Valentines Brunch

Well, Valentines is tomorrow but that doesn't mean you can't have a pretty little brunch any day of the year. I had the most fun day with Ella Newman - she takes the prettiest pictures, which you can see more of here. We got together for a quick Valentine's shoot and ate chocolate waffles and citrus salad, and chatted about life - and it really was the best time. I am so happy because now I have these beautiful pictures to post all thanks to her skills behind the camera. I've always loved Valentines day, I think it's such a bright happy holiday in the middle of bleak winter. I really can't think of anything better than celebrating it with pretty dishes and sweet treats. So go grab the people you love and make them some chocolate waffles, because who wouldn't want those?

For this little brunch I did a simple, super sweet menu. There were plenty of chocolate waffles, a yummy citrus salad, and some sparkling pink lemonade. If you wanted to add some real food in there, or add a little protein, a frittata or some scrambled eggs would be great! I used some pretty vintage pink glasses and these darling oval plates with gold rimming, both finds from a second hand store. Because, let's be honest, is it even a party without pretty dishes? 

Chocolate Waffles

- 1 stick butter

- 5 tablespoons cocoa

- 4 eggs

-1 1/2 cups sugar

-2 cups flour

-pinch of salt

-1 teaspoon vanilla

To start, melt your butter and mix in cocoa until combined. Next, whisk each egg into the chocolate mixture and then add the sugar. Finally, add the flour and salt until just combined, then add the vanilla. Heat your waffle iron to high and spray with non stick spray. Put a tablespoon (or up to 3) of batter in the iron,  depending on the size of your waffle maker. Cook depending on waffle maker directions and eat warm with soft whipped cream and chocolate sauce!  

Ok, now we have the citrus salad. I think this was my favorite part of the day. You forget how good fresh citrus is and how pretty it is. I just can't get over those colors! This isn't even a recipe - all you need is some sea salt, citrus, and olive oil and you're good to go!

Citrus Salad

- 1-2 grapefruits, peeled and sliced

-1-2 oranges, peeled and sliced

-1-2 blood oranges, peeled and sliced

- sprinkle of Maldon sea salt

- 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil

Alright, so all you do is slice the citrus, drizzle the oil, sprinkle some sea salt and eat. Yum!

This was such a fun day - go look at Ella's beautiful website to see more photos of this pretty day, then make these recipes - you will not regret it!  Happy Valentines Day! 

Dutch Baby with Caramel Apples

Well it's been a wild summer and this blog has definitely been a bit neglected, but I have missed it so much! Now that I'm back in school I'm hoping to start back up with regular posts and get in the kitchen a lot more. These last couple days in SLC have been a dream..70 degree weather and sunny skies, its got me in the mood for fall. So coming to you after a three month hiatus, I bring a delicious Dutch Baby! This recipe is so easy and probably something we've all made before - it's basically a German pancake, but in a skillet, so you get 360 degree crispy edges, and I just like how it looks. After researching many Dutch Baby recipes I came up with my own perfect mix that I think is just right. Enough eggs to give it puffiness, but not so many that it tastes like an omelet..not my favorite. This Dutch Baby is perfect on its own with some sugar and jam..., but i couldn't stop there... Since it's been feeling like fall, and I happened across these really pretty apples I decided to add a little caramel apple sauce...and it was the best thing I think I've ever done! Totally exceeded my expectations - so good! And don't be scared off by the word caramel - it's just brown sugar, that's it, but it is oh so good. So go make this now! For breakfast, lunch, dinner, or just because... in 20 minutes you could be eating this fluffy pillow of goodness!

