Sour Cream Corn Pancakes

I am not a lover of pancakes, except for The Pioneer Woman’s Sour Cream Pancakes.  I don’t hate them, I just don’t love them.  I don’t know what it is, I find that most pancakes are too heavy in the morning and if given the choice between pancakes and french toast, french toast will win every time in my book.  However earlier this week Smitten Kitchen’s Sweet Corn Pancakes popped into my feed subscription and I was intrigued.  Then I thought what if I did a hybrid of sweet corn pancakes and sour cream pancakes, it was one of those “things that make you go hmmmm” (name the band).

I am not usually an experimenter of anything that contains the ingredients baking soda, baking power and/ or flour, but I though I would put my big girl panties on and give it a go.  It could only go one of two ways, horribly wrong or incredibly right….ok there is a third option of “they are ok”, but I like shoot for the stars or to crash and burn.  I am also all about being dramatic.

Strip the kernels from an ear of corn.  Be sure to ask the corn permission first you don’t want to be accused of anything.

Melt butter in a skillet and cook the kernels until they just begin to brown, sprinkle with salt and set aside to cool.

In a small bowl combine your dry ingredients of flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking, soda and salt.   Whisk together to well combined.

In a separate large bowl, beat an egg at the bottom of the bowl, add sour cream, milk and vanilla, whisk until well combined.

Stir in the cooled kernels of corn.  I will try not to get corny, I promise.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined.

Heat your griddle to 350 degrees or a skillet over medium heat, brush with butter and ladle 1/4 cup of batter at a time, 2 inches apart.  Cook the pancakes until they begin to bubble on top and the edges begin to dry.   Flip and cook until the bottom is a golden brown.  Repeat with remaining batter

Because I am all about being dramatic, stack your pancakes as high as you can, top with a fat pad of butter and drizzle with your favorite syrup.

Here is a mini action shot of me pouring syrup over my pancakes.  Please try not to lick the screen, 9 time out of 10 you will just taste dust and that is not good.

These pancakes have expanded my appreciation for pancakes.  They were fluffy, corny and had those awesome crispy edges that I think are required of a good pancake.

My favorite part of these pancakes was the texture that the corn kernels add to the pancake.  They give them a little crunch that pop in your mouth with sweet corny goodness.

It makes me wonder if maybe I should just drizzle maple syrup over my corn on the cob next time.  It’s one of those things that make you go hmmmm…..

Try some more breakfast options.

Peace out!

-Hmmmmmm

Print Recipe

Sour Cream Corn Pancakes (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Makes about 7 to 10 4-inch pancakes

• 2 tablespoons butter, plus additional for brushing pan
• 3/4 cup kernels cut from one large ear sweet fresh corn
• 1/8 teaspoon salt plus additional for seasoning corn
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornmeal, any kind
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Melt butter in a large cast iron skillet or griddle pan over medium heat. Add corn and saute for 4 to 5 minutes, until it begins to brown ever-so-slightly. Sprinkle with salt and set aside to cool. Wipe out skillet

Lightly beat egg in the bottom of a large bowl, then whisk in sour cream, buttermilk, corn, vanilla and sugar. In a smaller bowl, whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Stir dry ingredients into wet, mixing until just combined but still lumpy in appearance.

Reheat your skillet or saute pan to medium or set your griddle to 350 degrees. Brush with butter and ladle 1/4 cup batter at a time, 2 inches apart. When the pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around the edges, flip them over and cook them until golden brown underneath. Repeat with remaining batter, and serve immediately with a pat of salted butter a super drizzle of maple syrup.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Many of you don’t know this but when I was a Air Force brat my family was stationed in Warner Robins, GA.  I spent most of my childhood in Georgia.  Even though I spent many years in Georgia I have never been a big fan of southern food.  Don’t get me wrong I appreciate it and crave it once in a while, but it is rarely my first choice.

However there is one dish that I fell in love with during my time in George…fried green tomatoes…oh and peach cobbler, but that will be a post for another day.    Oddly enough I haven’t had fried green tomatoes in years…yesterday I decided to put that to an end.

The great thing about these is that they come together lickity-split.  The hardest part about this dish was finding the green tomatoes.  Thanks to a produce stand of a local farmer, I had green tomatoes in hand.

Set up a dredge station with one bowl of beat eggs, a bowl of the cornmeal mix and 1/2 inch sliced green tomatoes sprinkled with salt and pepper.

