Stir together the mascarpone, milk, maple syrup and pumpkin spice in a bowl until smooth. Refrigerate until needed at serving
Dutch Babies
Place a 12-cup or two 6-cup muffin tins in oven and preheat oven to 425° F
Melt the butter needed for the pancake batter and set aside to cool slightly. Meanwhile, combine pancake ingredients in a blender (or a medium bowl with an immersion blender), adding the cooled, melted butter last. Mix well, until frothy. Leave to stand in blender (or bowl) while oven finishes preheating
When oven is pre-heated, carefully remove hot muffin tin(s) from oven and quickly pour a bit of melted butter into each muffin cup. Turn blender on for a few seconds to re-mix the batter, then quickly pour the mixture into the hot muffin cups, dividing equally between 12 cups, filling about ½ way full
Place in oven and bake for 22-24 minutes, or until puffy and deep golden colour. Remove from oven. Remove from pan to a cooling rack to cool slightly before serving*. (If you find the pancakes sticking in your pan, run a knife around the edges, then use a fork to lift them out)
Garnish with icing/confectioners sugar
Drizzle or spoon on some of the maple mascarpone and some additional chopped walnuts or pecans, to taste
* Note: The Dutch babies will quickly deflate when you remove them from the oven. Don’t worry – that’s what they do naturally.
Coming from Waterford, in South-East Ireland, there are a few things that are corner stones of my childhood – Waterford Crystal; Hurling and…of course – the blaa. “The what?”, I hear you say. Well, are you sitting comfortably? The blaa is basically a bread roll. But there are a couple of features that set it apart. Roughly square-shaped, liberally dusted with flour, it has a soft chewy texture and pleasing bitter tasting crust that is dear to the heart of Waterford natives. Many a school lunch’s main feature was a buttered blaa with “Red Lead” (pink sliced deli sausage meat) or filled with Tayto crisps. Quintessential Deise fare if ever there was any!
Dating from 17th century, blaas are well ingrained into the history of Waterford. In their original form blaas were thought to be made from the scraps left over from families baking their own bread. The name “Blaa” is thought to have been possibly derived from the old Huguenot word ‘Blaad’ – an old French word for flour, or ‘Blanc,’ – a French word meaning white, which refers to the white floury appearance of the baked blaas. To the best of my knowledge there is yet to be a confirmed origin.
Such is the fame of the humble blaa that in 2013, the Waterford Blaa Bakers Association (yes there is such thing!) succeeded in getting PGI designation for the Waterford Blaa. “PGI” stands for Protected Geographical Indication, which essentially means that only Blaas made by specialist bakers in Waterford city and county can be called Blaas. This guarantees an authentic heritage product, based on the traditional methods and the unique skills of the bakers- think champagne; Parmigiano-Reggiano and Melton Mowbray pork pies. Basically if you see something called a “Blaa” for sale outside of Waterford? It’s not the real deal. Waterford Blaas are now supplied by traditional family bakers operating since the 1800’s. Sadly these days the family bakers have diminished with but a handful remaining.
Whilst this recipe isn’t PGI approved, it has stood the test of time in my family. Having been passed down through generations (to date I’ve confirmed 3) there apparently has been no tweaks or amends to the original recipe. It remains true with a form that conjures memories of frenzied Saturday morning sibling debates as to whose turn it was to fetch the weekly dozen from the local store. I’ve eaten in some fancy restaurants with both divine and questionable cuisine. However I’ll be perfectly honest and say I have yet to experience anything that makes my heart swell and induce instant comfort like biting into a buttered blaa filled with Tayto cheese & onion crisps. Flour-dusted lips savouring that sweet chew contrasting with crunchy savoriness. Bliss!
