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Breakfast:
Ricotta Hotcakes with Orange Maple Butter
Shirred Eggs ~ p. 122 (Julia Child)
Ugh, breakfast . . . again. I am not going to bake breakfast unless: a) I know ahead of time what I want to make (i.e. I have the all impressive menu written up for the week that includes WAYYYYY to much food but makes me happy while thumbing through recipes) and b) the recipe sounds yummy and fun to make. I know I have mentioned this before but I really do not like making breakfast. I like the 'Idea' of making breakfast. I wake up and hope some magic breakfast elves or hubby just made breakfast and I get to sit, sip coffee with my teaspoon of sugar and a tad of hazelnut coffee creamer while waking up. Although, getting to see my hubby in some magical lime green elf attire does cheer me up. We will keep this to ourselves or he may never forgive me for the comment.
Blueberries were huge and delicious looking all summer. There were so many blueberries finding their way into this kitchen that I actually started getting sick of blueberries, which means I started freezing them so not only would the blueberries be out of sight BUT I was freezing them (meaning the blueberries were not spoiling in my refrigerator SO no guilt). Now, making hotcakes is much more fun because I can open a Ziploc bag of blueberries and plop a few on each hotcake. Donna Hay's ricotta hotcakes were screaming for color (blueberries). I would also like to add: Donna Hay's ricotta hotcakes are tender, fluffy and full of great breakfast flavor. Just delicious!
Julia Child's Shirred Eggs were light and extraordinary too! Sheered eggs are a blast to make, I think because the recipe is different and fun. You start with the individual dishes being placed on the burner then when you are ready to eat breakfast, the dishes get popped under the broiler for a minute. If you like over-easy eggs, this is the recipe to make. Also, if you like the egg done to a harder consistency, just leave under the broiler for a bit longer.
Larry loved the whole breakfast. I couldn't finish mine so I asked Larry, do you want me to give the rest to Rocky (the golden retriever) or do you want the rest? I think this must have been a competition between who was getting spoiled this time and Larry won out. I had to go back into the kitchen and make Rocky his own pancake, which Larry was eyeing and Rocky slurped up before Larry got any ideas. Too funny!
Ricotta Hotcakes with Orange Maple Butter
(adapted from Donna Hay)
1½ cups (225g) self-raising (self-rising) flour
½ cup caster (superfine) sugar
4 eggs, separated
1½ cups (375ml) buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
200g ricotta
¼ cup (55g) caster (superfine) sugar, extra
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
maple syrup and lemon wedges, to serve
Orange Maple Butter
6 oz. butter (softened)
Juice of one orange
1 Tablespoon Grand Marnier
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
Orange zest from one orange
3 tablespoons maple syrup
Directions:
To make the orange maple butter, soften butter, add remaining ingredients and mix well. Form a ball and refrigerate.
**I had a problem with this forming a ball. The liquid wants to separate. My solution: Refrigerate, then before serving, melt for 30 seconds in the microwave and drizzle over hotcakes when serving.
Place the flour, sugar, egg yolks, buttermilk and vanilla in a bowl and mix to combine. Whisk the egg white until stiff peaks form and fold through the flour mixture with the ricotta.
Heat a lightly greased large non-stick frying pan over low heat. Cook 2 tablespoons of the mixture, in batches, for 3–4 minutes each side or until puffed and golden. Combine the extra sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the pancakes. Top with the orange maple butter, drizzle over the maple syrup and serve with lemon wedges. Serves 4.
* For blueberry ricotta hotcakes, add 1 cup (150g) fresh or frozen blueberries to the flour mixture with the ricotta. Top hotcakes with maple butter and drizzle over maple syrup.
For Julia Child's sheered eggs on page 122, take a shallow dish about 4-inches in diameter and place over moderate heat on your stove. Add 1/2 Tablespoon of butter and melt. As soon as the butter is melted, add egg or eggs into the dish and cook for about 30 seconds until a thin layer of white has set in the bottom of the dish. Remove from heat, tilt dish, and baste the egg with the butter. Set aside.
A minute or so before serving, place the dish an inch under the hot broiler. Slide it in and out every few seconds and baste the egg with the butter. In about a minute the white will be set, and the yolk filmed and glistening. Remove, season, and serve immediately.