Show how much you care with breakfast

Sunday is Mother’s Day, a day to pamper mom and thank her for all she’s done for you.

An easy way to kick off the day is with a simple breakfast for mom, perhaps served in bed.

The food doesn’t have to be an elaborate meal — muffins, granola or even just cereal. Even young children can help measure, mix and stir ingredients.

Muffins, coffeecakes, scones and other quick breads are easy and quick to make. You can whip them up on Sunday morning or make them ahead, reserving time that morning for other activities.

You can personalize these tasty morning treats, which can be savory or sweet.

Combine berries with chocolate — make it dark, milk or white — or nuts and fruits.

Try dredging any chunks of fruit, nuts chocolate or other filling in flour before adding to the batter to help prevent them from sinking to the bottom.

A mini-quiche or a tart with traditional quiche filling is another option.

When making a quick bread, remember that you generally combine the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately. Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour in the wet and mix them. Take care not to overmix the batter. It’s OK if you can still see small lumps of dry ingredients.

When serving the food, add a cup of fresh fruit on the side and mom’s favorite beverage, be it freshly squeezed juice, piping hot coffee or tea or a cup of ice cold milk.

Remember that a pretty setting goes a long way.  Accompany the meal with flowers, anything from a full bouquet to a single blossom in a vase, for an elegant presentation.

Cleaning up the kitchen after you’re done will earn you extra brownie points with mom.

Following are some simple breakfast ideas from thepioneerwoman.com.

 

 

Blueberry Scones With Vanilla Frosting

For scones:

10 tablespoons frozen unsalted butter

1-1/2 cups cake flour

1 cup flour, plus more for dusting

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing

1/2 cup crème fraîche

1-1/4 cups frozen blueberries

For icing:

2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Pinch of salt

2 tablespoons pearl sugar

Grate frozen butter on the large holes of a box grater into a bowl. Place in the freezer.

Whisk the cake flour, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in the bowl of a stand mixer. Combine heavy cream and crème fraîche in a small bowl and chill.

Add frozen butter to the flour mixture. Using the paddle attachment, mix on medium-low speed about one minute, until the butter is worked in. Add cream mixture and mix about 30 seconds, just until large clumps form. The dough should hold together when you squeeze it.

Place dough onto a floured piece of parchment paper. Pat and press into a rough square, then use a rolling pin to roll it into a 12-inch square. Using the parchment to help you, fold down the top one-third of the square, then fold the bottom third up over it, like a letter. Flip the dough over, re-flouring the parchment, and roll out into a 12-inch square.

Scatter blueberries on top of the dough, pressing them in. Roll the dough into a log using the parchment to help you. Turn the log, seam-side down, and flatten until it is about four inches wide and one inch thick. Using a sharp knife, cut the log into three four-inch squares, then cut each square diagonally in half.

Transfer scones to a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush with heavy cream. Bake in a 425-degree oven for 20 minutes, rotating the pan once, until the scones are golden brown. Let cool completely on the baking sheet.

Whisk powdered sugar, two tablespoons plus two teaspoons milk, vanilla bean paste, melted butter and salt until smooth. Stir in one more teaspoon milk if the icing is too thick. Spread on the scones and sprinkle with pearl sugar.

 

 

 

Eggs in Hash Brown Nests

6 whole medium russet potatoes

Salt Pepper

24 whole large eggs

Bake potatoes in a 400-degree oven for 45 to 60 minutes, until almost tender. Cool, then peel and grate them. Season well with salt and pepper.

Spray two muffin pans generously with cooking spray. Scoop three to four tablespoons grated potato into each muffin cup. Use your fingers to gently press potatoes along the sides and bottom of each muffin cup to make a nest (don’t press the potatoes firmly against the pan. They should sit lightly in the pan.)

Spray potatoes very lightly with cooking spray and bake in a 425-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, watching to ensure they do not burn. Remove when the nests are golden brown.

Allow the nests to cool. Crack an egg into each nest, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake about 15 minutes, until the whites are set.

Remove from the muffin pan with a spoon or fork and serve.

 

 

 

Homemade Pop Tarts

2 refrigerated pre-made pie crusts

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon fruit jam

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 egg

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon heavy cream

Sprinkles

In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup jam with cornstarch. Crack egg into a second small bowl and whisk.

Flour a large work surface and lay both pie crusts on it. Roll the circles to 11 inches across. Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut the edges off, about one inch off all sides, to create two nine-inch squares. Then cut each square into three three-inch stripes, for a total of six.

Spoon one to two tablespoons jam on one end of each strip. Brush a rectangle of egg around the jam. Fold the dry end over the end with jam, then use a fork to crimp the edges together on all sides. Repeat with remaining pie crust strips.

Place tarts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in a 400-degree oven for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden. Cool.