Makes 12
Ingredients
4 cups bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoons active yeast
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon fine salt
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup full milk, room temperature
1 1/3 cup warm water
Additional 1/2 cup bread flour, or All purpose flour, for dusting
Method
In a pan, combine the milk and butter. Heat gently until the butter is melted. Set aside and leave to cool while you prep the rest of the ingredients, stirring occasionally
Lightly oil a large bowl and set side until needed later
Sift the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer. To one side of the bowl add the yeast and to the opposite side add the salt. Add the sugar in the middle
Combine the warm water and milk/ butter mixture and stir well. With the dough hook attachment working on slow speed, slowly add the liquid to the dry ingredients in a steady stream. Continue to add until 50 ml remain. Depending on your kitchen conditions eg temperature and humidity, you may not need to add all the liquid- only add enough liquid for your dough to form a ball, where it cleans the bottom of the bowl. Continue to knead on slow for 7 mins. The dough should come together in a ball that is smooth and elastic to touch, without cracking or breaking
Remove the dough ball from your mixer bowl and place in the preoiled bowl. Cover and set aside to proof in a warm place for between 50-60 mins until doubled in size
After this time, punch down the risen dough to knock back the air. Gather the dough in to a smooth ball shape, place back in the same prepared bowl and recover for a second proof. This proof won’t take as long, between 30 – 40 mins. DO NOT SKIP this step as it helps to add to the distinctive flavor of the finished blaas
Once the second proofing has been done, remove the dough from the bowl and divide equally into 9 or 12, depending on how big you want your final blaa to be. An amount of 9 will give a more traditional palm-sized blaa
Roll each of the equally-sized pieces into a smooth ball and place together in a high-sided pan. I tend to use a roasting tray that I have dusted/ dredged with flour. Place the dough balls side by side until you have a “sheet formation”. Ideally they should be spaced so that when they finish rising they touch each other. The “mouths” that are formed from this at the sides of the baked blaa are a distinguishing feature allowing easy opening
Gently press down on the dough balls to slightly flatten them. You dont want to do it hard enough to completely squash them. Just enough to make the more “puck -like” in shape as opposed to a spherical dough ball
Cover the dough balls with oiled clingwrap and allow to rise in a warm place for a further 30-40 minutes
Preheat your oven to 425 F. By this time the balls should have risen and be touching each other
Dust the tops of the blaas liberally with the additional flour and place on the middle shelf. Bake for 20-25 mins. The tops of the blaas should be browned and bases sound hollow when tapped
Remove the baked blaas from the tin and allow to cool before serving
Blaas are best eaten on the day they are baked. If you do have any left the following day you can refresh them by wrapping in foil and baking them at 375F for 10 mins. Overall they will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days. They can also be frozen when baked. Allow to cool completely, place in an airtight freezer bag and freeze. To use, remove from freezer and allow to come to room temperature before serving
Whisk together the bran, flour, baking soda and baking powder
Drain then stir in the raisins and pistachios, mix to combine then set aside
Blend milk, Monkfruit sweetner, oil and egg. Add to dry ingredients and stir just combined
Using large cookie scoop, transfer to your prepared muffin tin(s)and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until muffins pull away from sides of cups
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease 12 cup muffin tray
In a thick-bottomed pan over medium heat, add the butter, whisking frequently. Continue to cook until fully melted. Once melted the butter will foam up a bit, then subside. Watch carefully as lightly browned specks begin to form at the bottom of the pan. Smell the butter; it should have a nutty aroma. Pour into a bowl to stop the butter from cooking further and possible burning. Set aside to cool until needed
In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and oats. Cut in the butter until mixture damp sand. It’s fine if there are peas-sized pieces of butter remaining. Set aside until needed
In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. It will still appear a little lumpy
Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, about 2/3 full. Sprinkle the streusel topping over muffins
Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean
Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the tin and serving
Brunch. That luxurious limbo land existing between breakfast and lunch which in North America is honoured with unsurpassed reverence. With the best of both worlds on offer (not to mention mimosas!) it’s position of high esteem in Canuck culiary ranking is deservedly so. I’ll hold my hands up in admission to that fact that I’m a complete pushover for the sweet offerings on a brunch menu. Waffles, pancakes and sweet baked goods will be my first port of call when brunching. Not for me your eggs benedict (no matter how tasty!) nor the omelette (despite your ovate goodness).
This recipe was a quick fix for hangry pangs one Saturday morning, conceived amid the aromas of a strong ristretto. I’m not going to lie and go all “holier than thou” in regards to the ingredients. The waffle batter is where the work lies and the finishing touches are store cupboard/ pantry items bought under the caveat of “Well you’ll never know when I might need it“. What follows I say in the complete spirit of bonhomie – if you’re one of the wellness brigade who’s going to bang how neglectful and unhealthy it is to use jars of sweet spreads…save it. It’s the weekend, not nearly enough caffeine has hit my bloodstream and my cats have been meowing since 6am. I need sweet indulgence and I need it STAT! This is not a plate I serve everyday- it’s a once-in-a-while treat to ease you into your weekend routine, a sublime reminder of the good things in life. If there’s one saying I live by it’s ” A little bit of what you fancy does you good“….well that and, “Celebrate the small things“.
Like my other breakfast/ brunch recipe Christmas Morning Cinnamon Buns the bulk of this recipe can be made the night before and left to sit (covered) in the fridge until needed the following AM. A quick stir and you’re good to go and your kitchen will soon be wafting with the smell of freshly toasted waffles and marshmallows.
S’mores Pecan Waffles
Makes 4 waffle rounds (16 1/4 waffles)
2 eggs
1 tblspn fine sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
4 tspn baking powder
2 1/4 cups milk
1/4 tspn salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tspn vanilla extract
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
3 tblspn chocolate spread eg Nutella
3 tblspn cookie butter spread
1 cup mini-marshmallows
Method
Preheat your waffle iron
In a bowl combine the eggs. flour, milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla, and whisk just until smooth. Fold in the toasted pecans
If required spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour/ Laddle mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Remove and plate.
Whilst still warm spread the waffle with cookie butter, then spread with chocolate spread.
Scatter the top of the waffle with the mini marshmallows. Broil under a high setting or use a kitchen torch to toast the marshmallows until browned and crispy. *** If using the broil method DO NOT leave the waffles unattended. The marshmallows can be quick to catch and burn.
Crumbs In My Beard 