Breakfast & Brunch – Aubrey About Town

Asiago Popovers

AAT — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 04:44:24 +0000

Popovers should always be served right from the oven. Trust when I say, if your guests know that popovers are coming, (especially ones topped with Asiago cheese) just the anticipation will make for very polite guests! Lol!

Asiago Popovers

Try topping with finely minced cooked bacon with Asiago too!

Servings12/24 popovers

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time25-30 mins

Passive Time1 hour

Ingredients

Instructions

In a large bowl, sift together, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a small saucepan on low heat, warm milk until just warm to the touch. Or microwave on HIGH for 90 seconds.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, outfitted with the whisk attachment, on MED-HIGH, whisk eggs until fluffy, and pale in colour. About two minutes.
Adjust mixer speed to low, add warm milk all-at-once.
While whisking on low, gradually add flour mixture one cup at a time until combined. Increase speed to medium and continue to whisk for 1 minute to aerate batter.
Transfer prepared popover batter to a 6-cup measuring cup or pitcher with a pour spout, cover with plastic wrap and let rest 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
Generously spray 2 nonstick small 12-cup capacity (seen in photo) or 1 large 12-cup capacity nonstick popover tins with cooking spray, place on foil-lined baking sheets.
Using the pour spout, fill each cup 3-quarters from the top. Sprinkle tops with grated Asiago cheese. Transfer to preheated (475 degrees).
Bake 8 mins (15 if using large tin), lower oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue to bake 15-20 minutes (25-30 for large) until puffed and golden brown.
Invert pans to release.
Serve immediately with whipped butter & sea salt. Makes 24 small (shown in photo) or 1 dozen large.

Sunday Brunch: Eggs Benedict

AAT — Wed, 20 May 2020 13:24:22 +0000

This classic brunch feature is a favorite to many of us, and is often our go-to from that brunch menu with friends. My recipe the extra tang from the generous ratio of lemon juice, brightens up the taste buds, and pairs perfectly with the kick in my Bloody Mary, and accentuates the bright citrus in my Mimosas.

Eggs Benedict

CourseBreakfast & Brunch, Eggs

Ingredients

Hollandaise Sauce:

6 large egg yolks
1/2cup fresh lemon juice
1/2cup water
8oz buttermelted
1tsp kosher salt
1/2tsp sweet paprika
1/4tsp white pepperground

Poached Eggs;

For Eggs Benedict:

Instructions

Prepare Hollandaise Sauce

Fill a large shallow saucepan with 1-inch water, to create a double boiler, bring to a low simmer.
In a large heat-safe bowl, whisk together 6 egg yolks, lemon juice, and water.
Place bowl over gently simmering double boiler and whisk egg yolk mixture continuously until it reaches the consistency to coat the back of a spoon (about 6-8 mins).
Remove from heat, and whisk another 3 mins to cool slightly - still hot, you should be able to touch without burning your finger.
Place a folded kitchen towel under bowl to secure it.
In a slow stream while whisking vigorously, slowly pour melted butter in yolk mixture, whisking until warm to touch and thickened.
Mix in paprika, ground white pepper, and kosher salt.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and keep warm over a bowl of hot water while you poach the eggs, or alternatively, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate until ready to use. Keeps refrigerated for up to 1 week.

To Poach Eggs

Create an ice bath: fill a large bowl 1/3 with ice, fill 1/2 way with cold water. Set aside.
Fill a large shallow saucepan with 1-inch water, bring to a very low simmer, add white vinegar.
Crack one egg in a small ramekin or teacup.
Slowly submerse corner of ramekin into simmering water, allowing the egg white to gently lower into water, let the egg white turn opaque, creating a little nest, then lower the rest of the egg into the ‘nest’, gentle cook until the egg whites turn just opaque completely, leaving yolk still soft and ‘runny’ (about 1 minute).
With one soup spoon, and a slotted spoon, gently lift poached egg from simmering water, and gently lower poached egg into ice bath to halt cooking. Repeat with remaining 11 eggs.
Keep refrigerated in ice water until ready to use. This can be done the night before if prepping for brunch the next morning.

Prepare Eggs Benedict

Gently heat hollandaise sauce over a pan of hot water, or in the microwave in 10 second increments until hot to the touch.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown 12 slices of Canadian bacon, set aside.
Toast six English muffins (12 halves), set aside.
To plate: place two toasted English muffin halves onto a plate.
Top each muffin half with one slice of Canadian bacon, gently top each half with warmed poached egg.
Generously spoon hot hollandaise over top of poached eggs.
Garnish each with a halved black olive. Serves 6.

Mother’s Day: Orange-Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup

AAT — Sun, 10 May 2020 13:13:34 +0000

Orange-Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup

Get Mother’s Day, or any day off to a great start with these rich & fluffy ricotta cheese pancakes.

CourseBreakfast & Brunch

Servings12 pancakes

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time12 mins

Ingredients

Blueberry Syrup

Pancake Batter

1-1/2cups all-purpose flour
3/4cup whole milk
1/2cup ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
3tbsp granulated sugar
1tbsp baking powder
1-1/2tsp vanilla pasteor vanilla extract
1/2tsp kosher salt
1 fresh orangezest & juice
melted butterfor griddle
fresh blueberriesfor garnish

Instructions

Prepare Blueberry Syrup:

Bring 1 cup water to a simmer.
Add blueberries, sugar, and corn syrup.
Stirring occasionally, simmer on MED-LOW heat for 20 mins until reduced by one third.
Remove from heat, stir in vanilla.
Strain through a sieve, pressing blueberries against the sieve to extract blueberry juice Discard spent blueberry skins.
Pour blueberry syrup into sauce boat or in an airtight container. Syrup will thicken upon standing. Store remainder in refrigerator, keeps 2-weeks.

Prepare Orange-Ricotta Pancake Batter:

In a large mixing bowl, sift together: all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a small bowl, using a microplane, zest orange, then juice.
To the orange mixture, add ricotta cheese, milk, and vanilla paste (or extract), whisk to combine.
Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each egg.
All-at-once, add wet mixture to flour mixture, whisk just until smooth.
Let batter rest 15 minutes.
Heat large skillet or griddle to MED-HIGH heat. Brush hot skillet with melted butter.
Pour 2 tbsp batter 2 inches apart, cook until bubbles form on the surface of pancake and has turned golden brown (about 2 mins).
Flip pancakes and cook 45 seconds longer.
Repeat with remaining batter.
Serve hot fresh from the griddle, or transfer to an oven-safe dish and keep warm in the oven (180 degrees), covered with aluminum foil.
Using a sifter, dust pancakes with confectioners sugar. Serve with Blueberry Syrup, garnish with blueberries.