Buttermilk Pancakes with Fruit and Streusel

As I mentioned in my previous post, Paul made his triumphant return home from Anaheim a changed man. He had just finished listening to an audiobook that touted the benefits of a low glycemic index diet for overall mental and physical health as well as increased energy levels. Paul had been feeling very sluggish as of late and after gleaning the wisdom this book had to offer determined that his diet was probably the culprit. I personally would have blamed the 60+ hour work weeks and extensive travel schedule, but sure his diet could be playing a part.

So, Paul has announced a new beginning! He will no longer be drinking beer since it doesn't fit into a low-GI diet. Nor white wine. Nor eating white carbohydrates. Nor dessert. Potatoes, popcorn, and pineapple are his enemies. Lentils, sweet potatoes, and oatmeal are his new friends. All meat is welcome. Overall, it doesn't sound like a diet that is too terribly difficult to live by but I have my doubts. How long can Paul really go without a cool bottle of beer enjoyed after a long day at work? I give him five days.

Warning: the following recipe does not fit into a Low-GI diet. Paul can cook these pancakes, but he can't eat them.

Sundays are typically the day that we take our time with breakfast. We get up early, head to church, enjoy a donut (everyone except Paul!) and a bit of coffee with our fellow parishioners, and then head home where we gradually prepare and enjoy a late brunch before heading off for a family activity in the afternoon. Paul is almost always in charge of brunch on Sundays which makes it extra enjoyable for me. We typically brew coffee (we drink a lot of coffee on Sunday mornings) and chat while he slowly prepares the meal because the kids are typically off playing together - or, more accurately, fighting - and we are in no rush to gather them to the table. Paul usually alternates a carb-centered breakfast one week with a bacon/sausage/egg featured meal the next. He has been making the same recipe for pancakes and waffles for years but recently upgraded his pancake recipe after sampling the delicious gourmet ones offered by a local brunch chain here in Colorado. Lucky for him, the restaurant shared its recipe for their fluffy-as-a-cloud pancakes. I think they tasted even better at home. Filled with the fruit of your choice and topped with a crunchy granola topping, you couldn't ask for a better pancake.

Buttermilk Pancakes with Fruit and Streusel
recipe courtesy of Snooze 

For the Buttermilk Pancakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
3 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Fresh blueberries or thinly sliced banana
Butter, for cooking
Maple syrup, for serving

For the Streusel:
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

First, make the streusel. Preheat oven to 350°. Combine oats, flour, and brown sugar on a small rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with butter and toss to coat. Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 15–20 minutes. Let cool. The streusel can be made up to a week ahead of time and stored in an airtight container.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk egg, buttermilk, and butter in a medium bowl, then whisk into dry ingredients.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and lightly coat with oil. Working in batches, pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter into skillet and top each with 2 tablespoons berries or a few slices of banana. Cook pancakes until bottoms are golden brown and bubbles form on top, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes longer. Serve pancakes topped with syrup and streusel.

Kouign Amann

Who doesn't enjoy watching The Great British Baking Show? All those super nice, happy contestants just baking away under a little tent in the English countryside. No backstabbing. No drama. Just a group of people who legitimately enjoy baking trying to do the very best they can with the challenges thrown at them. It's a nice relaxing change of pace from most American cooking competitions, like Hell's Kitchen (which is ironically run by a Brit who couldn't be more different than Mary Berry).

For those of you who love the GBBS as much as I do, I wanted to tell you about the exciting new project that my recently married sister has undertaken. She has started a blog where she will be tackling each of the technical baking challenges on the Great British Baking Show and providing honest feedback about the difficulty of each recipe. So far, she has made Mini Pear Pies, Princess Cake, Ciabatta, Tiramisu Cake, Florentines, Cherry Cake, and an interesting pastry called Kouign Amann (pronounced "queen- a-mawn").

Sophie texted me while she was making these weird little pastries that are made from a laminated dough and then baked in a muffin tin. I had never once heard of them and neither had she, but after having a rough week making the detested Princess Cake recipe, she was thrilled to report that this recipe actually was turning out perfectly as it was supposed to. Basically, they have a soft, croissant-like texture on the inside and a crunchy, caramelized crunch on the outside. I did a quick little internet search on them and found that the New York Times dubbed it "the fattiest pastry in all of Europe." Wow, that's saying something.

When Paul heard that review, he wanted me to make it. Butter is his first love. Cheese is his second. I'm his third. It's ok, I've come to terms with that.

After Sophie raved about how breezy and relaxing the recipe was to follow, I tackled it one gloomy Sunday afternoon while I was not exactly feeling very well but thought some therapeutic baking might lift me out of my doldrums. The recipe was a breeze to put together. There is lot of waiting between steps and none of the steps are overly complicated. While I was waiting between turning my dough, I actually went back and watched the episode of the GBBS where these were featured as I couldn't imagine they were all that troublesome to the contestants. On the show, a few individuals had some minor issues, but overall I think they were all pretty successful attempts. This is a simple pastry as long as you have the patience to wait between steps.

Well, the Kouign Amann baked up beautifully. Brown, puffy, and piping hot when I grabbed them from the oven, I nearly burnt my fingers trying to pry them out of the muffin tin. Paul and I bit into one while it was still warm and swooned at the rich, buttery flavor. However, I tried one the next morning alongside my cup of coffee and thought they tasted even better at room temperature. My kids were all over these as well. The recipe only made 12 and they all vanished by the time my kids discovered them. My only complaint about these pastries is the mess they created when eaten by my angelic children - the pastries were so flaky that little bits of buttery crumb littered the floor where my children sat stuffing their faces full of buttery dough.

I shall be making these weird little things again! They were a different, interesting, and delicious new pastry that I had never before heard of and am now happy to welcome into my recipe archive. Thank you, Sophie for introducing me to this treat!

You should head over to Sophie's blog to read about her experiences attacking all the technical challenges from The Great British Baking Show. Her blog name is Piece of Cake and can be found here.

Also, try your hand at Kouign Amann! It's a great recipe to start with if you have never before worked with a laminated dough before (like croissant dough). Guarantee you'll be able to produce a treat even Paul Hollywood would be happy to eat!

Kouign Amann
from Paul Hollywood of The Great British Baking Show

Note: I am presenting this recipe exactly as written on the BBC Food website. You will need a food scale to complete this recipe.

