breakfast

Pumpkin Protein Muffins

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There’s a chill in the air and “warm and cozy” is what I crave. The aroma of fresh-baked goods and a pot of garlicky beans are comforting. And we all increasingly need comfort these days. There is a certain madness going on in the world – a madness I had never hoped to see play out again. But as I said in my previous post, we still need to eat and sustain our energy for whatever is coming our way. Pumpkin Protein Muffins come with all of the flavors associated with fall in a package that also happens to be healthy.

Lumpy and bumpy with dried cranberries and toasted pecans, I look forward to eating Pumpkin Protein Muffins with a good cup of coffee each morning. These are a riff on my Banana Protein Muffins and Apple Protein Muffins (they appear in the same post as the Banana Protein Muffins). Each muffin is a mini-cake – only better.

Normally, I absolutely hate recipes (Ina Garten, I mean you!) that only use a partial can of something or a teaspoon of some obscure ingredient. However, while you will have some left-over pumpkin puree from this recipe, I use mine up in vegetable or meat stews and chilis. It adds creaminess and a very subtle depth of flavor.

The state of the world is leaving me bereft of words, so I’ll just go right into the recipe. The muffins should keep for about 5 days well covered. However, they also freeze beautifully.

Recipe

Yield: 12 standard size muffins

Ingredients

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup lightly pan-toasted and coarsely chopped pecans

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup brown sugar (I like to use dark brown sugar but light is fine)

1 Tablespoon unsulphured molasses

1 rounded teaspoon sweet hawaij or pumpkin seasoning

2 Tablespoons peanut butter powder

1 cup natural ground almonds or almond flour

3/4 cup of blanched almond flour

1/2 cup vanilla protein powder

3 large eggs at room temperature

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly (I prefer refined coconut oil, but virgin coconut oil also works

Directions

Heat the oven to 400° and line the wells of a standard muffin tin with parchment paper or foil muffin cups or spray well with a vegetable spray.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flours, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, peanut butter powder and protein powder. Add in the dried cranberries and lightly pan-toasted and coarsely chopped pecans. Mix through. Set aside.

In another mixing bowl, add in the melted coconut oil, brown sugar and eggs and whisk everything well to combine. Then add in the pumpkin puree and molasses and continue mixing until there are no lumps and everything is well incorporated.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix through thoroughly but only until everything is just combined. Do not over-mix. You will have a fairly thick batter.

Using a cookie scoop or spoon, fill the muffin cups almost to the top.

Bake for 5 minutes at 400° F then reduce the heat to 375°F . Bake for another 5 minutes. If your oven is like mine, I turn my baking pan around at this point and continue baking at 375 degrees F for another 10 or 11 minutes. (Total baking time is about 20 minutes. Ovens vary.) The tops should spring back when pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.

Cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Now enjoy!

Banana Protein Muffins

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Now with bonus recipe for my best yet high protein muffins: Applesauce Walnut Protein Muffin variation. See recipe at the end of this post.

Due to the unprovoked, criminal and seemingly endless brutal war of annihilation against Ukrainian civilians by Vladimir Putin and his army and the worsening humanitarian crisis, please consider helping by following the link below. There are a number of reputable aid agencies from which to choose. Many of these agencies will also help victims suffering the devastating effects of natural disasters.

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Banana Protein Muffins are high in protein and flavor with a texture that is light and fluffy. Being healthy never tasted so good! I have also included a variation below made with applesauce, walnuts and cranberries that is equally delicious.

A couple of weeks ago, I posted an Oatmeal Protein Muffin. And while I liked it, being an oatmeal fan, I was still searching for a high protein muffin that looked and tasted just like a regular muffin. This Banana Muffin takes the cake! There is protein from multiple sources: whey protein powder, peanut butter powder, eggs and almond flour.

This is definitely my new go-to breakfast or afternoon snack with a cup of tea or coffee. You can give this delicious treat to your kids without guilt and zero compromise of flavor. And because of all of the protein baked in, one muffin will carry you through a busy morning.

Banana Protein Muffins come together very quickly and freeze well with no special equipment needed. So even with a busy life, these can be put together and baked in less than an hour.

I came across these muffins in a search of the web and then added a few tweaks of my own, which added both flavor and additional protein. And while I am NOT gluten-free, for those who are interested, these Banana Protein Muffins are GF. Definitely give these muffins a try.

Recipe

Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

1¾ cups almond flour (I have made these with both blanched almond flour and natural. They were equally delicious.) For me, the perfect ratio is 1 cup of natural almond flour and 3/4 cup blanched almond flour.

¼ cup coconut sugar OR any other light brown sugar such as Demerara

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp fine sea salt

½ cup vanilla or plain protein powder (I used a grass-fed whey powder, but if you wish to avoid dairy, there are multiple options available, such as soy.)

1.5 Tablespoons peanut butter powder

2 large bananas mashed banana

3 large eggs (at room temperature)

¼ cup coconut oil (melted but not hot)

1 tsp vanilla (Use even if using vanilla protein powder)

4 Tablespoons dark mini-chocolate chips or coarsely chopped and lightly toasted walnuts – or more. No judgement here! (Optional, but highly recommended)

Directions

Heat the oven to 400° and line the wells of a muffin tin with parchment paper or foil muffin cups or spray well with a vegetable spray.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, peanut butter powder and protein powder. Set aside.

In another mixing bowl, mash the bananas until smooth with almost no lumps. Add in the coconut oil, vanilla extract and eggs and stir everything well to combine. Stir through chocolate chips, if using.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Be sure not to overmix!

