Delicious brunch recipes from some of our favorite food blogs.

For the past two months we’ve been running our Sunday Brunch series. We’re wrapping it up this weekend to leave room for a new series – keep an eye out for it next weekend – but we wanted to celebrate by recapping all of the great recipes and food blogs that we have featured over the last eight weeks. We’re pretty sure that if you made all eight of them this weekend you would be hosting the best brunch party ever.

Sour Cream Pecan Crumb Coffee Cakes

Not only will you get a delicious dish out of this recipe from Turntable Kitchen, but it comes with a hand selected playlist too.

Mascarpone, Nutella and Fresh Berry Toasts

Food Blogga loves Nutella as much as we do and these toasts are the perfect way to justify eating it on an early Sunday morning.

Triple Cheese and Spinach Strata

From the vaults of food magazine Honest Cooking, this Triple Cheese and Spinach Strata will serve a crowd.

Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

Have a few gluten sensitive friends coming over? Not to worry. Just put a batch of these cinnamon rolls from Gluten Free Girl in the oven and you’ll have nothing to fret over.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Big Girls Small Kitchen puts pumpkin to good use in these hearty pancakes that will soon be a regular brunch favorite.

Almond Ginger Granola With Blueberries

A bowl of this granola from So Good and Tasty, and you’ll wonder why you ever ate the store bought stuff.

French Choquettes

Kerry of  French Revolution has this easy recipe that’s simple to make but will certainly impress your guests.

Creamy Grits with Crispy Leeks

From Herbivoracious, here’s a dish that puts a fresh spin on an old classic.

Bon appetit!

Image: xiux5

The post Our 8 Favorite Sunday Brunch Recipes appeared first on EcoSalon.

A delicious and creative brunch dish that’s perfect for the vegetarian crowd.

Sometimes you need a new spin on culinary classic, and this recipe for Creamy Grits with Crispy Leeks happens to be vegetarian and gluten free, perfect for when you have tired of the bacon and bread combination that is the darling of every breakfast joint du jour.

This week’s Sunday Brunch recipe comes to us from Herbivoracious, an excellent food blog run by Michael Natkin that is committed to intriguing vegetarian recipes. Natkin is also coming out with a new cookbook this spring, and if you’re looking for another addition to your brunch table, you might also want to try out his One-Bowl Banana Muffins.

***

Breakfast for dinner doesn’t have to be just pancakes or eggs and toast. I grew up in the South, and was always appalled to watch folks mix together waffles, bacon, maple syrup and everything else on their plate. Thirty years later, I think that mixing sweet, savory and salty flavors is pure genius.

Today’s dish explores that idea, with creamy grits, crispy fried leeks, a leek jus with Morita peppers and honey, cilantro-Epazote pesto, an egg, sunny side up, and a bit of queso fresco. This would be more of a Southwestern spin on that Southern idea.

Grits are one of the great breakfast foods. If you have made polenta before, you’ve also made grits – there is no real difference, unless you are talking lye-processed hominy grits, which are much less common. Some folks argue about whether or one is coarser or finer, white or yellow but mainly it is a distinction without a definitive difference. Cornmeal is simply whisked into lots of boiling water, and then simmered until smooth, soft and creamy. If you like, you can replace some of the water with milk, and/or add cheese to enrich.

I handled the leeks in an interesting way here. We fry up a big batch of them until crispy. Some are reserved for the final dish, and the rest are then simmered with morita peppers, extracting all of that caramelized flavor to make the jus. I just recently learned about Moritas – they are smoked and dried red jalapenos. So basically chipotles, but not packed in adobo. You get the opportunity to get all the pepper flavor and smoke without the extraneous tomatoey flavors in the canned sauce. And let me tell you, breathing in deep from a bag of Morita peppers is a transporting experience. Wow.

The cilantro-Epazote pesto was a pure experiment. I thought maybe the Epazote flavor would be overpowering, and I would only be able to use a tiny bit as an accent. Surprisingly, that wasn’t the case. It was present and very appetizing, but not over the top.