300g/10½oz strong plain flour, plus extra for dusting
5g fast-action yeast
1 tsp salt
200ml/7fl oz warm water
25g/1oz unsalted butter, melted
250g/9oz cold unsalted butter, in a block
100g/3½oz caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

Put the flour into the bowl of a freestanding mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the yeast to one side of the bowl and the salt to the other. Add the water and melted butter and mix on a slow speed for two minutes, then on a medium speed for six minutes.

Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and shape into a ball. Put into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with cling film and leave to rise for one hour.

Sandwich the butter between two sheets of parchment paper and bash with a rolling pin, then roll out to a 14cm/5½in square. Place in the fridge to keep chilled.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 20cm/8in square. Place the butter in the centre of the dough diagonally, so that each side of butter faces a corner of the dough. Fold the corners of the dough over the butter to enclose like an envelope.

Roll the dough into a 45x15cm/18x6in rectangle. Fold the bottom third of dough up over the middle, then fold the top third of the dough over. You will now have a sandwich of three layers of butter and three layers of dough. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes. This completes one turn.

Repeat this process twice more, so you have completed a total of three turns, chilling the dough for 30 minutes between turns.

Roll the dough into a rectangle as before. Sprinkle the dough with the caster sugar and fold into thirds again. Working quickly, roll the dough into a large 40x30cm/16x12in rectangle. Sprinkle the dough with caster sugar and cut the dough into 12 squares.

Grease a 12-cup muffin tin well with oil. Gather the dough squares up by their four corners and place in the muffin tins, pulling the four corners towards the centre of the muffin tin, so that it gathers up like a four-leaf clover. Sprinkle with caster sugar and leave to rise, covered with a clean tea towel, for 30 minutes until slightly puffed up.

Preheat oven to 220C/200C(fan)/425F/Gas 7. Bake the pastries for 30-40 minutes, or until golden-brown. Cover with foil halfway through if beginning to brown too much. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a couple of minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Be careful not to burn yourself on the caramelized sugar, but don’t leave them to cool for too long, or the caramelized sugar will harden and they will be stuck in the tin.

Serve warm or cold.

Amazing Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Still in search of a pumpkin-themed treat to make for breakfast, brunch, or as a midday snack? Can I entice you with a batch of Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls?

I have tried pumpkin cinnamon rolls before and have always been slightly frustrated with the recipe. The dough usually had way too much moisture due to the addition of pumpkin and I found myself adding copious amounts of extra flour just to get it to a point where I could knead it without having the entire mass adhere to my fingers. Not the case with this recipe. I found the proportion of flour, to butter, to sugar, to pumpkin to be absolutely spot on. I perhaps had to add a tablespoon of extra flour when kneading but that was it. It came together very quickly, rose beautifully, and was easy to roll out, fill, shape, and cut.

The smell of these rolls baking fills your house with sweet warm cinnamon, butter, and nutmeg better than any Yankee Candle. The kids love cinnamon rolls and were so excited for me to pull these out of the oven, but were equally disappointed when I told them they had to wait for Halloween to eat them. I always like to try to do something fun for Halloween and figured that a really yummy sugar-filled breakfast will help balance out all the sugar they will be eating the rest of the day. Makes sense, right? I promise I will feed them broccoli or something green before sending them out to trick-or-treat.

Speaking of trick-or-treating, how ironic was it that I had already planned for all three of my kids to dress up as physicians for Halloween before I wrecked my foot? Now, I get to dress up in theme with them - as their patient!

But back to the cinnamon rolls. I had originally planned on making a cookie butter glaze for them but ran out of cookie butter unknowingly. So I made a basic cream cheese frosting instead. However, I am still convinced that a cookie butter glaze would be amazing on this so someone please try it sometime. Basically, you just melt cookie butter in a saucepan and then whisk in a bit of milk to thin. Drizzle over the hot rolls - and that's pretty much it! I've made a pumpkin cake with a cookie butter glaze before and loved it so I can only imagine how fantastic it would be with these rolls. Not to take anything away from the cream cheese frosted version because they are still phenomenal. I hobbled out of the room for a second after frosting these and came back to find Lucy up at the counter, for in hand, happily eating one of the fresh rolls straight from the pan.

"Donuts very good, Mommy!" she confessed through a full, sticky mouth.

From the mouths of babes, folks, the verdict is in. Make these pumpkin cinnamon rolls before the fall season ends!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
adapted slightly from Averie Cooks

For the Dough:
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
2 1/4 teaspoons instant dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg, lightly whisked

For the Filling:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon

For the Frosting:
4 ounces brick-style cream cheese (lite is okay), softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla OR maple extract
3-4 tablespoons half-and-half or cream, or as needed for consistency

To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add 3 1/4 cups flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, yeast, salt. Mix together and set aside.

Melt the butter in the microwave for one minute and then immediately add the buttermilk and the pumpkin. Whisk together.

With the mixer running, add the pumpkin-buttermilk mixture to the bowl. Mix well, then add the egg. Continue kneading the dough for about 7-10 minutes on medium speed. The dough should come together into a nice, moist mass but if it is still stick at the bottom, add a bit of flour a tablespoon at a time. If it is dry and crumbly, drizzle in a bit of buttermilk until it reaches the correct consistency. Remove from the bowl and knead briefly into a round ball on the counter top.

Spray a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray and then add the dough ball to the bowl. Turn to coat and then cover tightly with plastic. Set aside in a warm place to rise for about 2 1/2 hours. This dough will take a lot longer to rise because of the sugar content. If your room is cold, the dough might take even longer. Let it take as long as it needs to double!

While the dough rises, prepare the filling by mixing together 1 cup of brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of cinnamon. Set aside.

When ready to shape the dough, butter a 9x13 glass baking pan. Punch the dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured countertop. Roll out the dough to a 26x13 inch rectangle. Using your hands, spread the softened butter all over the dough, then sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the top, pressing lightly to adhere.

Starting on the long side of the rectangle, tightly roll the dough up. Press the seams together to stick. Turn the rolled log seam-side down and with a serrated knife or unflavored dental floss, cut the log into 12-16 rounds. Place the rounds in the prepared 13x9 pan. Cover tightly with plastic and let rise for an additional 1-2 hours, or until doubled.

While the rolls rise, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. When ready, bake the rolls for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden on top and baked through. Keep an eye on them because the baking time will vary depending on your equipment and how big you sliced the rolls. Remove the rolls from the oven and let the pan cool slightly while you prepare the Cream Cheese Frosting.


To make the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Carefully add the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla and beat for a few minutes until very smooth, scraping down the side of the bowl as necessary. Taste and adjust sugar/vanilla/salt as desired.