Divide the batter into the lined muffin tin wells.

Bake for 5 minutes at 400° then reduce the heat to 375° and continue baking for 10-13 minutes. The tops should spring back when pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.

Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Applesauce Walnut Protein Muffin variation

Lightly toast 1/3 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts

1/4 cup of dried cranberries or raisins

Replace the banana with 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon OR sweet hawaij

Follow all of the directions for the banana muffins except swap out the applesauce for the banana. Add the walnuts, cranberries and spice to the dry mixture. I left out the lemon zest, but you could include it. Bake it the same way. Delicious!

Sweet Hawaij

Yield: About 1/2 cup

1 Tablespoon ground cloves

2 Tablespoons freshly grated nutmeg

2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon

2 Tablespoons ground ginger

1 Tablespoon ground cardamom

This will last in a cool, dark place kept in a small glass air-tight jar for up to a year. Mine gets used up waaaaaay before that!

Oatmeal Protein Muffins

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 2 Comments

Due to the unprovoked, criminal and seemingly endless brutal war of annihilation against Ukrainian civilians by Vladimir Putin and his army and the worsening humanitarian crisis, please consider helping by following the link below. There are a number of reputable aid agencies from which to choose. Many of these agencies will also help victims suffering the devastating effects of natural disasters.

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Satisfying and super healthy Oatmeal Protein Muffins are my new go-to breakfast. While I love breakfast foods, unless I am hiking or in Israel (where breakfast is an experience), I seem only able to have milky coffee and something very small to eat first thing. For some time now, I have been eating a single medjool date and a few almonds or pistachios along with my coffee and 8 Greens.

But I have realized that I am just not consuming enough protein in the morning to keep me going strong throughout the day. So I decided to look for something that is relatively high in protein, low in calories and unnecessary fat or sugar that would satisfy me without making me feel too full. And because while I may love to cook, I generally do not want to cook at breakfast. So something I could make ahead.

After checking out several recipes – and reading the comments – on line, I came across a recipe for Protein-Packed Oatmeal Muffins. I decided to give them a try, with a couple of my own tweaks.

They came together easily, but I was highly skeptical of how they would bake up. The batter seemed soooooo liquidy that I thought it would never come together as a muffin. Even when they had baked for the suggested amount of time, I thought, well this is a noble failure. Thankfully, I was wrong.

These are not the most beautiful muffins you will ever see and the texture, while fine, is not a traditional muffin. So don’t go in with that expectation. These muffins are gluten-free since only oatmeal is used as the base. I personally do not have a problem with gluten so I did not choose them for that reason. But if you do limit or cut out gluten from your diet, these muffins are for you as well.

The muffins are very tender and moist (why do people have a problem with that word??). I upped the spicing and used some fresh berries as a topping. The Oatmeal Protein Muffins are very open to changes in spicing and toppings. You could use hemp or pumpkin seeds on top and use pumpkin spice or any other mixture you like. For an afternoon snack, you could even go a more savory route. But below is what I did.

These should be stored in an airtight container in a cool place or frozen for future use. They rewarm in the microwave in about 10 seconds. I ate mine with a bit of almond butter on top for an extra hit of protein.

The waiting time before removing them from the muffin tin is essential. The oatmeal continues to absorb the liquid after they come out of the oven and this allows the muffins to firm up. Mine were baked directly in the well-PAMed muffin tin, but I might use paper or foil muffin cups next time to make it even easier to remove from the pan.

Give them a try if you want a muffin that is actually healthy for you.

Recipe

Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (Do NOT use quick-cooking oats)

3 scoops vanilla protein powder (I used a whey protein powder, but plant-based is fine, too)

1 tsp baking powder

1 rounded teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom or nutmeg

Zest from one medium lemon

1/2 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

2 large eggs

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce OR one ripe banana, peeled and smushed

1/2 cup plain 0% Greek yogurt

2 tbsp coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup honey, maple syrup or Agave

1 cup unsweetened soy or other plant-based milk

2 tablespoons pumpkin or hemp seeds (OPTIONAL)

Berries or mini dark chocolate chips (OPTIONAL but recommended)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl combine oats, protein powder, baking powder, cinnamon and sea salt.

In a separate bowl combine eggs, vanilla extract, applesauce, Greek yogurt, coconut oil, maple syrup, lemon zest and soy milk.

Add wet ingredients to dry and stir to combine. The batter will be VERY wet!

Grease a muffin pan very well with vegetable spray or coconut oil. You could also line the muffin tin with paper or aluminum muffin cups.

Divide batter evenly across the muffin tin. (I used a cookie scoop to do this evenly)

Lightly press in your toppings of choice into each muffin. You can alternate toppings. There is no need for them to ll be the same.

Sprinkle hemp or pumpkin seeds evenly across cups, if using. (I did not)

Bake for 15-20 minutes (mine took 20 minutes)

Allow to cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes. The muffins will firm up during this time. Then using a tin spatula or spreader, remove the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container on the counter or in the fridge for up to 5 days. OR freeze for up to 3 months. Warm in a microwave or oven before eating for best taste.

Chickpea Frittata

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 2 Comments
Chickpea Frittata

Due to the unprovoked, and seemingly endless brutal war of annihilation against Ukrainian civilians by Vladimir Putin and his army and the worsening humanitarian crisis, please consider helping by following the link below. There are a number of reputable aid agencies from which to choose. Many of these agencies will also help victims suffering the devastating effects of natural disasters such as the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

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While people generally associate “frittata” with an egg-based dish, the word actually means “fried” in Italian. This chickpea version simulates the eggy taste without actually using any eggs. Chickpea Frittata is an easy, riffable dish. Every time I have made it, the veggie ingredients, spices and herbs have changed. You can give it any flavor profile you like simply by switching out the herbs and spices.