I did experiment with 1 dredge vx. 2 dredge and I decided that the 1 dredge was better.  Dredging it twice make the coating a little thick and the tomato doesn’t get a chance to soften, so I recommend dredging just once.

Heat a skillet with 1/2 inch of vegetable oil over medium-high heat.   Fry the tomatoes about 2 min. each side, but do not overcrowd the pan.

Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and enjoy.

Yummy crunchy, corny, tomato goodness.

Obed had never had a fried green tomato and although he looked at them suspiciously he tried them and cleaned his plate.  I fell in love all over again and reminisced of the times that my mom, sister and I would order fried green tomatoes at Po’folks.

Print Recipe

Fried Green Tomatoes (Cookie | June 2008)

• 4 large, firm green tomatoes, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup finely ground cornmeal
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 eggs
• Vegetable oil

Sprinkle the tomato slices with the salt and pepper; set aside.

Set up dredging station. Combine the cornmeal and paprika in a shallow bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs.

Cover the bottom of a heavy skillet with 1/2 inch of oil, then place it over medium-high heat.

Dredge the tomato slices in the egg and then the cornmeal mixture.

Fry as many tomatoes as fit comfortably without crowding the pan, until nicely browned, about 2 minutes a side.

Transfer to a paper towel-lined platter to drain. Repeat until all the tomatoes are cooked.

Poached Eggs with Tomatillo Sauce, Poblano Chile Sauce, and Refried Beans

Do you like huevos?  That means eggs in Spanish.  Eggs are a big part of our diet here in this house.  Obed loves eggs, in fact I found a feather on him the other day…..turned out it was from the pillow, but sometimes I wonder.   When I found this recipe for a pouched egg on a bed of refried beans topped with tomatillo and creamy poblano sauce, I was sold!   The bonus is for such a beautiful plate of food it is surprisingly friendly on the pocketbook.

Quarter an onion, in a heavy dry skillet at medium-high heat, place tomatillos, serrano, garlic and 1 wedge of a white onion.  Cook the vegetables until they are charred in spots, turning often, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the the vegetables to a cutting board and coarsely chop.  Transfer to a blender add broth and blend until course puree forms.  Pour tomatillo blend into a skillet and add chopped cilantro, season with salt and pepper to taste.  Set sauce aside.

Be prepared for some heat.

Char the poblano chile over a gas flame or in a broiler until charred and blistered on all sides.  Place the pepper in a paper back or in plastic bag, until cooled.

Remove pepper from bag, peel charred skin, seed and chop coarsely.

Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until soft, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Add chopped chile.

Add cream and milk; bring to boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce thickens slightly and is reduced to 1 cup, whisking occasionally, about 10 minutes.

Transfer to blender; puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

This sauce is creamy pepper awesomeness!  It could double as a dip.

Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until translucent and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and stir 1 minute.

Add beans and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Using potato masher, mash beans until about half of beans are mashed. Season with salt and pepper.

DO AHEAD: Sauces and beans can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately; chill. Rewarm before using.

Bring large skillet of salted water to simmer over medium heat. Add vinegar.  Working in 2 batches, crack eggs 1 at a time into small bowl; carefully transfer to water in skillet. Cook until whites are just set and yolks are still runny, adjusting heat as needed to maintain gentle simmer, about 3 minutes.

Using slotted spoon, transfer egg to a plate lined with paper towel.

DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. After cooking the eggs, using a slotted spoon, transfer poached eggs to bowl of ice water, cover bowl and chill.  Using slotted spoon, transfer eggs from ice water to skillet of barely simmering water. Cook until just heated through, about 2 minutes.

Divide beans among plates, using back of spoon to form a well in center. Top with 2 poached eggs and spoon poblano and tomatillos sauce over eggs.  Garnish with fresh cilantro and diced tomato, serve with warm tortillas.

Take your fork and cut into the sexy runny egg yolk.  Watch in awe as the yolk pours over the beans.  Aaaawwwww!

I was floored with how delicious this dish was, it was truly fabulous.  Every thing melds together perfectly, with just a touch of heat and I could go on for hours about the pouched egg.  This can be breakfast, lunch or dinner…..may be a midnight snack.  Well the midnight snack maybe too much, but it is awesomeness on a plate.

The great thing is that you can do everything a day ahead of time.   Also the you will have left over sauce, which you can freeze and use another time.

