Tag Archives: Breakfast

Dahlia Bakery’s Cherry Almond Scones

February 20, 2021

Like the Tomato Soup with Brown Butter Croutons, this recipe come’s from Seattle’s Dahlia Bakery, one of my favorite places to eat downtown. They’ve been closed during the pandemic and it has been more motivation for me to try their recipes at home! I made these scones for brunch last weekend, with soft scrambled eggs, chicken sausages, and green smoothies on the side, and my kids oohed and aahed over them! They’re not overly sweet but plenty buttery. And quite addictive with a crackly sugar top, bits of tart dried cherry, and crunchy almond flakes. I added lemon zest as directed but think they’d be just as, maybe more, delicious with orange zest!

Dahlia Bakery’s Cherry Almond Scones

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar + extra for sprinkling
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. grated lemon zest (or orange zest)
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
10 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup dried tart cherries, coarsely chopped (I used Trader Joe’s brand)
1/2 cup sliced blanched almonds, toasted and cooled (mine weren’t blanched and it was fine)
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. pure almond extract
1/4 cup heavy cream, for brushing (I used whole milk in a pinch)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
  2. In a small pan, toast almonds over medium heat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Let cool completely.
  3. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, salt, and baking soda. Cut the butter into the dry mixture, using a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal. Mix in the cherries and almonds.
  4. Add buttermilk and extracts. Using rubber spatula, mix until dough just comes together.
  5. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead lightly and quickly with hands until buttermilk is evenly incorporated into dry ingredients, being careful not to overwork the dough. Pat dough with your hands into a 9-inch round about 1-inch thick. Cut the dough into 8 wedges with a floured knife or metal bench knife.
  6. Place the scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush them with the heavy cream and sprinkle them generously with sugar.
  7. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, rotate the baking pan, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 F and finish baking until golden brown and cooked through, about 15 minutes more. Remove from oven and cool briefly on a wire rack. Serve the scones while they are still warm.

Makes 8 scones.

(Adapted from The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook: Sweetness in Seattle and Luci’s Morsels)

My Favorite English Muffin Breakfast Sandwich

January 29, 2021

I love a good egg sandwich and this is my fancy English muffin version! (Yes, sometimes I just butter an english muffin and throw on a fried egg and cheese and that’s delicious too.) Although they’re messier to eat, I prefer scrambled eggs for my breakfast sandwiches because you get a bit of yolk with every bite and the eggs are softer and creamier. These scrambled eggs get topped with melty cheese and paired with ham (or bacon, avocado, your choice…), tomato, arugula, and a lemon-chive-mayo, all piled on a toasty english muffin.

My Favorite English Muffin Breakfast Sandwich

INGREDIENTS

2 english muffins, toasted
1 tsp. butter
2- 3 large eggs, whisked (I find that 3 large scrambled eggs for 2 english muffin sandwiches is just right)
salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
squeeze lemon juice
fresh chives, chopped
2 slices ham (or Canadian bacon, bacon, or avocado, etc.)
2 slices sharp Cheddar cheese (or a fancier cheese like Manchego)
tomato, sliced
handful arugula
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

  1. Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the whisked eggs and cook, stirring frequently with a spatula, until the eggs are scrambled and just cooked. (I turn off the heat while they are still a little wet to avoid over-cooking.) Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and sprinkle with chives.
  2. Meanwhile, lightly toast the english muffins and prepare the mayonnaise by combining the mayo with a squeeze of lemon juice and pinch of chives.
  3. Preheat oven broiler.
  4. Spread half of the mayonnaise on the bottoms of the english muffins and top each with a slice of ham (or bacon, avocado, etc.), half of the eggs, and a slice of cheese. Place under the oven broiler for about a minute, just until the cheese is melted.
  5. Spread the remaining mayo on the top halves of the english muffins. Top the melted cheese with sliced tomato, a bit of arugula and the top of the english muffin. If needed, broil the entire sandwich for another 30 seconds to toast the top. Serve warm.

Makes 2 sandwiches.

Blueberry Buttermilk Sheet Pan Pancakes

October 12, 2020

Besides bowls of cereal or peanut/almond butter on toast, blueberry pancakes (+ eggs scrambled with veggies) are the most frequently made breakfast foods around here. And this pancake mix is my go-to recipe. It makes part whole wheat, perfect fluffy pancakes that are best stuffed with blueberries. But it requires standing over the stove flipping pancakes one by one. So I was intrigued by the idea of cooking an entire batch of pancakes all at once in the oven! I thought for sure they would be inferior, but I was totally wrong! These sheet pan pancakes are very similar and just as delicious as the stove-top version.

I think you could increase the whole wheat flour to half with no problem (maybe add 1-2 Tbsp. more buttermilk if the batter seems too dry). Just about any berry would be delicious here. And I didn’t use nearly as much lemon as the recipe called for. I just wanted a hint of lemon flavor, so I stuck with about 1/4 of the zest and juice and it was just right.