Evenly pour glaze over rolls, lightly spreading with a spatula as necessary.

Enjoy immediately or keep covered tightly in the refrigerator. Heat gently before serving any leftover rolls!

Apple Fritters

It's my favorite season - Apple season! Apples are my favorite food in the world and I love how many different varieties are available this time of year - Jonagold, Empire, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Mutsu, Ginger Gold, Zestar, Rome, Cortland, Macintosh, and many, many more! The local apples as well as all the varieties filling the store shelves from New York are taking over my countertop since I can't stop buying them! Thankfully, the kids are just as crazy about apples as I am and are gladly eating 2-3 apiece each day.

In honor of apple season, I am about to bombard you, dear reader, with some pretty tempting apple-themed desserts. Let's start with Apple Fritters.

Did you know you can make delicious apple fritters that taste better than ones you can buy at any donut shop in under 30 minutes? I certainly didn't until I spied this recipe in a past issue of Cook's Country and was surprised to see how simple the process really is. I just thought it would be more complicated, for some reason. I really, REALLY hate frying food but some foods are worth all that extra effort and these were probably the easiest fried delicacies to ever come out of my kitchen.

The kids were fascinated with the process. When I told them what we were making, their eyes got really big and they whispered among themselves in disbelief, "Mom is going to make donuts? Can she really make donuts if she doesn't work at Krispy Kreme?" Seeing their faces as I went about making the fritters, you would have thought they were watching a magician at work. They watched eagerly as I mixed up the batter, heated up the oil, and dropped portion after portion of the sweet apple and cinnamon mixture into the hot oil where it bubbled and simmered until golden brown. Wen I pulled the first finished fritter (wow, alliteration?) out of the pot, they cheered, "Wow! Look what Mom made!" They were mesmerized as I whipped up the glaze and poured a generous amount on each warm fritter and practically drooled as they watched it pool over the sides and drip onto the baking sheet. Emma, Lucy and Peyton were given the arduous task of eating the leftover glaze that had spilled onto the drip tray.

In the end, these were some of the best fritters I have ever tasted. Eating one warm and fresh was an almost transcendental experience. I have never been the biggest fan of donuts, but I found these pretty near irresistible. I'm already thinking that we are going to have to make these again as an easy Sunday morning treat after Mass. I still can't get over how easy they are to make.

Apple Fritters
adapted from Cook's Country

For the Fritters:
2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces (I used Ginger Golds)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup apple cider
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups vegetable or peanut oil, for frying

For the Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup apple cider
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Spread prepared apples in a single layer on a paper towel-lined baking sheet and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. This is important to ensure that the residual moisture on the apple pieces not make the fritters soggy.

Combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl. Whisk the cider, eggs, melted butter and vanilla in a medium bowl until combined. Stir the apples into the flour mixture. Stir in the cider mixture until incorporated.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 350 degrees. Using a 1/3 cup measurement or a large spoon, transfer heaping portion of the batter to the oil. Press the batter lightly with the back of a spoon to flatten. Fry, adjusting the burner as necessary to maintain the oil temperature between 325 and 350 degrees, until deep golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the fritters to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Bring oil back to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining batter. Let fritters cool 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the powdered sugar, cider, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl until smooth. Top each fritter with a heaping tablespoon of glaze. Let glaze set 10 minutes. Serve!

Quick and Easy New York Style Bagels

It's no secret that my kids love bagels. They inherited their carbohydrate-loving nature from their Mother and will gladly enjoy a lunch consisting of just bread and water and think it's the greatest thing in the world. They would probably enjoy prison food. One of their favorite "quick lunches" when we are in a rush is to go through the Panera drive-through and grab a bag of Asiago Cheese Bagels. The kids will just chow down on those bagels - no slicing, toasting, buttering necessary.

I'm also a huge lover of bagels, especially if they come with lox and cream cheese. Oh my word! One of the things I looked forward to the most when we planned our trip to New York City was grabbing an authentic New York Bagel with fresh lox from a Jewish deli. Thankfully, the experience totally lived up to my expectations and I have been craving another one like mad ever since!

I have made bagels many, many times before and the recipe I use is absolute perfection, albeit a bit complicated and time-consuming. The ingredients are precisely weighed and measured and then go through several risings, including an overnight rise after forming into the familiar bagel shape, before being boiled, topped, and baked. The result is a deliciously chewy, incredibly flavorful bagel that rivals the best bagels in NYC. And I say that only after trying the best bagels in NYC and my husband said he actually liked mine better. What a compliment. That recipe can be found here, deep in the archives of the blog when I only had one child, a cheap point-and-shoot camera, and a bit more time.

Nowadays, it really isn't always feasible to start a multi-day baking project because my days are filled with activity that often leaves me spinning. I wouldn't change our busy days for the world as I enjoy being on the move and having a slew of activity. But, I really want to be able to linger with my kids a bit longer at the library, at the park, or while out with friends and not be needing to keep a constant eye on my watch because I need to get home before my dough over-rises!

So, I decided to test a few bagel recipes that require less proofing and may be made start to finish in an afternoon while my youngest takes her nap. I tried a couple recipes and found one that made not only an acceptable bagel, but a very, very good bagel! In two hours flat, my kids were enjoying warm, freshly baked cheese bagels that were chewy with a well formed crust on the outside and a moist, soft interior. I also made a batch of plain, cinnamon sugar, and poppy seed bagels but of course the cheese ones were the hit.

This is a great first-time recipe if you have never made bagels at home before. They are so, so much better than anything you can buy in the store. They are not as heavy and taste completely different. Toasted, they are heavenly, but they are also great enjoyed just the way my kids prefer them - plain!

The only difficult part of this recipe is getting the dough to the right consistency. You add the water gradually because you want a dough that is moist but stiff. It is not going to be super soft and pillowy like a cinnamon roll dough, yet you want it to be completely hydrated or else you will have difficulty forming the bagels later in the process. If you have to much liquid in the dough, they might misshapen a bit during the boiling process. If you have ever made a good, homemade pizza dough, you want the dough to feel about as stiff as that, if not a little bit more stiff (if that makes any sense!). But do not fret! Whatever the results, the taste will be spot-on. The more you make bagels, the more familiar you will become with the consistency you want.

Now that I've completely freaked you out, here is the recipe. I promise you it is easy! Give them a try and I promise you will love the results. If you want a more complicated but even tastier recipe, check out my first post on bagels. That recipe still has my heart.