Poached Eggs with Tomatillo Sauce, Poblano Chile Sauce, and Refried Beans (Bon Appetit – May 2010)

POACHED EGGS

• 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
• 4 large eggs

TOMATILLO SAUCE

• 1 medium white onion, peeled
• 8 ounces tomatillos (about 6 medium), husked, rinsed
• 1 serrano chile
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

POBLANO CHILE SAUCE

• 1 large fresh poblano chile
• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped white onion
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup whole milk

REFRIED BEANS

• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped white onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 15-ounce cans black beans, drained

PREPARATION

POACHED EGGS

Bring large skillet of salted water to simmer over medium heat. Add vinegar. Fill large bowl halfway with ice water. Working in 2 batches, crack eggs 1 at a time into small bowl; carefully transfer to water in skillet. Cook until whites are just set and yolks are still runny, adjusting heat as needed to maintain gentle simmer, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer poached eggs to bowl of ice water. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover bowl and chill.

TOMATILLO SAUCE

Heat heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Quarter onion (reserve 3 onion wedges for another use). Place 1 onion wedge, cut side down, tomatillos, chile, and garlic in heated dry skillet; cook until vegetables are charred in spots, turning often, about 5 minutes. Transfer vegetables to work surface; chop coarsely. Transfer chopped vegetables to blender. Add broth; blend until coarse puree forms. Transfer puree to small saucepan. Stir in cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.

POBLANO CHILE SAUCE

Char chile over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Wrap in plastic bag and seal tightly; cool. Peel, seed, and chop coarsely.

Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until soft, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Add chopped chile. Add cream and milk; bring to boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce thickens slightly and is reduced to 1 cup, whisking occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer to blender; puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

REFRIED BEANS

Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until translucent and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and stir 1 minute. Add beans and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Using potato masher, mash beans until about half of beans are mashed. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Sauces and beans can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately; chill. Rewarm before using.

Using slotted spoon, transfer eggs from ice water to skillet of barely simmering water. Cook until just heated through, about 2 minutes. Divide beans among plates, using back of spoon to form shallow well in center. Top each with 2 poached eggs, arranging in well. Spoon some tomatillo sauce and some poblano sauce over and serve.

Brown Butter Yeast Waffles

How much butter does it take to make waffles for a family of 8?

If your making delicious brown butter waffles I would say about 3 1/2 sticks.

Which actually turned out to be too much because there were a ton of left overs.  I under estimated how filling waffles can be, especially these.

I didn’t take into account that these aren’t the typical skinny waffles that you find in the freezer section of the grocery store.  These waffles were as big in size as they were in flavor, with all of their brown butter and wheat flour nuttiness.   How can they not be full of nutty flavor when the ingredients include browned butter, brown sugar and whole wheat flour?

With all of those ingredients full of flavor, add in some yeast and they are just heavenly.  The batter sits and rises for 1 1/2 hours to let the yeast dance around and develop all of the bubbly yeasty goodness, and lumps in this batter are ok.

You can make the waffles the same day you prepare the batter or you can refrigerate it overnight.    The batter will be goopy but do not fret, you are on the right track.

I will now leave you in silence so you can fully take in and enjoy delectable waffle goodness on a plate.

Who am I kidding when have I ever left you in silence…..heck, I have never let myself in silence.  You wouldn’t believe how many voices are in my head, and you guessed it, all they talk about is food.

Ok I will be quite now.

But these are so good!

Print Recipe

Brown Butter Waffles (adapted from King Arthur via Joy the Baker)

makes 2 big square (four sectioned) waffles, enough for 2 and a half people.

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 7 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted until browned bits appear
• 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

Heat milk until it is hot but not boiling. Place it in a large bowl (you’ll need the room for expansion) and mix in the browned butter, brown sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Stir until the mixture has cooled to lukewarm. Add the eggs, flour, salt and yeast and stir all together. If there are a few lumps, that’s okay.

Cover mixture with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel and leave to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. The mixture will begin to bubble.

You can cook the waffles at this point, or place the batter in the refrigerator to rest and develop flavor overnight.

Remove the batter from the fridge about an hour before. Stir the batter and let it come to room temperature. When ready to cook, preheat the waffle iron and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add 1 1/2 cups of batter (depending on the size of your waffle iron) and cook until golden brown.

