Recipes | The Old Hen Bed & Breakfast and Blog

Coconut French Toast with Orange Cream Cheese Syrup Recipe

What is extremely popular and a perfect breakfast for Mother’s Day or any day? This.

This Coconut French Toast with Orange Cream Cheese Syrup is the talk of the town this month. There is nothing quite like her. She is nutty. She is comforting. She is refreshing. She is creamy.

COCONUT FRENCH TOAST INGREDIENTS:

1 long loaf French bread cut into about 1 inch slices
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)
8 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 cups coconut
2 tablespoons butter (to coat baking pan)

Prepare French toast the night before. If desired, use a knife to cut a small slit into the sides of each slice of bread and place about 10-20 chocolate chips inside the middle for a chocolate-y surprise. Whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla until very well combined & golden in color. Dip sliced bread into egg mixture and coat each slice well. Pour any remaining egg mixture over bread. Cover with saran wrap and allow to rest in fridge overnight (or at least for a couple of hours) to soak in eggy goodness.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 9X13 baking pan with butter. When ready, remove French toast from fridge. Place coconut onto a plate and press each slice of bread into the coconut until both sides & edges are coated. Place each one into baking pan. Place a little extra coconut on the top side of each slice of bread. Bake for about 1/2 hour or until egg coating is fully cooked and coconut is light golden brown. (Turn French toast try around, if needed, half way through baking time for even browning.

ORANGE CREAM CHEESE SYRUP INGREDIENTS:

16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
Juice & zest of 4 fresh oranges
4 cups powdered sugar

Cut cream cheese and butter into small pieces. Warm syrup ingredients, except powdered sugar, over low heat in a large saucepan until fully melted. Whisk in powdered sugar until becomes a lovely syrup. If needed, pour syrup into blender and blend for smoother texture.

Drizzle syrup over each piece of French toast or serve on the side in a lovely pitcher.

Make this for mom and she will love you forever. She will also ask you for the recipe. And then you will be her favorite. You’re welcome.

A Birthday Party for Dotter With Owls and Fondue

It seems like just yesterday we celebrated dotter’s 16th birthday. I told her and son they must never grow up but neither one of them listened to me. Son now towers over me and dotter celebrated her 20th birthday this weekend.

She’s my St Patrick’s Day baby. I told her over lunch the other day about the day she was born. She was mortified. It’s payback for her deciding to grow up.

I hid her birthday party supplies up high on a shelf but since dotter is also taller than me, I discovered that my high is not high enough. Thankfully she approved. She’s into owls lately.

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But what she did not see was all the hard work and heartache that was going into our party plans. And by heartache, I mean that these are not chocolate. I forgot about them baking for an hour and a half. It’s a six to eight-minute baking time recipe. Sigh.

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Ahhhh that’s better.

We found these adorable white chocolate shamrock mints at Common Folk in Bellevue, Washington. If you have not been, please do. And tell them I sent you. And buy mints. They are loverly.

Finally, the big day arrived. Here is dotter smiling with her cake.

Here is dotter thinking about how amazing 21 will be.

Here is dotter thinking deep thoughts.

Here is dotter… well, I don’t know what she’s doing in this picture but she’s adorable, even so.

And here is dotter ready to eat cake.

At dotter’s request, we did a fondue party. Here is my cheese fondue recipe.

Cheese Fondue:

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup hefferveisen beer
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons mustard
2-3 cloves minced or smashed fresh garlic
1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (optional)
1 pound block* sharp cheddar cheese, grated (or more, if desired)
Sea salt & pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Sprinkle in flour and stir & cook for a couple of minutes (don’t skip this step or your fondue will taste yucky – like flour). Add liquids while continuing to whisk. Add remaining ingredients and cook on low heat until cheese is completely melted. Place in fondue pot or in crock pot to keep warm. If heated too high, sauce can separate, so be sure to keep over low heat.

*Block cheese is best because it’s not coated in cornstarch & will melt much better than pre-grated cheese.

And chicken broth for cooking beef & chicken. Just heat over a high heat (electric fondue pots are best for this) & add sea salt & pepper. Let everyone know how important it is that their raw chicken doesn’t touch their plates and gets cooked thoroughly before eating.

And this. Isn’t she beautiful? I adopted her from a thrift store. I love her.

Fresh berries, cutie orange pieces and banana slices ready to dip into the glorious chocolate. I love the Ghirardelli Chocolate 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Chips because they don’t have the cornstarch coating that normal chocolate chips have. Instead of becoming a thick mess, they melt perfectly.

