Fruit Salad with Limoncello

I made this quick and easy no-cook breakfast dish for my family during their visit over the holidays, and what a big hit it was! For a dish so simple and light, it’s a colorful feast for the eyes and packs loads of flavor. Everyone enjoyed it so much, there was nothing left!

Source: Fruit Salad with Limoncello, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

Ingredients

7 ounces Greek yogurt (recommended: Fage Total)

⅓ cup good bottled lemon curd

1 tablespoon honey

¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups sliced strawberries (1 pint)

1 cup raspberries (½ pint)

1 cup blueberries (½ pint)

2 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons limoncello liqueur

1 banana, sliced

Fresh mint springs

Directions

For the lemon yogurt topping, whisk together the yogurt, lemon curd, honey, and vanilla and set aside at room temperature.

For the fruit salad, carefully toss together the strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, sugar, and limoncello. Allow them to stand at room temperature for about 5 minutes to let the berries macerate with the sugar and liqueur. Gently fold the banana into the mixture.

Serve bowls of fruit with a dollop of lemon yogurt on top. Top each with a sprig of fresh mint.

French Toast Bread Pudding

Who doesn't love French toast or bread pudding? When you taste this, you'll think Ina is a genius to marry the two together in this dish. McHubby and I made this Barefoot Bloggers selection for our family over the weekend after Thanksgiving, and everyone loved it!

Source: French Toast Bread Pudding, Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That?

Ingredients

1 challah loaf, sliced ¾ inch thick

8 extra-large eggs

5 cups half-and-half or milk

3 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Confectioners’ sugar and pure maple syrup, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Arrange the bread in two layers in a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking dish, cutting the bread to fit the dish. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, honey, orange zest, vanilla, and salt. Pour the mixture over the bread and press the bread down. Allow to soak for 10 minutes.

Place the baking dish in a larger roasting pan and add enough very hot tap water to the roasting pan to come an inch up the side of the baking dish. Cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil, tenting it so the foil doesn’t touch the pudding. Make two slashes in the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes, remove the aluminum foil, and bake for another 40 to 45 minutes, until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.

With a small sieve, dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar and serve hot in squares with maple syrup on the side.

Roasted Vegetable Frittata

McHubby and I love having breakfast for dinner, and frittatas are perfect for such occasions. The roasted veggies impart a sweet flavor in this Barefoot Bloggers selection. This dish is perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner!

Source: Roasted Vegetable Frittata, Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That?

Ingredients

1 small zucchini, 1-inch diced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and 1 ½-inch diced

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1 ½-inch diced

1 red onion, 1 ½-inch diced

⅓ cup good olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)

12 extra-large eggs

1 cup half-and-half

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

⅓ cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (3 scallions)

½ cup grated Gruyère cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Place the zucchini, peppers, and onion on a sheet pan. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with 1 ½ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, and toss well. Bake for 15 minutes. Add the garlic, toss again, and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the oven to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.

In a 10-inch ovenproof saute pan, melt the butter and saute the scallions over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Add the roasted vegetables to the pan and toss with the scallions. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and cook for 2 minutes over medium-low heat without stirring. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake the frittata for 20 to 30 minutes, until puffed and set in the middle. Sprinkle with the Gruyère and bake for another 3 minutes, until the cheese is just melted. Cut into 6 or 8 wedges and serve hot.

Pumpkin Popovers

After making the Barefoot Contessa’s Popovers for Barefoot Bloggers earlier this week, I wanted to try it again with the flavor of pumpkin.

Popovers are known for being fickle—sometimes they just don’t “pop” and my first batch of pumpkin popovers disappointingly did not. For that batch, I used ½ cup of pumpkin, which likely made the batter too heavy. Determined to try to figure out the secret to popovers, I did some online research and found that without yeast or chemical leaveners, popovers rise purely by steam. It’s what makes them “pop.” For this reason, you want to ideally make the batter with a lower-protein flour and use it right away without letting it rest—letting it rest allows the gluten to develop and traps air bubbles, which is the opposite of what you want in a popover. In addition, using room temperature ingredients is important. The less cold the ingredients, the faster the oven can start converting the liquid in the batter to steam for “popping” the popovers.