Top with butter, syrup, maybe some bananas?

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Back in the kitchen again……..I missed my kitchen.

I decided to kick off my return to the kitchen with a yummy breakfast.   I about a month ago I had seen this recipe for sweet potato biscuits.   

Holla!  Sweet potato biscuits I am all over that!

The recipe was for a sweet savory biscuit, served with hot mustard, honey and country ham.  I thought that the cayenne and hot mustard may not agree with my tummy that early in the morning so I decided to do cinnamon and honey butter instead.  Yum!  

When I first read the recipe I thought it was saying that I needed 1 and 3/4 lbs of sweet potatoes, but when I read the recipe it only called for using 3/4 cup, I was confused.  Then I realized that it said 1 3/4 lb potato, as in a potato that is 3/4 of a pound.   This is one of the reasons I encourage everyone to read your recipe all the way through, sometimes twice to make sure you know what you need to do.

I diced my 3/4 lb sweet potato, it was a little more the 3/4 of a lb but no biggy.

Boil the potatoes for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender.

Drain the sweet potatoes and transfer to a bowl, add orange zest.

Mash the sweet potatoes with the orange zest and set aside.

Butter a 9 1/2 inch cake pan with unsalted butter.

Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl.

Don’t forget the nutmeg…..I love nutmeg!

Whisk all the dry ingrediants together….so they can harmonize into one.  Take notes folks…this is how we get deep with dry ingrediants.

 Remember those mashed sweet potatoes we put aside?  Whisk them with the butter milk, until creamy. 

Take a stick of butter and cut into 8 pieces, using a pastry cutter cut the butter into the flour until it resembles cornmeal.

Add the sweet potato to the flour mixture .

Toss the flour and sweet potato together using a fork until well combined.

Gather the dough together, kneed and form into a ball.

Flatten the dough out into a 1 inch round.

Using a biscuit cutter cut out your biscuits….duh!

Place in prepared pan and butter the biscuits with melted butter.  Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden, puffy and toothpick comes out clean when tested.

Let the biscuits cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out and serve. 

Lather with sweet buttery honey goodness, and lay on a thick slice of pan fried country ham.

Close the biscuit up and watch the butter drip out the sides. 

Consume with joy and vigor!

It makes a pretty sweet breakfast spread for company.

Print Recipe

Sweet Potato Biscuits (adapted from Bon Appetit Dec 09)

• 3/4 lb red-skinned sweet potato peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 Tbs (packed) dark brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 1 Tbs cinnamon
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/3 cup chilled buttermilk
• honey butter
• thinly sliced country ham or Black Forest ham

Cook sweet potato in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, cool, add orange zest and mash.

Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 425°F. Butter bottom and sides of 9-inch cake pan with 1 1/2-inch-high sides.

Whisk flour and next 7  ingredients in large bowl. Add cubed butter to flour mixture; using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flouer until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk 3/4 cup mashed sweet potatoes and buttermilk in medium bowl. Add to flour mixture; toss with fork. Gather mixture in bowl, kneading until dough comes together. Turn dough out onto floured work surface and pat into 1-inch-thick round. Using 1 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter, cut out biscuits, flouring cutter after each cut. Gather scraps; pat into 1-inch-thick round. Cut out additional biscuits .

Arrange biscuits side by side in prepared cake pan. Brush with melted butter. Bake until puffed and golden on top and tester inserted into center biscuit comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Turn biscuits out and gently pull them apart. Cut each biscuit in half crosswise.

Spread bottom half of each biscuit with honey butter, then top each with sliced ham and second half of biscuit.

Edna Mae’s Sour Cream Pancakes from The Pioneer Woman

For me, Saturday mornings are for sleeping-in and yummy to your tummy, made from scratch breakfast.  I always try to make Obed and I a nice breakfast on Saturday morning.  Sometimes I will get creative like with my french toast cups or bacon and egg cups, sometimes I keep it as simple as eggs and toast.  This Saturday I thought I would turn to the newest addition to my cookbook collection, The Pioneer Woman Cooks.  Ree has entire sections dedicated to breakfast, lunch (dinner) and dinner (supper) in her fabulous new cookbook.  The one recipe that really jumped out at me was Edna Mae’s Sour Cream Pancakes, which was interesting because I am not a big fan of pancakes.  I usually find most pancakes too heavy for breakfast and they suck up the syrup too fast.

