat until a few drops of water flicked onto the surface skitter across it. Lightly spray the griddle with nonstick cooking spray.

For each pancake sprinkle 1/2 t sugar on 1 apple slice and place on the griddle. Using a batter dispenser, dispense about 1/3 C of the batter on top of the apple slice. Cook until bubbles form on top and the batter is set, about 2 minutes. Using a spatula, flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown on the other side, about 2 minutes more. Keep warm until all the pancakes are cooked.