Category Archives: Breakfast

Pineapple Sweet Rolls

You won’t believe the intense pineapple flavor of these Pineapple Sweet Rolls! Or maybe you will—I mean, they have four doses of the stuff.

These are for serious pineapple lovers only. I absolutely count myself as one and yet, somehow, these rolls were something I didn’t know I wanted. Pineapple Sweet Rolls But then a grocery store display of King’s Hawaiian Sweet Rolls caught my eye and I had a craving for pineapple sweet bread. Instead of purchasing a package of rolls though, my “baker brain” took over and I went home to make a buttery, sweet pastry dough with pineapple juice. Pineapple Sweet Rolls That went so well that I wrapped it around a layer of soft crushed pineapple filling…sliced it into rolls and let them rise…before baking them until golden.Then I topped them with a simple pineapple icing…and sprinkled them with sparkly, sugar-coated dried pineapple.And then I had the gall to put them on the internet in the middle of a work day so you’d have a craving, too. Pineapple Sweet Rolls Sorry, not sorry.

Pineapple Sweet Rolls
makes 12 rolls

Filling:
16 ounces canned crushed pineapple in juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Dough:
1 3/4-2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup bread flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant yeast (I use Fleischmann’s Rapid Rise Yeast)
1 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1/3 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup unsweetened pineapple juice (reserved from making filling)
2 large eggs, beaten, room temperature

Icing:
2 cups confectioners sugar
pinch of Kosher or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4-5 tablespoons unsweetened pineapple juice (reserved from making filling)

Sparkling Pineapple Garnish:
1/3 cup chopped unsweetened dried pineapple (about 1 ounce)
1 tablespoon coarse sugar (I use turbinado)

Make the filling. Set a sieve over a mixing bowl. Pour canned crushed pineapple into the sieve and use a spoon to press out excess juice. Set juice aside.

Combine pineapple, sugar, ginger, and cornstarch in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until juices are clear and mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until cold (about 1 hour). Filling may be made up to a day in advance.

Make the dough. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, bread flour, sugar, instant yeast, and salt. Set aside. In a small saucepan, heat whole milk and butter until they reach 115F and are hot to the touch. Stir milk mixture into dry ingredients, followed by pineapple juice and beaten eggs. Stir in remaining flour in 2 tablespoon installments, just until a smooth, soft dough forms. Dough is ready when it pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Knead dough on a floured surface for 5-6 minutes. Form into a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes at room temperature.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into an 8×14-inch rectangle. Drop filling over the dough by the spoonful. Use an offset knife or spoon to spread filling mixture over the dough, using a 1/2-inch perimeter on all sides. Starting with the long edge furthest from your body, tightly roll filled dough toward you, smoothing any seams with your thumbs. Slice dough into 12 rolls. Place rolls close together in prepared pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap. Place covered pan in a warm, draft-free place for 60-90 minutes, until rolls have doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375F. Uncover rolls. Bake 25-30 minutes, tenting the pan with foil if anything begins to brown too quickly.

Let rolls cool for 10 minutes while you make the icing and garnish. In a small bowl, use a fork to whisk together confectioners sugar, salt, vanilla, and 4 tablespoons of pineapple juice. Mixture should be very thick, but pourable. Add more pineapple juice by the teaspoon, up to 3 teaspoons (aka 1 tablespoon) until desired texture is achieved.

For the garnish, toss chopped dried pineapple with coarse sugar until well-combined and sparkly.

Pour/spread icing over warm rolls. Top with garnish. Serve immediately. Leftover rolls will keep for about a day, covered at room temperature. Icing will sink in over time.
Pineapple Sweet Rolls

Buttermilk Biscuits & Chocolate Gravy

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Buttermilk Biscuits & Chocolate Gravy I know what you’re thinking. “Chocolate…gravy? GROSS.”

But hear me out. I have hated almost every gravy I’ve ever encountered, if I was even willing to take a bite in the first place. I’m not generally opposed to sauces, but the…gloppiness…of the cream gravies of my Texan childhood pretty much ruined them for me, with one notable exception: Chocolate Gravy. Buttermilk Biscuits & Chocolate Gravy

If you’ve never heard of such a thing, imagine a thin, flour-thickened chocolate pudding that you spoon over Buttermilk Biscuits, preferably made by your old Texan grandma. You know, the one who lets you stay up late watching The Golden Girls and always has chocolate cake on the counter (and lets you slice it without supervision, so you’re really sugared-up when you go back to your parents’ house). Buttermilk Biscuits & Chocolate Gravy

I had one of those grandmas. Her name was Dorothy, but I called her Nonnie, and she was the very best. She let my little sister and I eat Cinnamon Toast Crunch and frozen pizza for dinner on Friday nights (followed up by the aforementioned chocolate cake), but Sunday mornings were sacred. Buttermilk Biscuits & Chocolate Gravy