Dutch Baby 

• 3/4 cup flour 
• 3/4 cup whole milk 
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 Tablespoon sugar 
• 3 tablespoons butter

In a blender, crack the eggs and add all the ingredients except the butter. Mix on high for about thirty seconds until everything is smooth and there are no lumps. You don't have to do this in a blender, it just ensures there are no lumps of flour which helps the Dutch Baby rise better. Let the batter sit for 10 - 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 425 degrees. This helps the batter meld together and the ingredients get to know each other. Put your skillet in the oven as it's preheating till it's really hot, then remove it (with a hot pad!!!) and add 3 tablespoons of butter - it will melt right away. Pour your batter in the hot buttered pan and stick it in the oven for 17-20 minutes. Serve immediately with powdered sugar, or your caramel apples.

While your Dutch Baby is puffing up, you can whip up the apple topping. It's so simple - all you need is: brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and apples.

Apple Caramel 

• 2 medium sized apples or 1 large
• 2-3 tablespoons butter 
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (or a little more if you feel like it)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

To start, cut your apples thinly, you want them to soften quickly.  Throw the butter in a skillet over medium heat and let it melt, then add your sliced apples. Sauté the apples in the butter for about 3 minutes before adding the sugar and cinnamon, so they can begin to soften. Keep the apples bubbling away at medium heat with the sugar until they are well coated and a thin sauce develops, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat off and let them sit until the Dutch Baby is ready.

Once the Dutch Baby is out, top it with the apples and serve immediately. If you wait to serve, it will begin to lose some of its puff, but it will still taste great. I like to serve it with fresh whipped cream, but you don't really need it - the caramel apples do just great on their own. Enjoy this for a quick fall dessert, breakfast, or snack and you won't regret it! 

Birthday Popovers with Raspberry Butter

One of my New Year's resolutions was to cook something new every week, whether it was a recipe i'd never tried before or one of my own creations. I'm hoping this goal will keep me out of a cooking rut, and keep creative ideas for new recipes flowing...we'll see how long this actually lasts! For this week it's my mom's birthday, and I happened to be trying out popover recipes. I've had a strange obsession with popovers since I was little and experienced them at a locally owned bistro with my mom called Zinn Bistro. It was family run, and the mom did all the cooking, and everything she made was so DELICIOUS! I can't even describe it, every bite was magic. To start your meal you would get a basket of bread, but not just any bread - it was all homemade and sometimes different depending on the day,... BUT the homemade popovers were always the very best part! They came warm with a bunch of raspberry butter, and even though that restaurant is now closed, the memory of the popovers will never leave me! Recently, I found Mimi Thorisson's recipe for Yorkshire pudding, which is basically a popover but with meat juices instead of butter or oil. I knew I had to try them because I love everything she ever makes, and when I did, they were delicious and a hit with my whole family. We couldn't get enough. I whipped up some raspberry butter and it was almost like my mom and I were back at Zinn Bistro, so it was only fitting that I made them once again to celebrate her birthday! 

From Mimi Thorisson's blog, "Manger"

Recipe for Yorkshire Pudding or Popovers

*makes 10-12*

2 cups flour

1 cup whole milk 

2 tablespoons cold water 

4 eggs 

olive oil or meat juices (for Yorkshire pudding)

This recipe is so easy and the ingredients are things you almost always have in your house, so there is never a bad time to make popovers! For best results, use a popover pan, but you can use a muffin tin - they will just be denser and more like a German pancake. A popover pan insures they are airy and light on the inside, and crispy on the outside. You can find one here! 

To make your popovers, start with mixing your flour and milk and water together. Then add each egg one at a time and mix until incorporated. That's about it, once you've mixed it well and most the lumps have gone you're ready to bake! Set your oven to 400 degrees and pour just a bit of olive oil into the bottom of each tin, then set the tin in the oven for about 5 minutes, so the oil is nice and hot. Now you can pour your batter in, fill each cup about 3/4 full and bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are nice and golden brown. Serve warm with raspberry butter!

Raspberry Butter

1 stick butter 

 1/4 cup raspberry jam or more depending on how sweet you like it 

4 tablespoons powdered sugar 

Let your butter come to room temperature and then mash it and the jam together with a fork. Mix in the powdered sugar and serve. Add less or more jam depending on how sweet you like it!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!