Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Since it's National Pancake Day, I figured that I would come back from my extra-long hiatus and actually post a recipe to celebrate today! I made these a couple days ago and could not stop eating them. I ate a couple for breakfast with maple, and then found myself snacking on them plain for the rest of the day. My almost-two-year-old daughter was giggling when I gave these to her because she was so excited (they combine her two favorite things: bananas and chocolate), and she would have eaten the rest of the batch if I had let her. They were addicting, delicious, and fairly healthy. I'll definitely be making them again soon! (And hopefully, when I do make them again, I'll get a better picture. I was trying to snap a picture on my phone while Lilia was begging to eat another one!)

Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes
barely adapted from She Bakes Here

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp white sugar
1 Tb. ground flax seed (optional, but it adds lots of awesome health benefits like omega 3s and fiber!)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
1 cup water
2 tbsp  oil
2 ripe bananas, mashed (I hate the texture of banana lumps in baked goods, so I use an immersion blender to totally liquefy the banana, but mashing them with a fork is fine too!)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used mini chocolate chips)

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Whisk in wet ingredients until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop by 1/4 cupfuls onto hot griddle. Cook until bubbles appear and hold their shape, then flip and continue cooking another 1-2 minutes on other side. Repeat with remaining batter. Makes about 10 pancakes.

Peach Cobbler Muffins

When I was growing up, my grandpa had an orchard. I remember him growing apples, peaches, and cherries, and whenever we went to his house it seemed like there was always some kind of fruit that he had out, ready to share with us. I remember going out to the orchard during the summer and helping pick cherries, and eating them until my stomach hurt (he probably lost more money on the cherries we ate than he made from the ones that we picked and he was able to sell). I remember as summer faded away and fall approached, getting excited to see the boxes of apples and peaches and knowing that my mom would be canning them and we'd be eating them all winter long.

Although my grandpa's orchard has long since been turned into a housing development, I still find myself looking forward to the changing of the seasons and the delicious fruit that comes along with it. Luckily for me, the "apple doesn't fall far from the tree" and my dad shares his dad's love of growing fruit, and he has planted all sorts of fruit trees in his backyard. He keeps us well stocked with fresh, flavorful, homegrown fruit and we always look forward to going to his house to see what good things he has to send home with us that week.

The past couple of weeks, he's been sending us home with fresh, ripe, juicy peaches. My little 16-month old absolutely loves fresh peaches, and could easily eat at least one a day by herself, so we go through peaches fast around here. Last time he sent us some peaches, though, I was able to hide a few from my daughter and make these muffins, and I'm so glad I did! They were the perfect good-bye-to-summer and hello-to-fall food. They were moist, juicy, cinnamony. They captured the deliciousness of peach cobbler exactly, but in a portable, healthier, breakfast-approved way. The streusel is totally optional (if you want the muffins to be even healthier, feel free to omit it) but we loved it with the streusel on top. We all devoured these, and the neighbors that I shared them with also gave them rave reviews. These are definitely best the first day, so make sure you have someone to share them with, or cut the batch in half because it makes a lot. Either way, just make sure you make these while you can still get fresh, juicy peaches--you won't regret it!

Peach Cobbler Muffins
makes 24-28 muffins

wildly adapted from here

muffins:
3 cups flour (I used half whole wheat and half regular)
1 Tb. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup applesauce
1/4 cup oil
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 1/2 cups peeled, pitted, and diced chopped peaches

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin cups with paper liners.

In large bowl mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. In separate bowl mix the oil, applesauce, eggs, and sugar. Stir the oil mixture into the flour mixture just until moist. Stir in milk. Fold in the peaches. Spoon into prepared cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Top each muffin with 2 - 3 tsp. streusel (recipe below) and press down lightly with fingers to adhere the streusel to the muffin batter. Bake 20-25 minutes or until tops of muffins spring back when you touch them and toothpick inserted in center comes out mostly clean.

Streusel topping:
1/3 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, cold and cut into small pieces

Combine all ingredients with fingers, fork, or pastry blender until it resembles small crumbs. Use as directed above.