You see, my dad went to her house for breakfast on Sundays, so she’d pull out all the stops. Even when she was very old and had arthritic hands, she would make sausage patties, eggs fried in bacon grease, sliced tomatoes, and biscuits & gravy. They’d eat breakfast and she’d play with our dog, Lily, while my dad took one of his signature twenty-minute snoozes in the recliner. On the rare occasion that my sisters and I were allowed to skip church and join in on Sunday breakfast at Nonnie’s, she’d add Chocolate Gravy to the menu, just because she loved us. Buttermilk Biscuits & Chocolate Gravy

I’ve been thinking about Nonnie a lot lately. Maybe it’s because what would have been her 100th birthday is coming soon or because she was an amazing improvisational baker or because today marks eleven years living in NYC. Or maybe just because she was a badass lady. Whatever the reason, I’ve been craving Buttermilk Biscuits & Chocolate Gravy lately. And so, here we are.

This is not Nonnie’s recipe—as far as I know, she never wrote anything down. Instead, it’s the product of a little trial and error and some taste memory from twenty years ago. I do know that the chocolate gravy I ate as a child was made with the Hershey’s cocoa that came in a can, but as I have never seen that in NYC, I recommend using whatever unsweetened cocoa you like. Dutch process cocoa will make for a deeper chocolate flavor, but natural unsweetened yields the lighter flavor I remember. Buttermilk Biscuits

As for the biscuits, this recipe is a slight departure from my previous all-time best biscuit recipe. Both are delicious, but I am currently partial to this fluffier, slightly more tender version. These buttermilk biscuits are made with a touch of cornstarch to mimic the tenderness of cake flour. I also added a smidge more flour and buttermilk, yielding a slightly softer dough. In addition, I’ve taken out the beat-with-a-rolling-pin step, and chosen to bake the biscuits close together on a parchment-lined baking sheet instead of packed into a casserole dish. Regardless of which biscuit recipe you choose though, you’re going to love them drizzled (or smothered) with Chocolate Gravy. Buttermilk Biscuits & Chocolate Gravy

This weekend, do like Nonnie. Make some Buttermilk Biscuits & Chocolate Gravy for someone you love.

Buttermilk Biscuits
makes about 12 biscuits

1/2 cup unsalted butter, very cold
2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
3/4-1 cup buttermilk,* very cold
Chocolate Gravy, for serving (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

Cut your stick of butter into two 4 tablespoon pieces. Cut one piece into four batons, and cut the other into very thin pats. Refrigerate until needed.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add chilled butter. Using your fingertips (not your palms!) or a pastry blender, cut cold butter into flour mixture until it is roughly the size of peas.

Pour in 3/4 cup cold buttermilk. Stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. If it seems dry, add more buttermilk by the tablespoon.

Turn dough (and any unincorporated flour bits) out onto a floured surface. Flour your fingertips and pat the dough into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle. Fold dough in half, and turn one quarter turn. Pat out until it is 1/2-inch thick again. Repeat folding/quarter-turning/patting out until you have done it four times total. Re-flour your surface as necessary.

Cut dough with a biscuit cutter or sharp knife (not serrated). Cut directly down—do not twist. Place biscuits close together in your prepared pan. Pat biscuit dough scraps into a cohesive piece, and cut until you have used all your dough.

Brush biscuits with extra buttermilk.

Bake biscuits for 14-15 minutes, until they have risen and are starting to brown. Let cool 5-10 minutes. Serve with Chocolate Gravy, if desired.

Biscuits are best the day they are made, but can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

Note:

If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, use this alternative. Pour 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice) in a liquid measuring cup. Pour regular milk up to the 1-cup mark. Let sit 5 minutes in the refrigerator. Stir mixture before proceeding with the recipe.

Chocolate Gravy
makes about 2 cups

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
pinch of Kosher or sea salt
1 1/2 cups milk (preferably whole)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Sift cocoa, flour, sugar, and salt into a 4-quart pot. Gradually whisk in milk. Place pot over medium heat and whisk continuously until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla. Transfer to a gravy boat or other serving vessel. Serve over split Buttermilk Biscuits. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days. Reheat before serving.

Buttermilk Biscuits & Chocolate Gravy

Blueberry Doughnuts

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Are you tired of berry recipes yet? I hope not because I’ve got at least a couple more coming this summer……starting with Blueberry Doughnuts.Oh, yes. We’re talking crispy-edged, fluffy-centered cake doughnuts that are absolutely loaded with teeny tiny blueberries. Real blueberries—not whatever sketchy goop they put in the Blueberry Doughnuts you find at the national chains!