When I told Obed that I was going to make sour cream pancakes for breakfast his initial reaction was one of confusion and skepticism.  I said do not question The Pioneer Woman, she knows what she is doing.  I also reminded him that I have yet to fail him in the breakfast department, so at least trust me.

I followed the recipe to the “T” except I added an extra tablespoon of sugar.

Let’s make some pancakes!

In a medium bowl combine sour cream with dry ingredients and set aside.

In another bowl crack 2 eggs.

See how talented I am, cracking an egg one handed….I am too cool!

Now beat the eggs.

“Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it”
“No one wants to be defeated ”
“Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight”
“It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right”

“Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it”

Sorry got carried away…..anyway just beat the egg.

Now mix in the vanilla extract.

Pour the eggs in with the sour cream and dry ingredients.

Give it a good stir, it will look a little lumpy at first.

But stir it until it is just well combined, a few streaks and sour cream lumps are fine.

Melt butter on hot griddle.  Using a ladle pour pancake batter onto the griddle.  Cook for about  1 to 2 minutes before flipping.  You want the edges to begin to brown and bubbles will form.

When ready flip your pancakes and cook on the other side for another minute or so.  I know the edges are a little brown but I like my edges crispy.

Stack high, top with a pad of Buuu-tur….and drizzle with delicious maple syrup.

These pancakes were absolutely delicious and like I said before, I am not a big fan of pancakes, so that says a lot.  They are very, very light and fluffy. They are now officially my new go-to pancake, perfect for the belly early in the morning or after a long day at the office.  Because who said you can only have pancakes in the morning?  Obed really enjoyed the pancakes too and he, like I said, was pretty skeptical.

Ree you tell G-mama Edna Mae that this Puerto Rican gal is really digging her sour cream pancakes because they are……DA BOMB!  Be sure to tell her just like that, accompanied with some odd hand gestures that neither you or I should be doing.

Ree knew what she was doing when she put this recipe in her fabulous cookbook.  Which if you didn’t know made it to #1 on NY Bestsellers list.  Ree’s cooking style and my cooking style couldn’t be more different. I use plantains, she used potatoes…I do flan, she makes chocolate sheet cake.  It may have to do with the fact that she is from the Midwest and well I am from a small Spanish Caribbean island, but that doesn’t matter because everyone can enjoy her simple down to earth style of cooking.  This has to be just one of the many reasons she made it to #1.  The book if full of hearty homey recipes and stories of her life as a cattle rancher’s wife out in the middle of nowhere Northeast Oklahoma, with 4 beautiful children and a character named Charlie, her basset hound.

I did have the chance to meet her in person at one of her book signings here in Tulsa, she  was just like her book, welcoming, kind and down to earth. Why I acted like a nervous goober/dork, is beyond me. Don’t even ask what I said because I have no recollection.  Although, it was pretty cool that she recognized my name as a Tasty Kitchen member.  Although Meseidy is a somewhat unique name, kind of hard to miss, it was still pretty sweet.

Ree I promise that I will get that picture for my profile sometime in the near future.  I am working on overcoming my photo neurosis.

In my excitement I almost forgot that I have some good news.  In an effort to spread the sour cream pancake, chocolate sheet cake and fried chicken love I have decided to giveaway not one but two….si eso es correcto…dos, of The Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbooks.

To enter , just tell me the following in the comments section:

Tell me what is one of your favorite Pioneer Woman recipes or stories from her website.

If you don’t know who The Pioneer Woman is check out her site, you will be guaranteed to fall in love with it.

If you don’t have a favorite just leave in the comments….”Gimme, gimme, gimme”.

“Las Reglas”…that means The Rules

Winners will be selected at random using random.org.

Deadline is Thursday 7 p.m. CT. TIMES UP!   Winners will be announced Friday morning.

One entry please or I am going to send El Chupacabra after you.

Ok not really. One entry, pretty please.

Ok, got to go…that Potato Leek Pizza recipe is calling my name.

Print Recipe

Edna Mae’s Sour Cream Pancakes (The Pioneer Woman Cooks)

• 1 cup sour cream
• 7 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/ 2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Butter
• Maple syrup

Warm up your griddle, iron skillet or frying pan at a medium heat.  Get it nice and hot but not smoking.

In a bowl combine sour cream with sifted dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, & salt).

In separate bowl, whisk the eggs and vanilla together

Pour egg mixture into sour cream/flour mixture. Stir gently until all ingredients are mixed well.