Oh, yes, and mini marshmallows.

“More strawberries, please, Dad.”

New baby cuddles for Cindy – good for the soul.

I love the way toddlers smile after each step they take upstairs that they aren’t supposed to be climbing up. This little guy is so cute, he makes me forget there is anything else going on in the room.

Oh, yeah. Dotter’s birthday. Time for gifts!

And, finally, cake. Happy birthday, dotter. My Northwest has been brighter and luckier every day since you were born.

Speaking of gifts… it is now time to give away our four tickets to the Seattle Bites Food Tour! Thank you again, Seattle Bites! Let’s do this.

Congratulations to:

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Michele, I hope you and three of your friends enjoy the tour! Congratulations!

Stuffed Strawberry French Toast Recipe

When I was a little girl, the only thing I would eat at restaurants during breakfast time was strawberry and whipped cream covered pancakes, waffles or French toast. I was a picky palate and my grandparents spoke my language. I was their oldest grandchild and used it to my advantage when holding a breakfast menu.

Oatmeal? No.

Bacon & eggs? No

Omelet? No.

Hashbrowns & sausage? No.

Strawberry anything and black coffee at the age of five? Yes!

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Ingredients:

One recipe of homemade whipped cream
8 large eggs, farm fresh is best
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup butter (for frying)
1 loaf high quality white bread, unsliced
2 pounds fresh strawberries, cut into quarters
1 1/2 cups sugar

Make whipped cream, cover mixing bowl with saran-wrap when done and place in fridge until ready to use.

Remove & discard strawberry stems and then cut into quarters. Place in a large bowl and stir in the sugar. Using a strainer that fits well on the large bowl, quickly move the strawberries into the strainer then place the strainer on the bowl so that the strawberry juices can drip down into the bowl. Set aside.

In a shallow and large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla with a fork until well-beaten. Set aside. Cut six slices from the loaf of bread – into about 1 1/2 inch slices each. Cut each piece almost in half again as if to cut into two slices but not quite.

Melt butter over medium-high heat in a large, (preferably) cast iron pan. Give the butter your full attention so it melts and then sizzles a bit but doesn’t burn. If pan gets too hot, turn heat to medium.

Quickly dip inside fold of one slice of bread quickly into the egg then dip the outside, making sure to coat the outside of the bread completely. Once coated, open the bread so the inside fold is facing downward and place into frying pan. Cook until egg is cooked and toast is golden brown. Do NOT lift bread to early. Test to see if it’s ready to flip first but nudging it with the spatula. If it slides freely, then peek to see if it’s golden brown. If it is, then it’s ready to flip. Fold toast in half again and toast both of the outsides of the bread until golden brown as well. Repeat until all six toasts are finished cooking. As each toast is finished, it can be placed on a baking sheet and loosely covered with foil and placed into the oven at 170 degrees to keep warm until the others are done.

Place strawberry juices into a small saucepan using a spatula to be sure to get all the sugar and juices out of the bowl. Heat strawberry juices on medium heat and allow to simmer. Keep a close eye on sauce to be sure it doesn’t over cook – about 3-5 minutes should reduce the juice into a loverly strawberry sauce. Set strawberries aside again until ready to assemble.

To plate, Place each toast upon a plate. Open toast up and drizzle bottom half with strawberry syrup. Pile about 1 cup of strawberries into bottom of toast as well. Then place whipped cream upon the strawberries. Bring top half of French toast up and over the whipped cream. Sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar until you smile. If desired, place a small dollop of whipped cream on top of each French toast & place one strawberry into it.

How I ended up spending my life creating a million delightful breakfasts (my least favorite meal of the day for almost forty years) I’ll never know. But I am sure of one thing… grandma-mom & grandpa-dad are up in Heaven eating strawberry-filled breakfasts, drinking Folger’s Coffee & enjoying the show.

Why “grandma-mom” and grandpa-dad”? Well, I hear their oldest grandchild was kind of a nut.

Ground Turkey Tamales With Enchilada Sauce Recipe

Tamale. Tamale. I love ya’ tamale. Only, you know, today is tamale. And tamale is today. Oh, who am I tryin’ to kid? I love tamales today. And every day. And tomorrow. And you will too… especially making them at home. This is a great recipe to make with friends or family. It is the social Mexican equivalent of snapping beans on the front porch in rocking chairs.