Creamy Grits with Crispy Leeks, Leek Jus, and Cilantro-Epazote Pesto
Vegetarian and gluten-free; not vegan
Serves 2

• 3 cups water
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup stone-ground grits
• 2 tablespoons pepitas, toasted
• 1 handful cilantro leaves, cleaned
• 4 Epazote leaves
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3 leeks, white parts only, halved lengthwise, cleaned thoroughly, sliced thinly
• 2 Morita peppers or other smoked pepper of your choice, briefly toasted in a dry skillet
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 organic eggs
• 2 ounces queso fresco or other cheese of your choice

Bring the 3 cups of water and 1 cup of milk to a boil. Whisk in the grits in a thin stream, stirring continuously. Add a couple big pinches of salt. Reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. You will notice a distinct change where they go from being “gritty” to creamy.  Add more water as necessary if they are getting dry before that happens. Anytime after they turn creamy, they are ready to serve. Taste and add salt as needed.

Meanwhile, combine the pepitas, cilantro, Epazote, 2 tablespoons of canola oil and a pinch of salt in a mini food processor, and process until it forms a coarse, pesto-like consistency. You might need a little more oil. Taste and adjust salt.

Heat a very large, preferably cast-iron skilet over a high flame. Add 1/4 cup of oil and heat for a moment. Add the leeks and a big pinch of salt and fry, turning only very occasionally, until they are mostly deep brown. Remove about two tablespoons of them two paper towels and season with salt. As they cool, the should become crisp.

Return the pan to a medium flame (with the rest of the leeks still in it), and deglaze the pan with 1 cup of water, scraping well to get all the flavorful bits. Add the Morita peppers and the honey and whisk. Reduce heat to a bare simmer and cook five minutes, adding more water if needed.

Using a fine sieve and pressing well, transfer the liquid to a very small saucepan and keep warm. Dispose of the solids. Reduce or add liquid as necessary to produce a thin jus with just a hint of body. Taste and adjust seasoning. We’d like a balance of savory from the leeks, salt, smoke and heat, and sweetness from the honey.

In the original skillet, add a little more oil and fry off two eggs. Cover so that the whites cook while the yolk remains runny. Or you could use poached eggs.

To serve, put a helping of the grits in each bowl and make a well. Fill the well with the poached egg. Top with the crispy leeks and pour a couple tablespoons of the jus around the edge. Add a tablespoon or so of the pesto and a small piece of queso fresco.

Sunday Brunch is an ongoing series featuring brunch recipes from some of our favorite food blogs around the web. New recipes every Sunday, so that you’re ensured a gourmet weekend. Bon appetit!

Image: Herbivoracious

The post Sunday Brunch: Creamy Grits with Crispy Leeks appeared first on EcoSalon.

French puffs of pastry for the breakfast averse.

When it comes to food, we have a bit of a French obsession. Is there anything better than a cafe au lait and a pain aux raisins on a Sunday morning? Not a lot, but this recipe for choquettes from French Revolution just might give that menu a run for its money. So bring a little joie de vivre to your kitchen table this weekend and enjoy.

***

I still remember my first chouquette.

I’m not big on breakfast. While it’s most people’s favorite meal, it’s something I usually resolve to eat around this time every year. Mostly, I fail. But one fine morning, I was in Paris and on my way to cooking school. Cooking school is not for the faint of heart or the empty of stomach. You need calories to burn. So as I passed by the bakery around the corner from Le Cordon Bleu, I gazed into the window for some inspiration.

In a little cloth-lined basket, I saw a stack of something I’d never noticed before. Puffs of crisp dough, covered in a crust of pearl sugar. I asked what they were. That baker was never friendly and replied with a terse, “chouquettes.” I realized I was on my own, so I ordered a handful. With my first bite it hit me: profiterole shells. They are profiterole shells, without all the sweetness of cream and chocolate. Just the simple, air-filled, balloon of a shell, crisp on the outside, airy pocket inside, and covered in sugar. A little bit eggy, just a little bit rich. But light enough for a girl who hates breakfast.

They’re so easy to make at home, and so charming to serve in a little basket at brunch. I add a slight American twist by serving them, and sometimes even injecting them, with an assortment of jams.

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup water
• ½ stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• A pinch of fine sea salt
• ½ cup flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons pearl sugar, or more to taste
• Assorted jams and preserves

PROCEDURE

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a medium sauce pot, bring the water, butter, sugar, and salt to a boil in a covered pot over medium heat. Take the pot off the heat, and dump in the flour. Stir with a wooden spoon until completely incorporated. Return the pot to medium-low heat and stir for 60 seconds, until the dough comes away from the sides of the pot and forms a ball.