Side note: Sorry for saying “goop” on a food blog/website that does not belong to Gwyneth Paltrow. Blueberry Doughnuts But back to doughnuts.

As it’s summer and blueberries are in season, you’d probably guess that I use fresh blueberries here, but you’d be wrong. As you can see in my photos, the fresh blueberries in my grocery stores are the size of marbles right now, and that’s just too big to work in these doughnuts. I tried two batches with those and ended up fishing most of them out of hot oil before they burst and spattered all over my kitchen! Hot oil burns are no fun, and neither are Blueberry Doughnuts with only one or two whole blueberries.The secret to quality homemade Blueberry Doughnuts is to use the smallest blueberries you can find. If you have access to tiny wild blueberries and are somehow sick of eating them by the handful, they would work really well here. If, however, you are like me and don’t live anywhere near a wild blueberry patch, the frozen Wild Boreal Blueberries from Trader Joe’s work just fine 🙂 Blueberry Doughnuts The rest of this recipe is just like making any other cake doughnuts. Fold the blueberries into a simple sour cream dough before rolling and cutting your doughnuts & doughnut holes. The frozen blueberries tend to turn the dough a periwinkle color—this dissipates during frying, but it’s kind of fun, right?! Blueberry Doughnuts These doughnuts get a two minute fry in hot oil before being dipped in a classic glaze. If you want to jazz them up a bit, feel free to swap some of the water in the glaze for lemon juice, or even dip them in a creamy glaze like the one I use for Funfetti Cake Doughnuts!Y’all, homemade Blueberry Doughnuts are sooo delicious! You’ll love their golden exteriors and blueberry-studded interiors, not to mention how surprisingly simple it is to make quality doughnuts at home ❤ Make a batch this weekend!

Blueberry Doughnuts
makes 16-18 2 1/2-inch doughnuts + doughnut holes

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup (4 oz) full-fat sour cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries, thawed and drained
vegetable or canola oil, for frying

Classic Doughnut Glaze:
1 pound confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup (or mild honey)
6 tablespoons hot tap water

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

Combine sour cream and butter in a small bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until butter is totally melted. Let mixture cool a few minutes, until warm to the touch but not uncomfortably hot (if it’s too hot, it could scramble the eggs).

In a small mixing bowl, use a whisk to beat eggs. Whisk in sour cream/butter mixture, followed by vanilla. Use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to fold wet ingredients into dry. Carefully fold in blueberries. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Dough will be a bit soft.

Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment.

Liberally flour a surface and rolling pin. Uncover dough and transfer it to the floured surface. Roll it out to 1/2-inch thickness. Use a doughnut cutter (or graduated cookie cutters) to cut doughnuts. Place cut doughnuts on prepared pan. Re-roll dough as needed.

Pour about 2 inches of oil into a large heavy-bottomed pot and heat to 350F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with two layers of paper towels and set a cooling rack over the top.

Once oil reaches frying temperature, slip 2-3 doughnuts into the pot. Fry 1-1.5 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through. Remove to rack. Continue frying in batches of 2-3, letting the oil return to temperature in between. Fry doughnut holes for 1.5-2 minutes, flipping at around 45 seconds (some may flip on their own).

After all doughnuts are fried and cool enough to be handled, make the glaze. In a large mixing bowl, whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Pour glaze into a shallow dish. Dip one doughnut at a time, spooning more glaze over the top as you go. Transfer back to rack. Repeat with all remaining doughnuts. Glaze will set after 15-20 minutes.

Serve immediately. Doughnuts are best the day they are made. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about a day.
Blueberry Doughnuts

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Scones

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I put a poll on my Facebook page late yesterday afternoon because I couldn’t decide which of two brown butter chocolate chip recipes I should post to the blog today. The options were Cheesecake Blondies and these Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Scones, and while it was a tight poll, Team Scone ultimately reigned supreme.

For those who might prefer cheesecake over scones, don’t fret—that recipe will make its debut soon. I don’t know about you, but I can’t imagine ever being tired of brown butter and chocolate… Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Scones
…especially when they’re folded into a simple dough, sliced into wedges, and baked into the very best chocolate chip scones I’ve ever had. Y’all, these are ridiculous. Ri-di-cu-lous.
They’re soft and fluffy with crunchy edges and crispy caramelized sugar on top! Oh, and the depth of brown butter and just the right amount of mini chocolate chips ❤ I’m not much of a chocolate for breakfast gal, but these scones could easily convince me otherwise!
The idea for these Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Scones has been floating around in my head and my “to bake” list for some time now—probably since I made the biscuits for last summer’s Brown Butter Strawberry Shortcakes. In fact, this recipe is quite similar to that one. It starts with brown butter that’s chilled until solid before being cut into dry ingredients. Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Scones
Half-and-half is the main liquid ingredient here; its extra fat helps make up for any moisture the butter may have lost during the browning process. An egg yolk helps with this, too. It may seem like an afterthought—what can one lone egg yolk really do in a scone recipe?—but it makes a huge difference in terms of texture and shelf-life. Where most scones begin to dry out by the end of the day they’re made, these stay surprisingly tender and fluffy into day two. I love how the tops lift right off! Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Scones
Other things to look out for in this recipe? Brown sugar and vanilla. I have seen many chocolate chip scone recipes with citrus zest and/or warming spices, but I wanted mine to have flavors more reminiscent of a chocolate chip cookie. Neither of these ingredients is particularly prominent—instead, they allow the brown butter and chocolate to shine. Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Scones
Alright, that’s enough for a Wednesday! Now, go brown some butter and make yourself some scones. Or better yet, hold onto this recipe and make them for Father’s Day this weekend 🙂

