9/29/12

Crepes + Mixed Berry Compote


I just realized I don't have a crepe recipe on the blog! I love making crepes - it's fun, easy and makes breakfast feel a little more special. Here is my go-to crepe recipe.

Crepes

1 cup flour
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup water
2 Tbs butter, melted
1/4 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth (I hear you can also use a blender for this, but I'd rather not fuss with washing my blender). Heat a frying pan over medium high heat and coat with cooking spray. Pick up the pan in one hand. Use your other hand to pour 1/4 cup of batter onto the middle of the pan, then tilt the pan in a circular motion to get the batter to spread in an even circle (you'll mess up the first one, but then they'll all turn out perfect after that. It's a learning process). Cook until the top is set and looks dry - watch it and you'll see the shine on the surface disappear - about 2 minutes. Turn out onto a plate, then repeat with remaining batter.

I like to fill my crepes with a variety of different things, but almost always include fresh whipped cream, and always with a dusting of powdered sugar on top. A few ideas:

Nutella and banana
Apple cinnamon and whipped cream
Berries and whipped cream
Cottage cheese, fruit and whipped cream
Peaches and whipped cream

These were berry and peach crepes. I used this mixed berry compote:


Mixed Berry Compote

2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice plus 2 teaspoons
3 tablespoons honey
3 cups frozen mixed berries
1 tsp vanilla

Dissolve the cornstarch in the 2 teaspoons orange juice. Set aside. Combine the 1 1/2 cups orange juice and honey in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, let cook for 1 minute or until the honey has completely dissolved. Add the berries and cook for 5 minutes. Add the cornstarch and cook until the mixture thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla. Serve warm over pancakes, french toast, oatmeal, ice cream or crepes.


9/10/12

Doughnut Muffins



Raise your hand if you love doughnuts! Raise your hand if you wish you could make them at home! Raise your hand if you hate frying with oil in your kitchen! Wow, you too?!

Well, I have just the solution for you. These muffins taste uncannily close to a sugared cake doughnut. They are totally awesome. Now, don't be thinking that by baking instead of frying you're skipping out on calories here. Don't you worry, each one is submerged in melted butter before rolling in cinnamon sugar. This is not health food. But I do like that they are not actually fried. No oily smelling house, no burned arms, no stress (I stress out when I get around hot oil). I made these for a baby shower and everyone loved them!

Doughnut Muffins

1-¾ cup Flour
1-½ teaspoon Baking Powder
½ teaspoons Salt
½ teaspoons Nutmeg
½ teaspoons Cinnamon
⅓ cups Oil
¾ cups White Sugar
1 whole Egg
¾ cups Milk

3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 stick butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. In a large bowl, combine oil, sugar, egg and milk. Add dry ingredients and stir just until combined.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a bowl. Combine the white sugar with the cinnamon in another bowl.

Shake muffins out while still hot. Dip muffins in butter, then into the sugar/cinnamon mix. Let cool.



Recipe adapted from Tasty Kitchen and Pioneer Woman.