This recipe worked pretty well in getting “popped” popovers, but the rise was still not as dramatic as the plain popovers. The pumpkin flavor was subtle and delicate, and the steamy interiors were moist and "eggy." These popovers serve well with butter, Nutella, or apple butter.

Adapted from: Pumpkin Popovers, EatingWell, November/December 1992

Ingredients

¼ cup canned pumpkin puree

3 large eggs, at room temperature

3 large egg whites, at room temperature

2 cups milk, at room temperature

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon vanilla sugar

¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. When hot, place popover (or muffin) pans in oven for 2 minutes to preheat.

Whisk together pumpkin puree, eggs, egg whites, milk, and oil in a medium bowl until smooth. Combine flour, salt, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.

Remove warmed pans from oven, grease with cooking spray and divide the batter among the prepared cups. Bake the popovers until they are puffed and browned, about 30 minutes and serve warm.

Baked Pumpkin French Toast

Perfect for feeding a crowd, this baked French toast was rich with flavor and received so many compliments! This easy recipe must be assembled in advance to allow enough time for the bread to soak in the batter. The crunchy, caramelized crust from the pecans and sprinkled sugar is divine. I’ll be making this recipe again and again!

Adapted from: Baked French Toast, Martha Stewart Living, November 2010

Ingredients

10-12 slices day-old brioche or Challah (about ¾ inch thick)

6 large eggs

¾ cup cooked or canned pumpkin

1 cup milk (whole or 2% preferred)

⅓ cup heavy cream

½ cup sugar or vanilla sugar, divided

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon coarse salt

1 cup pecans (coarsely chopped or crushed)

Toppings:

1 cup sweetened whipped cream

Maple syrup

Additional nutmeg for garnish

Directions

Beat 6 large eggs in a bowl. Whisk in pumpkin, milk, heavy cream, ¼ cup sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.

Working in batches, dip brioche slices into batter to coat. Overlap brioches slices in a 9-by-13-inch ceramic or glass baking dish. Pour remaining batter over top. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Top with pecans and sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup sugar. Bake, covered with parchment-lined foil, for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake until top is golden brown and crunchy, 20 to 25 minutes more. Serve with favorite toppings.

Barefoot Popovers

Until now, I’ve never made popovers before. Somehow, they always seemed a bit intimidating. But with only five ingredients, this Barefoot Bloggers recipe was so easy! I read through the comments before making my popovers, and so many people stressed how important the details are—room temperature milk and eggs, hot oven, preheated pans—to ensure that the popovers actually “pop” from the top of the pan. These popovers turned out fabulous—so tall, light, and fluffy! Thanks to Tara of Smells Like Home for this great recipe selection!

Source: Popovers, Barefoot Contessa Parties!

Ingredients

1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus softened butter for greasing pans

1 ½ cups flour

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 ½ cups milk, at room temperature

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Generously grease aluminum popover pans or Pyrex custard cups with softened butter. You’ll need enough pans to make 12 popovers. Place the pans in the oven for exactly 2 minutes to preheat. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, salt, eggs, milk, and melted butter until smooth. The batter will be thin. Fill the popover pans less than half full and bake for exactly 30 minutes. Do not peek.

Smoked Salmon Frittata

I bought some farm fresh eggs from the local farmer’s market to make this frittata. This is a beautiful frittata—both visually and in flavor—that makes an excellent breakfast or brunch dish. It is a tasty marriage of the salty-smoky salmon, the creamy melted goat cheese, the tangy dill, and the sweet onions. In other frittata recipes, I usually cook the eggs first in the skillet and finish them off in the oven, but this recipe cooks the eggs entirely in the oven. It ends up perfectly puffed and golden brown. We loved this dish!