Turn the dough out into a bowl, and add 1 egg at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon until the egg is completely incorporated. The dough will be thick and sticky. Use a tablespoon measure to place balls of dough on a parchment- or Silpat-lined baking sheet, spacing out the chouquettes. Dip your finger in a bowl of water, and pat down any spikes in the dough that might burn. Sprinkle with pearl sugar.

Bake 10 minutes at 400°F, then reduce the heat to 350°F for 30 additional minutes. Take the chouquettes out of the oven, pierce the bottom of each pastry with a skewer, and cool on a wire rack. The hole in the bottom allows the steam to escape without making the chouquette soggy. Serve in a cloth-lined basket.

Sunday Brunch is an ongoing series featuring brunch recipes from some of our favorite food blogs around the web. New recipes every Sunday, so that you’re ensured a gourmet weekend. Bon appetit!

Image: French Revolution

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A zesty ginger granola is the perfect recipe for a simple Sunday brunch.

Brunch doesn’t always have to be an extensive affair. Sometimes you want something a little simpler than the standard rich egg dish. A glorified granola with fresh yogurt perhaps? This week we’re featuring Almond Ginger Granola with Blueberries from So Good and Tasty, the perfect recipe for an easy and healthy brunch this weekend. Of course, you can still make a side of eggs if you want.

***

Do you ever go through food phases? I totally went through a granola phase for awhile. Then all of a sudden one day that ended and I haven’t made a single batch of granola for about a year… until now.

It’s not that I traded in my tasty homemade batches for convenient store bought versions. I just stopped eating and/or craving it for some reason. Then one beautiful late August weekend we decided to go camping with some friends of ours and they just so happened to bring along a nice large batch of granola. It was beyond delicious and I found myself shoveling handfuls into my mouth and wondering why (and how) I had gone so long without.

Fast forward to last week and I finally managed to get a recipe from my friend, which resulted in me making a large batch of the stuff on Monday, so that I’d have something healthy and delicious to snack on while flying to the east coast. In fact, I’m probably munching on some right now as your reading this and it’s good, very good.

I’ve made lots of changes to the original recipe and many of the changes are actually ones my friend made too. Substituting the peanut butter and peanuts for almond butter and raw almonds was the main change. I love that the ratio of nuts to oats makes this a great snacking granola, but definitely serve it with yogurt or milk too. I’m bringing it along on the plane, but I’m curious, what kinds of snacks do you travel with?

Almond Ginger Granola with Blueberries
inspired by the kitchn
about 8 cups granola

• 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 2 cups whole raw almonds
• 1/2 cup hulled raw pumpkin seeds
• 1 cup wheat germ
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 cup honey
• 3/4 cup almond butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3/4 cup dried blueberries

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, wheat germ, salt, cinnamon, and ginger.

In a small saucepan, warm the honey until very runny.  Turn off the heat, stir in the almond butter and vanilla until smooth.

Pour the honey mixture over the oat mixture. Pour in the oil, and stir thoroughly until everything gets wet.

Spread the oat mixture evenly on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, stirring twice while baking. Transfer the granola to a large bowl and add the dried blueberries, tossing to combine. Store at room temperature tightly covered.

Sunday Brunch is an ongoing series featuring brunch recipes from some of our favorite food blogs around the web. New recipes every Sunday, so that you’re ensured a gourmet weekend. Bon appetit!

Images: So Good and Tasty

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Kick off the new year with a batch of pumpkin pancakes. 

Even though the holidays are over, we still can’t get enough of pumpkin. Sweet or savory, the squash does culinary wonders. Which is why we’re ringing in the new year with this recipe for Pumpkin Pancakes from our friends at Big Girls Small Kitchen.

***

I had the idea to make pumpkin pancakes a while back, and eventually I got around to actually making them. In pancakes, pumpkin works like ricotta or yogurt, making the pancakes slightly denser, almost more egg-y tasting.

The post Sunday Brunch: Pumpkin Pancakes appeared first on EcoSalon.

Whip up these delicious gluten-free versions of the traditional cinnamon roll. 

Many of us have a Christmas morning tradition, and for one of our favorite food bloggers, Shauna James Ahern of Gluten Free Girl, it’s cinnamon rolls. These rolls happen to be 100% gluten free and are sure to please a hungry holiday crowd. Enjoy!

