sprinklefingers

As if things couldn’t get any crazier, I’m now - again - a student.

I somehow managed to carve out enough time to take French classes. And, yes, I’m already behind on homework. And, no, I can’t remember the word for Wednesday. And, yes, my grasp of the formal and informal is lacking. But, it’s really (really) fun - and I feel like I’m ahead of the game given the amount of French baking terms that are rattling around in my head (if only that were enough!)

At this point I’m simply trying to stay ahead of my kid who begins his full immersion French elementary school in the Fall. He’s already signed up for French language summer camp, and I’m sure that after two weeks of daily French he’ll be able to show me who’s boss (in French). So, really, my French classes are just an exercise in self-preservation. I’ve got to stay on top somehow!

And speaking of staying on top: I’ve got a recipe for you. For a little something I call Saucy Figs. You’ll want these to stay on top of your yogurt (or oatmeal!) forever. Really.

Saucy Figs

you need:

• 24 dried black mission figs (about 10 oz) stemmed and quartered
• 1 cup water
• 2 T honey
• 1 T maple syrup
• 1 vanilla bean, split & scraped
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 2 pinches cardamom 

make the saucy figs:

1. Combine the figs through the cardamom in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. 
2. Bring the concoction to a slow simmer over medium heat, taking care to stir often. 
3. Let the figs simmer for 35-40 minutes or until they are very soft and saucy.
4. Remove from the heat and let cool a bit before scooping into a jam jar for refrigeration.
5. Allow the figs to chill in the fridge before use.

Seriously, I love these on plain yogurt. And I stir them into my oatmeal. And last week I topped them with a crumble and served them for dessert. They’re as at home on the breakfast table as they are on a cheese plate. That’s what I call versatile. AND that’s what I call delicious.

Stay tuned for more on the kid’s French school. It’s going to be quite an adventure - it’s a new school and an incredible addition to Portland’s unique education scene. I’ve volunteered to help formulate the school lunch plan - a task I literally could not be more excited about…and a task that’s sure to lead to many opinion-filled posts!

generally speaking, my breakfast lately is coffee. i have the best intentions of eating something else, but by the time i get around to feeding me, i have run out of time and need to get to work.

photographer jon huck did a fascinating/amazing/brilliant series where he photographed people and their breakfasts. at first i was a bit surprised that there were so many healthy breakfasts involved, then i saw an almond croissant (and even a packaged burrito! and a pop tart! and fruit loops!) and felt tons better. not that i’m saying a packaged burrito should be your breakfast.

this is one of my favorite shots of the bunch:

go visit jon huck’s site to see the rest of the collection. amazing!

it wasn’t until i found myself pregnant that i ate breakfast every day. actually, it wasn’t until i found myself pregnant that i did a lot of things like, say, burst into tears for no reason, take a daily vitamin and declare 5pm as my official bedtime. while the end result (my crazy kid) was worth the deprivation, one other positive thing* about pregnancy is the fact that breakfast became a way of life for me.

now the only thing that complicates breakfast for me is whether or not i’m going to go to the gym after eating it. for me there’s nothing worse than working out and burping up breakfast. [i know i’m not alone here, even if i am the only one who will say it out loud.]

the other day i knew i was going to spin class, but i was also dreaming of eggs. with caramelized onions. and cheese. so i risked that workout-burpy feeling and went ahead with it. i’m so glad i did.

scrambled eggs with balsamic caramelized onions and cave-aged gryuere
serves 1

[this is so easy to whip up on a busy morning if you’ve got a jar of balsamic caramelized onions in the fridge. if you don’t have a jar of them in your fridge, you should seriously consider it. they’re so delicious in this recipe, but really take salads and just about anything else to a whole new level. plus, they’re very easy to prepare and last for weeks in the fridge.]

you need:

• butter for the pan
• 2 large farm fresh eggs
• splash of half & half
• salt & pepper
• generous pinch dried fines herbs
• a few forkfuls of balsamic caramelized onions
• generous handful of shredded cave-aged gryuere

make the eggs:

1. heat a small skillet over medium and add the butter.
2. in a small bowl whisk together the eggs, half & half, salt/pepper and fines herbs.
3. once the butter has melted and is hot (but not browning), add the egg mixture.
4. give the eggs a few seconds and then add the forkfuls of onions.
5. once the onions are in, stir the eggs to scramble them and let them cook until they’ve almost reached your desired doneness.
6. add the cheese, stir a bit more - then remove the pan from the heat and plate the eggs. (if you leave the eggs in the hot pan (even off heat) they will continue to cook.)

i enjoyed these eggs with a slice of toasted & buttered whole grain bread. and, for the record, i only burped once during my workout.