Source: Smoked Salmon Frittata, Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients
1 medium onion, diced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
12 extra-large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
4 ounces fresh goat cheese, such as Montrachet, crumbled
½ pound smoked salmon, chopped
3 scallions, chopped, white and light green parts
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Saute the onion and butter in a 10-inch oven-proof omelet pan over medium-low heat until translucent, about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the heavy cream, goat cheese, smoked salmon, scallions, dill, salt, and pepper and combine. Pour the mixture over the onions and place the omelet pan in the center of the oven. Bake the frittata for about 50 minutes, until it puffs and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve hot directly from the pan.

Chocolate Waffles

I wanted to try chocolate waffles, thinking they would be decadent for breakfast served with fresh fruit and whipped cream, or divine for dessert served with ice cream and chocolate sauce. These waffles have a great flavor without being overly chocolatey.

Source: Chocolate Waffles, DIANA38

Ingredients
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ cup butter
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 ½ cups milk
6 egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Place the butter and chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Cook on high power for 1 minute, then stir. Continue to cook for 15 seconds at a time, stirring each time until chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

When the chocolate mixture is fairly cool, stir in the milk, egg whites, and vanilla. Pour this into the dry ingredients, and mix just until blended.

Preheat the waffle iron, and coat with cooking spray. Spoon waffle batter onto the hot iron in desired amounts. Close, and cook until the iron stops steaming, and waffles are easy to remove. Repeat with remaining batter.

New Year Waffles

Last year on New Year’s Day, McHubby went to our friend Kim’s house for waffles and monkey bread and the company of good friends. We had so much fun and wanted to carry on this new tradition—for today’s New Year breakfast, we had some neighbors over for a small waffle party. We used our new Belgian waffle iron to make these delicious waffles. For the waffle spread, we had blueberries, sliced strawberries, mini chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, powdered sugar, whipped cream, butter, and maple syrup. What a wonderful way to start the New Year! Happy New Year, everyone!

Source: Basic Waffles, Cuisinart recipe booklet

Ingredients
6 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ cup baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons salt
3 ½ cups reduced-fat milk
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten

Directions
Combine all ingredients, in order listed, in a large mixing bowl; whisk until well blended and smooth. Let batter rest 5 minutes before using.

Preheat the waffle maker to desired setting.

Pour a scant 2 cups of batter onto the center of the lower grid of the preheated waffle maker; spread batter evenly using a heafproof spatula. Close lid of waffle maker. When tone sounds, waffles are ready. Open lid and carefully remove baked waffles. Repeat with remaining batter. For best results, serve immediately.

Makes 16 waffles.

Slow-Cooked Scrambled Eggs with Green Herbs

I made these scrambled eggs for Christmas Day breakfast with my family. These eggs were beautifully fluffy with specks of green from the fresh herbs and scallions. Delicious with a side of bacon!

Source: Slow-Cooked Scrambled Eggs with Green Herbs, Ina Garten

Ingredients
10 extra-large eggs
16 tablespoons whole milk or half-and-half
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon minced scallions, white and green parts
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill

Directions
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a large sauté or omelet pan. Add the eggs and cook them over low heat, folding them over almost constantly with a rubber spatula, until the desired doneness. Off the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of butter, the parsley, scallions, and dill. Stir until the butter is melted. Check for seasonings. Serve hot.

Blue Cheese Soufflé

For my first soufflé ever, I’m diving in with the latest Barefoot Bloggers selection by Summer of Sexy Apartment. I’ve always found even the thought of making a soufflé pretty intimidating, but having made this recipe, it wasn’t as hard as I had imagined it to be. Any Barefoot Contessa fan knows how Ina loves her Roquefort blue cheese, and this recipe packs a lot of rich flavor. The lovely aroma of cheese emanated from my oven as it baked. And, despite the Contessa’s instructions not to peek, I could not help myself—I was so worried that my soufflé would not rise properly or might deflate, but surprisingly it came out perfectly tall and beautifully browned. Success!!

Source: Blue Cheese Soufflé, Barefoot in Paris

Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the dish
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup scalded milk
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper
Pinch nutmeg
4 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
3 ounces good Roquefort cheese, chopped
5 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Butter the inside of an 8-cup soufflé dish (7 ½ inches in diameter and 3 ¼ inches deep) and sprinkle evenly with Parmesan.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. With a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the hot milk, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, the cayenne, and nutmeg. Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, until smooth and thick.