Melt about a tablespoon of butter onto griddle. Using a ladle pour about 1/4 cup of pancake batter onto the pan, making about a 4 inch in diameter pancake

Cook each side of the pancake for about 1 to 2 minutes, flipping when the edges start to brown and cake begins to bubble.

Remove from heat and stack high, top with a pad of butter and drizzle with lots of maple syrup!

Gingerbread Scones

 This weekend I was feeling like dirt.  I managed to get a heck of a cold.  You know the kind where you wake up in the morning and feel like a huge elephant is sitting right between your eyes.   The kind that makes you so stuffy you run out of breath when you try to chew.  That was me this weekend, in my pj’s and with tissue box in tow.   No fever was involved just some serious congestion and sneezing that wouldn’t quit, at one point I scared one of the dogs out of a deep sleep. He..he..he..

Being sick was annoying enough but if I am going to be sick I want to be sick enough to at least be able to stay home from work.  Instead I just got to feel miserable while I was at the office.   These scones however were able to make my Monday morning a bit more bearable.   

Scones were never something that really called my attention before.  I would walk into a coffee shop or bakery and completely bypass the scones.  They just didn’t look appetizing to me.  They looked hard and dry… like a brick of bread.   I don’t really remember when it was that I finally tried one.  I think I tasted a piece from a friends scone one day.   

I was surprised to find out that under what looked like a hard crust was a sweet bready treat.  I was expecting something more dry and brittle.  Honestly I was expecting to loose a tooth when I bit into it.   If I really think about it, that has no valid logic.  I mean, if scones were that hard and brittle why would anyone like them in the first place.  Why had I come to such a convoluted misconception (my big words for the week, they make me feel smart) is beyond me.

These scones were great and surprisingly softer then usual.  I think the use of buttermilk makes them more fluffy.  Bounus is they come together very easily.  I mean really easy….yes even you can make them Amber.  (Amber is my friend she is a wee bit afraid of her kitchen)   I had no clue scones were so easy to make!  These are wonderfully delicious and full of Autumn spices.  In the original recipe the lemon zest and cranberries are optional, but I declare they are a must.  The lemon bumps up the ginger flavor and the cranberries are a lovely tart treat.

Hmmmm….hmmmm….hmmmm…    Nom…nom…nom….  Me going to eat some! HA! 

No worries I just stamped myself DORK on the forehead.  Everyone if forewarned.

Print Recipe

Gingerbread Scones (6 scones) adapted from Joy of Baking

SCONES

• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 1/2 Tbs unsulphured molasses
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

GLAZE

• 1/2 cup sifted confectioners sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbs pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp unsulphured molassas
• 1 – 2 tsp milk

Pre-heat oven at 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large mixer bowl whisk together, flour, oats, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt, baking powder and baking soda.  Using a fork or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flower until it looks crumbly.   Stir in cranberries and lemon zest.  In a separate bowl combine buttermilk, molasses and vanilla.   Set bowl with flour mixture on to the mixer with a dough hook attachment.  Set mixture at a low speed and slowly add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture.  Mix until just combined and begins to form a ball. 

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface.  Knead dough gently about four or five times and form into a large ball.   Push the dough down and form into a large circle about 7 inches wide and 1 1/2 inches thick.   Cut the circle i half and cut each half into 3 even slices.   Place scones on baking sheet.

Place baking sheet into another baking sheet to keep the scones bottoms from over browning.  Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Transfer to cooking rack when done.

To glaze combine all glaze ingredients, adding more sugar or milk till you get desired consistency.  With spoon drizzle glaze over cooled scones and let dry.

Getting Down with The Muffin Pan: French Toast Cups with Sausage and Apples

Ah, wonderful lazy Saturday mornings.  I love a Saturday morning with no plans, when you can get up whenever you want and if you feel compelled, cook up a sweet breakfast.  This Saturday I decided to get experimental with breakfast.  One of my most popular and most viewed post are my Bacon and Egg Toastcups.  Since you all seem to like these so much I decided to do another breakfast twist on the toastcup. 

I love french toast it has to be one of my favorite breakfast items.  If I am given the choice between french toast and pancakes, french toast wins every time hands down.   A traditional French Toast is made with stale french bread.  In France, French Bread is Pain Perdu which means “Lost Bread”, referring to stale bread.  Instead of waisting the bread and throwing it away, they would dredge it in an egg mixture to soften and fry it in butter.    