Ahern: For Christmas, I want cinnamon rolls. To tell the truth, I have made them every Christmas for the past four years. The first year’s were awful: gnarled at the edges, a bit burnt, and dry as insulation. The second were from a mix. The third year…Did I make them the third Christmas? I was eight weeks pregnant, sleeping and sick most of the time. It’s a bit of a blur.

Last year, Danny and I proudly carried in the cinnamon rolls we had created for the first draft of our cookbook. And they were….good. I mean, really good. But they still didn’t match the image I had in my mind of what a good cinnamon roll should be.

I want a soft, pliable dough, one that tastes good on its own. Yes, I love plump golden raisins, brown sugar almost melting, the ooze of cinnamon-scented butter on the edges, and cream cheese frosting. Really, how could you not love cream cheese frosting? Most of all, I want a cinnamon roll that stands up to the rush of Christmas morning, with a few stragglers left until the afternoon when we pick at the caramelized edges to stave off the hunger pains until dinner begins.

I want the cinnamon roll you see above. And I need it to be gluten-free.

A few days ago, I finally baked it.

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We know what you’ll be making for brunch today. 

When you’ve spent all week with mornings of yogurt, granola, and flax seeds, the weekend calls for a decadent brunch, particularly in winter. There’s nothing quite like spending a slow Sunday morning enjoying a substantial dish with friends. Thanks to Honest Cooking, a gorgeous international online culinary magazine that’s one of our favorite places for food inspiration, now you’ve got that recipe. Triple Cheese and Spinach Strata is not only indulgent, but it will feed a crowd, so invite over a handful of friends, slice up some fruit to serve on the side, and enjoy.

***

Mornings waver between extremes: the painful fight against grogginess, or a wonderfully lazy start to the day. I’d argue that a major tipping point is breakfast. Rushing out the door with a growling stomach is outstripped by taking even five minutes with a bowl of granola, with bonus points if it’s raining outside and you have a hot coffee to keep you warm. I have a special soft spot for breakfasts that can be prepared the night before, saving me from doing anything in my morning haze other than turning the oven on (still a fairly perilous task). At the top of the list is the strata: combining eggs, cheese, and bread into a single luxurious dish that guarantees you won’t be hungry till lunch.

Stratas are layered cubes of bread, baked in a casserole with eggs and milk for a custard-like consistency. The prep is all the night before, letting the liquid soak into the bread overnight and minimizing morning work. Using frozen spinach and jarred red peppers makes it even easier, but if you have the time, fresh spinach and home-roasted peppers never hurt. It’s a decadent breakfast and works even better for brunch, letting you sleep in until an hour before your guests arrive.

Breakfast stratas usually have cheese melted on top, but borrowing a trick from lasagna, I added dollops of ricotta, adding creaminess to the layers of gruyère and bread. Sundried tomatoes and roasted peppers also help cut the richness – so effectively that I find I can sometimes eat a double portion. I don’t recommend it though – the leftovers can be reheated the next day, stretching a slow weekend breakfast into a great weekday morning.

Triple-cheese spinach strata with sundried tomatoes and peppers
Yield: Serves 4, but easily doubled in a larger casserole.

• 1/4 cup (0,6dl) chopped dry-packed sundried tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 6 ounces (170 g) frozen spinach, thawed
• 1/2 cup (1,25dl) chopped roasted red peppers
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 5 cups (1,25l) cubed French or Italian bread, crusts removed (about 1/2 pound or 225 g)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup (2,5dl) milk
• 1/4 cup (0,6dl) heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Pinch freshly ground pepper
• 1/3 cup (0,8dl) ricotta
• 1 cup (2,5dl) gruyère, grated
• 1/2 cup (1,25dl) parmesan, finely grated

1. Cover sundried tomatoes with boiling water and let sit for 15 minutes. Drain off water. Squeeze handfuls of spinach to remove as much water as possible, and then chop.

2. Over medium-low heat, heat butter until no longer bubbling. Saute onion until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, stir until golden, about 30 seconds. Stir in spinach, peppers, sundried tomatoes and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir until mixture is dry, about 1 minute, then remove from heat.