Off the heat, while still hot, whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time. Stir in the Roquefort and the ¼ cup of Parmesan and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Put the egg whites, cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, on medium speed for 1 minute, then finally on high speed until they form firm, glossy peaks.

Whisk ¼ of the egg whites into the cheese sauce to lighten and then fold in the rest. Pour into the soufflé dish, then smooth the top. Draw a large circle on top with the spatula to help the soufflé rise evenly, and place in the middle of the oven. Turn the temperature down to 375 degrees F. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (don't peek!) until puffed and brown. Serve immediately.

Swiss Chard Tart with a Potato Crust

I stumbled across a Stonewall Kitchen store last week and saw their Harvest cookbook, which I just had to have—I admit that I have a cookbook addiction, and this new cookbook was just too irresistible to me! This cookbook focuses on using fresh ingredients, from the garden or farmer’s market. As I flipped through the beautiful glossy pages, this recipe caught my eye and knew I had to try it immediately.

This dish has a clever potato “crust” that holds a cheesy Swiss chard mixture. When wilting the Swiss chard, I added a package of sliced cremini mushrooms that I had in the fridge. I used my mandoline to thin-slice the potatoes uniformly and quickly.

McHubby and I both loved the flavor of this dish. The cheesy mixture set up similar to a quiche, but the veggies imparted a slight sweetness. This tart was simply delicious! The recipe makes two tarts, so you could easily cut the recipe in half if you only want to make one. Or you can eat one and freeze one. We ate this dish as a main course for dinner, but it also makes a wonderful breakfast or brunch.

Source: Stonewall Kitchen Harvest

Ingredients
1 ½ pounds Swiss chard
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large garlic clove, very thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 large high-starch potatoes, like Idaho (8 to 10 ounces), unpeeled and scrubbed clean
3 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 heaping cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
2 cups ricotta cheese

Directions
Trim the stems of the chard, wash the leaves thoroughly, drain, and dry. Coarsely chop the chard. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Add half the garlic and half the chard and cook, stirring frequently. As the chard cooks down, add the remaining chard and garlic. Season with salt and a generous grinding of pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring until the chard is just tender. Tilt the skillet to the side and blot up any excess liquid with a paper towel. Let cool.

To make the crust, slice the potatoes very thinly. It’s fine if some of the slices are smaller than the others—the important thing is to make them fairly uniform in thickness. Create a thin layer of the potato slices on the bottom of two pie plates (preferably glass), slightly overlapping them to create a solid bottom “crust.” Gently tuck potato slices along the edges to create a border up the sides of the pie plates. When you’re done, you should have two solid pie “crusts.” Use thin or oddly shaped potato slices to fill in any gaps. Discard the remaining slices. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the oil over each crust, swirling the pan slightly so the oil spreads between the potato layers and drips to the bottom. Sprinkle each crust with ½ teaspoon of the thyme, some salt and pepper, and a heaping ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl and whisk in the ricotta, the remaining 2 teaspoons of thyme, and the remaining ½ cup of Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cooled sautéed chard and mix well. Divide the filling between the two pie crusts and press down lightly.

Bake the tart for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and bake for another 10 minutes. The potato crust should turn brown and crisp, and the filling should feel solid and firm when gently touched with your fingers. Let cool and 5 minutes before cutting into wedges.

Cranberry Orange Scones

I’ve made these scones many times—they may very well be my favorite of all. They are so beautifully light, billowy, and flaky with just a hint of orange flavoring and spotted with cranberries. This recipe can easily be adapted to use other dried fruit or citrus flavoring.

I usually use the zest of an entire large orange to amp up the flavor a bit, and I use vanilla sugar instead of regular sugar. This time, instead of making the orange glaze, I simply sprinkled each scone with a dusting of demerara (or turbinado) sugar on top of the egg wash. I also like to make my scones on the petite side—(some of the large ones are just too much for me to eat at one time)—so I used a 2 ½-inch fluted cookie cutter. Since they were smaller, I baked them for no more than 18 minutes.