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Scones
makes 8 scones

Brown Butter:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

Brown Butter Biscuits:
2/3 cup half-and-half, very cold, plus more for brushing
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1/2 cup brown butter, solid, very cold
3/4 cup miniature chocolate chips
1 tablespoon coarse sugar (like turbinado), for sprinkling

Brown the butter. Place butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Let butter melt. Butter will bubble and crackle as the water content evaporates. Swirl the pan frequently for 5-7 minutes, keeping an eye on the color. When the solids are turning brown and the butter is nutty and fragrant, remove the pot from the heat and immediately pour the brown butter into a small bowl. Let the butter cool to room temperature before refrigerating until solid and very cold, several hours or overnight.

Brown butter may be made up to a few days ahead and kept in the refrigerator.

Make the scones. Place an oven rack in the center position. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

In a liquid measuring cup, use a fork to whisk together half-and-half, egg yolk, and vanilla. Refrigerate.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, brown sugar, and salt. Add cold brown butter. Use a pastry blender or clean fingertips to cut the butter into the flour until the largest pieces are the size of small peas. Stir in half-and-half mixture. Fold in miniature chocolate chips.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Pat it to 1-inch thick circle. Use a large, sharp chef’s knife to slice circle into 8 wedges. Place scones at least 2 inches apart on prepared pan. Brush with more half-and-half and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake 14-16 minutes, until puffed and golden. Let scones cool on the pan on a rack for a few minutes, or until they can be handled.

Scones may be served warm or at room temperature. They are best the day they are made, but will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Scones

Chocolate Puff Pancake {Dutch Baby}

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Chocolate Puff Pancake {Dutch Baby} This Chocolate Puff Pancake has everything you love about a classic Puff Pancake…plus chocolate.It’s quick and easy, coming together in 30 seconds in the blender and 18 minutes in the oven.It puffs dramatically while baking (hence the name), but deflates quickly, leaving behind a rustic, rumpled, shareable pancake. Chocolate Puff Pancake {Dutch Baby} It has curled edges and custard-like center that I dream about all workweek long.And chocolate. I’m not normally a chocolate for breakfast sort of gal, but this? I could get used to this. And that’s serious because I am a confirmed vanilla person.I mean, who can resist a barely-sweet chocolate pancake that you can literally fill with confectioner’s sugar, strawberries, whipped cream, and mini chocolate chips?! Chocolate Puff Pancake {Dutch Baby} The delicate pancake pairs so well with the fresh berries, airy cream, and melty chocolate. It’s pretty phenomenal as far as sweet brunches go.Plus, it’s pretty.We all know pretty food tastes better. Or something.

Chocolate Puff Pancake {Dutch Baby}
makes 4-6 servings

4 large eggs
1 cup milk (not skim or fat free)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder (preferably dutch process)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
pinch of Kosher or sea salt
3 tablespoons butter (unsalted or salted)

Toppings:
confectioner’s sugar
fresh berries
whipped cream
mini chocolate chips

Place a large ovenproof cast iron or stainless steel pan in a cold oven. Preheat oven to 425F.

In the bowl of a food processor or high-powered blender*, combine eggs, milk, vanilla, flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt. Process until smooth, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Let batter rest 10 minutes, or until large bubbles dissipate.

Once oven has reached 400F, remove the hot pan and add butter. Place pan back in the oven for 60-90 seconds, until butter has melted. Remove pan from the oven, and swirl the butter so it coats the pan. Pour in batter. Bake 18-19 minutes, until billowy. Do not open the oven door during baking.

Let pancake cool 2-5 minutes before slicing. Slice and serve immediately with toppings of choice. Chocolate Puff Pancake {Dutch Baby}

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Category Archives: Breakfast

Pineapple Sweet Rolls

Buttermilk Biscuits & Chocolate Gravy

Blueberry Doughnuts

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Scones

Chocolate Puff Pancake {Dutch Baby}