Prep:

Soak 20 large corn husks in water (there are usually about 40-50 to a bag sold in grocery stores). Place a clean plate or tray upon them to keep them from floating out of the water.

Ground Turkey Tamale Filling:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
20 ounces ground turkey
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon oregano powder
3 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
Sea salt & pepper
1 teaspoon leaves from 2 sprigs fresh oregano, minced

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large frying pan. Add diced onions and fry until translucent then add ground turkey. Stir in chili powder, garlic powder, oregano powder, cumin, chipotle powder and plenty of salt & pepper. Cook until done then set aside.

Enchilada Sauce:

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons chili powder
4 – 5 cups chicken stock and/or water
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Seas salt & pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in frying pan over medium high heat. Sprinkle in flour and whisk continually while cooking for a couple of minutes. Whisk in chili powder and then pour in 4 cups of chicken stock and/or water. Sauce will thicken as it heats. Evaluate thickness of sauce and add 1 more cup of water or broth if desired. Cook down for a few minutes again and then turn heat to low. Stir in remaining ingredients. If you don’t think sauce is flavorful enough, it probably needs a bit more salt. Add salt just until you experience all the wonderful flavors. Stir 2/3 of the sauce into the ground turkey set remaining sauce aside for serving.

Masa Dough:

2 cups masa
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup shortening
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, minced
Sea salt to taste

Place all ingredients into a large bowl. Stir well with a wooden spoon until everything is combined. Taste and stir in additional salt of needed.

Assembling the Tamales:

Place about 6 cups of water in steaming pot and turn on high. Bring to a boil & turn heat down to medium to simmer. Don’t let the water get so high that it rises to the steaming rack as to not get the tamales wet.

Lay a softened corn husk out with top facing away from you. Press about 2-3 tablespoons of masa dough on the upper left side. Pressing with fingers, cover about 2/3 across the husk, leaving about 2-3 inches free at the bottom of the husk. It helps to pretend your making it the shape of the blue corner on the American flag.

Place a line of about 2-3 tablespoons of ground turkey filling straight up & down the middle of the masa dough. Turn corn husk so the left masa edge is facing you. Roll tamale away from yourself. Fold the bottom (which has no masa dough on it) up toward the top of the tamale. Repeat and place tamales on a tray.

When all tamales are prepared, place upward in the steaming rack. Simmer for about one hour.

To Serve:

It is most fun to place tamales in or on a pretty dish and serve in husks, allowing each guest to unroll their own. Of course, they will be very hot & steamy, so everyone will need to be careful. Serve with sauce and, if desired, grated cheese, sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro and maybe diced tomatoes. The possibilities are limitless.

And to my friend, Roz, who recently sat with me, patiently picking cilantro leaves, let us make tamales next time and pick cilantro on the front porch together in rocking chairs. Today, tamale, or whenever you’d like to pretend we’re in an Anne of Green Gables movie – only, you know, based in Tijuana.

Fresh Start Balsamic Fruit Salad Recipe

Fresh starts are a good thing. I’m pretty sure we don’t give ourselves enough of them. Fresh starts are a result of proper grieving. Proper grieving happens not only after big, life-changing moments but also needs to be a part of our every-single-freakin’-day processing. We need to grieve when other drivers are rude to us, when our go-to coffee shop discontinues our favorite syrup flavor, and when we make a silly mistake in front of co-workers. We don’t need to cry over teeny-tiny everything, but we do need to acknowledge the feelings we have over the incident, talk ourselves through it with healthy, truthful words, and move forward without ignoring the lil’ bruise to our ego.

Have I ever mentioned that I’m a counselor too? Yeah. That. For realz. For the last twenty years, I’ve helped many people find their fresh starts and this always – and I mean always – includes grieving the past. There are textbook guidelines for grieving but there is no perfect recipe for getting over stuff. I mean, sometimes it just comes on too fast to keep up with the grieving. And sometimes we just don’t want to grieve yet. And sometimes no one has ever told us how important grieving is for the soul. And sometimes we excuse every bit of pain in our lives which just allows the stink to take up residency in our soul.

May I recommend a weekend away alone at your favorite B&B to find your fresh start? And may I recommend this fresh start salad to nourish your beautiful person in the meantime?