And while the version I am presenting below is vegan, I have also made it adding cheese. Served with a salad and a good bread of your choice, this Chickpea Frittata is a healthy, satisfying and delicious option that can be eaten any time of the day.

Chickpea Frittata

The recipe originated with the vlog/blog Pick Up Limes, which I started following during the pandemic. I have tried several of the recipes on this site and every one has worked out well so far. Being me, I use them as a jumping off point and then make tweaks of my own. However, even made as is, these vegan recipes are a great place for people to start on healthier eating habits without making sacrifices to taste.

The only even remotely tricky part to this recipe is when you flip over the frittata. And while this most recent time of making the frittata, I lightly sautéed the vegetables first, it has also been delicious when skipping this step. The whole dish can come together in about 30 minutes, making it a great weeknight option. Can it be eaten without an accompanying salad? Of course! A cup of soup would also nicely round out the meal. And if you don’t have a big appetite, just eat the frittata on its own.

Only one ingredient was not a standard in my pantry – kala namak. This Himalayan Black Salt has a sulphur smell which mimics the taste of eggs when cooked. The smell is much stronger before cooking so don’t be put off by it. The first time I made this Chickpea Frittata, I had a hard time convincing my husband that there were no eggs in the dish!

Personally we love eggs and cheese and I have no intention of giving them up anytime soon. But our godson/great nephew was deathly allergic to eggs and so I began to explore great desserts and meals that didn’t include them. A number of these options appear on my blog.

This protein-packed, cholesterol-free frittata is a great option that anyone can make. Left-overs can be stored in the fridge and eaten either at room temperature or warmed in the microwave. Garnishes are entirely up to you. We ate it with caramelized onions this time but it also pairs well with avocado and plain yogurt (dairy or plant-based). Let your imagination go.

Do you eat ketchup or hot sauce with your eggs? Go for it here as well. Use any or several of the optional ingredients listed below or come up with your own options.

Chickpea Frittata

Recipe

Yield: 2 to 3 servings

Ingredients

1 cup (116 g) chickpea flour

3/4 teaspoon kala namak (this is easily available at a number of places online)

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup (180 ml) water

1 medium tomato (I like Roma tomatoes which don’t have as much liquid as others do. However, you can also use about 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of grape or cherry tomatoes)

1 small or half of a large zucchini grated (If the zucchini has a lot of liquid, squeeze some of it out with your hand or the back of a spoon over a strainer.)

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup roasted peppers, rinsed, patted dry and chopped (Optional) or sun-dried tomato, packed in oil

1/4 green beans, chopped (Optional)

1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced (Optional)

1/4 cup grated cheese (vegan or dairy) (Optional)

1/2 teaspoon each/any: dried oregano, basil, thyme (Optional)

1/4 teaspoon each/any: ground turmeric, dried mushroom powder, crushed chili flakes (Optional)

Garnish (Optional)

sliced avocado

Plain yogurt, any kind

Caramelized onions

Fresh chopped herbs

Chickpea Frittata

Directions

Using a non-stick 9-inch pan lightly sauté the veggies in a teaspoon or two of EVOO. (If you choose not to sauté the veggies first then just add them to the batter after the following step.)

Chickpea Frittata

Add the chickpea flour, kala namak, baking powder to a large bowl. Mix well with 3/4 cup water until you have a smooth batter. Then add in any fresh or dried spices/herbs and mix through. Add in the veggies and mix through. (Do this whether they have been sautéed or not.)

Spray well the 9-inch non-stick pan with cooking spray. For extra flavor you can also add in 1 Tablespoon of a good, flavored olive oil, but it’s not essential. Heat on medium high heat. Pour in the batter and spread it evenly in the pan with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Cover the pan (I have used a silicone cover or the flat cover from another pot). Cook for about 8 minutes. Using a spatula, check if the underside is browned and comes away easily from the pan.

Chickpea Frittata

You now need to flip the frittata over. I used the flat bottom of the cover but you use a plate or cutting board or cookie sheet. If you are really talented, you can throw the frittata in the air and flip it back into the pan. I AM NOT THAT TALENTED! Once the browned side is on top, recover the pan and continue cooking for another 8 minutes. Cut it in the pan or turn it out onto a cutting board. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

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Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Due to the unprovoked, continuing brutal war of annihilation against Ukrainian civilians by Vladimir Putin and his army and the worsening humanitarian crisis, please consider helping by following the link below. There are a number of reputable aid agencies from which to choose. Many of these agencies will also help flood and tornado victims suffering the effects of climate change.

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Spicy, sweet, moist and fragrant, Pumpkin Coffee Cake says autumn bliss in every bite. Warming cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg and cloves and sweetened with brown sugar and maple syrup. With toasted pecans in a streusel topping covered with just the right amount of sweet, vanilla icing. Can you smell how it perfumes the whole house?

I can easily resist the siren call of “pumpkin spice latte” and “pumpkin spice” scented candles and room sprays. Don’t even get me started! However, I am a sucker for the real thing. And this lovely coffee cake actually contains real pumpkin and not merely “pumpkin” spices.

When I was searching for a recipe for a pumpkin cake or muffin, I came across this from Sally’s Baking Addiction. Initially I meant to make the recipe exactly as written – truly, I did. However, I immediately started thinking of ways to make it more my own. It’s safe to say that my version of Pumpkin Coffee Cake is only “inspired” by Sally’s.

