Barefoot Bloggers Backtracking: Herb Baked Eggs

Wow - a bunch of new things over at the Barefoot Bloggers this month. First it has been a year since the Barefoot Bloggers have been active and Tara did a wonderful roundup post of a lot of favorite recipes. Check it out here - I'm in there. Another new feature is backtracking. On occasion she is going to allow us to skip one of the monthly recipes and do any of the older recipes in its place. Well the first recipe for this month is for Tuna Salad. Thanks to Kate of Warm Olives and Cool Cocktails for the choice. The Tuna Salad looks fantastic but I know it is something that only I would be eating. It has basically raw tuna, wasabi, avocado, and all sorts of things Lara would not eat. Waaaay too much work for just me. I feel a little guilty for not making the tuna but I am going to have to use the new backtracking feature to make the Herb Baked Eggs.

One of the recipes featured in the roundup was the Herb Baked Eggs. It was the favorite of BMK over at Reservations not Required and she made it look fantastic. It was Mother's day this week so that seem like the perfect occasion to make a special breakfast.

The recipe was pretty simple. You need some oven-proof shallow dishes and the whole thing is made under the broiler. I think I would have to count the recipe as a success. My one complaint was that the eggs came out a little runny. That's not a problem for me but it is for my wife and a lot of other people. The eggs on the ends were starting to get hard yolks while the middle still had runny whites. I do see now that a lot of the comments mention the same issue. A combination of baking and broiling might be the solution or some comments say just to bake at 350 for 15 minutes. I will have to play around with that next time.

Other than the done-ness issue - these were wonderful. The fresh herbs and cheese made these smell and taste fantastic. I need to get more of an herb garden going since they are so expensive to buy when all you need is a half teaspoon.

It looks like the recipe was originally picked by Tara at Smells like Home. Thanks Tara for the pick and for all the hard work this past year - I have really enjoyed it.

Herb Baked Eggs

(Source: Barefoot In Paris)

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
• 6 extra-large eggs
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Toasted French bread or brioche, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the broiler for 5 minutes and place the oven rack 6 inches below the heat.
2. Combine the garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and Parmesan and set aside. Carefully crack 3 eggs into each of 2 small bowls or teacups (you won't be baking them in these) without breaking the yolks. (It's very important to have all the eggs ready to go before you start cooking.)
3. Place 2 individual gratin dishes on a baking sheet. Place 1 tablespoon of cream and 1/2 tablespoon of butter in each dish and place under the broiler for about 3 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Quickly, but carefully, pour 3 eggs into each gratin dish and sprinkle evenly with the herb mixture, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place back under the broiler for 5 to 6 minutes, until the whites of the eggs are almost cooked. (Rotate the baking sheet once if they aren't cooking evenly.) The eggs will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven. Allow to set for 60 seconds and serve hot with toasted bread.

Eggs Benedict Arnold

What are Eggs Benedict Arnold you might ask.  It is when your eggs and everything else turn traitor on you.  It has been a while since I have posted anything so I thought I needed to try something new.  One of the things on my unwritten list of things to try was poached eggs.  

Poached eggs was probably one of the things that got me started in cooking.  I remember cooking lots of poached eggs as a child.  Not "real" poached eggs but the kind you make in the little cups.  As a kid I remember liking how perfect they looked if you made them right.  You had to time it just right so the yolk was runny but the white wasn't.  Then I would flip them over on toast and if everything went right they didn't break until you were ready to break them.

Well that was over 30 years ago so I thought it was time to try making poached eggs for real - in boiling water.  What better way to use poached eggs than in Eggs Benedict.  That way I would get to try out making a Hollandaise sauce too.

 How many things can go wrong in one recipe.  My first mistake was believing that I could make the Hollandaise sauce ahead of time.  The timing is kind of short on Eggs Benedict so I liked the idea of pre-making the Hollandaise.  I have fallen for the same make-ahead thing twice when making butter cream frosting and it didn't work either time.  It didn't work here either.  Making the Hollandaise does take a little while and you need to stir the whole time but it wasn't too hard and this step actually went well.  The sauce looked and tasted good.  The recipe said I could store it and reheat at 50% in the microwave - stirring every 10 seconds.  As soon as it started to get warm the sauce separated and the eggs started to cook - it ended up looking kind of curdled.  

I think the bad sauce would have been enough wrong but that wasn't the end.  I cooked the English muffins in the broiler and burnt them - not too big of a disaster - I threw some more in and got the next batch right.  The eggs ended up over done too - probably because I was so flustered dealing with all the other stuff.  

Considering all the issues they didn't taste too bad - you could tell what they were supposed to be at least.  I won't make you view any pictures of this one though - it wasn't pretty.  I will put this on my list to try again.  Give me a month or two to get over it and I will try again and hopefully get it right next time.

Barefoot Bloggers: Easy Sticky Buns

I was kind of excited when I saw that there were two breakfast recipes to do this month.  The banana pancakes sounded (and were) great.  I was a little less enthusiastic about the Easy Sticky Buns.  I say this for two reasons:

1. I have always wanted to make some good sticky rolls but a big issue with them is it is hard to make them for two people.  I could cut this recipe in half if I wanted but I was pretty sure my wife would not like these with the nuts and raisins and I new I didn't need to eat six myself.
2. The second issue I had was the word "Easy".  Usually something with the word easy in it calls for cans of Cream of Mushroom soup or something similar.  Not every recipe with Cream of Mushroom soup is bad and I have been known to make a few - but I do enjoy cooking and I don't seek out things that are "easy".  

Both of my fears were unfounded.  My wife was having a breakfast at Church where she was going to bring some Blueberry muffins made from a mix - I couldn't let that happen - could I?  A dozen was what she wanted so it worked out perfect ( I actually gave her 11 and ate one myself).  As for my issues with the word easy - Ina Garten hasn't let me down yet so I went for it.