Balsamic Fresh Fruit Salad

4 nectarines
1 pound fresh strawberries
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 pint fresh blackberries
1 pint fresh raspberries
2 kiwis, diced (optional)
3/4 cup apricot jam (for sugar-free, use sugar-free jam)
1/4 cup warm water
½ cup balsamic vinegar
2 basil leaves, minced
Salt & pepper to taste
4 Sprigs of mint (for garnish)

Rinse & drain nectarines & berries to clean. Cut nectarines in half. Set 4 halves aside.

Dice the remaining nectarines and place in large bowl. Peel and dice the kiwi and add to bowl. Remove stems from strawberries and dice then add to bowl. Add remaining berries to bowl as well.

In a separate bowl, passionately whisk together jam, water & balsamic vinegar. Add minced basil leaves and salt & pepper to taste. The salt should simply help bring out the other lovely flavors in the dressing.

Pour dressing over diced fruit & berries. Stir in gently until fruit is well-coated.

Place each nectarine half on a plate and top with diced fruit salad . Garnish each serving with a sprig of mint. Makes 4 servings.

You got this! Here’s to your fresh start. Also, this might be a good time to admit that I still haven’t forgiven Starbucks for ditchin’ their almond syrup eight years ago. Do as I say, not as I do.

Wisconsin Soup Recipe

This post is dedicated to some of my greatest loves. These ladies…

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These are the ladies who taught Sunday School, confirmed the value my mother told me I had, hosted almost every potluck I’ve ever been to and who dressed up like rednecks for my bridal shower a few, four, five or twenty years ago.

Every single young lady on the planet earth deserves to have women like these in their life. One of my most unreachable goals is to honor every minute they’ve spent with me and every ounce of love they’ve poured into me (even when I didn’t deserve it) by passing it on to others of all ages just like they’re still doing in my hometown.

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I’m tearing up just writing about them and I don’t have a tissue handy, so I shall go back to my outrageous shower. Hay bales, quilts and clothes lines hung across the room with care and giggles. To this day, this is the most spectacular shower I have ever attended. No pink flowers. No white linens. And no stuffy rules. Everyone had a wonderful time laughing at our hosts with blacked-out teeth, hillbilly outfits, and hilarious songs sung almost on tune with washboards and spoons for accompaniment. They blindfolded me and my job was to guess the types of about 10 cheeses. Sweet baby Jesus, I didn’t know my cheeses. I probably should admit here that my favorite cheese 20 years ago may have still been Velveeta. Okay, it was.

So in honor of every real cheese known to man. I present thee with my Wisconsin Soup.

Ingredients:

4 cups water
10 Johnsonville Bratwurst (or 2 packages of original, beer or cheddar brats)
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
8 tablespoons flour
24 ounces chicken broth
2 cups hefeweizen beer
2 cups frozen potato squares
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 pound block of smokey sharp cheddar cheese, grated (save 2 ounces for topping)
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper (or to taste)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
Leaves of 3 sprigs fresh oregano, minced
Leaves of 1 large sprig fresh basil, minced
Leaves of 5 sprigs fresh thyme, minced
Leaves of 1 medium sprig of fresh rosemary, minced
Salt & pepper to taste

Bring water to a boil in medium-large saucepan. Add bratwurst and allow to cook at a rolling simmer for about 15 minutes.

Place olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Remove brats from water with tongs and place in soup pot to brown all sides. Save broth from bratwurst. Place browned brats on a cutting board to cool and place diced onion into soup pot to cook until translucent. Sprinkle flour over onions and stir while cooking for about 2 minutes. Add a little extra olive oil if needed.

Stir in chicken broth, bratwurst broth and beer. After broth thickens, add potatoes, heavy cream, all but a couple of ounces of the cheddar cheese and the herbs and spices. Salt and pepper to taste. Allow to simmer for about 15 minutes. Serve in bowls or mugs topped with, perhaps, a dollop of sour cream and some grated smoked cheddar.

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And may you rock white tights with navy blue shoes, big bangs in all their glory, and sweaters with shoulder pads forever. And may this soup comfort your soul just like the wonderful, wise hillbilly’s around you for they are priceless jewels… only, you know, not stuffy.

Orange Chocolate Chip Pancakes With Chocolate Syrup

Because you can never get enough pancake ideas. Because the weekend is almost here. Because I am on an orange and chocolate kick. I present thee with Orange Chocolate Chip Pancakes With Chocolate Syrup.

Fresh and decadent. Healthy and unhealthy – my speciality. You’re welcome. I’m sorry. You’re welcome.