*let it go on the record now that, while i love my kid more than life itself, i was probably the world’s most miserable pregnant person. the fact that i’m finding anything positive to say about it at all is blowing my mind.

it’s an easter miracle. we went to church and my four year old (hopped up on jelly beans and the ears of a chocolate bunny) lasted the TWO HOUR service without having a complete freakout. i feel rather accomplished.

after the service we rushed home and i set about making brunch for a few close friends. on the menu: french toast, bacon, sausages, fruit salad and (hello!) mimosas. [as an appetizer we had about 45 chocolate easter eggs. apiece.]

generally when i have people ‘round for brunch i’ll plan a menu that’s as do-ahead friendly as possible. but not this time. i had two loaves of cinnamon bread in the freezer that were just screaming to be made into french toast, so i was determined to make it work - even if our lovely guests had to wait for me to griddle the toast.

delivering french toast to the table hot is made easier by an electric griddle. i’m not one for excessive amounts of kitchen equipment, but i would be lost without my electric griddle. i use it for breakfast (pancakes! french toast! bacon! eggs!), lunch (grilled cheese! quesadillas!) and dinner (veggie burgers!) - because it’s so much larger than a frying pan, an electric griddle allows you to, basically, griddle up the first round of french toast for the table and then (as you’re enjoying the first round with your guests) the second round can be frying up all golden brown. genius!

the other trick to getting this french toast on the table in a timely manner is that the bread is not soaked in the custard. while the custard is whipped together the night before, the bread is simply dipped in the custard before it goes on the hot (and buttery) griddle. really quite easy, even when cooking for a crowd.

orange & vanilla bean-infused french toast
serves 6 big eaters or 8 wimpy eaters

you need:

• 2 loaves cinnamon bread 
• 2 cups half & half
• 1 cup whole milk
• 9 eggs
• 6 T light brown sugar
• 3/4 t kosher salt
• 1 vanilla bean, scraped
• zest of one orange

to make the custard:

1. crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk to combine.
2. add the half & half, milk, brown sugar, salt, vanilla bean pod & seeds and the orange zest to the eggs whisking until frothy.
3. cover the custard bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. leaving the custard to sit overnight allows the flavors of the orange & vanilla to fully infuse the custard…the results are delicious.

make the french toast:

1. cut the ends off each loaf and then slice the loaves into slabs approximately 1 1/4 ” thick.  
2. heat the griddle to medium-high heat and add a few tablespoons of unsalted butter. 
3. pour the custard into a 9x13” pan and remove the vanilla bean pod. working with three slabs of bread at a time, plop the slabs into the custard and then press down lightly on them so that they’ll absorb some of the custard. flip the slices and press them down again. lift them out of the custard and wiggle them a bit to shake off the excess, then transfer them to the hot, buttered griddle.
4. repeat the soaking of slabs in custard and placing them on the griddle until your griddle is full.
5. cook the slabs until golden, approximately five minutes per side. 
6. repeat this process until your bread has all been dipped & griddled.

serve the french toast with butter and warm maple syrup. and maybe some bacon. and sausage. and probably some champagne and orange juice. and perhaps even a few chocolate eggs.

i’m still trying to figure out how i thought it was possible for the three of us to eat three loaves of brioche in less than one week.

yes, while packing food for our mini-break, i did indeed pack three (entire) loaves of brioche. now, don’t get me wrong, i love me some brioche…but three loaves of the stuff? even i realize that’s a bit excessive…unless, of course, i was planning to turn them into beach toys of some sort.

with our time away drawing to a close, and with that final loaf of brioche getting ever-staler, i had to figure something out. and then it hit me: french toast! the only problem: i’m at the beach, using someone else’s kitchen. a kitchen containing one tiny 8-inch fry pan and one non-heatproof spatula that has seen quite a bit of heat in it’s day. not exactly the kitchen arsenal i’m used to. and certainly not an arsenal that makes me want to whip up a batch of french toast.

then it hit me. sitting in my car, just waiting for the perfect emergency: a metal 9x13 pan! do i have a pen or a flashlight or a blanket in my car? hell no! but i do travel with emergency bakeware. priorities, priorities.

after a quick trip to the mini-mart (a mini-mart that carries real maple syrup,) i was ready to make breakfast:

baked brioche french toast
or
breakfast brioche bread pudding

this recipe can be called either of the above. or both of the above. i just couldn’t decide what to name it because the top layer of brioche gains a delightful crunch in the oven while the bottom layer can only be described as bread puddingy. oh, wait. that’s a lie. it can also be described as totally delicious.