My Pumpkin Coffee Cake gets its spicing from my Pumpkin Pie. I like a really well-spiced pie. It means adding a few cracks of fresh black pepper to my spice mix. This is a trick I learned a number of years ago. It isn’t enough to notice on its own. But it just enhances the spicy nature of the ginger, allspice and cloves.

I’m not sure why using the word “moist” to describe a cake has become a dirty word. For me, it means that the cake will melt in your mouth and the crumbs will stick together on the fork. It also means that the cake will likely be delicious even after a couple of days. So, yes, this Pumpkin Coffee Cake is beautifully and unashamedly moist! This, of course, also means that you can slice off mere slivers of the cake every time you happen to pass on by. No crumbling here.

Lately, I’ve noticed a curious correlation between bad news and my sweet tooth. The worse things are in the world, the more I crave quality sweets. So for me, the amount of icing was the perfect balance for the spiced cake and the streusel topping. But if you prefer the Jackson Pollack look of lacy lines or even no icing at all, that’s okay too. This is a humble coffee cake – not a fancy pastry.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

The coffee cake was baked in a 9-inch springform pan. However, it could easily have been baked in an 8-inch springform or a 9-inch square pan or loaf pan. It just means that the baking time will need to be adjusted depending on how deep the cake is.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake uses ingredients that most of us have in our pantry. It’s always nice when my urge to bake doesn’t require an extra trip to the grocery store. But using fresh spices is always important for optimal flavor. So don’t get seduced into buying spices in bulk. Unless you are running a bakery or restaurant, most of us cannot use up these bulk spices quickly enough before the flavors are lost. Of course, the more whole spices you buy and grind yourself, the longer the spices will last. And the flavors will be more intense.

As with most coffee cakes, you can eat this from breakfast until dessert following dinner. And the cake can be frozen. I simply wouldn’t add the glaze until just before you are ready to use it.

But enough talk – let’s bake!

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Recipe

Yield: One 9-inch cake

Ingredients

Streusel Topping

1/2 cup (63g) all-purpose, unbleached flour

1/2 cup (100g) packed dark brown sugar

1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup (4 T or 59g) unsalted cold butter

Pumpkin Coffee Cake Batter

2 cups (250g) all-purpose unbleached flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon double acting baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon each: ground allspice, nutmeg and cloves

1 teaspoon ground ginger

3 good cracks of freshly ground black pepper

1 cup (230g) pumpkin puree

1 large room temperature egg

1/2 cup (100g) packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup (120ml) canola or other neutral vegetable oil

1/4 cup (82g) pure maple syrup

1/4 cup (60ml) dairy or non-dairy milk

Vanilla Icing

1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar

2 to 3 Tablespoons of milk or half & half

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch non-stick springform or square baking pan. If you are using a square pan, you can line it with parchment leaving a 2-inch overhang. This will make it easy to remove the cake from the pan. You could also choose to serve it directly from the pan. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the streusel ingredients using your fingers, a fork or pastry blender. Mix just to create clumps and large crumbs. Set aside.

Place all of the dry ingredients (flour and spices) in a large bowl and whisk them together. Then add in the pumpkin, egg, brown sugar, maple syrup, oil and milk. Stir just until everything is smooth and combined. Do not over mix. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Add the streusel topping across the batter, gently pressing it in slightly.

Ovens vary as do the pans used. I baked mine in the springform pan for 40 minutes. I then turned the oven off, cracked open the door and left the cake in the oven for 10 more minutes. The center didn’t sink and the cake was perfectly baked. You can also check with a toothpick in the center to see if it comes out dry with a few crumbs attached. I find that less reliable. I go by smell and how the cake looks. By turning off the oven and keeping the cake in there for a few additional minutes, I know the cake will be just done without risk of over-baking.

Remove the cake to a wire rack to cool. If necessary, run a thin knife or spatula around the inside edge of the pan before releasing the outer ring of the springform pan.

Once the cake has cooled to warm, you can prepare the icing, if using. Depending on how thick you like the consistency of the icing, will determine how much liquid you use. You can always add a little more sugar if you went too far with the liquid. How you choose to ice the cake is up to your inner artist. You can also choose to spread it across the top and allow it to run down the sides. This is a cake that can be eaten warm.

Upside Down Nectarine Pancake

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Upside Down Nectarine Pancake

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Upside Down Nectarine Pancake

This Upside Down Nectarine Pancake makes the most of these luscious stone-fruits. The delightful, juicy nectarines are enhanced by the melding of cardamom, nutmeg and caramelly jaggery. Of course, if you don’t have jaggery available, Muscovado, light brown sugar or even plain old granulated sugar will do.

We are at the height now of stone-fruit season. It doesn’t last long enough for me. So I have a tendency to get a bit carried away when I see beautiful nectarines, peaches and plums at the store or farmer’s market. And unfortunately, they all seem to achieve their peak eating at exactly the same moment. That’s what happened with these gorgeous nectarines. Thankfully, my husband had the brilliant suggestion of taking my absolute favorite Upside Down Blueberry Pancake and tweaking it to use up the nectarines. The photos don’t quite do it justice.

You could also substitute or even mix ripe peaches or plums here. And of course, nectarines and blueberries also make for a great combination. The beauty of nectarines is that they have no fuzzy skin like peaches that needs to be peeled. In fact, the peel in the Upside Down Nectarine Pancake seems to absorb so much of the flavor and is so tender that it was an integral part of the dish. The liquid in the pan is all syrupy deliciousness which also means that there is no need for maple or any other syrup. I soak up every drop with the spongey pancake. And if there is any leftover, I eat it up with my finger.