CHOCOLATE SAUCE:

12 ounces of the best semi-sweet chocolate you can buy (preferably a chocolate bar and not chocolate chips)
1/2 cup warm water, a little more if needed
1/4 cup sugar

Melt chocolate in a double boiler over low heat. Stir in warm water and sugar and stir until dissolved.

ORANGE CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKE RECIPE:

1/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from 2-3 oranges) and zest
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips (again, the better brand you buy, the better they will taste)

Whisk pancake ingredients minus the chocolate chips together until well combined and smooth. While squeezing juice out of oranges, save some small pieces of the oranges to add to the pancake batter for added joy. It’s worth it. Trust me. Finally, after batter has been stirred, add chocolate chips into pancake batter.

Place your very best non-stick pan on a burner and preheat to low. It will be tempting to pour the batter upon the pan before it is hot, but do not give in to the temptation. When the time is right, pour 1/3 cup of better into the pan to make about a four-inch pancake.

Wait until the bubbles that form all around the edges of the pancake begin to burst, then flip.

When pancakes are all cooked, stack as high as you like and smother in heavenly, warm chocolate sauce… or with butter and maple syrup. Makes about 11 pancakes.

Garnish with lovely orange slices if you like.

Looking for some helpful pancaking hints? Check out this post on How to make a Perfect Pancake.

Mini Peanut Butter & Chocolate Do-Si-Do™ Pies With Maple Whipped Cream

do-si-do (ds-d) n. pl. do-si-dos 1. A movement in square dancing in which two dancers approach each other and circle back to back, then return to their original positions. 2. One of the most popular cookies in the world – the Girl Scout’s crunchy oatmeal sandwich cookie with creamy peanut butter filling that keeps you coming back for more.

In a way, this post is simply a do-si-do… a Girl Scout returning to Girl Scouts – in a very spectacular and high-calorie fashion.

But, you know, calories don’t count if the dessert is a mini. And you share it with a friend. And you square dance enough.

DO-SI-DO™ CRUST:

2 – eight ounce packages Do-Si-Dos™ Girl Scout cookies
1 stick of butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F. Place cookies in food processor and process until they become crumbs. Add melted butter and process until all the crumbs are moistened. Use 8 (Aprox. size: 4 3/8 in. dia x 1 3/16 in.*) small pot pie pans. Press 1/4 cup of crust mixture into each mini pie pan. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

*You can use any size pans or ramekins for pies as long as they are oven-safe and singles since this pie is made to be served from the tin. For example, mini tartlette pans are perfect for parties or large gatherings (makes about 16) and a regular pie pan is perfect for a single pie to serve at a family dinner.

PEANUT BUTTER FILLING:

1 – eight ounce package cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup maple whipped cream (recipe below)

Place cream cheese, powdered sugar and peanut butter in a bowl. Whip together with a mixer until completely combined. Using a spatula or large spoon, gently fold maple whipped cream into peanut butter mixture until mixed in. After pie crusts have cooled, place about 1/2 cup of filling onto each pie crust. Spread filling out so that the top is flat. There will be room still for the chocolate topping.

CHOCOLATE TOPPING:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar

Melt chocolate over low heat in a double boiler. Whisk in heavy cream and sugar until completely melted together. The color will turn back to a nice dark brown again when everything is combined. Pour about 1/4 cup of chocolate onto each pie. Gently spread where needed so it covers the peanut butter filling completely. Chill pies on a level tray in the fridge for about an hour or until chocolate topping is firm. If serving later, it’s best to keep them in the fridge until served.

MAPLE WHIPPED CREAM:

3 cups heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons maple extract
(or 1 teaspoon vanilla instead for the plain-hearted)

Whip heavy whipping cream until it reaches soft peaks. Add powdered sugar and maple extract and whip until it reaches stiff peaks. One cup should go into the peanut butter pie filling (see directions above) and the remaining two cups are for decoration. If saving for later, cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for up to two days. If the whipped cream looses its stiffness, it can be rewhipped until stiff peaks are reached again. When ready to serve pies, place whipping cream into a decorating bag with a border decorating tip. Decorate stars around edges of pie and place a swirl in the middle of the pie. If desired, place a Do-Si-Dos™ Girl Scout cookie into the middle swirl on each pie.

For a little extra pizzaz, you can find dark and white Dobla Dark and White Chocolate Straws at your local Cost Plus World Import stores. Break them in half and insert as pictured above.

