breakfast

Overnight Oatmeal

January 11, 2017Breakfast, BrunchTove Balle-PedersenComment

I have been wanting to make this for the longest time. Why it has taken me so long, I do not know. This is an easy, delicious, and healthy breakfast, to just grab and go in the morning. So, so much better than classic warm oatmeal. The overnight oatmeal will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. The longer it sit, the more soggy it will become. I always make overnight oats for 2 days.

You can change this up in so many ways. Overnight Oats pretty much have no rules, you can use whatever you like. But as a rule of thumb use twice as much liquid as oats. If you do not add any thickening seeds like chia or flax seed, use a little less liquid.

Liquid: You can use pretty much any kind of milk you prefer, but if you use a sweetened milk, you might have to skip adding any additional sweetener. For a tangier flavor you can use or add buttermilk or thinned yogurt.

Seeds: I personally like flax seeds in my overnight oats, but you can use chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or again use your favorite seeds.

Sweeteners & spices: I use brown sugar in my overnight oats but feel free to use maple syrup, honey or whatever you like. Spices give you more flavor options. Use vanilla, cinnamon, unsweetened cocoa or cardamom or keep it plain and simple.

Toppings: I like to have fresh berries or fruit and chopped nuts as topping. But yet again it's all up to you. By adding cocoa nibs you get good texture and a chocolaty flavor for a new twist.

Makes 1 portion.

Ingredients:

Oatmeal:

½ cup (45 g) old-fashioned oats
1 cup (240 ml) milk
2 tablespoons seeds (like flax, chia, pumpkin, sunflower)
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 pinch salt
1 pinch lemon zest

Topping:

chopped almonds and pistachios
mixed berries and/or fruit.
a drizzle of honey

Directions:

Mix the ingredients for the oatmeal in a maison jar or another sealable container, stir it well. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours.

Stir the oatmeal, heat it or not, and add the toppings of your linking.

Enjoy!

Baileys French Toast

June 27, 2016Breakfast, Brunch, DessertsTove Balle-Pedersen4 Comments

Normally I like savory food for breakfast, but sometimes I just have to have pancakes or french toast.

We all know that Facebook is filled with videos with recipes, and this Baileys french toast is adapted from one of those videos, made by Taste. This was one recipe I had to try.
I tweaked the recipe a bit, and added the fresh berries. You need something healthy to at least try to balance the meal a bit.

Serves 3-4.

Ingredients:

Bailey's Whipped Cream:

100 ml heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons Baileys

French Toast:

100 ml heavy whipping cream
100 ml Baileys
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 teaspoon powdered sugar
1 pinch salt
4-6 slices brioche bread, sliced thick

Topping:

raspberries
grated chocolate

Directions:

Baileys Whipped Cream:

Whip the cream and Baileys in a bowl until medium stiff peaks, set aside

French Toast:

Mix eggs, cream, Baileys sugar, salt and vanilla in a shallow flat bowl.

Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Give the brioche slices a quick dip in the in the egg-mixture. Fry the brioche until golden brown, then flip to cook the other side. Serve with Baileys whipped cream, fresh berries and a sprinkle of chocolate shavings.

Enjoy!

Birkes - a Breakfast Roll (Pastry)

June 8, 2015Breakfast, Brunch, BreadTove Balle-Pedersen1 Comment

Birkes is a great pastry but without the sweetness. Birkes taste great warm with a slice of Havarti or fontina cheese.

How to get warm birkes for your breakfat or brunch: Make the dough a day in advance and freeze the birkes when they are ready to put in the oven. Next morning, place the still frozen birkes on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes in a preheated oven.

Makes 12-15

Ingredients:

Dough:

100 g butter, cold
500 g all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
50 g fresh compressed yeast (or 4 teaspoons dry yeast)
300 ml milk

Filling:

100-125 g butter

Sprinkles:

egg wash (1 egg +2 tablespoons milk)
poppy seeds

Directions:

In a large bowl mix the cold butter with the flour, sugar and salt until the butter is fully incorporated.

Heat the milk until finger warm and dissolve the yeast in the milk. Add the warm milk to the flour and knead the dough for 5 minutes on the stand mixer, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Let the dough rise covered for about 30 minutes at room temperature.

Gently ease the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle, the size is not important. Place thin slices of butter on ⅔ of the dough, leaving ⅓ bare. Fold the part without butter over half of the buttered dough, and fold the last ⅓ over like you are folding a letter. Like as in a puff pastry dough.

Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes in the refrigerator, before rolling the dough to a thin rectangle again, and making another letter fold.

Preheat the oven to 435℉ (225℃).

Roll the now laminated dough a little longer, so you are able to get 12-15, 2-inch (5 cm) wide pieces. Gently place the birkes on a parchment lined baking sheet. Let the birkes rest 10 minutes covered.

Brush the birkes with egg wash, and sprinkle with white poppy seeds, and bake them for 15-18 minutes. Cool the birkes for a little while, and serve them warm.

Enjoy!

Sødmælksfranskbrød - Whole Milk Bread

May 26, 2015Bread, Breakfast, BrunchTove Balle-Pedersen1 Comment

The smell of this fresh baked whole milk bread, is bringing back childhood memories. My mom baked this bread, and served it with, butter, cheese and homemade jam. Somehow the smell made me think of summer days in my parents kolonihave. A kolonihave is a place with small lots, where the city folks could rent a little garden with a small house, to get out from the apartments, growing vegetables and flowers. I have so many fond memories from this place. My dad build the little house himself, and my parents loved working in the garden.

Anton eating pålægschokolademad for the first time.

The main reason for baking this white bread, was a visit from this little guy, Anton. And as you can see, the whole milk bread with chocolate (pålægschokolade), is approved by Anton.

This Recipe is from my moms recipe book.

Makes 2 loafs.

Ingredients:

600 ml whole milk
50 g butter
50 g fresh compressed yeast or 4 teaspoons dry yeast
900 g all-purpose flour
14 g sea salt
10 g sugar
sprinkles: poppy seeds, optional
Egg wash: 1 egg + 1 tablespoon whole milk
Sprinkles: poppy seeds
optional : two 9x5-inch loaf pans

Directions:

Warm the milk in a saucepan until finger-warm, remove pan from the heat. Melt the butter in the warm milk. Crumble the yeast into the warm milk and stir to dissolve.

Mix flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the liquid, and knead the dough for 3 minutes, to form an elastic dough.

Let the dough rise for 30-40 minutes until doubled in size.

Gently ease the dough out on a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough in two, and roll both into tight balls. Let the dough rest covered for 5-10 minutes.

Spray 2 loaf pans with cooking spray, and set aside. If baking in loaf pans.

Deflate the dough, and fold in the sides about ½-inch (2 cm), and roll the dough into a log. Roll the log to fit your loaf pan. Or form to 11-inch (30 cm) breads, and place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Cover the breads with a kitchen towel, and let them rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 360℉ (180℃) or if using convection: 320℉ (160℃).

Brush egg wash on both breads, and sprinkle poppy seeds on top. Score the bread once lengthwise for the pan baked. And several times across for bread baked without pans.

Bake the breads for 35-45 minutes until dark golden, and having a hollow sound, when tapped on the bottom.

Enjoy!