you need:

• brioche loaf - one that weighs somewhere between 20-24 ounces
• 6 large eggs
• 1/3 c pure maple syrup, preferably grade B
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 2 cups whole milk

make the french toast/bread pudding:

1. preheat the oven to 375.
2. liberally butter a 9x13” pan.
3. slice the bread in approximately 3/4” thick slabs. if your loaf has a particularly rounded top, trim the slabs so that they are nice squares. arrange the slabs evenly in a single layer in the pan.
4. once you have built the first layer, slice the remaining slabs of brioche into two ‘sticks’. arrange the sticks over the first layer of bread, slightly overlapping them as you go.
5. in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs.
6. add the maple syrup, cinnamon, salt and milk. whisk and whisk until everything is completely combined.
7. pour the custard mixture over the bread.
8. let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, then gently press down on the top layer of bread with a fork, forcing it to soak up a bit more custard from the layers underneath.
9. pop the entire pan into the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until beautifully browned and puffed.
10. serve with plenty of soft butter and warm maple syrup.

i’ll be back tomorrow with some delicious variations for this already delicious dish.
___

look. photographic proof!

brioche sliced and ready for custard:



delicious final product:

…i’m 100% crazy for pumpkin butter.

last night i mixed it into waffles (breakfast for dinner!)
today i mixed it into my baked oatmeal.
tonight i’m enjoying it smeared on a thick slice of pumpkin bread.

it’s almost all i think about right now. [almost.] so i thought i’d share…

pumpkin butter waffles
makes 12 belgian waffles

you need:

• belgian waffle iron
• 2 cups AP flour
• 1 T baking powder
• 1 t kosher salt
• 1 T sugar
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 2 t vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cup whole milk
• 4 oz butter, melted
• 1/3 cup pumpkin butter (homemade or best quality)

to make the waffles:

1. preheat your waffle iron to a medium setting.
2. combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
3. combine the eggs, vanilla, milk, butter and pumpkin butter in a separate mixing bowl and whisk together completely.
4. add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix to combine thoroughly.
5. ladle 1/3 cup of the batter into each of the wells of your waffle iron.
6. cook for 5 minutes, then lift the lid to check the waffles. they should be crisp enough, but not burned (or even getting close to burning.)
7. keep waffles warm in a 200 degree oven while you use up the rest of the batter.

these waffles have the prettiest color. and they smell so good. and they taste even better.

serve with scrambled eggs seasoned with a few pinches of herbs de provence and thick-cut bacon. (at least this is how we like to serve them.) yum!

to make them even more delicious: heat 4 parts maple syrup to 1 part pumpkin butter in a small sauce pan. after buttering the waffles, pour this over top. swoon!

freezing leftover waffles: after your waffles have cooled completely, layer them gently in zip top freezer bags. find a flat place in the freezer and stow the bag there. once they are frozen solid they can be wedged in between all the other things you have shoved in your magical freezing device.

you can thaw/reheat the waffles either by toasting them in your toaster (no need to thaw first!) or by gently thawing/reheating them in a 300 degree oven for about 8 minutes.

no photo.
i’m sorry. i was so busy eating i forgot.

now that you know a bit more about me and my small-town-ohio past, i feel like i can say pretty much anything to you. which is good to know for future posts. but for now i’m simply going to expand on the baked oatmeal itself. some delicious variations and serving ideas follow:

1. for a cakey version of baked oatmeal, use instant oats instead of thick cut rolled oats. reduce the amount of milk to 1/2 cup. follow the rest of the recipe as written. this version finds the oats breaking down pretty much completely - resulting in an oatmeal that looks nothing like oats. instead it looks a bit like a difficult-to-pin-down crumbly baked good. delicious.
2. baked oatmeal is delicious served with baked or poached fruit and a bit of cream or even ice cream. it can go from breakfast to dessert if you serve it right…just think of it as a crumbly topping!
3. baked & cooled oatmeal is delicious with yogurt. add some preserved blueberries and you’ve got yourself a special treat indeed.
4. baked oatmeal is the ideal dish to adorn a brunch table. it’d be especially nice with a few bowls of add-ins along the side. here are some ideas for adornment:
   
   • sliced bananas
   • baked or sauteed apples
   • fresh blueberries or blackberries
   • raisins or dried cranberries
   • chocolate chips (!!!)
   • maple syrup
   • strawberry syrup
   • warm milk or (better yet!) half & half
   • vanilla yogurt
   
   
   what are you waiting for? you should be whipping up your own batch of baked oatmeal right this very second! yes!

i’ve told you about her before, but i have this super incredible friend. she owns a fantastic shop here in portland filled with things every last one of you would want to own. we go way back, this adorable shopkeeper and i…she’s a true feature in this post - to make things easy let’s refer to her as grammar girl.

