Category Archives: breakfast

RUSTIC DUNKING CAKE (CIAMBELLA)

by carlina

Ingredients:

Unsalted butter for greasing baking sheet
All purpose flour for dusting baking sheet and work surface
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups corn flour or very finely ground cornmeal
2/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsps cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp anise seed, or to taste
5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup sweet white wine
2 eggs

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Grease baking sheet with softened butter and dust with flour, shaking off the excess. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, corn flour, sugar, cream of tartar, baking soda, and aniseed. Add the melted butter, olive oil, milk and wine. Stir to mix well.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs lightly, then set aside 1 teaspoon for glazing. Add the remaining egg to the flour mixture and stir ingredients together thoroughly. Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until the dough holds together in a compact mound, about 5 minutes.

Plunge both thumbs into the center of the mound and pull the dough into a thick ring about 8 inches in diameter. Center the doough ring on the prepared baking sheet and brush the top and sides with the reserved beaten egg.

Bake until golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. (The flavor of the cake improves on the second or third day after baking. Tightly wrapped and refrigerated, it keeps for a week.) Cut into slices to serve.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

PUFFED OVEN BAKED PANCAKES

by carlina

Ingredients (for one serving):

2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 egg
0.25 cup low fat milk
0.25 cup flour
0.5 tsp grated lemon zest
almond extract

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 475F degrees (250C degrees)

Beat egg thoroughly.

Gradually add milk, then flour. Beating until smooth.

Stir in almond extract and lemon zest.

Warm up 4″ skillet/ramekin/baking dish in oven for 2 minutes.

Melt the butter in baking dish and pour the batter into the ramekin. Return to oven.

Cook until golden and puffed, approximately 12 minutes.

NO-SUGAR ALMOND and BANANA PANCAKES

by carlina

No-sugar Banana and Almond pancakes

Ingredients:

1 egg
1.5 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup almond milk
2 bananas (one mashed, and the other one thinly sliced)
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Plenty of frozen berries or other fruit compote to use as topping

Preparation:

In one bowl beat the egg, then add and combine in it the almond extract, the almond milk and the mashed banana

In another bowl mix together the four, flaxsead meal, oats, and almonds; then fold in the content from the other bowl. Now add the sliced banana and mix thoroughly.

In a cast iron skillet make the pancakes about 3″ in diameter and about 1/2 thick.

Serve with your choice of berry or fruit compote.

LEMON-POPPY SEED SCONES

by carlina

lemon-poppy-seed-scone1.jpg

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup (or more) whole milk

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Position rack in top third of oven.

Mix flour, 1 cup sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, lemon peel, and salt in processor. Add butter and cut in, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Whisk egg and lemon juice in medium bowl to blend. Add to flour mixture. Using on/off turns, process until moist clumps form. Add 1/3 cup milk. Using on/off turns, process just until dough comes together, adding more milk if dough seems dry.

Using floured hands, gather dough into ball. Flatten into 8-inch round. Cut round into 8 wedges. Transfer scones to large baking sheet; brush with milk. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake until scones are golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

Makes 8 scones.

from Bon Appétit | March 2002

GINGER SCONES

by carlina

ginger-chocolate-scone.jpg

Ingredients:
  • 4 Cups flour
  • 1/2 Cup sugar
  • 1/2 Cup brown sugar — firmly packed
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 2 Teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 Teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 Cup unsalted butter — chilled and cut into small pieces
  • 1 Cup buttermilk
  • 2 eggs — lightly beaten
  • 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 Teaspoon orange zest — grated
  • 10 Ounces semisweet chocolate — chopped
  • 1/2 Cup crystallized ginger — finely chopped

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375. Combine first 6 ingredients in a food processor or bowl. Add butter and process until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Combine next 4 ingredients in a separate bowl. Mix thoroughly. Add liquid ingredients to flour mixture. Very gently stir until dough is just moistened and begins to cling together. Stir in chocolate and ginger. The less this dough is handled the better the results will be.

Drop dough onto an ungreased baking sheet in 1/3 cup amounts. Leave at least 1 inch between scones. Bake 15-17 minutes or until scones are golden. Cool on wire rack at least 5 minutes before removing from baking sheet.

Serves 12.

NOTE – If you don’t have buttermilk handy, you can substitute as follows:
– take 1 cup of milk (or milk substitute like soy milk);
– add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar;
– allow the soured milk to stand for 10 minutes before adding to recipe.

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Photography by sirbrillig