Category: Brunch

Carrot Cake Irish Oatmeal

Carrot Cake Irish Oatmeal
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Carrot Cake Irish Oatmeal

Recipe by La Bellitude
Servings

4

servings

A warming and tasty breakfast on a chilly morning. Or any other time you are hungry for the carrot cake spices.

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups water

  • 1 cup steel-cut oats

  • ½ cup shredded apple

  • 1 cup shredded carrots

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 1 tsp cinnamon

  • ¼ tsp nutmeg

  • ¼ tsp allspice

  • 3 tbsp maple syrup

  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions

  • Mix water and oats in heavy-bottomed pot and stir well. Turn heat to medium high and bring to boil, stirring frequently. Add apple and carrots, stir well, and lower heat to lowest setting. Cook slowly for 20-30 minutes or until oats are just tender. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking to the pan bottom.
  • Mix salt and spices and sift into the oatmeal. Add maple syrup and lemon juice and cook for another 5 minutes.
  • Sprinkle with maple flakes or brown sugar before serving.

Doughnut Holes

Doughnut Holes
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Doughnut Holes

Recipe by La Bellitude
Servings

4

servings

Everyone loves these doughnut holes. That’s not an exaggeration. They are so popular, I turned them into a “croquembouche” cake for my daughter’s birthday. Easy to make and they freeze well. Not that you’re likely to have any to freeze!

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

  • 1 tsp vanilla

  • 4 cups flour

  • 4 tsp baking powder

  • 3/4 tsp salt

  • 1/4 tsp baking soda

  • 1 cup buttermilk

  • oil for deep frying

  • cinnamon and sugar for coating

Directions

  • Beat eggs until thick and lemon-colored. Add sugar and beat until smooth. Thoroughly stir together dry ingredients. Add to the egg mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Heat oil to 375 degrees. Fry doughnuts by large spoonfuls in oil until golden brown and cooked through, turning once while cooking. Drain and cool. Roll in cinnamon-sugar and serve.

Notes

  • The right temperature is critical. If it’s too hot, the outside will be dark brown before the inside is fully cooked. Too cool and they will be greasy and heavy instead of light and crisp.

French Brunch Cookies

French Brunch Cookies
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French Brunch Cookies

Recipe by La Bellitude
Servings

24

servings

These delicious and oh-so-easy to bake cookies are as close as you can get to a croissant feel without the laborious task of layered dough. But you don’t need to tell people that if you don’t want to.

Ingredients

  • 6 dark chocolate bars (1.55 oz each)

  • 1 ½ cups flour

  • ¾ tsp salt

  • ½ tsp baking powder

  • 1 tbsp sugar

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temp

  • 6 oz ounces cream cheese, room temp

  • ½ teaspoon vanilla

  • 1 large egg, separated

  • decorating sugar or chocolate drizzle for tops

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper.
  • Break each chocolate bar crosswise along the 3 seams. You will have 24 chocolate pieces in all.
  • Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar.
  • With a stand mixer, combine the butter and cream cheese. Beat on medium until blended. Add the vanilla and egg yolk. Blend until smooth. Add half the flour mixture and beat on low until incorporated. Add the remaining flour and mix just until the dough starts to come together.
  • Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 20″ x 8″. Cut the dough into 4″ x 2″ rectangles.
  • Place chocolate pieces crosswise across the rectangles so the chocolate sticks out over the ends. Fold the dough around the chocolates and place the cookies seam side down on the prepared pan. They don’t expand much so 1″ to 1-1/2″ apart is fine.
  • Brush the cookies all over with the lightly beaten egg white. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if using and bake until just barely light golden brown, about 18 – 22 minutes.
  • Cool the cookies on the pan and then transfer to rack to cool completely. Drizzle with melted chocolate if using.

Lemon Cloud Cakes

Lemon Cloud Cakes
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Lemon Cloud Cakes

Recipe by La Bellitude
Servings

4

servings

These pancakes are as light as clouds so they deserve the name. This is also in my top ten requested recipes.

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs, separated

  • ¼ cup all purpose flour

  • ¾ cup cottage cheese

  • ¼ cup (1/2 stick) melted butter

  • 2 T sugar

  • ¼ tsp salt

  • 1 T grated lemon zest

Directions

  • Separate the eggs and beat the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. In another bowl, stir together the egg yolks, flour, cottage cheese, butter, sugar, salt, and lemon zest until well mixed. Use a hand mixer or rotary beater.
  • With a spatula, fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture, gently stirring until there are no yellow or white streaks. Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Grease lightly and spoon out about 3 large tablespoons of batter for each pancake. Cook slowly for about 1-1/2 minutes, then turn and cook about 30 seconds on second side. Keep warn in 250 degree oven until ready to serve.

Breakfast Slaw

Breakfast Slaw
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Breakfast Slaw

Recipe by La Bellitude
Servings

4

servings

This makes a great light and fresh accompaniment to a hearty “eggs & bacon” kind of breakfast. Adjust the amount of seasoning to your taste, but the idea is to keep it light and crunchy.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup grated fennel

  • 1 cup grated apple

  • 1/2 cup grated carrot

  • 2 tbsp lemon juice

  • 1 tbsp sugar

  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon

Directions

  • Whisk together the sugar and cinnamon, then add juice and whisk to dissolve the sugar.
  • Place grated ingredients in a bowl. Pour dressing over the fruit/veggies immediately (to keep apple from discoloring) and toss to coat.

corn blueberry muffins

Corny Blue Muffins

Corny Blue Muffins
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Corny Blue Muffins

Recipe by La Bellitude
Servings

12

servings

The best way to enjoy the lemon-blueberry connection is with a bit of cornmeal added to the batter. Not only does it add a rich sweetness but it adds to the texture as well, creating a crispy crust that you don’t get with just flour.

Ingredients

  • 1 stick unsalted butter

  • 1½ cups flour

  • 1 tbsp baking powder

  • 1 cup cornmeal

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 1 cup sugar

  • zest of two lemons

  • 1 cup milk

  • 4 egg yolks

  • 1 cup blueberries

  • 2 tbsp demerara sugar

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • Melt butter and cool. Sift together flour and baking powder and whisk in cornmeal, sugar, lemon zest, and salt. Whisk together melted butter, milk, and yolks and add to flour mixture with blueberries, gently stirring until just combined.
  • Divide batter evenly among cups ⅔ full. Sprinkle tops of muffins evenly with the Demerara sugar. Bake muffins about 15 minutes. Remove muffins from cups and cool on a rack.

Notes

  • When baking muffins and other quick breads, you can tell if they’re done by listening to them. When the tiny little pops have almost stopped, it’s time to take them out of the oven.