Egg Nog Pancakes

Breakfast this morning provided the perfect opportunity to use the egg nog lurking in the fridge since Christmas.  

Egg Nog Pancakes!  I used my Classic Buttermilk Pancake Recipe, and substituted egg nog for a cup of the buttermilk in the batter.  An easy switch that resulted in a great batch of pancakes.

I'm thinking I can use the rest in a batch of banana bread, since we've got some perfectly browned bananas waiting to be baked into something.

How do you use up leftover egg nog?

Egg Nog Buttermilk Pancakes

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup buttermilk*

1 cup egg nog

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Whisk together the buttermilk, egg nog, vanilla, melted butter and eggs in a separate bowl until well combined.

*If you don't keep buttermilk on hand, make your own buttermilk with one tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar for each cup of milk. Put the tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar in your measuring cup, then add the milk to measure one cup of buttermilk. Allow to sit for a few minutes before combining with the other ingredients.

Mix the wet and dry ingredients. Allow batter to sit for a few minutes.

Lightly butter a large frying pan and set over medium heat. Use a 1/3 cup of batter for each 6” pancake. Flip each pancake when bubbles form on the surface and the edges begin to brown, 2-3 minutes. If your pancakes brown too quickly, turn heat down to medium-low. Cook the other side for another 2-3 minutes or until browned.

Serve right away or keep warm in a low oven while you cook the remaining pancakes.

Maple syrup is required :)

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Hello 2014, Happy New Year!

We greeted 2014 with waffles yesterday morning.  Belgian Waffles, fresh off the waffle iron seemed a good choice to start the first day of the new year.  Watching the Winter Classic was a great way to spend the afternoon, before heading out to the toboggan hill.

It was cold, and colder still today, -25°C.  As I watched the boys go up and down the hill, I reflected on the time we've enjoyed as a family these past couple of weeks.  It was a busy, happy time.  And it was the most wintry Christmas that I can remember having in a long time.  It snowed almost every day. 

Lessons were learned.  Like the importance of shovelling the driveway before trying to drive out of it.

An ice storm caused a lot of damage just days before Christmas, but those icy trees were a beautiful sight.

We celebrated Christmas three times in three days in three different cities.

Our leaning tree is the one in the middle.  

We ate and drank, and ate some more.  Turkey of course, a spectacular whole filet mignon, and a perfect ham.  Cookies, nuts, chocolates, cakes, and never ending snacks.  My Spinach Dip made a few appearances, as did my Pizza Buns which I'll have to share with you.  I discovered a new favourite red wine,  decided that Cosmopolitans are dangerously delicious, and was reminded that I still don't like champagne.

Fun was had by all, indoors and out.

And the Belgian Waffle recipe that I use?  The one that came with my Cuisinart Waffle Maker:

Buttermilk Belgian Waffles

4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon table salt

3½ cups buttermilk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

4 large eggs, lightly beaten 

Lightly coat waffle maker with cooking spray.  I try to avoid using cooking spray and prefer to rub a small amount of vegetable oil around the surface with a bit of paper towel.  

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Whisk together the buttermilk, vanilla, butter and eggs in a separate bowl until well combined.  If you don't keep buttermilk on hand, make your own buttermilk with one tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar for each cup of milk.  Put the tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar in your measuring cup, then add the milk to make one cup of buttermilk.  Allow to sit for a few minutes before combining with the other ingredients.

Mix the wet and dry ingredients until just combined.  Pour two cups of batter onto the prepared, preheated waffle maker. Quickly and carefully spread the batter evenly. Close the cover and cook until indicator light lets you know waffles are ready!  Serve immediately.

This recipe makes 20 waffles, go ahead and cut the quantities in half if you're not feeding an army.  Also the 2 cup measure of batter is for a four slice square waffle maker.  You may have to adjust the amount if you have a different waffle maker.  As amazing as the kids think it is to watch the batter ooze out the sides when you've used too much batter, it's a helluva mess to clean. 

We top our Belgian Waffles the same way we top our Oven Baked French Toast, with maple syrup, strawberries and powdered sugar, but the waffle topping possibilities are endless.  How do you top your waffles?

Happy New Year!

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Oven Baked French Toast

I teased you with some beautiful French Toast a few weeks ago.  As promised, here is the recipe.

This French Toast is baked in the oven and can be prepared ahead of time, easily put together the night before for an effortless breakfast the next morning.

Breakfast is my favourite meal, and we take time to put together big breakfasts on the weekend.  Pancakes, bacon and eggs, waffles, French toast.  Usually with home made hash brown potatoes on the side.  And fruity smoothies to drink.  All this is in stark contrast to the rushed and disconnected breakfasts that happen through the week.  A quick bowl of cereal, find a missing textbook. Yogurt and a piece of fruit, pack lunches.  A slice of toast, sign a form. A granola bar, feed the dogs.  It's all rush, rush, rush.  Ten minutes left... did you brush your teeth?  What's going on with your hair? And where's the form I just signed?? 

I've made this French toast weekends and weekdays.  It's a Pampered Chef recipe, from their Stoneware Sensations cookbook, which has a few of my other favourite recipes in it.  It doesn't take long to put together.  Pop it in the fridge overnight and you'll only need half an hour in the oven the next morning.  Enough time to set the table and brew some fresh coffee.

The sliced strawberries are optional, but oh-so-good.  As is the icing sugar.  The maple syrup is a must.  French toast and maple syrup go together like, well, French toast and maple syrup.  Start with a loaf of French bread.  Preferably not a fresh one.  I love a fresh crusty loaf as much as the next person, but this is easier to work with if it's a day old.  If you're using a skinnier baguette, slice diagonally for larger slices.

Gather your ingredients.   The recipe calls for milk, but I had a some leftover cream so I used half cream and half milk.  I have a great shaker which I like to use to mix up the ingredients, but it works just as well whisked up in a bowl.  And yes, that's the milk...in a bag.  Does anyone outside of Canada buy their milk in bags?

Arrange your bread slices in a single layer and pour all that goodness over them.   I sprinkle it with cinnamon sugar before I put it in the oven.

It puffs up nicely in the oven.  Light and fluffy, with a slightly dense, almost custard like centre.  Just the way French toast should be.

Oven Baked French Toast

1 loaf (8 ounces) French bread

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

3 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

Cinnamon and sliced strawberries optional.

Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan.  Cut bread into 1 inch thick slices and arrange closely in a single layer in the prepared pan.  You may have to manipulate them to fit.  Whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Pour over bread.  Cover and refrigerate at least one hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Sprinkle bread with cinnamon, if desired.  Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve with toppings of your choosing.

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