It seemed like my kids were having friends to sleep over every weekend before school was out. Now, with school almost back in session, the overnight parties have increased in frequency, and it seems there is one almost every night.
I usually present a breakfast of convenience, but when there are additional kids expecting sustenance, it is a good excuse to look through the recipe books for something a little more interesting than cold cereal or Nutella toast.
BUTTERMILK BISCUITS
2 cups half wheat-white flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup cold butter, cubed
1 cup buttermilk
melted butter
Heat oven to 450F.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles small peas.
Stir in buttermilk with a fork until the dough forms a ball.
Turn the dough out onto a well-floured sheet of parchment paper. Sprinkle dough with flour, and flatten into a disk. Cover and chill for 15 minutes.
Remove paper (I left it on the paper) and turn dough out onto a well-floured surface. Sprinkle with flour. Pat dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter.
Place biscuits 1 inch apart on a baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush immediately with melted butter.
Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Southern Living, February 2013
www.southernliving.com/food/
FRENCH BREAKFAST PUFFS
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter, melted
Heat oven to 350F.
Grease 12 muffin cups or line the cups with paper muffin liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, cream together 1/2 cup sugar and shortening. Beat in egg. Stir flour mixture into shortening mixture alternately with milk. Beat well. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. While muffins are baking, combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
Remove muffins from oven and muffin pan. Immediately, dip the tops of the muffins into melted butter, then into the sugar/cinnamon mixture.
Repeat with each muffin, until all muffin tops are covered. Serve warm.
Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from All Recipes
allrecipes.com/recipe/french-breakfast-puffs/
BREAKFAST BABY CAKES
1 1/3 cups milk
6 eggs
1 1/3 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons melted butter
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine milk, eggs, flour, sugar and salt and mix until smooth. Let batter stand for 30 minutes before baking.
Heat oven to 450F. Place bottom oven rack in lowest position.
Brush 6 pie tins with 1 tablespoon of butter each. Divide batter equally among pans, about 1/2 cup each. Place baking sheet with tins in oven and bake 10 to 15 minutes or until puffy and golden.
Serve 1 pancake per person, topped with desired toppings.
Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from The Arkansas Democrat Gazette, May 2007
www.arkansasonline.com/news/features/food/
POPOVERS
In a large bowl, combine 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup milk, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 2 teaspoons of melted butter and 1 large egg. Whisk to blend.
Generously brush a popover pan with melted butter. Pour batter, dividing evenly among the 6 cups. Place pan in a cold oven on the middle shelf.
Heat oven to 450F, bake popovers for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350F, and bake 17 minutes more. Do not open the door while baking. Remove pan from oven, pierce popovers to let out steam.
Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Parents, May 2003
www.parents.com/recipes/
OATMEAL TEA CAKE
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
CARAMEL TOPPING
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons half and half
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
Heat oven to 350F.
Place oats and raisins in a medium bowl, pour boiling water over the mixture and let stand until warm.
In bowl of electric mixer, cream butter with sugars until light and fluffy . Blend in vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in oatmeal mixture.
Stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Add flour mixture, blending lightly. Spread batter in a well greased, 9 inch square baking pan.
Bake until top of cake springs back when touched, 45 to 50 minutes.
CARAMEL TOPPING
In a small pan, melt butter. Remove from heat and mix in brown sugar, half and half and walnuts.
Spread topping on warm cake and place under broiler, about 4 inches from heat, until topping browns and bubbles, about 2 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.
Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from The Arkansas Democrat Gazette, March 2003
www.arkansasonline.com/news/features/food/
BASIC BUTTERMILK PANCAKES
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
3 tablespoons butter, melted
In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, eggs and melted butter, add to flour mixture. Whisk until evenly blended.
Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat.
Grease griddle or skillet. Spoon batter for each pancake onto griddle, cook about 3 minutes or until air bubbles form on top and underside is golden brown. Flip pancakes, cook about 2 minutes more, until golden brown on bottom. Cook remaining batter. Serve with butter and maple syrup.
Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Red Book Magazine
www.redbookmag.com/recipefinder/
BANANA SPLIT BREAD
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup bananas, mashed
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips
Heat oven to 350F.
Cream sugar, eggs and butter with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Stir in other ingredients. Spoon into well greased and floured large loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from The Holiday Cookbook, November 2007
CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup milk chocolate chips
2/3 cup sour cream
1 egg
4 tablespoons of vegetable oil
Heat the oven to 375F.
Line muffin pans with paper liners.
Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and add the sugar and chocolate chips and stir to combine.
Put the sour cream, egg and vegetable oil into a separate bowl and mix together with a whisk until smooth.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined.
Spoon the mixture into the paper liners, so that each liner is half to three-quarters full, and bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until the muffins are well risen, pale golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from 100 Magnificent Muffins & Scones, Felicity Barnum-Bobb 2006
PLUM OAT DROP BISCUITS
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/3 cups flour
1 1/3 cups rolled oats
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup snipped pitted dried plums
1 cup milk
Heat oven to 450F.
Stir together sugar and cinnamon, set aside.
In a large bowl stir together the flour, oats, 1 tablespoon of the cinnamon-sugar, the baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Cut in the butter, using a pastry blender or your fingers, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in dried plums.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add milk. Stir until moistened. Drop dough onto a greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, June 2004
www.bhg.com/recipes/
BITSY BACON AND CHEESE ROLLS
1 can refrigerated crescent rolls
6 slices bacon, chopped, cooked and drained
1 cup grated cheese
Heat oven to 375F.
Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Remove crescent rolls from container and lay on a flat surface that has been lightly dusted with flour.
Cut each crescent roll in half lengthwise to make two long, thin triangles.
Place approximately 1 teaspoon bacon bits and 1 teaspoon grated cheese along the triangles. Roll up each crescent roll jelly roll style, starting at the widest end.
Place rolls seam side down on prepared cookie sheet about 1 inch apart.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove from oven, cool 5 minutes on pan and serve.
Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from The Pink Princess Tea Parties cookbook, 2008
www.amazon.com › … › Where We Live › House & Home
NUTELLA CREPES
4 eggs
2 cups milk
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
10 tablespoons nutella
sliced strawberries and bananas
Beat the eggs with a whisk until they are smooth. Add the milk, and whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt and nutmeg.
Slowly whisk in the milk mixture. Set aside for at least 15 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.
Before using, whisk the mixture to dissolve any remaining lumps.
Heat an 8 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, brush with butter. Add 1/4 cup butter and tilt the pan to swirl it around. Cook until lightly golden on the bottom, about 1 1/2 minutes. Use a large spatula to flip the crepe, cook until lightly golden on the bottom, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Brush the pan with butter again. Repeat, using up all the batter.
Working one at a time, spread the surface of a crepe with 2 teaspoons of nutella. Place the strawberries and bananas in a single layer on one quarter of the crepe.
Fold the crepe in half, then in half again, forming a wedge shape.
Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Parenting, December/January 2011
www.parenting.com/recipes
