Time to make the annual Hot Cross Buns for Easter Weekend / Good Friday. This year’s variation is distinctly “New Englandy”: Maple Cranberry. Not too sweet, very flavorful and extremely fluffy. Very pleased with the results!
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Breakfast/Brunch
The story of this loaf of bread (condensed version): I’ve been meaning to make this style of bread for a while, but always forget the overnight rise, so remembered last night at about midnight that I was going to start it. I really must have messed up the water to flour ratio (I think I put in 2 cups or more of water, when it should have been only 1 and a half cups). But I figured I’d run with it, put it in the fridge and this morning — well, while it had risen, it was a gloppy mess. I almost didn’t even bake it up, but thought at the last minute that it would be a waste of good flour if I didn’t even go through the entire experiment.
Into the pre-heated Dutch oven, in the oven, it went at 450F. I had no faith.
But then, after 40 minutes, I opened the lid to a lightly tan, but certain the right shape and with a semi-crusty crust loaf of bread. Fifteen minutes later, uncovered, it was beautiful, risen, crusty and frankly, quite lovely looking. I mean, if you think bread is pretty. 🙂 While the crumb / consistency was a little too dense and chewy, not all was lost and I am completely sold on the “baking bread in a dutch oven” method. Gets out your Le Creuset, kids — I’m going to do some more bread baking (without messing up the water/flour ratio next time)!
It isn’t often that I post pictures taken from my mobile phone as the photos accompanying recipes, but I forgot to bring my Canon with my over the New Year’s long weekend up in the woods. I did want to share this amazing — and crazy-easy — recipe for Blueberry Croissant French Toast Casserole though, and without photos just wouldn’t do. I love this recipe and the best part about it is that you actually make it the evening before so as your drinking your first cup of coffee in the morning, you have nothing to do but wait for the blueberry goodness to arrive. This turned out to be perfect on New Year’s Day morning as I was still feeling effects of the bubbly the night before. Even if you aren’t hungover, what’s better than having your breakfast ready in 25 minutes with minimal effort.
Fresh out of the oven, here we have a variation on my Blueberry Buttermilk Breakfast Loaves … Blueberry and Red Currant Coffee Cake: Perfect for Breakfast! They really are the same thing, only in a different shape (square instead of a loaf) and this one also has fresh red currants in addition to blueberries (only because I had the currants handy … you can make these all blueberry, all currant or some of each). The recipe comes together quickly, though it does take some time to bake, but once out of the oven, it is ready to serve almost immediately. Definitely one of my favorite recipes.
Appetizers/Starters, Breads, Breakfast/Brunch, Sweet Snacks
Blueberry Balsamic Jam with a hint of Rosemary
I went blueberry picking again last weekend. And currants and raspberries actually, but that doesn’t have much to do with this post. In typical fashion, I made some more jam. I love jams. And per my usual, I decided to make this one with a twist: adding a bit of balsamic vinegar and simmering the jam with some rosemary. Now, it isn’t an overwhelming rosemary flavor and the balsamic really just adds a bit of brightness. At any rate, it is delicious on toast but I could also see this being very yummy with savory things, like adding to a cheese plate.