Birthday Cake Pancakes

I have a serious weakness for funfetti cake. You know, the kind from a box that you can buy at the grocery store for less than $2. They are my absolute favorite. I kid you not when I say that I could eat an entire box by myself in less than 48 hours. I know it's not high-class to crave boxed cake mix, but who am I kidding? I'm not exactly high class. I love food, and in my own personal opinion this is some of the best.

When I saw a recipe online for cake batter pancakes, using cake mix from a box...I couldn't resist. In fact, I didn't even make it three days without making these. And I didn't last a week after that without making them again. They are clearly not the healthiest breakfast...but for an occasional indulgence they are awesome (I'm thinking birthdays, because I want to eat birthday cake for breakfast on my birthday anyway, so why not birthday cake pancakes instead?) As a bonus, the leftovers are awesome as a mid-day snack. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have!

Birthday Cake Pancakes
adapted from How Sweet It Is

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow or white cake mix
2 Tb. granulated sugar
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 Tb. oil
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 -2 cups milk (you may need more or less depending on the brand of cake mix that you use, I used 1 1/4 cups)
1/4 - 1/3 cups multi-colored sprinkles (the big fat ones, they're called "jimmies." If you use little ones they will dissolve too quickly and you won't be able to see the pretty streaks of color)

1. Whisk together dry ingredients in medium mixing bowl. Add eggs, oil, vanilla, almond extract and milk (start with about 1 cup and add more as needed to get desired consistency). Stir in sprinkles.
2. Preheat skillet to medium and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Drop batter by 1/4 cup-fuls onto hot skillet. Cook until bubbles form and stick on top and bottom is golden brown. Flip and cook for about 1 more minute or until golden brown on other side. Serve warm with butter and vanilla glaze (below) or maple syrup.

Vanilla Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. almond extract
3-4 Tb. multi-colored sprinkles
1-2 Tb. milk

Stir all ingredients together until smooth. Drizzle over pancakes.

Breakfast Casserole

We had this breakfast casserole at a brunch after a baby blessing a couple of weeks ago. When Corey took his first bite he let out a big, contented sigh and said it was amazing. He then told me another 4+ times in the next 10 minutes how delicious it was. And then he did something totally unexpected. He went up to my friend's mom and asked her for the recipe, then immediately requested that I make it for dinner that night. No, I'm not joking.

This is easy and delicious, although it does take awhile to bake. But it is definitely worth it. This would be a great breakfast on Christmas morning, or any morning when you're going to be hanging around the house for awhile and will have enough time to wait for it to cook. This also makes great leftovers, so you could even bake it the night before and pop it in the oven the next morning for 15-30 minutes, until heated through and the cheese is warm and bubbly.

Breakfast Casserole
recipe from Julie Argyle

1 pkg. (24-26 oz.) frozen hash browns
1/2 cup butter
1 lb. deli ham, cubed (or breakfast sausage or bacon, cooked and crumbled...or a combination of the three)
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread frozen hash browns evenly in the pan. Thinly slice butter and place evenly over the hash browns (or melt butter and pour over the top of the hash browns). Bake for 25 minutes.
2. Remove hash browns from oven and turn temperature down to 350 degrees. Top hash browns evenly with ham (or sausage/bacon/or a combo).
3. Mix eggs,milk, and salt until completely combined. Pour over hash browns and meat in prepared pan. Return to oven and bake for 30 - 40 minutes, or until set and eggs are completely cooked. Top evenly with cheese and return to oven for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.

Pumpkin Pancakes with Maple-Pecan-Brown Butter

I've been totally obsessed with brown butter lately. It turns out that almost anything is better with brown butter. (Which, to be fair, is not at all surprising. Browned, nutty, salty, fresh butter? How could that not be good?) I had some extra pumpkin after making these pumpkin cheesecakes, so I decided to make these too. It is a great way to use up some extra pumpkin and a fun way to spice up breakfast a little bit instead of the same things we always have. The pancakes were good, but the brown-butter syrup...that is heavenly. I'm sure it would be great on waffles, crepes, buttermilk pancakes, french toast, a spoon...