After tarts have cooled several minutes, whisk powdered sugar, remaining jam, and one to two tablespoons cream together to create a glaze. Spoon over the top of each tart and immediately sprinkle with sugar sprinkles. Let the icing dry, either on the baking sheets of on a dry rack.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

 

Prosciutto Breakfast Cups

2 cups fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 garlic clove, finely chopped or grated

Fine pink Himalayan salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, drained and oil reserved

1 cup baby spinach, chopped

12 thin slices prosciutto

1/2 cup grated manchego cheese

12 large eggs

In a small bowl, combine basil, chives, lemon zest, garlic and a pinch each of salt and red pepper flakes. Add 1/4 cup reserved sun-dried tomato oil. Stir to mix well.

In a medium bowl, combine spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and 1/4 cup pesto. Toss to combine.

Drape a slice of prosciutto along the bottom and up the sides of each of 12 lightly greased muffin cups. If needed, tear smaller pieces to fill in any bare spots.

Sprinkle half of the cheese among the muffin cups, dividing evenly. Add a spoonful of the spinach mixture to each, then carefully crack one egg into each. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Bake in a 425-degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes for runny eggs or 13 to 15 minutes for completely set eggs. Gently run a butter knife around the edges of each cup to release them from the pan. Serve warm with the remaining pesto spooned over the top.

 

 

 

Ham and Cheese Frittata With Caramelized Onions

2 medium russet potatoes

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 yellow onions, sliced

16 large eggs

1/2 cup half-and-half

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Black pepper

1 pound ham steak, trimmed of fat and cubed

2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

1/2 cup chopped fresh chives

1 cup sour cream

Prick potatoes all over with a fork. Microwave seven to eight minutes, turning over once halfway through, until almost tender. Let cool.

Melt two tablespoons butter in a large nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until a deep golden brown.

Peel and cube the potatoes. Whisk eggs in a large bowl with the half-and-half, one teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper.

Add the remaining butter to the skillet and increase the heat to medium high. Add potatoes and ham and cook two to three minutes, tossing occasionally, until they begin to color. Reduce the heat to medium, pour in the egg mixture and cook about two minutes, until just set around the edges. Sprinkle with cheese and 1/4 cup chives. Transfer to a 350-degree  oven and bake 15 to 17 minutes, until frittata is light golden on top and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the skillet five minutes.

Mix sour cream and remaining chives in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Slide frittata onto a cutting board and cut into wedges. Serve with chive sour cream.

 

 

Bacon, Egg and Cheese Pastry

8 slices bacon, halved

7 eggs

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 17.3-ounce box frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon everything bagel seasoning

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook six to eight minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Let the skillet cool slightly, then remove all but two tablespoons bacon grease.

Whisk together six eggs, grated Parmesan cheese, heavy cream, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.

Return skillet to medium low heat. Add eggs and cook in a single layer for 30 seconds. Stir occasionally for the next one to two minutes to create large curds of scrambled egg. Once the eggs are set, but still look slightly wet, remove from the heat. Immediately transfer to a plate to cool completely.

Cut each of two puff pastry sheets into four squares.

Divide eggs into eight portions. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons cheese lengthwise down the center of one pastry square. Place one portion of eggs in a line on top of the cheese. Place a half piece of bacon on either side of the eggs. Continue to fill the remaining pieces of puff pastry.

Brush water all over one of the edges of the pastry, then wrap the other edge up over the eggs. Roll to create a log, then press the seam to seal, overlapping about 1/2-inch. Repeat with the remaining pastries.

To bake immediately, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place pastries, seam side down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet about two inches apart. Cut two slits, about one inch apart, in the center of the pastry.

Whisk the remaining egg with one tablespoon water in a small bowl. Brush the pastries with egg wash, then sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly golden brown all over.

To make ahead, place pastries, seam side down, on a parchment lined baking sheet about two inches apart. Cut two slits, about one inch apart in the center of the pastry. Wrap baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap and freeze as long as one week.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove rolls from the freezer and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, about two inches apart. Let sit at room temperature 20 minutes. Whisk the remaining egg with one tablespoon water in a small bowl. Brush pastries with egg wash, then sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning. Bake 32 to 37 minutes, until lightly golden. Let rest five minutes on the sheet tray, then serve warm.

 

 

Sour Cream Coffeecake

For streusel:

1 cup slivered almonds

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

For cake:

2-3/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1-1/2 cups sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

8 ounces sour cream

For streusel, stir together almonds, flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Add butter, then use your hands to pinch mixture together until the butter is evenly incorporated and the streusel begins to clump together. Chill.

Stir together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. Set aside.

Beat butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high four to five minutes, until light and fluffy. With the mixer running, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla and almond extracts.

Add one third of the flour mixture to the batter and beat on low until combined. Add half the sour cream and beat on low until combined. Repeat the process with one third of the flour mixture and remaining sour cream. Stir in the remaining flour mixture until just well combined.

Spoon half the batter into a lightly greased 10-inch tube pan and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle evenly with half the streusel. Repeat with the remaining batter and streusel.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Tent with foil after 40 minutes if needed to prevent excess browning.

Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack 10 minute. Remove the cake from the pan and let cool, streusel side up, or serve warm.

Coffee cake can also be baked in a nine-inch square baking pan lined with parchment. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick shows baked crumb. Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from the pan and letting cool completely.