The recipe was easy.  It used puff pastry for the dough so no yeast dough to knead and let rise.  You just sprinkle some ingredients on and roll it up and slice into the rolls.  You stick the rolled up dough into a muffin pan along with some butter, brown sugar, and nuts.  It is that easy.  The butter and brown sugar form a caramel while it bakes.  When you are done you flip them over so the caramel sauce and nuts are on top of the roll.  

I have to admit that even though they were easy they were tasty.  My wife didn't try one because of the nuts but it would be easy to leave them off some of the rolls if I needed too.  She did say they were a big hit at here church breakfast and they were finished off.  I would also say if there is anytime where easy is a good thing it is for a breakfast item.  You don't want to be waiting two hours for something to rise before anyone gets to eat.

My only hint is to work quickly taking them out of the pan.  I might even try to do it before the five minutes is up.  When they start to cool the caramel and nuts start to stick in the pan and you want every last drop.  Cleanup might seem like it will be a pain but everything cleans up pretty easy with a little soak in hot water.  Just make sure to put the muffin pan on parchment paper and a sheet pan so it doesn't get all over the oven - that would be a mess.

One other thing I noticed is that my package of puff pastry had you thaw at room temp for an hour or so.  This doesn't really work great first thing in the morning.  I checked their web site and there they mention that it is actually preferred to thaw overnight in the refrigerator so that is what I did.

Thanks to Melissa at Made by Melissa for this recipe.  I like her menu Mondays feature where she gives her menus for the whole week.  I think I am going to have to start following Melissa.

Easy Sticky Buns

(Source: Back to Basics, page 240)

Makes 12 sticky buns

Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons (1 & 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped in very large pieces
• 1 package (17.3 ounces/ 2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted 

For the filling

• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 cup raisins

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. 
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture. 
3. Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with half of the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1½ teaspoons of the cinnamon, and ½ cup of the raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the roll about ½ inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1½ inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns. 
4. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon) and cool completely. 

Barefoot Bloggers: Banana Sour Cream Pancakes

So this month we get a breakfast choice - actually two which you will see in the next post.  Lara is a little concerned since she saw sour cream in the title but she does like breakfast.  We were in Florida for vacation for the last two weeks (80 degrees - nice) but now I am back in MN (-15 brrrr) and ready to start cooking again.

My parents came over to visit - now that they have a grandbaby here they visit more ofter and I decided I could fix the pancakes for them to try.  I asked if anyone objected to breakfast for supper and they decided they would give them a try.

Somehow I had all the ingredients except for the sour cream - I remember going to get the sour cream so I am not sure what happened there.  Anyway I had a little over half of what I needed and I used some 1/2 & 1/2 and lemon juice as a substitute.

The batter came out pretty thick for me - I added a little extra milk but it was still pretty thick.  The pancakes were very easy to make and they came out very good.  I think both the sour cream and banana flavor was mild but it was just right for me.  The lemon zest was a nice touch - my Dad even picked up on the citrus taste right away.  Everyone liked them - even Lara.  I'll get her to see that she can eat sour cream.

Thanks to Karen of Something Sweet by Karen for this months recipe.  

Banana Sour Cream Pancakes

(Source: Barefoot Contessa Family Style, Page 177)

Makes 12 Pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
  
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• Unsalted butter
• 2 ripe bananas, diced, plus extra for serving
• Pure maple syrup

Directions

1. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, mixing only until combined.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat until it bubbles. Ladle the pancake batter into the pan to make 3 or 4 pancakes. Distribute a rounded tablespoon of bananas on each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles appear on top and the underside is nicely browned. Flip the pancakes and then cook for another minute until browned. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, add more butter to the pan, and continue cooking pancakes until all the batter is used. Serve with sliced bananas, butter and maple syrup.

It's my Birthday!

Let me start this by saying that my wife is not really a cook. She is not really detail oriented when it comes to cooking and usually ends up skipping a step or two. When she mentions that she might cook breakfast she usually means oatmeal. So when ever she asks if I want breakfast I say I would like a Pannekoeken or something that I know she will never make.

Today is my birthday and Lara decided to actually make pannekoeken. Somehow we actually had all the ingredients so she was able to do it. I think the only mistake she made was the oven temp and this was corrected before it was too late. As you can see it came out nicely. The apples were very good - a little sweet - a little tart. It is apple season now and I think it was Braeburn apples that were used instead of the Granny Smith called for in the recipe. The recipe wasn't in the breakfast section of the cookbook - it was in the dessert section - so you know it was going to be good. I ate the last piece later on with a little vanilla ice cream and it was just as good for dessert as it was for breakfast.

German Apple Pancake

(Source: The New Best Recipe)

Serves 4

• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup half and half
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 3 medium Granny Smith apples (about 1 1/4 pounds) peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4 inch slices.
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• Maple syrup, warmed, for serving

1. Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat to 500 degrees. Combine the eggs, half and half, vanilla, salt, and granulated sugar in food processor or blender and process until well combined, about 15 seconds. Add the flour and process until mixed and free of lumps, about 30 seconds; set the batter aside.
2. Add the butter to a 10 inch non-stick oven-proof skillet and heat over medium-high until butter is foaming. Add the apples and sprinkle brown sugar on top. Cook, stirring occasionally, until apples turn light brown, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until apples are golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Remove the pan from heat. Quickly pour the batter around the edge of the pan, then over the apples; place the pan in the oven. Reduce the oven heat to 425 degrees and cook until brown and puffed, 16 to 17 minutes. With a heatproof spatula loosen the pancake. Invert the pancake onto a serving platter, dust it with confectioners' sugar, and serve immediately, accompanied by the warm maple syrup.