Thanks to Em of The Repressed Pastry Chef for selecting this month’s Barefoot Bloggers Bonus Recipe Challenge. I love any excuse to make these scones!

Source: Cranberry Orange Scones, Barefoot Contessa at Home

Ingredients
4 cups plus ¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar, plus additional for sprinkling
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
¾ pound cold unsalted butter, diced
4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cold heavy cream
1 cup dried cranberries
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water or milk, for egg wash
½ cup confectioners' sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
4 teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix 4 cups of flour, ¼ cup sugar, the baking powder, salt and orange zest. Add the cold butter and mix at the lowest speed until the butter is the size of peas. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and, with the mixer on low speed, slowly pour into the flour and butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough will look lumpy! Combine the dried cranberries and ¼ cup of flour, add to the dough, and mix on low speed until blended.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it into a ball. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough ¾-inch thick. You should see small bits of butter in the dough. Keep moving the dough on the floured board so it doesn't stick. Flour a 3-inch round plain or fluted cutter and cut circles of dough. Place the scones on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Collect the scraps neatly, roll them out, and cut more circles.

Brush the tops of the scones with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are fully baked. The scones will be firm to the touch. Allow the scones to cool for 15 minutes and then whisk together the confectioners' sugar and orange juice, and drizzle over the scones.

Blueberry-Buttermilk Scones

I love scones, for breakfast or as a snack. I enjoy making them and eating them, especially with a fresh cup of coffee. I always have my eye out for good scone recipes, so naturally I had to try this one from the latest Martha Stewart Living. These scones have a biscuit-like texture, and the blueberries add a sweet, tart flavor.

The original recipe directions are much more manual than I care to do, so I’ve altered the directions for using a stand-mixer. A good tip provided in the magazine, “if you don’t have buttermilk, you can substitute ½ cup plain yogurt whisked with 2 tablespoons milk.”

Adapted from: Blueberry-Buttermilk Scones, Martha Stewart Living, June 2009

Ingredients
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cake flour (not self-rising)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
4 ounces (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup (½ pint) blueberries
½ cup low-fat buttermilk
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg lightly beaten for egg wash
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extractFine sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Sift together flours, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add butter and mix using a stand mixer, until mixture has the texture of coarse meal. Stir in blueberries.

In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, 1 egg, and the vanilla. Drizzle over flour mixture, and mix on low just until dough comes together.

Turn out dough onto a work surface, and gently knead dough once or twice just to incorporate flour. Pat dough into a 1-inch-thick round. Cut into 12 wedges. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 22 minutes.

Transfer scones to wire racks to cool. Scones are best served immediately but can be frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw, and reheat in a 350 degree F oven to 10 minutes.

Slow-Cooker Oatmeal

My favorite everyday breakfast is a hot, steaming bowl of oatmeal. I don’t really care for instant oatmeal. For me, it has to be cooked the old-fashioned way to produce a nice thick, sticky texture. This recipe makes it as easy as possible to enjoy a bowl first thing in the morning by letting the slow-cooker do all the work. You just need to set it up at night before you go to bed, and you wake up to a hot breakfast.

Since oatmeal is a matter of personal preference—some people like a thick consistency while others like it a little soupy—you may have to play with the amount of oats or water to suit your taste. For me, I like it somewhere in between—not a gloppy gelatinous glue-like texture, but more on the thick side than the soupy side. I like it to be pourable but thick. When I make this recipe, I use steel-cut oats and 4 ½ cups of water.

Keep in mind, not all oats are created equal. There is a difference between steel-cut oats and regular rolled oats. Steel-cut oats (sometimes called Irish oats, Scotch oats, or coarse-cut oats) are whole grain groats (the inner portion of the oat kernel) that have been cut into only two or three pieces. Rolled oats, on the other hand, are traditionally oat groats that have been rolled into flat flakes.

