Breakfast and Brunch

Pioneer Woman's Monkey Bread

Recipe: Pastor Ryan’s Monkey Bread

Prep Time: 20 Minutes | Cook Time: 40 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 8
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Ingredients

3 cans Buttermilk Biscuits (the Non-flaky Ones)
1 cup Sugar
2 teaspoons (to 3 Teaspoons) Cinnamon
2 sticks Butter
1/2 cup Brown Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Open up all three cans of biscuits and cut each biscuit into quarters.

Next, combine the white sugar with 2-3 teaspoons of cinnamon. (3 teaspoons of cinnamon gives it a fairly strong cinnamon flavor. If you’re not so hot on cinnamon, cut it back to 2 teaspoons.) Dump these into a 1 gallon zip bag and shake to mix evenly.

Drop all of the biscuit quarters into the cinnamon-sugar mix. Once all the biscuit quarters are in the bag seal it and give it a vigorous shake. This will get all those pieces unstuck from one another and nicely coated with cinnamon-sugar. Spread these nuggets out evenly in the bundt pan.

At this point, you’re going to want to melt the two sticks of butter together with ½ cup of brown sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. This can be light or dark brown sugar. Cook butter/sugar mixture, stirring for a few minutes until the two become one. Once the brown sugar butter has become one color, you can pour it over the biscuits.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes until the crust is a deep dark brown on top. When its finished cooking, remove it from the oven. If you have the willpower, allow it to cook for about 15-30 minutes before turning it over onto a plate.


Crustless Cheese and Spinach Quiche
E. York

1 (10 oz) pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup pesto
5 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Press the excess moisture from the spinach. Combine the spinach, 1 1/2 cups cheese, cream, pesto, and eggs in a bowl and mix well. Pour the spinach mixture into a 9-inch pie plate sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until set. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese and bake for 2-3 minutes longer or until the cheese sets.

*Really easy, good, and a great way to eat your veggies for breakfast!
From Birmingham Junior League's "Table of Contents"


Tomato Breakfast Strata
E. York

1 cup milk
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 (12 oz) loaf French bread, sliced
2 cups flat-leaf parsley, chopped
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Cheddar Jack cheese
3 large tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup prepared basil pesto
4 eggs
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream

Mix the milk and wine in a shallow dish; the mixture will have the consistency of buttermilk. Dip the bread slices in the milk mixture until coated and arrange in a single layer in a lightly greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with the parsley and drizzle with the olive oil. Layer the cheese, tomatoes, and pesto one at a time over the bread slices.

Whisk the eggs in a bowl until blended and stir in the salt and pepper. Pour the eggs over the prepared layers and then carefully pour the cream over the top. Chill, covered with plastic wrap, for 8-10 hours. Remove the strata from the fridge and let stand, covered, for 1 hour or until room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 45-50 minutes or until puffy and brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

From Bham JL's "Table of Contents"


Holiday French Toast
E. York

Serves 6-8

1 c packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 c dried cranberries
1 (8 oz) loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch slices
1 1/2 c milk
6 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon


Combine the brown sugar, butter and 1 tsp cinnamon in a bowl and mix well. Add the apples and cranberries and toss to coat. Spread the apple mixture over the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish sprayed w/nonstick cooking spray. Arrange the bread slices cut side down over the prepared layer. Whisk the milk, eggs, vanilla, and 2 http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giftsp cinnamon in a bowl until blended. Pour the milk mixture over the prepared layers and chill, covered with foil, for 4 to 24 hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake, covered, for 40-45 minutes or until brown and bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes and serve with warm syrup.

From "Tables of Content" Birmingham Junior League

Scones
E. York

Read this first, as it's a great tutorial for how to make great scones.

Then try these:

Pumpkin Scones

Copycat recipe of Starbucks' Pumpkin Scones
It has been a while ago when I first gotten this recipe, so I can't recall its origin.

2 cups all purpose flour
7 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3 tbsp half and half
1 large egg
6 tbsp cold butter, cut into cubes

Plain glaze:
1 cup + 1 tbsp confectioners' sugar
2 tbsp whole milk

Spiced Icing:
1 cup + 3 tbsps cofectioners'sugar
2 tbsp whole milk
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch of ground ginger
pinch of ground clove

Preheat the oven to 425F, and combine all purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder salt, nutmeg, ground cloves, ground ginger together in a large mixing bowl.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin, half and half and egg.

Cut butter into the dry ingredients, using a pastry cutter, until it resemble coarse meal. Fold in wet ingredients in the medium bowl and form dough into a ball. Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1-inch thick rectangle that is about 9-inches x 3 inches. Cut into 6 triangle slices of dough. (Freeze dough for 30 minutes or upto 1 month if it's too soft and hard to handle at this point)

Bake for 14-16 minutes or until scones turn light brown.

