I have a special treat for you today: A collection of breakfast-related recipes that I made for a styled shoot with Brooke Schultz Photography back in June (go here to read about how I procrastinated all the prep work until the day of).
Since the actual shoot, Brooke's photography has been featured on some happenin' blogs.
How cool is it to see pictures of your cake and doughnut concoctions popping up around the web?
And then to see your name written next to "Wedding Cake and Food Styling"?
Pretty dang cool.
Take a peek at Style Me Pretty and Sweet Violet Bride.
And now, we have a lot of recipes to get through, so I'm going to jump right in.
Everything I made for the styled shoot was quick and easy, though I wouldn't recommend making an actual breakfast out of cake, doughnuts, pancakes, and granola.
Can you say carb overload?
At least we had some succulent berries and apricots to balance things out a little bit.
Whole-Wheat Pancakes
adapted from Sheena's recipe
Makes 12 - 14 pancakes
These pancakes are to die for. When have I ever said that about pancakes? The cornmeal lends a crispy texture to these cakes that are so unlike the floppy, tasteless pancakes most of us are used to. These are hearty, chewy, and so tasty with melted butter in the batter. Make the cakes small for best results; otherwise they're extremely hard to flip, especially when loaded with fruit, which in my opinion, is the only way to go.
1 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/8 cup ground flaxseed
1 T agave nectar (or 2 T sugar)
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp coarse salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 3/4 cup milk
3 T butter, melted and cooled, plus more for the griddle
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 cups (1 pint) berries: I like raspberries or blueberries best; both fresh and frozen work great
Pure maple syrup, for serving
Whisk together flour, cornmeal, flax seed, sugar (if using), baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In a glass measuring cup or a small bowl, whisk together milk, butter, egg, and agave (if using). Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined. Mixture will be lumpy.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Heat a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Brush griddle with melted butter. Spoon batter onto griddle 1/3 cup at a time (batter triples in size by the time it’s ready to flip; use an actual measuring cup vs. pouring it from the bowl). Sprinkle with berries, about 2 tablespoons per pancake. Cook until edges are set, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip, and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter and blueberries, adding more butter to griddle and keeping prepared pancakes warm on a baking sheet in the oven.
Ginger-Almond Granola
adapted from Jacqui's recipe
The ginger in this granola plays beautifully with the sweet honey, and the almond butter and raw almonds add my favorite nutty flavor. I love the way the granola clumps together in spots. However, the texture is yucky when eaten with milk (at least after being baked); go for the with-yogurt or as-a-snack options instead. The pumpkin seeds and blueberries make for a lovely color palette, but I think I would like this granola with a more tart kind of dried fruit like cranberries, cherries, or even apricots.
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups whole raw almonds
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds (a.k.a. pepitas)
1 cup wheat bran
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup honey
3/4 cup natural almond butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup dried fruit (try cranberries, cherries, or apricots), roughly chopped
In a large bowl, combine oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, wheat bran, salt, cinnamon, and ginger.
In a small saucepan, warm the honey on low until very runny (only takes a couple minutes). Turn off the heat, stir in the almond butter and vanilla, and stir until smooth.
Pour honey mixture over oat mixture. Add the oil and dried fruit, and stir thoroughly so everything gets wet.
Store in the fridge for up to two weeks, or you can bake it for 40 minutes at 325°F, stirring twice while baking. Don't add the dried fruit until after you've baked the granola. Baked granola will keep fine if stored at room temperature.
Cinnamon Doughnut Holes
There aren't many things that say "autumn" better than fresh, warm doughnuts with a delicate dusting of cinnamon sugar. Sit yourself down next to a pumpkin, grab a glass of apple cider, and you'll be set to go!
Makes 20 doughnut holes
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
canola oil, for frying
10 frozen roll dough, thawed (Rhodes dinner rolls work well)
In a shallow bowl (I used a pie dish), mix cinnamon and sugar together. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Set both aside.
In a large pot, heat two inches of canola oil on medium-low heat until small bubbles are coming to the surface. If you have a food thermometer, you want the oil to stay right at 350°F. (Be very careful with the hot oil; we don't want any splatters of oil hitting your skin.)
Divide each thawed ball of dough in half and roll into balls. It's okay if they aren't perfectly round; just call them "rustic." When oil is warm, add a ball of dough to the pot and let cook until brown. (This first doughnut hole will help you know how to adjust the heat of your oil.) Flip the doughnut over with a fork so the other side cooks.
Gently remove the doughnut hole with a pair of tongs (don't crush the doughnut), give it a roll in the cinnamon sugar, and let cool on the paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
These doughnuts are best when eaten within a few hours of preparation.
Classic Yogurt Cake
adapted from the kitchn's recipe
Serves 8 - 10
You'd never guess that this elegant cake is literally as easy as 1, 2, 3. All you need is a swift stir, a smooth pour, and a warm bake, and you have a delicious cake to wow your guests...or yourself. With fresh whipped cream and sliced berries, this cake works great as an after-dinner dessert. After your guests have gone, cover the leftover cake tightly with plastic wrap and it will make for a delectable breakfast the next day.
1 1/2 cups full-fat yogurt
2/3 cup olive oil
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
pinch ground nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan lightly with baking spray or oil.
Whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add the flours, baking powder, soda, salt, and nutmeg right into the liquids and stir just until no lumps remain.
Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, covering with foil at the end if the top is browning. When a tester comes out clean, transfer the cake to a cooling rack and let it cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan.
Serve the cake warm or at room temperature. The middle of the cake may sink a little bit when it cools. Don't be dismayed! Just fill the dip with a big handful of berries.
When well-wrapped, this keeps very well for several days.
Photos by Brooke Schultz Photography