While we’re talkin’ Girl Scouts, you must check out one of my favorite pages on the Girl Scouts of Western Washington blog where so many amazing, talented ladies are featured. Well, that and the cookie page. I mean, everybody loves Girl Scout cookies. Good news! Cookie sales begin soon… March 1-17th will be the most delicious season on 2013.

Nutella French Toast with Fresh Berries Recipe

Flour, eggs, fresh berries, milk, heavy whipped cream, coffee and Nutella. These are the things that have become staples in my kitchen since opening our B&B. And by “staples”, I begin to jitter if any one of these supplies begin to get too low. And by “any one of these supplies”, I mean Nutella.

When I place berries upon anything, my heart rejoices. For it turns French toast into art. And by “art”, I mean Nutella.

1 long loaf French bread
1 cup Nutella
6 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup butter (for frying)
12 cups fresh mixed berries, sliced (if needed such as strawberries), rinsed and drained
2 cups whipped cream (keep refrigerated until ready to use)
3/4 cup sliced almonds
3/4 cup powdered sugar

Cut French bread diagonally into about 10-12 one inch slices (like this: \\\\\\\) . Then cut each slice almost in half again but not quite all the way. Spread just over a tablespoon of Nutella inside the middle of each piece. Set aside.

Blend together eggs, milk, cinnamon and nutmeg. Place in a medium bowl wide enough room to dip each piece of French toast into it.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of butter into frying pan and melt over medium-high heat, watching closely so butter doesn’t burn. After butter is melted, dip both sides of a piece of French toast into egg mixture then place in hot pan. Repeat with as many pieces that will fit comfortably into frying pan at one time. Cook until golden brown on both sides. Place on a baking sheet into oven that has been preheated to 170 – just enough heat to keep French toast warm while cooking remaining pieces. Add more butter to pan in between cooking as needed.

When all French toast is cooked, place on plates. Sprinkle with gorgeous mixed berries. Decorate with whipped cream using a decorating bag and large decorating tip then sprinkle with almond slices. Using a mesh strainer or sifter, sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve quickly as whipped cream will begin to melt.

May you have a week filled with many blessings. And by “blessings” I mean Nutella.

Blueberry Pancakes Recipe

I’ve never been one to get into food “holidays”. I mean, who celebrates Bread Machine Month? Please rise. National Pretzel Day? That’s just twisted. National Melba Toast Day? Anyone? Anyone? National Caffeine Awareness Month? Zzzzz. National Kahlua Day? Well, okay. Maybe that one is worth celebrating.

But what kind of innkeeper would I be if I didn’t celebrate national Blueberry Pancake Day? It’s a peer-pressure thing. Really, I just couldn’t wait to take this photo.

Let the celebration commence.

BLUEBERRY SAUCE RECIPE:

18 ounces blueberries
1 cup sugar
Juice from 1/2 a fresh lemon
1 cup cold water
2-3 tablespoons cornstarch

Place all ingredients in a medium-large saucepan. Stir together until cornstarch has dissolved. Heat on medium-high until sauce boils. Cook until it becomes thick then remove from heat. If needed, warm up again when pancakes are ready.

PANCAKE RECIPE:

1 cup milk or buttermilk (+2 tablespoons for thinner pancakes)
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh blueberries, flour-coated

Whisk pancake ingredients minus the blueberries together until well combined and smooth. Sprinkle blueberries with flour until coated & discard excess flour. Gently stir blueberries into pancake batter.

Wait until the bubbles that form all around the edges of the pancake begin to burst, then flip.

When pancakes are all cooked, smother in lovely blueberry sauce… or with butter and maple syrup… or, you know, just send a friend a card and eat some Melba Toast.

Looking for some helpful pancaking hints? Check out the wildly popular post How to make a Perfect Pancake. You got this.

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Reserve Your Suite and Find Your Favorite Recipes

Coconut French Toast with Orange Cream Cheese Syrup Recipe

A Birthday Party for Dotter With Owls and Fondue

Stuffed Strawberry French Toast Recipe

Ground Turkey Tamales With Enchilada Sauce Recipe

Fresh Start Balsamic Fruit Salad Recipe

Wisconsin Soup Recipe

Orange Chocolate Chip Pancakes With Chocolate Syrup

Mini Peanut Butter & Chocolate Do-Si-Do™ Pies With Maple Whipped Cream

Nutella French Toast with Fresh Berries Recipe

Blueberry Pancakes Recipe

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