Quick and Easy New York Style Bagels
as seen on The Sophisticated Gourmet

Notes: You can use this base recipe and make a number of variations from it. After the boiling step, the bagels may be topped with anything you desire - dried onion, poppyseed, garlic, and salt for the "everything bagel" topping, cinnamon sugar, sesame seeds, swiss cheese and banana peppers, or jalapenos and cheddar. You can also add small, cubed pieces of cheese to the dough during the kneading step to make a more indulgent cheese bagel and then simply top the bagel with the cheese of your choice before baking. The rising times are all approximate and will vary depending on the temperature and humidity of your kitchen. For the final, quick rise after shaping, just make sure that your bagels appear "puffy" before you boil. This will ensure that they are ready for the final steps where they will hopefully bloom and rise even more in the water bath and the oven.

2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 ½ tablespoons (4 ½ teaspoons) granulated sugar
1 ¼ cups / 300ml warm water (you may need up to 1/4 cup more - I definitely did)
3 ½ cups (500g) bread flour or high gluten flour (bread flour is important for this recipe!)
1 ½ teaspoons salt

Dissolve the sugar and yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water. Without stirring, let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, then gently whisk to dissolve in the water.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the flour and salt together. Add the yeast mixture and, using the dough hook attachment on the mixer, begin to knead together until a very scraggly dough appears. Pour in an additional 1/3 cup of warm water into the dough and continue to knead, adding additional water about a tablespoon at a time until the dough is moist, yet still firm. There should be no dry pockets of flour and the dough should be in a cohesive mass that feels moist but not at all sticky when squeezed with your hand.

Continue to the knead the dough in the mixer for about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Remove from the mixing bowl, and knead it by hand on the countertop a few times. Form into a tight ball.

Lightly coat a large bowl with oil. Add the dough ball to the bowl and gently turn to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow it to rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about one hour.

After one hour, gently punch the dough down and let it sit for about 10 minutes. While the dough rests, get a large stockpot of water and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat once boiling vigorously to a gently boil. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Carefully divide the dough into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a round. Now, take a dough ball, and press it gently against the countertop moving your hand and the ball in a circular motion pulling the dough into itself while reducing the pressure on top of the dough slightly until a perfect dough ball forms. Repeat with 7 other dough rounds.

Coat a finger in flour, and gently press your finger into the center of each dough ball to form a ring. Stretch the ring to about ⅓ the diameter of the bagel and place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Repeat the same step with the remaining dough.

After shaping the dough rounds, cover them with a damp kitchen towel and allow them to rest for about 10 minutes, or until they begin to puff in shape. This might take a bit longer - so be patient and give it a little extra time if need be.

Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to lower the bagels into the water - you may do multiple bagels at a time depending on the size of your pot. Let them boil on one side for 1 minute, and them flip them over to boil for another minute. Extend the boiling times to 2 minutes per side if you prefer a chewier bagel. Remove the boiled bagels from the water with a slotted spoon and place them back on the baking sheet. Top with any desired toppings. Repeat with all your bagels.

Once all the bagels have boiled and topped, bake them in the 425 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. They should sound hollow when lightly tapped with your finger.

Remove them from the baking sheet and allow to cool on a wire rack or eat them warm.

Enjoy!

Buttery Brioche Cinnamon Rolls

Today, the inevitable happened. Peyton decided to make a chew toy out of Emma's beloved baby doll Jellybell. Unfortunately, the pooch had mangled the poor baby's foot before Emma realized he had her. I heard her wails from upstairs where I was putting Lucy down for her nap. Emma was inconsolable as she cradled her doll and the tiny bits and pieces that remained of her half-eaten toes. Peyton cowered behind the couch, knowing that something very bad had just gone down.

I scolded the dog and then assured Emma that I would try to fix the doll as I carried the pieces into the office in search of the superglue. I tried to figure out how to reconstruct the foot, but it was pretty badly chewed up and practically a lost cause. A quick internet search proved that the doll was no longer available from Target, so replacing her was not an option. So, I played the part of plastic surgeon with my super glue as I tried to piece together Jellybell. Thirty minutes later, I was actually quite pleased with the progress. Her foot definitely looks amorphous but it is so much better than a giant gaping hole at her ankle. I called Emma in, excited to show her how I had "fixed" here doll. She walked in solemnly.

"What do you think of how I fixed Jellybell's foot?" I asked her.

She looked at the aberrant foot, wrinkled her nose, and declared: "It looks bad. Let's just keep socks on her feet."

So, I guess I glued the fingers of my right hand together for nothing.

I didn't think it looked too terrible after I was finished
considering how bad it looked before!

 

Unlike my daughter, I always try to be grateful when others show me kindness or assist me in some way. In fact, I often like to repay their kindness with baked goods. To me, there is no greater way of showing someone love and appreciation than a freshly baked meal or treat. I am always so grateful when someone does that for me, so I naturally try to reciprocate that feeling in others. Recently, one of my friends did a huge favor for me as part of a project I was conducting for our diocese. I promised her when she agreed to help that I would pay her in cinnamon rolls. She laughed it off, but I was being completely serious. Of course, life got in the way and it took me way too long to actually get those rolls to her, but I finally did, much to the envy of my own children who did not understand why I was giving away such tasty treats instead of letting them eat some! Luckily for them, I made an extra large batch so they could try them.

I have made cinnamon rolls a million times. I've done cinnabon copycats, the pioneer woman's recipe, and a half dozen others throughout the years and while they all have been really, really delicious, I never hesitate to try a new cinnamon roll recipe should I come across one. When I spied this recipe on Elise's blog Simply Recipes, I was immediately enticed to try them based on the fact that the dough is prepared brioche-style, meaning the softened butter is gradually kneaded into the dough after the flour. The entire dough is then beaten to submission and given an overnight chill to ensure a soft, smooth, buttery dough. I was intrigued that the dough, while firm, was quite easy to roll out, fill, and cut into the traditional cinnamon rolls shape straight from a long overnight chill. The whole process was seamless and rather effortless. The rolls then rise for an additional 90 minutes before being baked. While baking, a cream cheese and butter spread is whipped up to slather on the warm rolls before serving.

Oh my, these were wonderful! I'm so glad I made an extra batch other wise these might have never made it to my friend's home! You will love this gooey, sticky, buttery treat for breakfast or really any time of day. My girls could not stop sampling from the pan since I made the mistake of letting them try a bit as soon as they were cool enough to eat. Can't say I blame them.

Out of all the cinnamon roll recipes I have tried, I have to say I probably prefer this one. Try it and let me know if you love it!