…she lived across the street (literally) from our high school. this was incredibly awesome when it came time for senior pranks.
[note: i’m calling on the supreme powers of the statute of limitations here. that was a long, long time ago…seriously.
so what if we dipped our bottoms in poster paint and impressed them upon the windows of the school?
and, yeah, we hung up a sign that said “class of 1993, no butts about it!” but that was just to go along with all the painted butt-prints.
oh, and maybe we adorned the school yard with posters asking our peers to practice safe sex on prom night…but that was just for the good of our classmates.]
oh, wait. what was i talking about?
forget everything you just read. and please don’t tell my grandma.

anyways, back to little grammar girl…

we were both cheerleaders. then our senior year she continued as a cheerleader and i became the school mascot. yeah, you read it right: i was the mascot. an eagle. being the serious athletes we were, we often stayed after school for various practices and/or rides to jazzercise - and because her house was right across the street from the school we could easily run over for an afterschool snack before extracurriculars began. [and now i’m finally getting to the food…]

my favorite snack at grammar girl’s house? she’d crumble chips ahoy cookies into a bowl, pour milk over top of them and eat them like cereal.

my favorite dinner at grammar girl’s house? her mom’s macaroni & cheese made with velveeta.

my favorite dessert at grammar girl’s house? something that contained ladyfingers and was stored in the refrigerator. grammar girl’s dad made it.

a few weeks ago i took my kid to visit my homeland of ohio. grammar girl was with us and we visited her parents who live in the same old house across from the school. only now the city has built a new high school down the street and has decided to demolish the old school (single tear currently dripping down my cheek)  - including the windows that were home to our butt-prints so long ago. sigh.

just like the old days, we stopped by grammar girl’s house for a few meals while we were in town. my new favorite thing to eat there? baked oatmeal.

apparently grammar girl’s mom had it at a bed & breakfast somewhere and was given the recipe. and thankfully she whipped up a batch while we were visiting…i ate it for dessert one night and my kid had it for breakfast the next morning. versatile is one thing this baked oatmeal definitely can be called…and that is not a prank.

baked oatmeal
based on a recipe from a bed & breakfast somewhere east of the mississippi with my changes.

notes:
this oatmeal can be baked in a 2 quart dish.
it can also be baked in individual oven-safe ramekins. just be sure to bake the ramekins in a waterbath so that they don’t lose too much moisture.

you need:

• 3 cups extra thick rolled oats (not instant. not quick cooking.)
• 2 t baking powder
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1/4 of a grated nutmeg
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup real maple syrup
• 1/2 cup half & half
• 1/2 cup melted, unsalted butter
• 2 t vanilla extract

make the baked oatmeal:

1. preheat the oven to 350. if baking the oatmeal in ramekins, prepare a kettle of boiling water and have a large enough baking dish on hand so that the ramekins can fit inside and the hot water can come an inch or so up the sides.
2. mix together the oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon & nutmeg.
3. in a separate bowl, whisk the eggs. add the milk, maple syrup, half & half, butter, and vanilla. mix well.
4. add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix completely.
5. pour mixture into your baking dish or spoon into individual ramekins.
6. bake for 30 minutes (20 or so for ramekins.)
7. serve warm with milk and sliced fruit or a bit of maple syrup for drizzling.

preparation notes:

• you can assemble the entire dish the night before you plan to serve it and simply pop it in the oven in the morning.
• if you’d like, add a sprinkling of raisins, dried cranberries, dried blueberries or coconut to the dry mixture before adding the wet. 
• you can use all milk if you’d like, but i love the decadence of half & half.
• you can substitute oil for the butter, but butter does give the oatmeal a richer flavor.

freezer notes:

• baked oatmeal makes for delicious leftovers, but if you’d rather scoop it into ramekins and bake a few now and then freeze a few unbaked for later, you can do that easily! simply wrap the individual oatmeal-filled ramekins well. when you’re ready to eat simply bake from frozen. add a few minutes to the baking time and don’t forget the waterbath!
  
  

oats! baked oatmeal ‘batter’, finished baked oatmeal:


me & grammar girl: look closely behind us and you’ll see windows. the very same windows that we once vandalized with our butt-prints. notice you can’t see our full faces. that’s to keep us from finally getting busted after all these years.


ps: if asked, i guarantee you grammar girl will deny any involvement in any senior prank, ever.

pps: this baked oatmeal honestly is completely versatile. more to come on the subject!