Be sure to check out the the Upside Down Blueberry Pancake.

Upside Down Nectarine Pancake

Recipe

Yield: 2 to 4 servings

Upside Down Nectarine Pancake

Ingredients

For the nectarine filling:

    1/3 cup jaggery, Muscovado, light brown or granulated sugar

    Zest and juice of 1 medium lemon

    26 ozs. of whole nectarines or other stone-fruit (A bit more is fine), cut into slices/wedges about 1/2-inch thick

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

    3 tbsp unsalted butter

  For the batter:

    1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

    1 tsp double acting baking powder

    1/8 tsp baking soda

    1 tbsp jaggery, Muscovado, light brown or granulated sugar

    ½ tsp kosher salt

    ½ tsp ground cardamom

1/8 tsp grated nutmeg

    4 large eggs at room temperature

    1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup plain, whole milk kefir)

    1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F

Place a 9” cast iron skillet on the stove. Put 3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut up, into the skillet.

Dry ingredients:

Place 1 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/8 tsp baking soda, 1 tbsp jaggery, Muscovado, light brown or granulated sugar, ½ tsp kosher salt, and ½ tsp ground cardamom and 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg in a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Filling:

Place 1/3 cup sugar in a small bowl.

Finely grate the zest of 1 medium lemon onto the sugar.

Mash the zest and sugar together with a rubber spatula, or rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips until the zest and sugar is fully combined and gritty. (If using jaggery, the sugar will melt into almost a paste.) If no one is watching, then by all means, lick your fingers.

Start heating the skillet on medium heat to melt the butter. Reduce the heat to low.

Juice one half of the lemon onto the nectarine. Add one half of the sugar/zest mixture. Gently toss to combine.

Juice the other half of the lemon into butter in the skillet. Add the remainder of the sugar/zest mixture. Stir to combine.

Pour the nectarines into the skillet. Use a spatula or spoon to even them out in the skillet. The butter should be gently bubbling under the nectarines.

Batter:

Place 4 large eggs into a large bowl and whisk until frothy. Add 1 cup buttermilk (or kefir) and 1 tsp vanilla extract and whisk to combine.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the eggs/milk, stirring the batter just enough to combine them.

Remove the skillet from the heat.

Pour the batter evenly all over the nectarines, by swirling from the middle of the pan outwards into a circle.

Put the skillet in the oven, baking at 400°F until puffed and golden-brown, about 20 minutes. You want this to be well browned or the batter will be under-done.

Remove and let cool for a few five minutes.

Serve and enjoy! And don’t forget to spoon all those delicious juices onto the plate. They are perfect for dipping the poufy pancake in.

Upside Down Nectarine Pancake

Upside Down Blueberry Pancake

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 3 Comments
Upside Down Blueberry Pancake

Due to the unprovoked, brutal and merciless war on Ukraine by Vladimir Putin and the worsening humanitarian crisis, please consider helping by following the link below. There are a number of reputable aid agencies from which to choose.

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If I had to choose a last meal on earth, it would be this Upside Down Blueberry Pancake. My husband created this incredible skillet pancake over many months of trial and error. It would be too cruel of me not to share it.

Breakfast foods are a favorite of mine – but only when I eat them for dinner. I just can’t consume that much first thing in the morning. About once a week, I ask my husband to make this Upside Down Blueberry Pancake for dinner. And as soon as I have devoured it, I begin counting the days until he makes it again.

Without any shame, I eat half of the pan with vegan sausage patties in one sitting. There are 18 ounces of blueberries in this pancake! My tongue and teeth are purple when I finish – but that is what baking soda is for!

The gorgeous, fat purply blueberries burst in your mouth and the delicious tang of fresh lemon – zest and juice – enhances the fruitiness. This is AMAZING! The pancake part of this dish is spongey and lofty, perfect for absorbing all of the fruity, blueberry, lemony juices. And if there is anything – and I mean anything – left on my plate, I use my finger and tongue to lap up every delicious bit.

For a lot of people, this dish would serve 4. But I have never felt uncomfortably stuffed or heavy after eating half of the pan. Upside Down Blueberry Skillet Pancake is neither overly sweet nor heavy. This will knock any other skillet or griddle pancake right out of the running. And because it bakes up in the oven, there is no standing over a griddle or fussily flipping pancakes. Everything is done in one pan.

Other than a well-seasoned cast iron skillet, there are no special tools or skills needed for this recipe. This is dinner AND dessert in one go. If you don’t make this right away – well, I can’t be held responsible.

Upside Down Blueberry Pancake

Recipe

Yield: 2 to 4 servings

Ingredients

For the blueberry filling:

    1/3 cup granulated sugar

    Zest and juice of 1 medium lemon

    18 ozs. of blueberries, rinsed and well drained

    3 tbsp unsalted butter

  For the batter:

    1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

    1 tsp double acting baking powder

    1/8 tsp baking soda

    1 tbsp granulated sugar

    ½ tsp kosher salt

    ½ tsp ground cardamom

    4 large eggs at room temperature

    1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup plain, whole milk kefir)

    1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Upside Down Blueberry Pancake

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F

Place a 9” cast iron skillet on the stove. Put 3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut up, into the skillet.

Dry ingredients:

Place 1 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/8 tsp baking soda, 1 tbsp granulated sugar, ½ tsp kosher salt, and ½ tsp ground cardamom in a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Filling:

Place 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a small bowl.