Brioche Cinnamon Rolls
from Simply Recipes

For the dough:
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
6 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter, very soft

For the filling:
1/2 cup room temperature unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or slightly less table salt)

For the frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 to 4 tablespoons milk, whole or 2%
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt

Warm the milk for 15 to 30 seconds in the microwave, until it's slightly warm to the touch but not steaming. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Let the mixture stand until foamy, about five minutes.

Add the eggs, flour, and salt to the bowl and mix on medium speed until a sticky dough is formed. Beat in the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, waiting until the butter is incorporated before adding the next batch. The butter needs to be very soft for this to work; if the butter isn't incorporating, knead each piece in your fingers until soft before adding it to the dough.

Once all the butter is incorporated, knead the dough for 10 minutes on medium speed (or knead by hand).

Shape the dough into a ball, place in a large, lightly oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in the refrigerator overnight, at least 8 hours. It will slowly double in size.

Cut and shape the rolls: In the morning, remove the dough from the refrigerator. The dough will be quite stiff and firm, but should roll easily. Dust your work surface and a rolling pin lightly with flour, and roll the dough out into a rectangle approximately 12x16 inches in size.

Spread the dough with butter, leaving a 1-inch border on one of the shorter edges. Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Sprinkle the mixture over the butter in an even layer.
Starting from the short edge (the one with butter all the way to the edge), roll the dough into a tight spiral. Pinch the spiral closed (the unbuttered edge should stick to the log of dough). Trim the ends if they are shaggy.

Cut the roll in half crosswise to make 2 pieces. Cut each piece in half again to make 4, and each piece again to make a total of 8 rolls. Place the rolls in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.

Cover the rolls with plastic wrap, and let them rise in a warm place for 30 to 90 minutes. Rising time will depend on the temperature in your kitchen. When ready, the rolls should be puffed and pillowy. They should be touching each other with very little space between each roll.

While the rolls look half-risen, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes until they are golden on top and puffy. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 5 minutes before frosting.

While the rolls bake, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the cream cheese and butter together until creamy. Add half of the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk. Beat for 1 minute. Add the remaining sugar and vanilla, and beat for 1 additional minute. Add additional milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the frosting is as spreadable as you like.

Frost the cinnamon rolls generously while they're still a bit warm. Serve immediately.

Morning Glory Overnight Oats

Overnight oats have been a popular breakfast preparation among food bloggers for quite a few years now. I first tried a strawberry and coconut version about seven years ago while up at night with a very fussy Matthew. I loved how creamy and refreshing each bite was and how wonderfully convenient it was to have my breakfast all prepared in a mason jar - all I had to do was grab a spoon and munch! For whatever reason though, I fell out of a routine of making a healthy oats-centered breakfast and turned instead to the convenience of boxed cereal. Cereal just doesn't have the staying power of a good bowls of oatmeal but I don't always have time to make oatmeal in the morning - even the thought of nuking a bowl of quick oats is just one extra step that I don't need in the morning while trying to get the kids fed, dressed, and ready. Not to mention walking the dog and making sure he is fed and watered for the morning.

The Ghost of Breakfasts Past visited me when I received an email recipe from The Kitchin. In the email was a recipe for Morning Glory Overnight Oats and I was immediately enticed to make it, remembering fondly how much I loved a good overnight oats recipe and this version sounded irresistible. If you've ever tasted a Morning Glory Muffin, which happens to be one of my favorite treats, you already know that it is packed with the flavors of carrots, raisins, walnuts, coconut, and spice. Just take those same ingredients, add it to a maple-sweetened recipe for overnight oats, and you have Morning Glory Oats! The recipe makes a lot, so I just divided the oats among several mason jars and had my breakfast ready for the week! Bonus, it's portable so you can totally eat this while in line at school drop-off like I did this morning.

Morning Glory Overnight Oats
from kitchin

For the Oats:
3 cups milk
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 red apple, cored and diced (sometimes I add two because apples are amazing)
1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt

For serving:
1/2 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Place all the oat ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. Cover the bowl or divide the oat mixture between Mason jars or resealable containers. Refrigerate overnight.

When ready to serve, stir the oats again. Top with the walnuts and coconut flakes before serving.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Egg & Cheese Hash Brown Waffles

Matthew started the second grade this week and while I will miss having him around the house, it was definitely time for him to begin. I really like the routine that comes with the school day. Our family is forced to get up, get dressed, eat breakfast, and leave the house at an early hour. I like the sense of accomplishment that comes with having run all my errands, performed my morning chores and finished my workout routine all before 10:30 AM! While I do not especially enjoy getting up super early - even earlier this year since school stars quite a bit earlier than before - I appreciate the benefits of a structured life, especially after living such an unstructured one this summer! The girls miss their brother, but the house has been remarkably more quiet without the constant bickering between Matthew and Emma. I've also enjoyed being able to go about my chores without hearing a never-ending string of animal facts and trivia from my little chatterbox. He seems to be having a good year so far and has some great kids in his class. He has enthusiastically headed to school each morning. Let's hope that enthusiasm continues!

Having some extra time in my morning means I've had a bit more time to test recipes and I've got a simple and delicious one for you today!

I had heard of making perfectly crispy hash browns using a waffle iron before and had bookmarked several recipes for it but the moment to make them never seemed right; my laziness always got in the way. When you're too lazy to make hash browns, especially when they involve pre-shredded potatoes, you have a problem. Then, I stumbled across a recipe for these Egg & Cheese Hash Brown Waffles and the pictures made me want to jump through my computer screen and eat one immediately. The time had arrived!

The recipe is stupid simple to prepare. Whisk, add, mix, and your potatoes are ready to be cooked. Now, cooking them was a little bit more tricky. My first "waffle"was a complete failure. The stupid thing wouldn't come out of my waffle maker until I took a fork and practically dug out each piece, leaving a heap of super-appetizing broken up potatoes on the serving plate. I began to despair that perhaps I had spent too much time away from the kitchen. I couldn't even make some stupid hash browns with my waffle iron! However, the subsequent batches of waffles turned out much, much better - they held their shape, were easy to remove, and were deliciously crispy.

A couple tips I learned:

1) Every waffle iron is different, so the setting that worked for me (medium-high) might not work for you with the make and model of iron you own. Do not be afraid to play with the settings as you cook these!

2) Liberally oil your iron with vegetable or canola oil. I kept a little ramekin of oil nearby and brushed a new coat on between batches. The oil is essential to ensure that these do not stick and turn out crispy!