3. In a buttered square casserole, layer half of bread cubes. Spread over half of spinach mixture, then spoonfuls of half of ricotta. Scatter over half of gruyère and parmesan. Repeat layering.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cream, mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Pour egg mixture evenly over casserole. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

5. In the morning, remove casserole from the fridge and let sit while preheating oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake casserole until browned and cooked through, about 45-50 minutes.

Sunday Brunch is an ongoing series featuring brunch recipes from some of our favorite food blogs around the web. New recipes every Sunday, so that you’re ensured a gourmet weekend. Bon appetit!

The post Sunday Brunch: Triple Cheese And Spinach Strata appeared first on EcoSalon.

We know what you’ll be making for brunch today. 

Remember when you first discovered Nutella? A friend or relative who had spent some time in Europe probably said something along the lines of, “they have this amazing spreadable chocolate.” You went and tracked down a jar at some hole-in-the-wall import store and soon all was right with the world. That was then, today Nutella is a commonly found staple, and when it comes to brunch, what better ingredient? Susan Russo, otherwise known as Food Blogga, is of the same mindset, and today’s Sunday Brunch we’re bringing you her recipe of Mascarpone, Nutella, and French Berry Toasts.

***

Sometimes brunch can hurt.

It was July, 2000, Raleigh, North Carolina. My husband and I were invited to attend an all-you-can-eat Southern Sunday brunch. It was an impossibly humid morning, so I didn’t have much of an appetite. That is, until we entered the frigid air-conditioned restaurant and breathed in the sweet, salty, yeasty air. “I’m hungry,” I said to Jeff. “I hope the food’s good.”

We started off modestly at the table with fresh fruit, juices, and coffee (a rookie mistake in hindsight). We quickly progressed to the steaming hot homemade biscuits, some drenched with butter, others drowned with Southern gravy, both delectable. Soon our small plates dusted with biscuit crumbs were replaced with large plates heaped high with a mound each of creamy shrimp and grits, stewed collards, and black-eyed peas. Jeff got a deep-fried chicken leg, which I refrained from eating, not because I felt virtuous but because I was a vegetarian.

Wiping off our slick, buttery fingers we agreed we would stop.

We didn’t.

A friend told us we simply had to have the pancakes. Who could be bothered with plain ‘ol pancakes? we thought. We didn’t know that they had sublimely moist corn pancakes and sweet potato pancakes doused with sticky praline sauce. We ate both.

Then we did the unthinkable. We say “yes” to dessert: thick wedges of sweet potato pie adorned with freshly whipped cream. It was North Carolina. You don’t skip sweet potato pie in North Carolina.

We got up from the table, waistbands stretched to within an inch of their lives, and I nearly had a hyperglycemic episode. We didn’t eat again until Tuesday.

After that episode, brunch became a dirty word in our house It took years for us to recover. Someone would say, “Sunday brunch” or “stack of pancakes,” and we’d begin to tremble and sweat. We were suffering from brunch PTSD.  I wanted to go to counseling. Jeff refused.

Slowly and patiently over the course of several years we eventually recovered from our fear of brunch. Today we can attend any type of brunch, eat moderately, and enjoy ourselves. When it comes to making brunch at home though, we still prefer simple, smallish, breakfast-y items such as Spinach and Ricotta Frittata, Chili Lime Fruit Salad, Greek Yogurt, Fresh Fig, and Black Currant Parfaits, and Monte Cristo sandwiches.

Our go-to brunch item, the one everyone swoons over, is also the simplest: Mascarpone, Nutella, and Fresh Berry Toasts. Take slices of warm Italian toast, slather them with creamy Nutella and rich mascarpone, and top with slices of fresh strawberries. That’s it. If you can’t find juicy strawberries right now, try other seasonal fruit such as sliced figs or persimmons, or lightly sauteed apples or pears.

And, remember, brunch doesn’t have to hurt.

Mascarpone, Nutella, and Fresh Berry Toasts

You really don’t need measurements for this recipe. An (8-ounce) tub of Mascarpone cheese and 2 pints of berries should make about a dozen toasts.

• A (1 pound) loaf of sliced Italian bread
• Butter for toasting
• 1 jar Nutella, the real thing only please
• 1 (8-ounce tub) Mascarpone cheese
• 2 pints fresh berries, such as raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries or fruit of your choice

1. Lightly butter bread and toast until golden.

2. Smear on a layer of Nutella, then top with a layer of Mascarpone. Arrange fruit on top. Serve immediately. Await praise.