Pumpkin Pancakes with Maple-Pecan-Brown Butter
adapted from Taste of Home Magazine, October/November 2010


Maple-Pecan-Brown Butter
1/2 cup butter, cubed (I used salted)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans

Pumpkin Pancakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tb. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups milk
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

1. In small saucepan, cook butter until golden brown (about 8 - 10 minutes). Stir occasionally, and don't walk away. Once it starts to brown, it browns very quickly! Remove from heat and add the maple syrup, cinnamon, and pecans.
2. To make pancakes, whisk together eggs, milk, pumpkin, and yogurt. Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined (batter will be lumpy; don't over mix). Drop by 1/4 cupfuls onto hot greased griddle. Cook for about 3-4 minutes (until bubble form on top and keep their shape), flip and cook about 2 more minutes. Continue with remaining batter. Serve pancakes with warm maple-pecan-brown butter and fresh whipped cream.

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

These muffins are absolutely amazing. Want to know how amazing? Last night, I skipped dessert and had another one of these instead. Yeah. If that's not a shining review, I don't know what is (especially since dessert was this delicious cake, it's one of my favorites).

Now normally I'm not too big on banana bread, and mashing up the bananas literally makes me gag (I have weird issues with over-ripe bananas). But I will mash bananas any day for these delicious muffins. As an added bonus, they are healthier than normal (with whole wheat, honey, and light sour cream). I made half of these with cinnamon chips (like chocolate chips, but cinnamon flavored, Hershey's makes a good one) and half with a streusel topping...and both were great, but to be totally honest I think I liked the ones with the cinnamon chips better (which is great because that cuts even more fat and calories). I had all sorts of intentions of freezing part of these to pull out for quick breakfasts later in the week, but I doubt they'll last until the end of the day.

  
Whole Wheat Banana MuffinsRecipe adapted from Cooking Light via Our Best Bites


Muffins:
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 t. cinnamon
2/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c. mashed very ripe banana (I used 5 small bananas)
1/3 c. low-fat sour cream or plain yogurt
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Streusel Topping (optional):
1/2 c. pecans, chopped
6 Tb. packed brown sugar
3 Tb. whole wheat flour
2 Tb. cold butter

OR 1 cup cinnamon chips (instead of streusel)


Preheat the oven to 350. Line a muffin pan with 18-20 paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar, honey, and butter. Add each egg in one at a time, mixing until fluffy and well blended. Add the mashed banana, sour cream, and vanilla. Slowly add in remaining muffin ingredients, mixing until just combined.

Divide the batter evenly (so the cups are about 2/3 full) among 18-20 muffin tins. Combine the streusel ingredients and sprinkle them on top of the batter, or sprinkle with cinnamon chips if desired. Bake for 18 - 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

My husband hates zucchini. I love zucchini. Just not enough to eat the 2 foot long zucchini that my parents sent home with me all by myself. In trying to figure out just how to make that big zucchini disappear, I stumbled upon a delicious sounding recipe on Our Best Bites. Below is the recipe, with a few adaptations. I have to say, it was wonderful! Corey devoured it, and that is saying something considering it has zucchini in it! It is perfectly moist and has a nice balance between the chocolate and cinnamon. If you don't like chocolate and cinnamon together, feel free to leave the cinnamon out.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Bread:
2 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
6 Tb. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 Tb. vanilla
1/2 c. sour cream
2 c. very finely shredded zucchini
1/2 cup applesauce
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup toasted walnuts or pecans (optional)

Topping:
2 Tb. brown sugar
2 Tb. white sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 large (8-9") loaf pans or 5 miniature (4") loaf pans with cooking spray.
2. Beat oil, sugars, and eggs for 1 - 2 minutes or until well combined and slightly fluffy. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix.
3. Stir in zucchini, making sure that it is well incorporated throughout the batter.
4. Add flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder. Mix until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts, if desired.
5. Divide batter evenly among pans. Combine topping ingredients in a separate bowl and sprinkle evenly over the top of the batter.
6. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes (miniature pans) or 50 - 60 minutes (large pans). Cool 2 minutes, then invert onto cooling rack to cool completely. Serve warm with a glass of cold milk!