3) I found that I had to leave these in my waffle iron long past when the sensor claimed they were done. This ensured optimal crispiness and ease of removal.

4) To ensure that all diners be served at once, keep the finished batches of waffles in a 200-degree oven until you have used up all your potato batter.

Do give these a try! My kids loved them, but really they love any meal centered around eggs. I don't know any kids who eat more eggs than mine. Breakfast for dinner is a major hit around here. I enjoyed these hash brown waffles for both lunch and dinner in one day, which shows how much I like them!

Egg & Cheese Hash Brown Waffles
from Yellow Bliss Road

1 20-ounce package Shredded Hash Browns (I weighed mine out of a 32 ounce bag)
3 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/4 cup fresh chopped chives, plus some for garnishing
Salt & pepper
Fried eggs, for serving

Heat waffle iron on the medium-high setting. Coat each side liberally with canola or vegetable oil.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Stir in potatoes, cheese, chives, salt, and pepper.

Depending on the size of your waffle iron, scoop a layer of the potato mixture onto the surface (for the round waffle maker, I used about 1 cup of the mixture). Spread to about 1/2 inch from the edges and close the waffle iron. Cook for about 5 minutes, checking every few minutes to avoid burning. I found that mine took much longer to get brown and crispy. When the entire waffle is golden brown in color, carefully remove from the waffle iron with a fork. Transfer to a warm (200 degree) oven while you make the remaining waffles.

Serve with some fried eggs over top and a sprinkling of extra chopped chives.

Overstuffed Blueberry Muffins with Sugary Tops

Emma has a history of being benevolent towards God's creature and a penchant for rescuing them from certain death. A star example of this is her rescue of the frog from the clutches of a hungry snake while on a hike last summer. She had the opportunity to rescue a few more pathetic creatures this summer only this time they were baby mice on the verge of being disposed of by her father.

Paul and I had been doing some chores in the backyard when we noticed several baby mice scattered throughout the lawn. They were extremely tiny and docile, not even attempting to flee when we came close by. Paul, harboring a fairly substantial vendetta against rodents due to the numerous tunneling by moles throughout our lawn, immediately announced that he was going to drown the baby mice and headed to the garage in search of a bucket. I balked at the idea as did Emma who had come outside to see what we were looking out. She immediately found the mice so cute and begged for Paul to spare them. I joined her, urging Paul to trap them and release them in the woods not too far from our home. Paul, who was certainly not looking forward to killing them, agreed to the idea. He scooped up the mice into the bucket and then he and Emma headed off to the woods to find the baby mice a new home.

They found a spot that Emma thought suitable for the mice and then set the bucket on its side. Emma watched the mice slowly make their way out and began talking to them about how much they were going to like their new home. The mice didn't seem too interested in exploring their new digs and just continued to sit there sniffing the air and Paul began to grow impatient. He urged Emma to say goodbye so they could leave. She started to follow him back to the car but then asked, "Daddy, can I go say one last goodbye to the baby mice?" Paul agreed and Emma went running back to where they had left the mice.

Only she sort of forgot where they were and accidentally trampled them during her search.

Paul found her staring confusedly at the ground and came over to find that she had somehow managed to squish every single one. Fortuitously, Emma did not seem to notice what had happened and thought the mice were all sleeping. The reality would have saddened her, so Paul agreed that the mice were "just getting some rest before finding their new home." As she headed back to the car, Emma was already making plans to visit the mice at some point in the future.

When they got home, Paul whispered what had happened to me and concluded with, "Well, I guess that permanently solves the problem."

Emma would be so heartbroken if she truly knew what happened!

These blueberry muffins are guaranteed to be a bit more successful than Emma's rodent rescue attempt. I found this recipe on the King Arthur Flour website. I stumbled across it really because I was not really in search of a new blueberry muffin recipe because I like the one that I have been using for years just fine. However, the amount of blueberries called for in the recipe as well as the promise for a crunchy, sugary top made me convinced to run to the kitchen and bake up a batch. I had just been back to the blueberry patch for one last visit before the season ends to gather my favorite variety of all - the sweetest, tiniest blueberries of the season! Unfortunately their tiny nature make them much more tedious to pick and gather but they are the absolute perfect size for muffins, scones, and buckle. Leave the giant berries for cobblers and pancakes!

But back to the recipe. The recipe for these muffins comes from the Boston-based department store Jordan's whose doors were shuttered after being bought out by Macy's. They used to be famous for their large blueberry muffins which they served in their dining room on the top floor of the store. I had never heard of them and was thus completely unaware of their reputation for baking up delicious blueberry muffins but after having made their recipe I completely understand why. These muffins are delicious. I love how every bite is absolutely bursting with blueberry flavor. The crunchy, sugary tops are also highly addictive. At first I was a little unsure about scattering an entire teaspoon of sugar atop each and every muffin but after having eaten approximately half a dozen of these muffins I beg and plead for you not to skip it. That bit of sugar makes these muffins sparkle and shine - literally and figuratively.

And yes, I used Halloween-themed cupcake liners because that's all I had - NOT because I'm looking forward to Halloween. Heck no. I never make cupcakes and muffins without liners because they always stick no matter how much I grease the cups.

Make these before the blueberries disappear!

Overstuffed Blueberry Muffins with Sugary Tops
from King Arthur Flour

1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup milk
2 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh preferred
1/4 cup sugar, for topping

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin; or line the tin with papers, and grease the papers.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl and beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk, beating gently just to combine. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.

Mash 1/2 cup of the blueberries. Add the mashed and whole berries to the batter, stirring just to combine and distribute.

Scoop the batter by the heaping 1/4-cupful into the prepared muffin pan.

Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon granulated sugar atop each muffin, if desired.

Bake the muffins for about 30 minutes, until they're light golden brown on top, and a toothpick inserted into the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean.

Remove the muffins from the oven, loosen their edges from the pan, and after about 5 minutes transfer them to a rack to cool.

Swedish Cinnamon Buns

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and marks the beginning of the Lenten season. For us Catholics, it is an opportunity for fasting, prayer, reflection, and reconciliation in order to strengthen our relationship with God. Everyone knows Lent is coming because McDonald's and all the other fast food places will suddenly be heavily adverting their various fried fish sandwiches because, on Fridays in Lent, us poor Catholics must abstain from meat. With a Filet-o-Fish in one hand and a Shamrock Shake in the other, we Catholics are ready for Lent!

