September 2008—Malinda & Suzy

Simply Brunch Menu
September 2008—Malinda & Suzy

Citrus Gingersnap Refresher

Applesauce Multigrain Muffins

Pesto Ham Strata
Bacon & Egg Soufflé

Brown Sugar Bacon
Maple Mustard-Glazed Bacon

Light Almond Waffles
*Buttermilk Syrup
*Coconut Syrup
*Maine Blueberry Sauce
*Lemon-Raspberry Syrup
*Orange-Maple Syrup
*Maple-Molasses Syrup

Buttermilk Pie
Mud Pie

Aunt Frances’ Lemonade

Citrus Gingersnap Refreshers

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup hot water

Add and Blend:
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups crushed ice

Garnish with:

4 tsp ginger snaps, crushed, divided
2 tsp lemon zest, roughly chopped, divided
4 lemon slices

Combine sugar and hot water in a small bowl and stir until dissolved; pour into blender.

Add buttermilk, orange juice, lemon juice, vanilla , and ice (add ice last so it doesn’t lock the blades). Blend until ice is incorporated and very fine, about 30 seconds. Stop and stir if blender slows or stalls. Garnish each serving with 1 tsp crushed cookies, 1/2 tsp zest, and a lemon slice. Makes 4 servings.


Bacon and Egg Soufflés

2-3 strips bacon diced
2/3 cup white- or red-skinned potatoes, cubed
1/3 cup onion diced
1/3 cup roasted red peppers, diced
1/3 cup asparagus, diced
1/2 tsp fresh rosemary
1 1/2 cups fresh spinach or arugula
Salt and pepper to taste

2 oz cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup Gruyere or Swiss cheese shredded
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/3 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp cayenne

1 sheet puff pastry slightly thawed
1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp water

Preheat oven to 400°. Coat four 4-inch quiche pans (or ramekins) with nonstick spray and arrange on a baking sheet.

Fry bacon in a large sauté pan over medium heat until crisp; drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon. drippings and return pan to burner. Add potatoes, onion, peppers, asparagus, and rosemary; cook, covered, until potatoes are tender, about 8 minutes, Stir in spinach, reserved bacon salt, and pepper; set filling aside.

Beat cream cheese in a bowl with a hand mixer, then blend in eggs. Add milk, cheese, flour, and seasonings; beat to blend.

Roll pastry on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch square. Cut into four 6-inch squares, then lightly press 1 square into each prepared pan. Spoon about 1/3 cup potato mixture into each pan, then pour about 1/3 cup egg mixture on top.

Fold corners of dough onto filling, brush with egg wash, and bake until crust is browned and filling is set, 20—25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before unmolding.


Brown Sugar Bacon

1 pound bacon
1/4 cup (light) brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking pan with foil or parchment paper and lay the bacon out side by side, overlapping just a bit, if necessary, to fit the whole package on the pan. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and place the pan on the top rack of the oven. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until the bacon is nicely browned and slightly crispy.* Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

*Ovens tend to cook unevenly so some of the bacon strips will be darker than others. Don't worry; this will satisfy those who like well done bacon.


Maple Mustard-Glazed Bacon

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp pure maple syrup
Cayenne to taste
1 pound bacon

In a small bowl stir together mustard, syrup, and cayenne. Line a baking pan with foil or parchment paper and lay the bacon out side by side, overlapping just a bit, if necessary, to fit the whole package on the pan. Brush 1 side of each bacon slice generously with glaze. Place on top rack in oven. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until the bacon is nicely browned and slightly crispy.

* Remove from the oven and serve immediately.


Light Almond Waffles

Ingredients:

Light Bisquick Mix
Almond extract
Chopped almonds, toasted

Make batch size you need according to directions on the box and. Add 1-2 teaspoons almond extract per batch (every 2 cups Bisquick). Add toasted almonds to mix according to your liking. Pour in hot waffle iron and cook until desired color.


Syrups

Buttermilk Syrup

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter, then while whisking add sugar and buttermilk. Melt over medium heat. Bring to a boil for a couple minutes. In a separate large bowl, (it needs to be large because the syrup grows as it hits the baking soda), combine baking soda and vanilla. Remove the syrup mixture from heat and add to the baking soda and vanilla mixture. Enjoy!

Coconut Syrup

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup canned milk
1 tsp coconut extract
1 tsp butter extract

Stir sugar, corn syrup, and water together in saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer 2 minutes. Take off heat and let sit a minute. Add milk, coconut extract and butter extract.

Serve over French Toast or waffles topped with fresh strawberries, pineapple, bananas and toasted coconut.

Maine Blueberry Sauce

1/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp cornstarch

In saucepan over low heat, place butter, sugar, nutmeg, and blueberries. Cook about 5 minutes (longer is using frozen berries). Combine lemon juice and cornstarch. Stir into blueberry mixture. Continue to cook and stir until thickened. Serve warm.

*Light Blueberry Sauce Recipe

2 cups fresh blueberries
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp sugar

In saucepan over medium heat, stir together blueberries, sugar, zest and water; bring to simmer. Combine cornstarch, 1 tablespoon water, and lemon juice. Add to berries, stir until thickened, about 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Lemon-Raspberry Syrup

1 pint fresh raspberries
1 cup light corn syrup
2 tsp finely shredded lemon peel

In a small saucepan over low heat gently stir together 1 pint fresh raspberries, 1 cup light-color corn syrup, and 2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel. Heat until warm. Makes 1 cup.

Maple-Orange Syrup

1 cup maple syrup
3 Tbsp orange juice
3 Tbsp butter

Heat all ingredients in 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until warm. (I have also just warmed the maple syrup in the microwave until hot and added butter and orange juice after and it turns out great).

Maple-Molasses Syrup

1 1/2 cups maple syrup
1/2 cup molasses

In a small sauce pan over low hear stir together 1 1/2 cups maple syrup, and 1/2 cup molasses. Heat until warm. Makes 2 cups.


Buttermilk Pie

2 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
4 eggs
2 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup melted butter
Pie crust

Toppings:

Frozen berry mix, thawed
Fresh whipped cream

Preheat oven to 400°. Mix wet ingredients and stir in melted butter last. Mix in dry ingredients. Pour into pie plate lined with pie crust. Bake for 15 minutes at 400°. Then 10 more minutes at 350°. Then 45 more minutes at 325°. Let cool slightly. Slice and serve warm with thawed frozen berry mix and fresh whip cream.


Mud Pie

Oreo cookie crust:
1/4 cup melted butter to 1 1/2–2 cups crushed Oreos
Press in the bottom of a pie dish or square pan

Ice cream Layers:

Soften chocolate ice cream. Spread a layer over Oreo crust
Top with crushed peanut butter cookies (I used Nutter Butter)
Pour caramel topping over top…let harden
Soften vanilla ice cream. Spread a layer over caramel. Let harden.
Layer with Peanut Butter. Let harden
Soften vanilla ice cream. Layer over peanut butter. Let harden.
Drizzle with fudge and sprinkle with crushed Snickers*. Freeze.

*Freeze Snickers and crush with hammer.