Blueberry Crumb Muffins

These are probably the best muffins I've ever had, and I'm not just saying that. They were totally worth the extra effort to make them from scratch instead of using a mix. This recipe is adapted from Dorie Greenspan, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!


Blueberry Crumb Muffins

Crumb Topping:
5 tbsp cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup oatmeal

Muffins
2 cups frozen blueberries, NOT thawed
1 Tb. flour
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2/3 cup sugar
zest of 1 lemon
6 Tb. butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk
juice of 1/2 lemon

1. Preheat oven to 350 dcgrees. Line 20 - 24 muffin cups with papers.
2. Put all ingredients for crumb topping except oatmeal in food processor and mix until small crumbs form. (Don't overmix or the crumbs will all clump together and you'll get a big blob of butter on top of each muffin--not appetizing). Mix in oatmeal with fingers or a spoon. Place in freezer while you prepare the muffin batter.
3. Mix lemon juice and milk and set aside. Mix 1 Tb. flour with blueberries, just to coat the outside of the blueberries; set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix sugar and lemon zest with the paddle attachment until well combined. Add butter and cream for about 3 minutes, until mixture is light yellow and creamy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat for 2 minutes.
5. Add one cup of flour and mix on low speed until flour is mixed in. Add milk/lemon juice mixture and blend well. Add remaining 1 cup flour and salt, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix on low until just combined. Do not overmix or the muffins will not rise properly.
6. Fold blueberries into batter. Mixture will be very thick.
7. Divide batter between muffin cups, filling only about 1/2 full (I got 22 muffins out of my batch). Top batter with crumb topping, evenly divided amongst muffins. Press down lightly on crumbs so they will stick to the muffin batter.
8. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until tops spring back when touched and tops are golden brown. Move to a wire rack and cool at least 5 minutes before serving (or you'll burn your tongue on a hot blueberry...not that I would know or anything).

Stuffed French Toast

Lest you all think that all I ever make it desserts, here is a breakfast recipe! Ok, so it's sweet and delicious and could probably work as a dessert, but it's technically a breakfast food (work with me here). This recipe is perfect for adapting, the possibilities are endless!

Stuffed French Toast

12 slices french bread (sliced 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick)
1/2 cup nutella
2 bananas, thinly sliced
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
whipped cream and berries for topping

1. In large bowl beat eggs, milk, powdered sugar, and cinnamon.
2. Spread nutella thinly on one side of each slice of bread. Top half of the bread slices with bananas, and top with another bread slice to form a "sandwich."
3. Heat large skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray. Dip each sandwich into egg mixture and cook in skillet for 4-5 minutes on each side, until crisp and brown.
4. Top with berries and cream. Enjoy!

*Feel free to experiment with the fillings--raspberry cream cheese and raspberry jam are great together, as are honey nut cream cheese and bananas, thinly sliced strawberry and plain cream cheese, peanut butter and bananas or maple syrup, etc. They're also great topped with strawberry cheesecake ice cream...not that I had that for breakfast today or anything...

Gingerbread Waffles

A few years ago Mica found a gingerbread waffle mix at Williams-Sonoma. We made them all together as a family and they were about the most delicious things I've ever eaten. And eat we did. Probably about 10 waffles each. It was out of control, but in a good way. I never bought them myself because I couldn't handle the price tag of $10 a box, but this year I convinced myself I would buy some since they were so good and I was craving them. So we went to Williams-Sonoma only to find out that they didn't make them this year! A tragedy! So I did what I always do when confronted with such a dilemma: google it and try to find my own recipe. I found a recipe on the food network website and modified it. They are delicious, easy and cheap, 3 of my very favorite things!

Gingerbread Waffles
2 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
3/4 cup milk
3 Tb. molasses
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
Bananas, whipped cream, caramel topping and/or maple syrup for topping

1. Preheat waffle iron. In large bowl beat eggs and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add pumpkin, milk, molasses, butter, and vanilla.
3. Stir in dry ingredients and mix until just blended. Do not over mix.
4. Spray waffle iron with cooking spray. Pour batter onto waffle iron and cook until done (2 - 5 minute depending on the waffle iron). Top with syrup or caramel, sliced bananas and whipped cream.