I've been trying to talk about Lent with my kids with the hopes that we might just some small sacrifice to perform together as a family. In the past, we have typically done something food-related. We gave up cheese for a couple years but that actually proved to be extremely difficult and we almost always ended up making one to many exceptions. We also tried abstaining from meat for the entirety of Lent, but Paul almost had a nervous breakdown so we had to quit that. I decided to conduct a Lenten-themed interview with my two eldest children in order to devise an appropriate Lenten resolution for our family.

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. Do you know what Ash Wednesday is?

Emma: No.
Matthew: Ash Wednesday is supposed to be a day that we get ready for Jesus and pray a lot.

What also happens?

Matthew: No Alleluias and no glorias.

What do we get on our foreheads?

Matthew: Ashes.
Emma: I don't know.

What is Lent?

Emma: I don't know.
Matthew: It's supposed to be where we celebrate about Jesus died. And we celebrate that he does the body and blood on the Last Supper.

Typically during Lent, our family gives something up. Can you think of something that you can do without for 40 days?

Emma: Water or food.
Matthew: Or Sweets!

Two years ago, we gave up cheese for all of Lent.

Matthew: Why? Cheese is not a sweet.

Right, because we were giving up cheese not sweets. Do you want to give up cheese again?

Both: NO!

Why don't you want to give up cheese?

Emma: Because I like cheese too much.
Matthew: Because that's what God told us to do.
Emma: Mommy, can I have a slice of cheese?

Ok. So we're getting off track here. Do you guys want to give up TV? No TV for 40 days. 

Emma: No.
Matthew: How about sweets?
Emma: Yes. Sweets!

If we give up sweets, that means no candy, no desserts, no ice cream, no sugary breakfasts...

Matthew: And no cupcakes.
Emma: YES! CUPCAKES!
Matthew: I said NO cupcakes Emma because those are sweets!
Emma: I KNOW that Matthew.
Matthew: We gave it up.
Emma: I have a good idea, we should give up Cupcakes Mommy!

So, it appears that sugar will be off the table with the exception of Emma's birthday. That pretty much eliminates any and all baking for me, so I wanted to make one, last treat before placing a big ol' piece of packing tape around my sugar jars for the next 40 days. I have had this recipe for Swedish Cinnamon Buns pinned for a while mainly for two reasons:

Reason #1: I cannot resist any baked good that contains Cardamom
Reason #2: I wanted to learn how to shape these pretty buns! They are so gorgeous!

This recipe is made by making up a basic sweet dough. First, you scald the milk and simultaneously melt the butter. Mix your dry ingredients together (including some fresh-ground cardamom!), then slowly incorporate your cooled milk mixture and egg and knead until smooth, elastic, and just a bit tacky. Let rise one hour and make a cinnamon paste while you wait. Roll the dough out, spread with the cinnamon paste - which takes a bit of patience - and then fold in half and cut the dough into strips. Now, I watched a YouTube video because I am a very visual learner but I can assure you that the shaping is super easy. You take each cut strip and twist it a few times before snaking it around one end of it to form a little rosette. Tuck the ends under, seal them, and then place on your baking sheet. Quick, easy, and beautiful!

These babies tasted best slightly warm from the oven. They are airy and light in texture, reminiscent of a croissant and are not nearly as sweet as their more well known cousin, the cinnamon roll. The cardamom in the dough is just subtle enough that it adds a hint of mystery flavor, certainly making its presence known to the diner but not in such an aggressive way that its identity is readily determined. I would have probably preferred a little more cardamom, but I know that a lot of people are scared of it (including my husband) so the amount called for in the recipe is probably just perfect for most people. A bit of orange zest added to the dough would be a wonderful addition. One of these buns enjoyed in the morning sunshine with a hot mug of coffee was the perfect way to begin the last day before Lent. Goodbye, sweet baked confections. See you in 40 days.

Swedish Cinnamon Buns (Kanelbullar)
adapted from Treats

For the Dough:
1 cup whole milk
3 1/2 ounces (7 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 large egg
4 cups (500 grams) bread flour
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 packet (1/4 ounce or 7 grams) instant yeast

For the Filling:
3/4 cup (150 grams) brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (60 grams) unsalted butter, soft

For the Egg Glaze:
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons coarse sugar


Place the milk and butter into a saucepan over low heat and cook until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to around 115 degrees (have patience!) and then mix in the egg.

Place the flour, cardamom, sugar and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer attached with the dough hook and mix together.  Add the instant yeast and mix thoroughly.  With the mixer running slowsly, add the liquid mixture and then increase the speed to medium and mix to form a rough dough. The dough will appear sticky at first, but keep kneading it with the mixer and it will eventually come together and form a smooth, tacky but not sticky dough. It will take a good 7-10 minutes. When the dough feels smooth, elastic, and air when pressed, it is done kneading.

Place the dough in a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place somewhere warm and allow to rise until doubled in size, about an hour.

Line two baking trays with parchment paper and set aside. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, flatten into a rough rectangle and then roll out until approximately 10" x 14" in dimension.  For the filling, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon and butter together to form a smooth paste. Using a spatula or spoon spread the filling evenly across the dough. I found a small spatula to work the best. Be patient and careful not to tear the dough!

Fold the dough in half lengthwise and cut in half crosswise. Cut each half into nine strips. Working with one strip at a time, twist the entire strip a few times to give it a bit of a spiral appearance. Then, with your left hand holding one end, use your other hand to gently snake the strand around the left end, forming a rosette shape. Tuck the ends other and pinch to seal. Transfer to the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough. If my words are not making any sense, watch this YouTube video. It's very helpful.

Roll the dough along the long edge into a sausage. Using a serrated knife or dental floss cut into twelve rounds. Place onto the prepared baking trays and cover with a kitchen towel. Allow to rise until almost doubled, about 45-60 minutes.

Whilst proving, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. When ready to bake brush the buns with a little beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar, then bake in the preheated oven for about 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. Best served warm.

Belgian Liege Waffles

For Father's Day this year, all Paul wanted was to go on a hike with the family somewhere we had yet to visit. He did a bit of research and chose "the Grand Canyon of the East Coast" as our destination, the tranquil Letchworth State Park in New York. A decent drive from our home, Paul's original plan was to get up and out of the house very early so we could theoretically spend more time hiking there than driving before having to head back home to enjoy some grilled steak. He figured if we left the house by 8:30 AM, then we would arrive there around 11:30 or so and hike around until about 3:00 before making it back to Erie with plenty of time to light the grill, grill the steaks, and have dinner on the porch by 7:00 or so. Needless to say, things did not really go as planned.

