crepes with nutella

Crepes are a favorite for breakfast around these parts. Best spread with Nutella, folded into fourths and eaten warm. They keep well if stored flat and wrapped in foil. Make the batter the night before so it can settle overnight. If you use it right away, it gets too bubbly when cooking.

You'll need a crepe pan. Mine is an 8" de Buyer, and I love it. Heat the pan on med-high (butter the pan the first time you use it, but never again, as long as you don't wash it -- just wipe down after use). Scoop about 1/4 c of batter. Before you start pouring, lift the pan from the heat. Quickly rotate the pan with your wrist as you pour the batter so it spreads evenly across the pan. They don't take long to cook (10-20 seconds per side) and make for good breakfast table entertainment when you flip them (particularly when they flop on the floor). Give the pan a shake to loosen the sides and flip with a flick of the wrist.

We're creatures of habit and always spread half of the warm crepe with Nutella. Whipped cream is good too, and strawberries when in season. Fold in half and then fold again.

Crepes (recipe from Food Network, courtesy Alton Brown)

Combine in blender:
2 lg eggs | 3/4 c milk | 1/2 c water | 1 c flour | 3 T melted butter, cooled slightly

That's it!

knitting, baking and ice

A trip to the yarn store yesterday; new mitts from Jennifer's pattern today.


In between stitches, maple scones from The Weekend Baker.


Baked while the kids broke ice in the pool.


And finally, quiet in the kitchen.

cold morning=warm breakfast

We've had unseasonably cold weather for the past few days. Given that I'm not from the south, I love it. My kids; however, shiver their way to the breakfast table, moaning if any cold foods appear before them.

So this morning I made quickie (Kerbey Lane mix) pancakes and oatmeal. No moaning=nice start to the day.

No pancakes or oatmeal for me though. I try to keep a supply of quick breads, scones and biscotti in the freezer so I can take something to work and eat at a normal hour; 6:00 a.m. just doesn't do it for me. This morning it was pumpkin chocolate bread made last weekend.

Pumpkin Chocolate Bread (adapted from Martha Stewart)

12 T unsalted butter melted, cooled | 2.5 c flour | 2 t baking powder | 2 t pumpkin pie spice | 1 t salt | 1 c sugar | 1 c light brown sugar | 1 can pumpkin | 3 lg eggs | 3/4 c semi-sweet chips | chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Butter/flour four mini loaf pans. Mix flour, powder, spice, salt. Whisk sugars, pumpkin, melted butter, eggs. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture and stir until just combined. Add chocolate chips and chopped pecans.

Spoon batter into pans. Bake 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans briefly and then remove from pans and cool on wire rack. Enjoy!

i like to bake

Cookies, cakes, pies, bread. I like how you combine flour, sugar, salt, fat and fillings and end up with all manner of mouth-watering foods.

Today it was apples. Six Granny Smith apples, to be precise.

I had planned to bake a pie, but was feeling a little lazy in the crust department. So, I went for a crisp instead. This one from Sunset>>

It's pretty awesome. I can't wait until breakfast to have more.

in which old becomes new

One of the best parts about hosting family for Christmas eve dinner is cooking with leftovers for the rest of the week. Grilled ham and cheese, breakfast ham, and tonight, ham and bean soup.

Easy -- and two out of four loved it (the two who didn't are under the age of 10; I'm choosing to ignore their culinary opinions).

Recipe adapted from Southern Living>> I left out the potatoes and replaced the ham soup base with about a cup of chicken stock blended with one can of the drained beans.

Speaking of leftovers, I can't stop eating these>>