Finely grate the zest of 1 medium lemon onto the sugar.

Upside Down Blueberry Pancake

Mash the zest and sugar together with a rubber spatula, or rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips until the zest and sugar is fully combined and gritty. If no one is watching, then by all means, lick your fingers.

Start heating the skillet on medium heat to melt the butter. Reduce the heat to low.

Juice one half of the lemon onto the blueberries. Add one half of the sugar/zest mixture. Gently toss to combine.

Juice the other half of the lemon into butter in the skillet. Add the remainder of the sugar/zest mixture. Stir to combine.

Pour the blueberries into the skillet. Use a spatula or spoon to even them out in the skillet. The butter should be gently bubbling under the blueberries.

Batter:

Place 4 large eggs into a large bowl and whisk until frothy. Add 1 cup buttermilk (or kefir) and 1 tsp vanilla extract and whisk to combine.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the eggs/milk, stirring the batter just enough to combine them.

Remove the skillet from the heat.

Pour the batter evenly all over the berries, by swirling from the middle of the pan outwards into a circle.

Put the skillet in the oven, baking at 400°F until puffed and golden-brown, about 20 minutes. You want this to be well browned or the batter will be under-done.

Remove and let cool for a few five minutes.

Serve and enjoy! And don’t forget to spoon all those delicious juices onto the plate. They are perfect for dipping the poufy pancake in.

The Juliana

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment
The Juliana

The Juliana is simply the best blueberry pancake bar none that you will ever eat. Not quite a Dutch baby; it doesn’t poof up and then sink. This no-fuss, no-flip skillet-to-oven pancake requires no syrup or other additions. The powdered sugar is for presentation but is not necessary for taste. It’s all there in one pan. Ultimate deliciousness! The Juliana has gone through many iterations to achieve this level of blueberry perfection.

I absolutely love breakfast food for dinner. However, unless I have a full day of hiking ahead of me, I just find most brunch foods too heavy for me to start the day with. But at dinner, I actually almost feel virtuous eating this fruit-forward pancake. And it is so satisfying at every level for me that I never crave any dessert or anything else after eating it. My husband, Andrew, developed this over many months of trial. The recipe began with an Apple Dutch Baby that morphed into this spectacular recipe. My only problem is getting him to stop tinkering with it! Although I do admit that the addition of jaggery in place of granulated sugar in the batter, did take it up a notch. But even without it, this pancake is better than any blueberry pancake or Dutch Baby you will ever eat.

The Juliana

I’m not prone to exaggeration or hyperbole in my posts. Therefore, when I gush about The Juliana (named for our first grandchild) you know it is truly something special. Andrew has successfully made this with strawberries and apples although with a few slight differences, especially since the fruit all cooks differently. The resulting “pancake” is wonderfully spongy, light and fluffy. It is perfect for absorbing all the fruity deliciousness below. And as I mentioned in another post, blueberries have been just wonderful this year. They not only are large and visually attractive but they are firm and very flavorful. They also happen to be our Juliana’s favorite fruit – at least for now. Give this a try. I promise that you won’t be disappointed.

The Juliana

Recipe

Yield: 2 to 4 servings (it should be 4 servings, but if I am honest, my husband and I eat the whole thing ourselves for dinner!)

Ingredients

The Juliana

  For the blueberry filling

    1/3 cup granulated sugar

    Zest of 1 medium lemon

    1 box (18 oz.) of blueberries, rinsed, drained and patted dry

    3 tbsp unsalted butter

  For the batter

    1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour

    1 tsp baking powder

    1/8 tsp baking soda

    1 tbsp granulated sugar (or 1 tbsp jaggery)

    ½ tsp kosher salt

    ½ tsp ground cardamom

    4 large eggs

    1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup plain kefir)

    1 tsp vanilla extract

  For serving (optional, but recommended) Sifted confectioner’s or icing sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F with the rack in the center

Blueberry filling

Place 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a medium bowl. Finely grate the zest of 1 medium lemon onto the sugar. Stir the zest and sugar together; or, rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips until fully combined and gritty. If no one is watching, then by all means, lick your fingers. Take out 2 tablespoons of the lemon sugar to use later.

Add the blueberries to the bowl and toss to combine. Reserve ½ cup of the sugared blueberries to mix into the batter later.

Batter

1. Place 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/8 tsp baking soda, 1 tbsp granulated sugar (or 1 tbsp jaggery), ½ tsp kosher salt, and ½ tsp ground cardamom in a bowl and whisk to combine.

2. In a different bowl add 4 large eggs and whisk until frothy. Add 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup plain kefir) and 1 tsp vanilla extract and whisk to combine.

3. Gently add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring the batter just enough to get everything moist, then gently stir in the reserved ½ cup of sugared blueberries, trying not to break them up.

4. Put a 9” cast iron skillet on the stove on medium heat. Cut 3 tbsp of unsalted butter into 3 pieces and put them into the skillet. Just melt the butter, do not brown it. Immediately add the sugared blueberries, then sprinkle the reserved lemon sugar mixture on top.

5. Pour the batter all over the berries. Place the skillet in the oven, baking at 400°F until puffed and golden-brown, about 20 minutes.

The Juliana

6. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve dusted with powdered sugar.