While scones cool, mix ingredients for plain glaze, using mixer on medium speed, until the mixture becomes smooth. Brush glaze over scones, when they are cool.

As the white glaze firms up, prepare spiced icing, with mixer on medium speed, mix until well combined. Drizzle this thicker icing over each scones and allow the icing to dry before serving.( at least 1 hour)A squirt bottle works great for this, or drizzle with a whisk.

Note: I find the scones having enough sweetness from the white glaze, without the spiced icing. Hence this step is omitted.

Make 6 large scones.
(Taste like the Starbucks scones, but even better)


STRAWBERRY BREAD
E. York

2 cups fresh strawberries, chpd
3 1/8 c all purpose flour
2 c white sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 c vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 c chpd pecans

Preheat oven to 350 and butter 2 bread loaf pans.

Slice strawberries, and place in medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle lightly with sugar, and set aside while preparing bread mixture.

Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking soda in large bowl: mix well. Blend oil and eggs into strawberries. Add strawberry mixture to flour mixture, blending until dry ingredients are just moistened. Stir in pecans. Divide batter into pans.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until tester inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn loaves out, and cool completely.


BRAN FLAX MUFFINS
(but I really think they need a better name for this, as this name sounds very unappetizing)-E. York

1 1/2 c white flour
3/4 c flaxseed meal
3/4 c oat bran (I used uncooked whole grain oats)
1 c brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 c carrots, shredded
2 apples, peeled and shredded
1/2 c raisins (optional)
1 c nuts, chpd
3/4 c milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together flour, flaxseed meal (which I bought at Whole Foods; this recipe is from the bag of Uncle Bob's Organic Whole Ground Flaxseed Meal), oat bran, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
Stir in carrots, apples, raisins, and nuts.
Combine milk, beaten eggs, and vanilla.
Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir until ingredients are moistened, but do not overstir. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full (I greased my muffin cups first). Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Yields 15-20 muffins.

These muffins are delicious, healthy, and packed with Omega-3's!

My Mom's Banana Bread
This is a classic hit, but the trick is to stir everything by hand (no mixers involved)-E. York

2 1/4 c flour
2 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c oil
1 t vanilla
1/4 c sour milk (you can put cream of tartar in the 1/4 c milk)
1 1/3 tsp soda
4 ripe bananas, sliced
1 c chpd nuts (optional)
3 eggs, beaten

Stir ingredients together. Pour into 2 greased/floured loaf pans. Bake at 350 for one hour, then sprinkle cinnamon on top when they come out of the oven. Freezes well.
*Note, if your bananas are starting to go bad, put them in the freezer to save for this recipe. The peels will turn black, and they won't be the firmest to work with when you're making this, but trust me, it turns out great, and it's a good way to not waste your bananas.


Pumpkin Bread
E. York

3 1/3 c sifted flour
2 tsp soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
2 c sugar
4 eggs
2/3 c water
2 c canned pumpkin
1 c vegetable oil

Combine dry ingredients. Add remaining ingredients and beat well. Pour into 2-3 greased/floured loaf pans and bake at 350 for 1 hour. If pyrex is used, decrease heat to 325.


Double Decker Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins
E. York
*makes 48 muffins

For pumpkin batter:
1 regular size can of pure pumpkin
1 box spice cake mix
4 eggs
1/4 c water
1/2 c canola oil
2/3 c sugar OR small box jello pumpkin pudding mix

For dark chocolate batter:
1 box dark chocolate or devil's food cake mix
all of the ingredients on the box to make the cake (oil, water, eggs)
1 c chocolate chips

- Preheat oven to 350.
- Prepare 48 muffin cups with liners or Pam with flour.
- Mix all pumpkin batter ingredients together in a large bowl. Beat on low 1 min and on medium 2 min.
- Mix all dark chocolate batter ingredients from box directions together in another large bowl. Beat on low 1 min and on medium 2 min. Add chocolate chips right at the end to the chocolate batter.
- Fill muffin cups 1/3 with pumpkin batter then top with another 1/3 of the dark chocolate batter.
- Bake around 20 minutes until you can touch them and they spring back.
- Cool 5-10 min in the pans.
- Remove from pans and cool completely.
* These will not freeze -- chocolate chips will get hard!
*I usually make these into mini-loaves or in 2 to 3 regular loaf pans


Blueberry Bread
E. York

3 c flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
2 c sugar
3 eggs, well beaten
1 1/4 c vegetable oil
2 pints blueberries (frozen ones work great, just don't defrost them. Place directly in the batter)
1 1/4 c chpd pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, salt, soda, cinnamon, and sugar. Make a well in center of dry ingredients. Add eggs and oil, stir only until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in blueberries and pecans. Spoon batter into 2 greased/floured loaf pans and bake one hour. Let stand overnight before slicing (yeah right, this never happens in my household.)