Then of course to go with the Fall season I though that apples and sausage would be a great compliment to French Toast.  I will be honest and tell you that I have never had apples and pork.  I think it is a very American dish and it wasn’t something that was prepared in my home when I was a kid.  However it seems to be a very popular combination so I thought I would give it a try.  I figured that if the entire blogosphere is raving about pork and apples, I should give it a try.

Everyone was right, savory sausage does go well with sweet buttery apples, and stuff them in a French Toast Cup and you are good to go.   I sat in front of the TV watching my Saturday morning cartoons, bobbing my head and humming with happiness over my delicious breakfast treat.    This is what I do when I am excited and enjoying my food, bob my head and hum a happy tune.  Don’t you?…..No?  Don’t judge me.  

I think next time I will toss some chopped toasted pecans in with the mix and give it a bit of crunch. The great thing about these is you can make a dozen at a time and feed a small army of people.  They are great option for brunch or if you have to serve breakfast to some overnight guest.  Be careful though because they may not leave after you feed them these, they may just stay forever. BUAH..ha..ha..ha..ha!

Now if you don’t mind I think I must go dust off my elliptical machine and put it to some use.

Print Recipe

French Toast Cups with Sausage and Apples (6 servings)

FRENCH TOAST CUPS

• 6 slices of whole wheat bread
• 3 eggs
• 1 Tbs brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• pinch nutmeg

APPLES & SAUSAGE

• 1 cup diced apples
• 1 cup (8 oz) breakfast sausage
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 Tbs brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• pinch nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and butter a muffin pan. 

Using a cookie cutter, cut circles out of bread slices about 3 inches in diameter. (I do not have a cookie cutter so I use the lid to my tub of orzo pasta and just cut around the edges ;D)  Whisk eggs and spices together.  Dredge bread circles in egg mixture and remove any excess egg.

Press bread circles into the muffin pan, bake in the oven for 12 - 15 minutes, until brown.

While bread is in the oven prepare breakfast sausage.  In another hot skillet melt butter, stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.  Add apples to brown sugar mixture and cook until apples begin to soften and sugar mixture caramelizes.   Combine sausage and dripping with apples, stir.

When french toast cups are done, allow to cool for a few mintues, remove from pan using a knife to separate from the pan.  Fill french toast cups with apple and sausage mixture, drizzle with maple syrup and serve.

Knife and fork optional

Mallorca

I don’t think I can count all the happy and fun memories this bread brings up.  Every time I go home to visit I have to get my hands on a warm buttery mallorca.  In Puerto Rico every small town has at least one large bakery with an array of delicious pastries and breads and you almost always find mallorca.  If there is one weakness I have when I visit Puerto Rico it’s the bakeries.  I go on a all out carb gorge when I visit, picking up bread in the morning for breakfast and pastries to have with my after dinner cup of cafe con leche.

Mallorca bread is a sweet, fluffy and buttery egg bread. It is perfect to have sliced and buttered with a cup of coffee or you can also have a savory sandwich version with a slice of ham and Swiss. Pan de Mallorca (mallorca bread) originates from the Ensaïmades bread from the Spanish island of Majorca, which is why we call it Mallorca.

If there is one place that I MUST go visit when I am home in Puerto Rico, it is La Bombonera.  La Bombonera is rich part of Puerto Rico’s culture.  It is on Calle San Francisco in Old San Juan and was established in 1902, four years after the island was ceded to the U.S. after the Spanish-American War.  My mother would take my sister and I when we were young to La Bombonera on Saturday mornings and she would tell us about how she use to come with my Grandfather when she was little.  When you walk in it is like entering a time warp, the waitstaff is very friendly and they wear white shirts with bow ties and red vests and the “decor” hasn’t been updated since at least 1950.  There are all different kinds of people who visit La Bombonera, you will find people who have been coming there for years sometimes decades and tourist who just got off the cruise ship and are rosy red from all their time in the sun.  Most of all La Bombonera is famous for their mallorcas.  They sit in the window, plump, buttery and dusted with powdered sugar just begging you to come in and eat one.  If you ever visit you must try a mallorca with a cup of cafe con leche, which is made from an espresso machine, that has to be the same one they have had since it opened.  The machine looks like it has seen its share of battles but it makes a mean cup of coffee.  (Visit Tasting Memories for pictures of La Bombonera)