The Juliana

Strawberry Dutch Baby

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 1 Comment

I love breakfast – for dinner. In the mornings, I simply can’t eat that much unless I have a day of hiking ahead of me. But my husband Andrew has been treating me to this Strawberry Dutch Baby for the last several weeks and it is soooooooooo yummy. Sometimes it is accompanied by breakfast meat and other times we just eat it on its own. And the great thing about it is that I don’t crave dessert afterwards. So have this Strawberry Dutch Baby for breakfast, brunch or dinner.

I thought that Andrew couldn’t improve on his Caramelized Apple Dutch Baby, but I was wrong. Well, actually I wasn’t. While that was perfection, so is this. And while it’s true that we can now eat strawberries all year long, take advantage of the summer fruit while you can. It will never have more flavor than it does now. And as the strawberries roast in the skillet while the Dutch Baby cooks, the flavor intensifies.

So what is a Dutch Baby? Well, for those of you who don’t know, it’s a cross between a very large popover and a Yorkshire pudding. It’s also called a German pancake. It can be plain or with fruit. And I suppose there is no reason why you couldn’t make a savory Dutch Baby, although I have not had it this way. The name has absolutely nothing to do with the Netherlands and likely is a mangling of the word Deutsch, meaning “German.” However you say it, just enjoy this marvelous creation.

My husband, as guest blogger, will now continue the post.

Hi! It’s me again, Andrew, and today I’m writing about a Strawberry Dutch Baby. It was inspired by a recipe from thekitchn.com (for details about how it was changed, see the Q&A below). Here’s the far superior and delectable result! [Okay, this is actually Lisa giving her critique. Andrew is much more modest.]

Recipe

Yield: 2 for dinner

Ingredients

  For the strawberry filling

    1/3 cup granulated sugar

    Zest of 1 medium lemon

Juice of 1/2 of medium lemon

    1 lb. strawberries, plus a few more for garnish

    3 tbsp unsalted butter

  For the batter

    1 cup all-purpose flour

    1 tsp baking powder

    1/8 tsp baking soda

    1 tbsp granulated sugar

    ½ tsp kosher salt

    ½ tsp ground cardamom

    4 large eggs

    1 cup buttermilk

    1 tsp vanilla extract

  For serving (optional, but recommended):

  Powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F

Put a 9” cast iron skillet on the stove on medium heat

Strawberry filling

Place 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a medium bowl. Finely grate the zest of 1 medium lemon onto the sugar. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips until fully combined and gritty. If no one is watching, then by all means, lick your fingers.

Hull and cut 1 lb. of strawberries in half and place them in a large bowl. Cut an additional 3 to 4 strawberries into quarters and set aside. Squeeze the juice of half of the zested lemon onto the strawberries and toss to combine.

Batter

1. Place 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/8 tsp baking soda, 1 tbsp granulated sugar, ½ tsp kosher salt, and ½ tsp ground cardamom in a bowl and whisk to combine.

2. In a different bowl, add 4 large eggs and whisk until frothy. Add 1 cup buttermilk and 1 tsp vanilla extract and whisk to combine. 

3. Gently add the dry ingredients, and then add the quartered strawberries, whisking the batter just enough to get everything moist. Do not over mix.

4. Cut 3 tbsp of unsalted butter into 3 pieces, then put them into the skillet. Once the butter is melted, add most of the lemon sugar mixture to the skillet and stir to combine, then arrange the 1 pound of cut strawberries on top and sprinkle with the remaining lemon sugar mixture. 

5. Working quickly, pour the batter all over the berries. Put the skillet in the oven, baking at 400°F until puffed and golden-brown, about 20 minutes.

6. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes. Garnish with a few sliced strawberries, if desired. Serve dusted with powdered sugar.

——————-

Q. and A.

Q. If I start heating up the skillet at the beginning, by the time I finish making the filling and batter I think it will be way too hot and the butter will heat up too fast!

A. You may be right. Here’s the deal: just after we finish the batter we want to pour it onto the strawberries in the skillet. We don’t want the mixed batter to hang around too long waiting for the strawberries, but we also don’t want to overheat the butter or overcook the strawberries (they’ll become too mushy).

So how about this: while you’re preparing the batter, just before you add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, go back to the skillet and melt the butter, heat up the lemon sugar mixture, and add the strawberries, then finish the batter.

It really all depends on how quickly you do the different steps, how quickly your skillet heats up, etc. Play around with the steps and do what works best for you. 

Q. Hypothetically, what if I poured the batter over the strawberries, and only then realized I’d forgotten to stir in the reserved strawberries. What should I do?

A. Funny you should ask. When that happened to me I just sprinkled the strawberries on top of the poured batter and put the skillet into the oven. It turned out fine.

Q. Can I serve this with whipped cream, instead of powdered sugar?

A. Of course! 

Q. What about vanilla ice cream?

A. See previous answer.

Q. What did you mean about this recipe being “inspired by” another recipe?

A. Well, the first time I followed the recipe exactly as it was on thekitchn.com the batter didn’t puff up, the strawberries were mush, and no one liked the result. So Lisa said, why don’t you make it more like our Apple Pancake recipe? So I reduced the amount of butter, added more flour, replaced the milk with buttermilk, removed one egg, and cooked the strawberries in the skillet less. It turned out better, but there was room for improvement. Third time around I added ¾ tsp baking powder and a few quartered strawberries to the batter, and I just barely cooked the strawberries before putting the skillet in the oven. The result was pretty good! Finally I upped the baking powder to a full teaspoon, threw in a bit of baking soda, and arranged to get the strawberries into the oven as quickly as possible. The batter ended up light, puffy, and delicious. That’s what’s printed here.