Serves 4 - 6.

Poppy Seed Cake

Merry Christmas! I hope that you all had a great time with friends, family, and lots of good food. I made this for Christmas breakfast. It's been adapted to make it a little healthier, but it's still not too great for you...but don't let that stop you from eating a little bit, it is absolutely delicious! In fact, Corey informed me that this cake is his favorite thing that I make. And that's saying a lot. Don't skimp on the glaze, that is what puts this cake over the top.

Poppy Seed Cake

Cake
3 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup Splenda
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup + 2 Tb. oil
1 1/2 Tb. poppy seeds
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. almond extract

Glaze
1 cup + 2 Tb. powdered sugar
3 Tb. butter, melted
3/4 tsp. vanilla
3/4 tsp. almond extract
1/4 cup + 2 Tb orange juice concentrate, thawed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 6 small (2" x 5") loaf pans.
2. Mix sugar, Splenda, oil, and applesauce. Add eggs, vanilla, milk, and almond extract. Add dry ingredients. Divide evenly among pans.
3. Bake for 40 - 50 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately remove to cooling racks. Meanwhile prepare glaze ingredients. Pour glaze over tops and sides of cakes.

Apple Braid

This is a delicious bread recipe that doubles as breakfast or dessert. It's just sweet enough to satisfy your sweet tooth but not so sweet that it is overpowering. Enjoy!

Apple Braid

Bread
2 1/2 cups bread flour
3/4 tsp. salt
2 Tb. sugar or honey
1 Tb. instant yeast (I recommend SAF brand)
1 - 1 1/4 cups very hot water
2 Tb. melted butter or margarine

Filling
2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
pinch cloves
2 Tb. flour
2 Tb. butter or margarine

Icing
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup softened butter or margarine
1 Tb. water
1 tsp. vanilla

1. Mix all dry ingredients for bread in large mixing bowl with bread hook. Mix until well blended. Add very hot water and melted butter. Mix for 1 minute, until well combined. Check consistency. You want it to be a stick dough, not a dry dough. Add water or flour to get to desired consistency and mix for 5 more minutes.
2. Spray jelly roll pan with cooking spray. Place dough in pan and roll out so it fills the edges of the pan. Cut 4" strips down each of the long sides of the pan, leaving the center uncut.
3. Prepare the filling by mixing all filling ingredients and microwaving in medium bowl for 2 minutes, or until apples are soft and filling is thick. Spoon down center of braid.
4. Starting from the top, fold one strip of bread over diagonally and press it so it touches the bottom of the strip on the other side. Pinch well so it stays in place. Repeat from the other side. Continue until all strips have been pinched onto the opposite side. Pinch together the bottom of the braid so it seals in the filling and fold end under the braid. Repeat with top of braid.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover braid with dishcloth and let raise 25 minutes. Remove dish cloth and bake for 20 minutes, or until bottom and top are lightly browned. Remove braid from baking sheet and place on cooling rack to cool (this prevents the bottom from getting soggy). Cool 5 minutes and top with glaze.

Fresh Peach Cobbler

I remember making this with my mom when I was younger. The smell is AMAZING and it tastes even better. It's perfect for breakfast (warmed up in the microwave) on a chilly fall or winter day, and makes a great dessert when you add vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. This is a classic Betty Crocker recipe, and I've never tasted another cobbler that I like quite as much. This time I made peach-raspberry cobbler with fresh peaches from my dad's orchard (aka his backyard full of fruit trees) and fresh raspberries from my in-law's garden. I also used Splenda instead of sugar and it turned out fabulous! Enjoy!