Part of this was my fault. I still wanted to feed Paul a special breakfast for Father's Day. Despite my tempting offerings of homemade bagels and lox or Eggs Benedict, Paul really wanted something relatively quick so, again, we would not be lingering around eating when we could be driving to our hiking destination. So, he chose smoothies. I am all for slurping down pureed fruit for breakfast, but that seemed a bit too simple for a celebratory day like Father's Day, so I kept bugging him to pick something else. Suddenly, his face brightened as the memory of something irresistibly delicious popped into his head and he turned toward me and declared: "Liege Waffles!"

We had made Liege Waffles only once before, shortly after Lucy was born when Peter had flown out to visit his new niece. We were chatting about food, like we often do with Peter, and somehow we started talking about true Belgian waffles and their rich delicious and slightly crunchy chew thanks to the generous amount of pearl sugar scattered throughout the batter. No syrup required. We then proceeded to select a recipe, search every grocery store in our area for pearl sugar, and make our own liege waffles. Peter took charge of the actual making of the recipe and they turned out so incredibly good! We never actually tracked down pearl sugar despite our exhaustive efforts, but Peter figured out a way to make some at home and it worked very well! Paul was obsessed with the results and the memory of how much he enjoyed that experience was the reason he chose to select those waffles as part of his father's day breakfast. Only this time, we actually ordered the pearl sugar ahead of time.

Setting an alarm for 6:30 AM so I could make the waffle batter early enough so as not to affect our departure time, When I awoke, I was surprised to find that Paul was already up and stumbling around trying to figure out how to make the batter himself. Boy, he really wanted to make sure we got out on time! I told him to go back to bed and that I had everything covered.

"Ok, maybe for just a few more minutes," he mumbled, rubbing his red eyes.

I proceeded to make the batter and set it aside for the rise. Then, I set the table and got everything prepped to make the smoothies and packed a lunch bag for our afternoon at the park. During this time, Matthew, Emma, Lucy, and Amy all woke up and wandered into the kitchen. Matthew proudly set up Paul's gifts next to his plate, brewed coffee, and started to help me cook off the waffles. Everything was pretty much ready, but there was no sign of the Man of the Hour. I sent up the kids to wake him up and he once again made it downstairs looking like he had just been hit by a bus.

"What happened to waking up early there, Sleeping Beauty?" I asked him. The time was 8:00 AM.

Lucy is sending me her "come hither" signal.

We enjoyed our breakfast of smoothies and waffles. Paul, just like the last time, adored the waffles. He absolutely stuffed himself full of them, claiming that we would "hike it off" later. He also loved his gift from the kids of some wind chimes for the backyard. Paul had specifically asked Matthew to suggest wind chimes to me as a gift, and Matthew followed through! However, by the time we had finished, the time was well past 9:00. Paul began to panic and bark orders at everyone to "get moving!"

Showers were taken, clothes were thrown on, floors were quickly swept, and children were briskly strapped into their car seats. Finally, we were ready to go! The time was 10:00 and Paul was not happy. "We were supposed to leave hours ago!" he grumbled as we finally wound our way along the road leaving our neighborhood.

Pretending to be the Lorax.

It didn't get any better from there. Unfortunately, serving smoothies to the kids for breakfast resulted in an endless number of potty breaks, most of which occurred about three miles after we had passed a convenient rest stop. Let's just say, both kids are becoming quite seasoned at fertilizing rural fields. With each call from the backseat of "I have to go to the potty!" Paul grew increasingly more crazed.

"We are never going to get there! We might as well turn around and go home!!" he threatened as he took a hopping Matthew to the restroom for what seemed like the hundredth time. There is no better day than Father's Day for the children to really highlight the truly messy, tedious, frustrating aspects of fatherhood!

Eventually, we did make it to our destination and it was all worth it. The views! The beautiful views! While hot, the slight breeze ripping through the trees cooled us down nicely and made hiking fairly painless. The waterfalls were breathtaking and even the kids were silenced briefly as they gazed at the wonder before them. We did spy three large snakes along our hike so Amy was on edge the entire time. I enjoyed toying with her anxiety by screaming out "SNAKE!" every once in a while and watching her jump and scream in terror. We were having so much fun that we ignored the increasing shadows as the day grew old and stayed into the early evening, unwilling to rush ourselves as we took in the sights.

We did make it home eventually and, just as on the way down, the potty breaks were ridiculously frequent. Once we arrived home, Matthew and Emma were both sleeping peacefully in the back. Both kids woke up as we pulled them from the back seat, but Matthew requested to go right to his bed and continue sleeping for the night while Emma bounced back into her happy, hyper self and remained with us as we enjoyed a grilled steak dinner...at 10:30 PM.

Sometimes, the best-laid plans often go very wrong. However, sometimes they give way to an even better, more wonderful result. We had a beautiful day despite the initial frustration and angst. And Paul still got to end the day with a 10 oz. rib-eye, so he was feeling pretty dang content to closing his Father's Day with some clogged arteries.

Happy to finally be done with carrying a very heavy Emma on his back!

Oh, and he loved the waffles and hoarded the leftovers days afterwards. I am including the recipe below because I know we will be making them again and perhaps, if you're at all curious about how good these really are, you can try your hand at whipping them up as well!

Liege Waffles
from Whipped the Blog

1 (1/4 ounce) package yeast
1/3 cup lukewarm water
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
3 eggs
1 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional but good!)
1 cup pearl sugar (we bought ours on Amazon)

Mix the yeast, water, sugar and salt in a bowl and let it develop or sit for 15 minutes. Place the flour in a separate large mixing bowl (we use the bowl of our kitchen aid stand mixer) and make a well in the center of the flour.

Using the paddle attachment on a stand mixer, pour the yeast mixture into the well and mix until blended on medium speed. Add the eggs (one at a time), the melted butter a bit at a time, and the vanilla and cinnamon. Be sure to mix well after each addition to the batter. The batter will be thick and very sticky.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and let the dough rest until it doubles in volume inside the bowl, about 1 hour. Gently fold in the pearl sugar and let the dough rest for 15 more minutes. While the dough is resting, heat the waffle iron.

Spoon about a 2″ ball of dough into the center of the waffle iron. This should yield a waffle that is about 4″ in diameter. I know that sounds small, but these rich waffles pack quite a punch. Waffles will take 3-5 minutes to bake. Play around with the heat settings on our waffle iron it to get it to cook to your liking.