Turnovers… I’m never quite sure if they are meant as breakfast items (yum), dessert with ice cream (also definitely yum) or just a snack with tea or coffee (certainly a yummy option). These were a last minute afterthought as I had some frozen blueberries and some jarred tart cherries taking up room in the fridge, so I went with cherry blueberry, but really any filling works — raspberry or apple also come to mind. Ready in under an hour (that is if you remember to thaw the puff pastry!). Can be re-frozen for a few months or kept in the fridge and reheated for about a week.
Breakfast/Brunch
Rainy day catch-up date here in greater Boston. I had company in for the weekend, and made a bunch of things to eat; got around to photographing then, but it took until today for me to write out the recipes and edit the photos. First up, these Raisin Brioche. I know: raisins are controversial, but everyone eating them here loves them. Light and airy and sweet, these are great for breakfast with a bit of European butter.
Have you ever heard of purple apricots? No? Me neither until about a week ago when I found some at a local green grocer. I suspect that they are actually a hybrid between apricots and small purple or black plums. They look unique but taste pretty much like apricots. This recipe works just as easily with regular apricots, so don’t let the unique ingredients throw you for a loop. It’s a dessert cake, a coffee cake or a cake for afternoon tea, take your pick. Would also be nice with a bit of custard, ice cream or whipped cream. The almonds and olive oil give it a great, subtle taste addition. When I have made this cake before (once with plums, once with cherries) the fruit stayed more on top, but this time they sunk in a little much. Not as pretty as I would have liked, but still delicious.
Breakfast time! This is a little “cake” that I have now made for the second time in a week’s span as it was so popular in the first go around that is was gone straight away. Surprisingly it is very similar to my most of my blueberry muffin recipes, but instead of milk that those recipes use, this “breakfast cake” uses ricotta cheese. It’ very light, super-fluffy and has just the right amount of tartness from the lemon and ricotta. Also, it’s a very easy and forgiving recipe.
(modified from an Ina Garten recipe that can be found here)
I often make granola for myself, though I don’t post the recipe, because it is mostly the same — swap out the nuts, swap out the dried fruit, but there is usually maple syrup and of course oats and sunflower seeds. This time I made Maple Pecan and Cranberry Granola. not too sweet, a little tart and definitely delicious. I mostly eat my granola with yogurt (blatant product endorsement: Cabot Whole Milk Vanilla Greek Yogurt is excellent), but would also be great with milk for breakfast or ice cream for dessert.
Yum yum.