| The Brunette Baker

Friday, July 22, 2011

Ham & Cheese Buttermilk Breakfast Muffins

I work with children for a living. Although I LOVE my job and the fact that all my co-workers are under the age of 5, meal times can be pretty stressful. I have come across more children that are picky eaters than not since working in my field. Where I come from, if you are not a foodie, there is something wrong with you. This goes for kids and adults alike.

Since kids need variety, just as adults do, I've had to become creative in the kitchen. I make a point to hide oodles of goodness in my kids food at every meal. They think they're eating muffins, but they are really devouring a good chunk of their daily nutrition.

I came across this muffin recipe when we were in North Carolina via New York en route to Florida in a Dallas newspaper. Take a moment to digest that. I ripped it out and saved it for a time I knew I would be desperate.

Well, desperation came knocking on the door this summer. Aside from the usual picky suspects, my daughter's eating habits have gone down the toilet since school let out and my son will eat anything within his grasp, I want to make it count.

My daughter calls them pizza muffins.

I call them a lifesaver.

HAM & CHEESE BUTTERMILK BREAKFAST BISCUITS

Recipe adapted & slightly modified from The Dallas Morning News Newspaper

3 cups all purpose or whole wheat flour (or a combination of both)
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or chili powder

4 tablespoons flax seeds
3 large eggs
1⅓ cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup thinly sliced scallions (I used fresh chives in this recipe, but you can also use a finely diced medium onion and toss it in)
1 cup diced ham
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
½ cup finely diced red bell pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray or use cupcake liners. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pepper, salt, cayenne pepper/chili powder, and flax seeds.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and butter. Stir in the scallions/chives/onion, ham, cheese, and bell pepper.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just moistened.

Scoop the batter into prepared pan (heaping ¼ cup each for unlined muffin pan or scant ¼ cup each for lined.

Bake the muffins for 20 minutes or until the tops are browned. Let the muffins cool in pan for 15 minutes then loosen the edges with a knife (if necessary). Transfer muffins to cooling rack. Serve warm.

Yields: 12 yummy muffins

Happy Baking!

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Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Eton Mess

Wikipedia's definition of Eton Mess is a traditional English dessert consisting of a mixture of strawberries, pieces of meringue, and cream. It is often served at Eton College's annual cricket match against the students of Winchester College.

My definition of Eton Mess is a delectable English treat that consists of delicious, fluffy, marshmallowy clouds stacked on sweet, light, feathery snowflakes and intertwined with juicy, red strawberries that desire to be enjoyed with a magical harp playing softly while cherubs with the face of John Krasinski dance half naked around me, throwing rose petals, sunbeams, and sprinkled covered wishes my way.

This is seriously good stuff and the perfect dessert on a summer day. Although there is some debate as to whether a banana or strawberry should be used (apparently the creator of this dish used bananas as the fruit of choice), I decided to go with the strawberries and throw in a blueberry sauce.

I'm such a rebel.

ETON MESS

Adapted from The Joy of Baking

Meringue:

3 egg whites at room temperature

¾ cup superfine sugar (if you don't have superfine sugar, simply take granulated white sugar and process it for about 30-60 seconds in a food processor)

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

¼ teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 200º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Beat egg whites with mixer until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat the whites until they hold soft peaks. Add sugar, a little at a time, and continue to beat until the meringue holds very stiff peaks. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Note: The meringue is done when it holds stiff peaks and when you rub a little between your thumb and index finger it does not feel gritty. If it feels gritty the sugar has not fully dissolved so keep beating until it feels smooth between your fingers.

Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag. I used a ziploc bag and a star tip to pretty it up a bit, but you don't need a bag or tip at all; you can use 2 spoons. Dollop onto prepared sheets.

Bake the meringues for approximately 1½ to 1¾ hours, rotating the baking sheet from front to back (about half way through) to ensure even baking. The meringues are done when they are pale in color and fairly crisp. (The meringues will release easily from the parchment paper.)

Leave the meringues in the oven with door cracked to finish drying several hours or overnight. They can be covered and stored at room temperature for several days.

Blueberry Sauce:

A pint of blueberries

3 tablespoons sugar

½ cup water

2 tablespoons orange juice

Place ingredients over stove and bring to a boil for about 7 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Be sure to de-stem and take out any wonky blueberries before placing on stove.

To assemble:

Start with a few meringues at the bottom of dish you will be using and begin the layering process of meringue, fruit, whipped cream, and blueberry sauce. Serve immediately.

Enjoy and Happy Baking!