While visiting my parents recently, I wanted to make a muffin for breakfast that wouldn’t require any “special” ingredients. I thought for a minute, then these beauties came to my mind…French Breakfast Puffs. They require the basics – flour, butter, eggs, milk and spices. The muffin is so fluffy and delicious and it is encased in a crunchy, buttery, cinnamon/sugar coating. These have been a favorite in our family for years! Here’s the simple recipe:
French Breakfast Puffs
1 1/2 C flour 3/4 C sugar 2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/2 C milk 1 egg, beaten 1/3 C butter, melted
Topping 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 C sugar 1/3 C butter, melted
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Add milk, beaten egg, and 1/3 cup melted butter. Mix well. Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. While the puffs are baking, mix the cinnamon, sugar in a shallow dish. Place the melted butter in another shallow dish. Remove the muffins from the pan while still hot; dip in melted butter, then mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Makes 1 dozen
These are heaven! What a delicious way to start the day!
Do you have a “go-to” muffin you make? If not, these are a great choice!
Sour Dough English Muffins make getting up in the morning a delight! When you have a yummy breakfast item waiting for your first meal, you’ll be glad that you went to the trouble to bake these the day before! These don’t take any more patience than sugar cookies would, and they are truly worth the effort. I hadn’t made these in a while, so I decided to bake up a batch and get them in the freezer to keep on hand. Yummo! These are just delicious!
I got 25 muffins for just pennies. As I intimated earlier, these freeze great, so we’ll be able to enjoy them for a long while! I like to mix up the dough and let it set overnight. In the morning, here was my “happy little loaf”(I Love Lucy fans will recognize that phrase!)
The dough is rolled into 1/2″ thickness and cut in 3″ circles and left to rise for an hour.
Then the muffins are transferred to a skillet where they are cooked on medium heat until browned. They are then placed in the oven for a few minutes to finish baking the insides.
Fresh from the oven…
Mmmm!
Here’s the recipe for the Sour Dough muffins from King Arthur Flour: 2 tablespoons (7/8 ounces) granulated sugar 2 cups (16 ounces) warm water, 105° to 110°F 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 1 cup sourdough starter 7 to 8 cups (1 pound, 13 3/4 ounces to 2 pounds 2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) non-fat dry milk 1/4 cup (1/2 stick, 2 ounces) butter, at room temperature 1 tablespoon salt 1/4 teaspoon sour salt (citric acid), optional approximately 2 tablespoons cornmeal or semolina In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the sugar in the warm water. Stir in and dissolve the yeast, and then mix in the sourdough starter and 1 cup of flour. Let this sit for a few minutes, until the mixture begins to bubble.
Add the dry milk, butter, salt, sour salt (if you’re using it; it’s a nice flavor-booster) and a second cup of flour, and beat well. Add 5 to 6 cups of flour, one cup at a time, to form a dough that holds together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until it’s smooth and springy, but slightly on the slack side, about 8 minutes. Add flour only as necessary to prevent sticking. Clean out and grease your bowl and place the dough in the greased bowl, turning it so that a thin film of oil coats all sides. If you want muffins with just a hint of sourness, cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp towel, let it stand until it has doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, and proceed from * below. If you want muffins with a more pronounced sour flavor, be sure to add the sour salt to the dough for extra tang; then cover the finished dough with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it sit overnight, or up to 24 hours, in a cool place.
* When the dough has risen your chosen length of time, punch it down, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface, cover it and let it sit for a few minutes (to relax the gluten). Divide the dough into two pieces and roll each piece out separately to a 1/2-inch thickness. Cut the dough into 3-inch rounds; re-roll and cut any remaining scraps. Place the rounds, evenly spaced, onto cornmeal- or semolina-sprinkled baking sheets (12 or 13 rounds per sheet), sprinkle them with additional cornmeal or semolina, cover with plastic wrap, and let them rise until light and puffy, about 1 hour.
Carefully transfer the rounds (as many as a time that will fit without crowding) right-side up to a large electric griddle preheated to 350°F, or to an ungreased frying pan that has been preheated over medium heat. Cook them for about 10 to 12 minutes on each side, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of a muffin registers 190°F. Remove them from the griddle and cool on a rack. Note: If you find you’re having trouble getting the muffins to cook all the way through on a griddle, cook on both sides as directed, then finish in a 350°F oven.
Yield: twenty-five 3-inch English muffins.
You can make a wonderful breakfast sandwich with these, adding scrambled eggs, Canadian bacon and a tomato slice. They’re also great as little pizzas for lunch! If you don’t want to go to the fuss of these muffins, try English Muffin Toasting Bread.
“The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul.” Proverbs 13:19 The extra effort is definitely worth it!
Refresh breakfast (or lunch) with a homemade English muffin!
When morning rolls around I’m not ready for food. Just hand over a nice cup of coffee with flavored cream and I’m good for a couple of hours. But I know I need to eat, so I eventually do. But what to eat? Scrambled eggs…not my favorite. French Toast? Only once a month…too fattening. Pancakes? I like them but it’s too much trouble and not enough protein. However, I’ve recently been making an egg dish once a week that my husband and I both really enjoy. I call it Hash Brown Egg Skillet. It’s so delicious and is done in about 15 minutes.