Sunday Brunch is an ongoing series featuring brunch recipes from some of our favorite food blogs around the web. New recipes every Sunday, so that you’re ensured a gourmet weekend. Bon appetit!

Image: Susan Russo

The post Sunday Brunch: Mascarpone, Nutella, and Fresh Berry Toasts appeared first on EcoSalon.

We know what you’ll be making for brunch today. 

Welcome to Sunday Brunch, a new weekly series that’s bringing you inventive and delicious brunch recipes from our favorite food blogs around the web. Today, it’s Sour Cream Pecan Crumb Cake from Turntable Kitchen in the oven. And since Turntable Kitchen is known for pairing music with food, they even made us a special brunch playlist to serve up with this recipe.

Sour Cream Pecan Crumb Coffee Cakes
Adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking
*Serves a crowd

The cake:

• 3 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 2 sticks of butter, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 1/4 cups of sugar
• 1 16-ounce package of sour cream
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

The chocolate cinnamon swirl:

• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

The pecan crumb:

• 3/4 cup of flour
• 3/4 cup of brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 3/4 cup of roughly chopped, toasted pecans
• 6 tablespoons of cold butter (unsalted), diced into small cubes

1. Start by making the pecan crumb topping by putting all of the ingredients, save the butter, into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add the butter, pulsing until fully incorporated. Chill in the refrigerator while you make the cake.

2. Whisk the sugar, cocoa powder and cinnamon in a small bowl to combine to make the swirl.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

4. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

5. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter until smooth and light. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy.

6. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure to beat well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure all of the ingredients are mixed.

7. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla. Next, beat in the dry mix in three additions (don’t over mix the batter).

8. Pour about 1/3 of the cake batter into the pan, spreading it evenly. Top with half of the chocolate-cinnamon swirl mixture.

9. Pour another third of the batter and top with the rest of the chocolate-cinnamon swirl mixture.

10. Pour in the rest of the batter, smoothing it evenly. Sprinkle with the crumb topping.

11. Bake for about 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

12. Once cool, cut into crowd-serving-sized squares or rectangles.

*Note: if you are using a smaller pan, you should keep in mind that the cake will take much longer to cook (up to an hour and forty five minutes). To make sure you don’t burn the crumb topping, make a foil tent and cover the pan while you bake.

Sunday Brunch is an ongoing series featuring brunch recipes from some of our favorite food blogs around the web. New recipes every Sunday, so that you’re ensured a gourmet weekend. Bon appetit!

The post Sunday Brunch: Sour Cream Pecan Crumb Coffee Cakes appeared first on EcoSalon.

Strawberries are out in full force, and we bought a flat from the farmer’s market over the weekend. We were mashing the strawberries to make jam when we realized that a Dutch Baby pancake was clearly in order for Sunday brunch.

The “Dutch Baby” originated in Germany, and is made of eggs, flour, sugar and milk. This egg-rich pancake is cooked in the oven and puffs up at the last minute to make a beautiful airy “cake” that’s really more like a popover. It’s also the perfect compliment to fruit.

The secret to the Dutch Baby is to first let the eggs come to room temperature. (You can expedite this process by placing the eggs in a bit of lukewarm water.) After blending the ingredients, wait 15-30 to minutes to ensure the batter is also room temperature before baking.

You will want to have fruit on hand, as well as some fresh whipped cream or plain yogurt to serve with the pancake. This time I included some of the freshly mashed strawberries on top. Delicious!

Dutch Baby Pancake Recipe

Ingredients:

3 large eggs (room-temperature)

6 Tablespoons flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

6 Tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. 2. In a blender, whirl eggs, flour, sugar and milk until smooth. Let sit 15-30 minutes.
3. 3. Place 3 Tablespoons butter in Dutch oven or heavy skillet and place in oven to melt. When melted, remove from oven and swirl butter around the bottom and edges of the pan.
4. 4. Pour in batter. Bake about 15 minutes or until puffed and browned around the edges.
5. 5. Cut into 4 wedges and serve with sliced fruit such as strawberries, bananas or peaches along with whipped cream or plain yogurt. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Serves 2 – 4

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