Culinary Delights

French Breakfast Puffs

Posted on by Ang Anderson

I had the great pleasure of spending Saturday morning with my right hand dipped in butter and my left hand dipped in cinnamon and sugar. As far as Saturday mornings go, it was a good one. The end result was these beautiful French Breakfast Puffs.

The puffs begin their lives as gorgeous muffins with a hint of nutmeg.

Then, once they have the pleasure of bathing in a butter bath and lounging in cinnamon and sugar, they are transformed into the sweetest creations. Simple. Perfect. Delicious.

My breakfast puffs were joined by greek yogurt and strawberries drizzled with honey. It was the perfect Saturday morning breakfast. Kids and hubby loved them too! Maybe next Saturday will find you with butter on one hand and cinnamon and sugar on the other?

Bon Appétit-

French Breakfast Puffs

Ingredients

  • 3 cups Flour3 teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • ½ teaspoons Ground Nutmeg
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • ⅔ cups Shortening (Crisco)
  • 2 whole Eggs
  • 1 cup Milk
  • 1-½ cup Sugar
  • 3 teaspoons Cinnamon
  • 2 sticks Butter

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups.

In a large bowl stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a different bowl, cream together 1 cup sugar and shortening. Then add eggs and mix again. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition.

Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

In a bowl, melt 2 sticks butter. In a separate bowl combine remaining sugar and cinnamon. Dip baked muffins in butter, coating thoroughly, then coat with cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Printable Recipe

Thank you to Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman for another great recipe!

One Year Ago – another muffin option and an amazing sandwich.

Imaginary Friendships

Posted on by Ang Anderson

Since I tend to post fairly frequently about dessert, I thought it best that I write about something other than sweets. Just in case you were wondering…I do eat real food too.  My good friend Ree Drummond always shares her amazing recipes with me. She encourages me to try my hand at new things. She is a wife and mother. (Me too!) She loves to share good food with her family (and herself). (Me too!) She is always there for me when I need her.

Okay, okay.  Ree is not actually my friend in real life. She doesn’t know who I am and she is not paying me to say nice things about her. But I do feel like I know her through her website and from watching her show on Food Network. She speaks to me.

Last Sunday she whispered to me, ever so gently from her cookbook, to try my hand at her version of Meatloaf and Twice Baked Potatoes. So I did.

I learned a few things along the way.

For instance, (ahem) to check that the meat is actually done before serving it to guests.

Dear Microwave, I mostly do not like you but sometimes you save me.  Thank you.

I’ve made meatloaf before but always in a loaf pan so this was a bit new. Ree’s version had great flavor. I’m guessing the use of white bread and bacon had a hand in that.  However, my dad, who is somewhat of a meatloaf expert, informed me that while it’s nice to try new things, the old standard holds firm as his favorite.

If you are looking for a new meatloaf recipe or have never made the man-loving dish, this is certainly a good one to try. I think if I were to have a do-over, I might try shaping this into two smaller loaves. Although that might cause a tiny conundrum with the bacon because the bacon slices fit so perfectly around this two-pound loaf with just enough to tuck in on the sides. I do know that I would definitely bake it longer than I did! And I would most certainly check for doneness. *smiles sheepishly*

The Twice Baked Potatoes were delicious too. However, I toned them down a bit and omitted the bacon. After all, the Meatloaf was draped with bacon and I didn’t want to cause internal bacon overload reactors to start sending warning signals to our bodies. I added only a bit of shredded cheese to the mixture and did not grace the tops of the potatoes with additional cheese.

I also snapped photos of leftover meatloaf and potatoes the day after our dinner, to get the best natural lighting. Sadly, I cannot post them here. Without the salad greens on the plate as an accompaniment, the slice of meatloaf and the potato looked so sad and, dare I say, disgusting (I don’t know if there is a secret to making a slice of meatloaf look appealing in a photo but I didn’t have the luxury of taking the necessary time to figure it out) that I could not share my photos with you. Could not. Would not. Should not. I will let you look at Ree’s lovely pictures and work on your very own imaginary friendship with her. This is one of Ree’s photos.

Link to Ree’s Meatloaf Recipe and Fabulous Photos

Link to Ree’s Twice Baked Potatoes and Fabulous Photos

Here is to cooking meat thoroughly and serving it proudly to your guests.  (Next time…)

Glazed Lemon Pound Cake

Posted on by Ang Anderson

When I received the April issue of Real Simple, I was thrilled to discover a whole section devoted to lemon desserts.  If you recall, I have a certain affinity to lemon which I divulged in my Lemon Sunshine post.  This recipe for Glazed Lemon Pound Cake looked particularly appealing. 

So I made it. 

It was delightful and heavenly and all of the things I imagined it would be. 

It beckoned a friend for tea.  It made a great coffee date.  It begged for a glass of cold milk. 

It melted in my mouth. 

I thought it only right that I share it with you.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did –  

Glazed Lemon Pound Cake

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature, plus more for the pan
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for the pan
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest, plus 6 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 6 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions

1.     Heat oven to 325° F. Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

2.     Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in 4 tablespoons of the lemon juice,   then the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

3.     Reduce mixer speed to low. Add half the flour mixture, then the yogurt, and then the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until combined (do not overmix).

4.     Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 65 to 75 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

5.     In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 1 of the remaining tablespoons of lemon juice until smooth, adding the remaining lemon juice as necessary to create a thick, but pourable glaze.

Printable Version

(Recipe By Charlyne Mattox, April 2012 Real Simple Magazine)