You could tweak this recipe to add what you like, but for our tastes I use onions, shredded hash browns, Canadian Bacon and eggs. As the recipe name says, it’s all done in a skillet on the stove. One pan – one great recipe! Here’s how you make it:
Hash Brown Egg Skillet
1 -2 Tbl. Olive oil
1 1/2 Cups Frozen Hash Browns
2 Tbl. chopped onion
3 slices Canadian Bacon
2 or 3 Eggs
Salt and Pepper
Place Olive oil in a skillet. Add chopped onion and frozen hash browns. Season with salt and pepper. Over medium high heat, brown potatoes on one side, then flip over and brown other side. This is when I add my Canadian bacon, just to warm it up. Before they get completely brown, make small wells in the potatoes. Crack egg and pour into the wells. Lower heat to low temp and cover with a lid. Let eggs cook until they are they way you like them. I go for sunny side up because we love the yolk runny. I check to be sure the yolk still jiggles after the white is cooked. Using a spatula, divide the portion for each plate and serve!
I served it with sour dough toast and fresh fruit sprinkled with Chocolate-raspberry granola. (The granola is Love Crunch) Yum!
This is a great Sunday breakfast when dinner usually comes later than normal. It’s also a healthy meal and fits into my WW menu plan nicely! I hope you’ll try this! It’s so good…even for non-breakfast lovers!
Are you a breakfast lover or do you eat just because you have to?
If you have fresh cranberries left from Thanksgiving, or you see them in the produce section in the store, I have two great ways for you to use them!
The first use is to put them in your morning oatmeal during the last few minutes of the cooking time. I use Old Fashioned Oats, so I boil equal parts of water, milk and oatmeal, then simmer for a few minutes to thicken it up. While it’s simmering I throw in a good handful of fresh cranberries. Oh, that tartness is the perfect fruity addition!
I also add some chopped walnuts and a sprinkling of brown sugar for the perfect winter-y breakfast! You won’t be satisfied with Corn Flakes every again after enjoying this variety of warm, nutty oatmeal!
Now for another perfect combination – cranberries, apples and orange juice for a winning recipe that is from Cooking Light, let’s talk dessert.
Apple Cranberry Crumble
Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces 6 cups sliced peeled Braeburn apple 1 cup fresh cranberries – I used 1/2 dried and 1/2 fresh 1/3 cup fresh orange juice 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Preparation Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and butter in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Combine apple and cranberries in a large bowl. Combine juice and remaining ingredients; pour over apple mixture. Toss well. Spoon apple mixture into a 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with flour mixture. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Serve warm.
The crumbly topping!
Ready for the oven
I love this dessert. I added a small scoop of ice cream for a special finishing touch!
If you need another idea for your cranberries, please try this muffin. I share this recipe every year because it’s too good to live without! Also, if you have canned Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce, use it to make this coffee cake that is to die for!! When I had my baking business, these were so popular, and for good reason!
You’ll be (cran)berry happy you tried any of these recipes! Sorry, I couldn’t resist!
I always eat breakfast, but I find it the most difficult meal to want to prepare. I’m ready to get my day started and don’t like fussing over that first meal of the day. Can anyone else relate?
It’s for that reason that I try to have this things on hand that are either quick to prepare or can be made ahead and just warmed up.
If you’re like me and struggle with getting breakfast ready, let me share a few of my favorite go-to morning meals.
Baked Oatmeal with apples or bananas is hearty, easy to prepare and reheats nicely. Here’s one of the recipes I use often. This same page has a delicious Banana Bread that’s another great addition for breakfast, and it’s also a lighter version!
Baked Eggs With Hashbrowns and Canadian Bacon Here’s an egg dish with all the morning breakfast foods! It is also hearty and reheats well.
Baked Eggs with Hash Brown Crust
6 spray(s)cooking spray
1 tsp olive oil
3 cup(s)frozen hash brown potatoes
1 small uncooked onion(s), thinly sliced
1⁄4 tsp kosher salt
1 1⁄4 tsp dried thyme, plus more for garnish
3 slice(s)uncooked Canadian bacon, diced
12 large eggs
Instructions: 1. Place oven rack in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a 12-hole standard muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. Heat a medium skillet over high heat; add oil and swirl to coat pan. Reduce heat to medium-high; add potatoes, onion, salt and thyme. Sauté until lightly golden and tender, 5-7 minutes; remove from skillet. Spoon about 1/4 cup potato mixture into each prepared muffin hole; bake 15 minutes – Less if you want a runny yolk!
3. Meanwhile, return skillet to heat; add Canadian bacon. Sauté until crispy on edges, 3 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside.
4. Crack an egg, one at a time, into a small ramekin or cup; gently slide an egg into each muffin hole. Bake for 9 minutes; remove from oven and evenly divide bacon over eggs. Return pan to oven; bake for 3 minutes more.
5. To serve, run a knife around edge of each egg and lift out onto individual plates or a serving platter; sprinkle with dried thyme and serve immediately.
6. Serving size: 1 baked egg with hash brown crust
Then there’s this Fruity Peanut Butter Toast I made recently and LOVED!! It’s as pretty as it is delicious! It’s simply whole grain bread, toasted and topped with peanut butter and whatever fruit you like. Then add a tiny drizzle of honey over the fruit. So good!
There’s no need to go without breakfast just because you don’t have time to stop and make it in the morning. Get a jump on things and prepare ahead so you can have a delicious meal at the start of your day!
Anyone else love breakfast but dread making it?
I hope you’ll refresh your breakfast routine with one of these easy ideas!
RefreshHer 