Another memory that comes to mind and makes me chuckle, is sitting out en el balcon (on the porch) early on a Saturday or Sunday morning and I could hear from a block away a megaphone with a lot of static announcing “el panadero…el panadero”. Eventually the sound would approach my house and a car would drive by with a megaphone rigged (I am sure coat hangers where used)  to the roof of a beat up old car announcing “el panadero…el panadero“ , which mean “the breadman….the breadman”, calling out to the neighborhood letting everyone know that he had fresh bread for sale.  People would come out of their homes in their robes and flag him down to buy bread for breakfast.  I remember on a few occasions picking out a bag of mallorcas and some pan de agua.  It was great since you didn’t have to get all dressed up to go to the bakery. 

It is funny how when you live in an area where certain ingredients are easy to come-by (ie. Florida and Puerto Rico) you take it for granted but ever since we moved out to Oklahoma I have been more driven to tie into my culinary roots.  Late last week I got in my head that I would try to make some mallorcas.  I went hunting around on the Internet and first came across this recipe.   I gave it a try and although they were good it wasn’t quite what I was looking for, they weren’t fluffy or sweet enough.  Also it used a rolling and slicing technique instead of a coil and it just didn’t translate in my brain.  When I see a mallorca it looks like a big fat coil, not like a plain cinnamon roll.   The next day I hit the Internet again determined to find a satisfactory recipe.  I could have tweaked the one I already had, but I am not confident enough in my baking skills to go and tweak a bread recipe.  After a short amount of searching I found this recipe on The Recipe Link.  It had more eggs, more sugar, more rising and it used the coil technique, I was in.

On Sunday after church I decided to give this new recipe a go.  It was easy although a bit time consuming since it has to rise 3 times, 45 mins. to an hour each time, but it was worth it.  They had all the elements that I wanted in a mallorca. They were just a little sweet, very soft and fluffy and ohhhhh so buttery.  The smell of the bread baking was intoxicating.  At one point Obed (a.k.a Hubby, which I will now call by his name) came into the kitchen and declared that it smelled like a Puerto Rican bakery.  He then did his signature “dance” of excitement, slapping his hand together, rubbing them together, while doing a little hop/skip thing that he does.  You have to see it to get it.

These mallorcas were divine and for just a moment they transported me back home, during my childhood when I would tear pieces off bit-by-bit and lick the butter and poweder sugar off my fingers.  That night we each had one for dessert with a glass of milk and then one in the morning with coffee.  I took the rest into the office, ergo avoiding a mass consumption of mallorca when I got home from work.  Otherwise it would have taken every ounce of my being to not eat them all in one sitting.

Print Recipe

Mallorca

• 1 pkg dry yeast
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 4 to 5 cups all purpose flour, divided use
• 1 cup milk, lukewarm
• 1 cup water, lukewarm
• 6 egg yolks
• 1/2 lb. butter, melted and cooled to lukewarm

In a mixing bowl, pour lukewarm milk and water, sprinkle yeast in add sugar and 1 cup of the flour. Set aside until the mixture starts to rise about 45 minutes.

Beat the egg yolks into the mixture, blending very well. Add the remaining flour little by little.  Add 1/2 the melted butter and set aside until it has doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Dust the board where the dough will be rolled out with a little flour to prevent dough from sticking, keep some flour handy for dusting. Divide dough into 12 equal portions. Roll out each portion, brush with butter and roll into a long strip. Form into a coil, insert the inner end making sure it’s tucked in, same with the other end of the roll. Butter top. Place on greased baking sheets. Use 2 baking sheets placing 6-8 rolls on each sheet.  Cover and let rolls rise until they have doubled in size.

Bake at 375 degrees F about 12-15 minutes.  Cool on cooling rack and dust with poweder sugar.

** In the picture I have all rolls one one sheet, but I had to divide them up so they would have room to rise and bake.

Cinnamon Rolls

I would not catagorize myself as a baker, I am definatly a cook, but I refuse to fear baking.  I am a regular reader of The Pinoeer Woman and her cinnamon rolls are one of her most popular recipes.  This weekend I thought I would tackle them as my weekend kitchen project.  I was a little nervous becasue I have tried to work with yeast dough before and it did not go so well .  However I am happy to report that I took that dough head on and came out with a delicious treat. 

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