Peach Cobbler a la Betty Crocker

1/2 cup sugar or Splenda
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups sliced fresh peaches (6 medium) or 1 large can peaches (with juice)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons shortening
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar or Splenda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup fresh raspberries (optional)

1. Heat oven to 400º.
2. Mix 1/2 cup sugar, the cornstarch and cinnamon in 2-quart saucepan. Stir in peaches (and raspberries if desired) and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Pour into ungreased 2-quart casserole; keep peach mixture hot in oven.
3. Cut shortening into flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, the baking powder and salt in medium bowl, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until mixture look like fine crumbs. Stir in milk. Drop dough by 6 spoonfuls onto hot peach mixture.
4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream if desired (and it's totally recommended, even for breakfast. Cobbler is just never as good without a big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream).

Raspberry-Nut Dreams

I discovered this recipe in one of my cookbooks. It is a compilation of the top 100 recipes from the 42nd Pillsbury Bake-Off contest. There are a lot of really good recipes in there, but this one caught my eye. They are really good for dinner (paired with some nice fresh fruit or scrambled eggs) and the leftovers are perfect for a quick breakfast (just take them out of the fridge and microwave for about 20 seconds). I know that my pictures make them look a little "oozy." I kind of went overboard on the raspberries. I recommend you stick to the 1 cup! They still taste great, just a little extra cleanup and a little less pretty.

Raspberry-Nut Dreams

1/2 cup salted roasted macadamia nuts OR sliced almonds (we use the almonds because Corey doesn't like macadamia nuts as much)
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 packages (3 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup (I use a litte extra) frozen raspberries, thawed, drained and liquid reserved
1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® Flaky Layers refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1/3 cup flaked coconut

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray 16 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray. In food processor, process macadamia nuts with on-and-off motions until coarsely chopped. Add brown sugar; process until combined. Place in small bowl; set aside.
2. In same food processor, process cream cheese, 2 tablespoons nut mixture and 1 to 2 tablespoons reserved raspberry liquid until smooth.
3. Separate dough into 8 biscuits; separate each into 2 layers, making a total of 16 rounds. Lightly press each round in bottom and up side of muffin cup. Spoon about 1/2 tablespoon cream cheese mixture into each dough-lined cup. Top each evenly with raspberries, 1 tablespoon remaining nut mixture and 1 teaspoon coconut.
4. Bake 14 to 22 minutes or until coconut is lightly browned. Cool in pan 5 minutes before serving.

Crepes

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Place ingredients in blender container in the order given. Blend 30 seconds, stop and stir down sides. Blend 30-60 seconds until smooth. Or, mix in bowl with wire whisk or mixer, first combining flour and eggs, adding liquid gradually. Beat until smooth; add other ingredients.

This is just the recipe for the batter, how you cook them is up to you. We like to use a crepe maker (Maxim Electric Crepe Maker). It makes things easy, and less messy, with a 30 second no-stick cook and release. Just pour the batter into a shallow pie pan and dip the crepe maker. I usually double the recipe, just to be sure that everyone gets their fill of crepes.

There are many different variations of crepes. Breakfast burrito crepes are one of my favorite. (Thanks to Aubrie and Corey)Scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, fried potatoes, and hot sauce. Berries with cream, bananas with Nutella and cream is also a treat. Butter and sugar make a delicious simple topping. Be creative, but be sure to share your favorite variation!

Sticky Buns

These are a classic Bezzant breakfast food. We used to eat them all the time when we were kids. When I moved out and went to college I would make them for my roommates. Now that I'm married I make them for Corey. They're really easy to make and taste fantastic. If you don't have the Bezzant sweet tooth, consider yourself warned as they can be really rich and sweet if you eat too many of them.


Sticky Buns

3 Tb. butter or margarine
1/3 C. brown sugar
1 Tb. water
1 tsp. cinnamon

Microwave in a large bowl or round casserole dish for 1 minute.
Add 1 container refrigerated biscuits (10), cut into thirds or quarters. Stir the biscuit pieces into the sauce. Spread apart and put a small glass bowl or glass in the middle (so that they heat evenly and there are not any in the middle that don't get cooked all the way through). If you want, add 1/4 cup chopped pecans. Microwave on high for 2 1/2 - 3 minutes. Let cool slightly & serve. You can either dish them up individually into plates/bowls, invert onto a plate, or just eat it straight out of the bowl (that's what we usually do now...why dirty another dish?)
Serves 2-4