Breakfast foods have always been my favorite – coffee cake, pancakes, donuts and eggs – I’m happy with just about any of it. However, during the week, I rarely take the time to put together a fancy or interesting morning meal. Cereal, bagels, and muffins are staples in our house as we rush to get out the door to work or other commitments.
Since it’s so easy to get into a weekday breakfast rut, I view holidays, birthdays, and other special occasions as great excuses to plan a morning treat that makes the day feel significant. An indulgent breakfast does not need to be time-consuming or difficult to prepare. As long as it’s delicious, and as long as it’s a change from the same boring menu, it will get your day off to a perfect start.
These three breakfast treats are ideal ways to celebrate a Saturday, to show your kids that you love them, or to just spoil yourself while you enjoy a hot cup of coffee. Rise and shine!
Red velvet pancakes
What better way to say “Happy Valentine’s Day” than with these festive and tasty hot cakes? Sprinkle with powdered sugar, drizzle with a cream cheese glaze, or simply serve with butter and maple syrup – you can’t go wrong!
Yield: Eight to10 pancakes.
*One tablespoon white vinegar.
*One cup milk.
*One cup flour.
*Three tablespoons sugar.
*One teaspoon baking powder.
*One-fourth teaspoon baking soda.
*One-fourth teaspoon salt.
*Two tablespoons cocoa powder.
*One egg, slightly beaten.
*Two tablespoons canola oil.
*Three to four teaspoons of red food coloring (or enough to turn your batter red!)
Powdered sugar (optional), for serving.
In a small bowl, combine vinegar and milk. Set aside.
In a medium-size mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa.
In a separate small bowl, combine milk mixture, egg and oil. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients. Stir until just moistened (batter will be lumpy). Add red food coloring until batter reaches desired color.
Pour approximately one-fourth cup of batter onto a hot, greased griddle. Cook pancake batter over medium heat for about two minutes per side, or until golden brown.
Garnish with powdered sugar or drizzle with cream cheese glaze (recipe below).
Carrot cake breakfast bread with cream cheese glaze
Yield: One loaf.
*Three-fourth cup grated carrot (approximately one carrot).
*One-third cup canola oil.
*One-fourth cup applesauce.
*One-fourth cup pureed carrot baby food (if you do not have baby food, you can substitute with additional applesauce instead).
*One egg.
*One-half teaspoon vanilla.
*One-half cup sugar.
*One-half cup brown sugar.
*Three-fourth cup all-purpose flour.
*Three-fourth cup whole wheat flour.
*One-half teaspoon baking soda.
*One-eighth teaspoon baking powder.
*One-half teaspoon salt.
*Three-fourth teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.
*One-half cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted.
*One-half cup raisins.
For the cream cheese glaze:
*One ounce cream cheese, softened.
*One tablespoon milk.
*Two tablespoons powdered sugar.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a nine-by-five-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.
In a large mixing bowl, combine grated carrots, oil, applesauce, pureed carrots egg, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly.
Beat sugars into the mix until creamed.
Add flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Mix until well-blended. Stir in nuts and raisins.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 45 minutes – one hour, or until bread is brown and springs back when gently pressed in the middle.
Remove bread from pan and cool on a wire rack.
To make the glaze, whisk together cream cheese, milk, and powdered sugar in a small bowl.
While the bread is still warm, drizzle the glaze over top. Allow to completely cool on drying rack.
Blueberry cheesecake breakfast parfait
This layered parfait only looks and sounds fancy – in fact, it’s incredibly simple to assemble and requires no actual cooking. It’s not only a nice breakfast treat, but also a great afternoon snack.
Makes one parfait.
*Three tablespoons blueberry pie filling or blueberry preserves.
*Nine graham cracker sticks or three graham cracker sheets.
*Two tablespoons almond slivers.
*One-half cup fresh or frozen blueberries.
For “Cheesecake:”
*One-half cup ricotta cheese.
*One-eight teaspoon salt.
*One-fourth teaspoon vanilla extract.
*One teaspoon sugar.
Mix all cheesecake ingredients together in a small bowl.
In a tall glass, place one tablespoon of blueberry pie filling or preserves. Top with two tablespoons of blueberries. Top with one-fourth cup cheesecake mixture and three crushed graham cracker sticks. Repeat layer, starting with another tablespoon of blueberry pie filling. Add sliced almonds to top of parfait. Garnish with remaining three graham cracker sticks.
(Blair Lonergan is a Pratts resident, mother to an infant and a busy attorney, but she still finds time to enjoy work in the kitchen. She can be contacted at blairalexa@hotmail.com.)
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