Q. Do you have to be some sort of cookbook author expert to make those sort of changes to a published recipe?

A. Nah. You just have to be willing to listen to good advice (from Lisa) and also willing to try making it more than once.

Moravian Coffee Cake

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 1 Comment

If you are looking for the ultimate coffee cake look no further. This Moravian Coffee Cake is moist, fragrant, sweet and utterly scrumptious.

Today I have a guest blogger – my husband and partner of 36+ years. For most of those years Andrew never did ANY cooking or baking. Now that we are retired, he has taken up the measuring spoon and rolling pin! And I am the proud and happy beneficiary of his efforts. This Moravian Coffee Cake is one such very, very delicious example. So while this blog is called Lisa and Frances Cook, I’m thinking of changing the name to Lisa and Andrew Cook!

Hi! I’m Andrew, Lisa’s spouse, and I’m writing today about how I baked a Moravian Coffee Cake. Gosh, that’s such an unlikely sentence! Let’s put aside for now how it was that I finally started to learn how to bake after all these years, and start our story on page 124 of James Beard’s Beard on Bread, where he presents a recipe for Moravian Coffee Cake. It sounds really good, and it yields two loaves, baked in 9 x 5 x 3-inch bread pans. The addition of mashed potatoes makes a uniquely moist cake that holds up beautifully.

But…

Lisa and I have been enjoying the Great British Baking Show: Masterclass. One night we were watching how Paul Hollywood made an apricot couronne and I thought, wouldn’t it be great to make a coffee cake that looked like that? So I tried it and got a large ring, a bit flattened, but it tasted great!

But…

Wouldn’t it be even better if we added some nuts? And if it was baked in a tube pan?

Here’s the result!

For other lovely coffee cake recipes:

Italian Walnut and Raisin Coffee Cake

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Apricot Almond Cake

Lisa’s Vegan “Honey” Cake

Gateau Breton – French Shortbread Cake

Recipe

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients

    4 to 4½ cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

    2 packages active dry yeast (or 4½ tsp)

    ½ cup lukewarm tap water

    ½ cup granulated sugar

    1 stick (8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter

    ½ teaspoon kosher salt

    2 large eggs

    ½ cup mashed potatoes (I used a Yukon Gold potato cooked in the microwave)

    1 cup somewhat finely chopped walnuts

    ½ cup dark brown sugar (Light brown sugar is fine too.)

    2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

    ½ cup melted butter

   Confectioner’s sugar icing (Optional – but highly recommended! – see below)

Directions

Put ½ cup warm water in a mixing bowl, then add 2 tsp of the granulated sugar, whoosh it around, then add the yeast. Let the yeast proof for 8 to 10 minutes.

Then stir in 2 cups of the flour, the rest of the granulated sugar, the butter and the salt. Beat until smooth, either 300 strokes by hand OR use a dough hook and stand mixer on low for a few minutes.

Blend in the eggs and mashed potatoes, then add 1 cup flour and beat 150 strokes by hand OR a minute on low in the mixer with a dough hook. Stir in more flour to make a moderately stiff dough. Either turn it onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand, or run it on low in the stand mixer until the dough is smooth and satiny, about 8 to 10 minutes. Shape it into a ball and place in a lightly buttered bowl, turning to butter all sides. Cover and let rise in a room temperature, draft-free place until doubled, about 1½ hours.

Punch the dough down, divide in half, and let rest 10 minutes. Mix together the nuts, brown sugar and cinnamon.

Roll out each portion of dough into a roughly 13 x 10 in. rectangle. Brush with melted butter, then sprinkle each rectangle with about one third of the nut mixture.

With the long edge facing you, roll the dough up tightly into a log.

Repeat for the other portion. Butter the inside of a 10 to 12 cup tube pan with straight sides and a removable bottom. Scatter some of the remaining nut mixture on the bottom. Place one of the rolls into the pan, starting at the center and spiraling outwards. Brush with some melted butter and sprinkle on some nut mixture. Place the second roll in the pan on top of the first roll, starting at the center and spiraling outward in the opposite direction. Brush with some melted butter and sprinkle with the remaining nut mixture.

Let rise, covered with a cloth at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 45 minutes. If the top seems to be browning too quickly, lightly cover it with some foil and continue baking until a toothpick comes out clean and the cake sounds a bit hollow when tapped with a wooden spoon. Cool in pan five minutes. Remove from pan. When the cake is completely cooled, you can ice it.

Confectioner’s Sugar Icing

2 tbsp milk or water

a pinch salt

1 cup (and a bit) confectioner’s sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

Put milk and vanilla in bowl. Add 1 cup confectioner’s sugar. Whisk until smooth. The icing should be thick enough to not completely run off the cake, but thin enough to drizzle and cascade down the sides a bit. Add a bit more sugar if too thin or a bit more liquid if too thick. Drizzle over the top and let it run down the sides. It’s best to do this over parchment or waxed paper so that you don’t make a mess. Let your inner Jackson Pollack out! Allow the icing to set before cutting. To store, wrap the cake up well or place under a cake dome. This can also be frozen.

——————-

Q. and A.

Q. Why roll out the dough into two tubes? Can’t I just roll it out into one?

A. Sure. I did the dough in two portions because they’d be easier for me to handle.

Q. Do I have to put the dough into the tube pan in alternating spirals?

A. Nope. You can put it in any way you want. Mine turned out to look like a fossil nautilus shell, but I didn’t know that when I started.

Q. Andrew, would it be OK to not use the tube pan? I want to use this dough to make a couronne like Paul Hollywood did.

A. Absolutely, go for it.