Blueberry Buttermilk Sheet Pan Pancakes

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 cups buttermilk (or 1 cup Greek yogurt + 1 1/4 cups milk)
2 large eggs
juice and zest of 1 medium lemon (optional, I only used about 1/4 of the lemon juice and zest because I didn’t want a strong lemon flavor)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2- 2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen, I used 2 cups frozen blueberries and I sprinkled them on top of the batter so they wouldn’t turn the batter blue, I’ve also used a mixture of blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Spray a rimmed 13 × 18-inch sheet pan with cooking spray (this will keep the parchment in place). Cut a piece of parchment paper to cover the bottom completely. Place on the sheet pan and spray more oil on the parchment and around the sides of the sheet pan.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another medium bowl, whisk together the butter, buttermilk (or yogurt and milk), eggs, lemon juice and zest, and vanilla.
  3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.
    Do not overmix (or worry if there are some lumps). Gently fold in the blueberries with a spatula (or wait and sprinkle them on top once the batter is in the pan).
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared sheet pan. Spread evenly with a spatula, then tap the sheet pan on the counter a few times to settle the batter.
  5. Bake, until golden and set, about 12-15 minutes. Slice and serve with toppings of choice (with butter, syrup, yogurt, powdered sugar, fresh fruit, etc.!).

Makes a 13×18-inch sheet pan of pancakes.

(Adapted from Skinnytaste)

Denver Scramble

October 1, 2020

Before moving to the Seattle area, we lived in Colorado for 2 years. I was pregnant and in the newborn phase with Gwen for half of that time so I didn’t post very many recipes. But I did learn to bake at high altitude (this guide saved my life baked goods)! I’m not sure how this recipe, the Denver scramble, came by its name but I do know I saw it on many menus there. The combo of green onion, sweet peppers, salty ham, and cheddar cheese in soft scrambled eggs has become one of our family’s breakfast staples ever since.

Like many recipes I create, I don’t use exact amounts. Generally I use about 2 eggs per human (3 if they’re extra hungry). And you can adjust the amount of fillings (veggies, ham, and cheese to taste). My kids prefer it not be too veggie-heavy. I love lots of onion so I sprinkle extra chives on mine before serving. Salsa or hot sauce and avocado are often served alongside.

Denver Scramble

INGREDIENTS

eggs
bell pepper, diced (I usually use red, but any color works)
green onion, sliced
butter
ham (or Canadian bacon), diced
cheddar cheese (I use medium or sharp), grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

optional for serving:
fresh chopped chives
salsa or hot sauce
sliced avocado

DIRECTIONS

  1. Crack eggs into a large bowl and whisk until well combined. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
  2. Heat a bit of butter (or a drizzle of olive oil) in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the bell pepper and green onion and saute a few minutes. Add the diced ham and continue cooking until the peppers and onion are just tender. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture onto a plate and set aside. Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel.
  3. Add another bit of butter to the same skillet and return it to medium-low heat. Pour in the whisked eggs. Scramble the eggs, stirring frequently with a spatula. When the eggs are about halfway done, stir in the bell pepper, onion, and ham mixture. When the eggs are just set, turn off the heat and stir in the cheese. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and serve with optional toppings.

Omelet Tortilla Wrap

September 14, 2020

I first saw this omelet-tortilla concoction on a cooking show (which is the one type of television that I can tolerate and convince my kids to watch alongside me- especially if it’s the Great British Baking Show!). And when I saw this egg-wrap fusion made on the screen in front of me I had to bring it to life! Then I found this recipe by Skinnytaste that is very similar and made it my own.

After making these wraps several times I have some tips for success…

Most importantly, prep everything ahead of time. The eggs need to be whisked and seasoned, and the fillings (meat, veggies, cheese) chopped/grated/etc. ahead of time so you can grab them and go. These omelet-tortilla wraps cook quickly and you won’t have time to pause once you stop! I’m usually make 5+ in a row so it’s extra important everything is ready to go. On that note, if you need 5 wraps, times the recipe by 5. That means you’d need to whisk 10 eggs and increase the seasonings accordingly. I whisk the eggs all together and just try to pour in an approximately even amount for each one. No worries if it’s not perfect.

What you put in your omelet is totally up to you! I’ve stuffed it with only veggies and made it with bacon as well. I’ve used cheese every time because I love cheese so much, but just leave it out if you’re going for dairy-free. Hot sauce and salsa are options for serving on the side.

Omelet Tortilla Wrap

INGREDIENTS

2 large eggs, beaten
¼ tsp. kosher salt
pinch freshly ground black pepper
pinch fresh minced garlic or garlic powder (optional)
1 (8 or 10-inch) tortilla

Optional Additions:
bacon, cooked and crumbled (or sliced ham, Canadian bacon, etc.)
thinly sliced mushroom (or another vegetable- I’ve also made it with sun-dried tomatoes and that is especially delicious!)
chopped baby spinach (or another green/herb)
grated cheese (I used Pepper Jack)

hot sauce or salsa, for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a small bowl whisk together the eggs, salt, pepper, and garlic (if using) and set aside.
  2. Heat a large (at least the size of your tortilla) non-stick skillet over medium heat. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Pour in the egg mixture and swirl the pan so the eggs evenly coat the bottom of the pan.
  3. Top the eggs with your add-ins of choice (I used crumbled bacon, chopped baby spinach, sliced mushrooms, and Pepper Jack cheese). Then place the tortilla on top of the omelet and press gently with your hands, using the uncooked part of the egg as a sort-of glue. Allow to set for about 10 seconds.
  4. Run a flat spatula along the outside of the omelet, carefully releasing the edge to prepare for flipping. Quickly flip the omelet and cook, tortilla side down for about 1 minute more, until the eggs are cooked through and the tortilla is browned and beginning to crisp.
  5. Transfer to a plate and carefully roll up the tortilla. Place seam side down and cut in half. Serve with fresh salsa or hot sauce, if desired.

Makes 1 wrap, but recipe can be repeated as many times as desired.

(Adapted from SkinnyTaste)