Because of the textural differences, cooking times will vary between them—rolled oats need less cooking time than the steel-cut oats. The basic recipe provided here is for steel-cut oats. If you are using rolled oats, be sure that they are not quick cooking or instant, and reduce the cooking time from 8 hours to 4 hours using an automatic timer.

Source: How to Make Crockpot Oatmeal, Tipnut.com

Ingredients
4 cups water
1 cups steel-cut oats
¼ teaspoon salt

Toppings (optional):
Brown sugar
Maple syrup
Fruit pieces (e.g., apples, blueberries, bananas, dried cranberries, figs, etc.)
Half-and-half

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and turn on low heat. Cover with lid and cook for 8 hours. Add toppings and serve hot.

Basic Crêpes

Crêpes are such a versatile dish that requires only creativity. They can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert! Make them ahead of time and store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use. They can be sweet or savory, depending upon what you choose to stuff them with. For a sweet breakfast crepe, stuff them with fresh cut berries and whipped cream, or try Nutella, sliced bananas, and confectioner's sugar. For a savory lunch or dinner crêpe, stuff with smoked ham and cheese, or try the Spinach-Gruyère Gâteau de Crêpes.

Be sure to strain the mixed batter to ensure that it is smooth and without any lumps. For a buckwheat variation on the basic crêpes, simply substitute ¾ cup buckwheat flour for ¾ cup all-purpose flour, and add an additional ¾ cup whole milk.

Source: Basic Crêpes, Martha Stewart Living (February 2009)

Ingredients
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon coarse salt
2 cups whole milk, room temperature, plus more if needed
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 ½ ounces (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for skillet

Directions
Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Whisk together milk and eggs in a medium bowl. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture, whisking to combine. Whisk in butter. Strain mixture into a medium bowl, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to a day). Batter should be the consistency of heavy cream; add more milk if needed.

Heat an 8- or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, and brush with butter. Ladle or pour 3 tablespoons batter (for small crêpes) or ⅓ cup batter (for large crêpes) into pan, turning and tilting skillet to coat bottom evenly with batter. Cook until top of crêpe appears set, bottom is firm and golden
brown in spots, and center is lifted by pockets of air, about 1 minute. Run a spatula around edge of crêpe to loosen. Slip spatula under crêpe, and gently flip in one swift gesture. (If it doesn’t land quite right, that’s okay; use the spatula to unfold or rearrange it.) Cook until bottom is firm and golden brown in spots, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a plate, and cover. (The first one will not be your finest.) Repeat with remaining batter, brushing pan lightly with butter as needed (every 2 or 3 crêpes). Serve immediately.

Snow Day Vanilla Scones

We had a snow day today—winter is reminding us that it’s still here and not quite spring yet. So what is one to do when snow blankets the ground and keeps everyone inside? Why bake scones, of course! I made vanilla scones—(we’ve already established my love of vanilla). These scones are dense yet crumbly and just perfect served warm with the sweet drizzled glaze.

Adapted from: Mini Vanilla Scones, May M.

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup vanilla sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
1 cup regular full-fat sour cream1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or 1 vanilla bean, scraped)

1 ½ cups powdered sugar

Water, as needed

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla sugar in a mixing bowl. Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients until the flour mixture resembles coarse meal. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, egg yolk, and vanilla. Add this to the flour-butter mixture and stir with a fork until dough forms a cohesive ball. Use a spatula to get the dry bits fully

incorporated. (It may not seem to have enough liquid at first, but the dough will eventually come together.)

Place the sticky dough onto a well-floured board and knead it into a ball. Flour

your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough just under 1-inch thick. Keep moving the dough on the floured board so it doesn’t stick. Flour a cutter and cut the dough into the scone shapes. Place the scones on a parchment-lined (or ungreased) baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the scones are golden brown on top.

Prepare the glaze while the scones are baking. Place the powdered sugar in a medium bowl and add water one teaspoon at a time, mixing vigorously until smooth and runny. Use a pastry brush to apply a thin layer of glaze over the hot scones. Serve immediately. Store cooled scones in an airtight container.