What's a Dutch Baby?

It seems like a self-explanatory question, but who knew that a Dutch Baby is also baked deliciousness?

I was lucky enough to find out thanks to Gourmet magazine and J's impulsive cooking. Usually, I get up with barely enough time to get ready and make it to work on time, so I'm certainly not one who eats hearty breakfasts on weekdays. After discovering the Dutch Baby in Gourmet, J decided he needed to try it, and I got to partake in the goodness. Someone making you a fresh breakfast is indeed a fantastic thing to wake up and discover.

So, what is a Dutch Baby, anyway? Gourmet describes it as "a crossover between a pancake and a popover", and I think they pretty much hit the mark with that description. The crust is hearty, slightly crispy, and sortof durable like a good popover. The center of the Dutch Baby is the pancake portion, but a very dense pancake that's a close cousin to a custard tart or even some cheese pies. The Dutch Baby in question had a wonderfully refreshing lemon flavor, and just the right amount of sugar. And in addition to its tastiness, this breakfast treat is a sight to see as it expands in the oven!

If you haven't experienced a Dutch Baby first hand, now's a good time to spice up your breakfast routine and try something new!

Related Links:

• The Recipe in questionfrom Gourmet
  
• Dutch Baby Wiki
  
• Dutch Baby Pan(Comes with free Dutch Baby mix, for those of you who prefer convenience)
  

One a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns!

As I've mentioned before, I love eating my way through London. On almost every visit, I manage to procure Hot Cross Buns from the grocery store. While this is not gourmet by any means, they're something I enjoy thoroughly for breakfast or a snack or just because. I can easily justify this layman's indulgence to myself with knowledge that even the grocery store variety of Hot Cross Buns in England is far better than any I've had in the States. Furthermore, in the US, these flavorful delights are only available a few weeks in the year (which might actually be part of the problem).

Since it has been two years (gasp!) from my last trip across the Atlantic, I have been eager for Hot Cross Buns to start showing up in my local grocery stores for Easter.

I try to have a grounded perspective on my expectations of US Hot Cross Buns by having clear memories of previous disappointments. However, I do get sad when I eat Hot Cross Buns in the States, and they simply don't taste as good as their name implies they should.


Central Market has a great bakery and is also my Houston source for many hard-to-find grocery items. Unfortunately, I don't think their bakery makes their Hot Cross Buns because they certainly don't live up to Central Market's usual tasty standards. While I will admit, they did satisfy my Hot Cross Bun craving to some degree, I found them lacking. The texture was dry, and there weren't enough pieces of fruit. It was disappointing that the only fruit were raisins, especially because they were also overly dry. While non-traditional (and not necessary for well-made Hot Cross Buns), the icing was the only saving grace. The iced crosses provided a nice level of sweetness and needed moisture to the buns.

Will I buy them again next year? Chances say that I will. But maybe I'll grow enough courage to try making my own instead. Only time will tell...

Related Links:

• Hot Cross Buns Wiki
  
• History & Symbolism of Hot Cross Buns & other Easter traditions
  

Knead Practice!

To my dismay, I haven't had much success as a baker recently. Much of the blame can be attributed toward my stubbornness that leads me to believe I can get away without using a recipe, even when I'm dealing with chemical reactions of trying to get foodstuffs to rise.

My recent crumpet experiment did not turn out horribly, though I can't really say that crumpets were the actual end-product of the baking event.

And what is a crumpet you ask? The simplest way to describe it is as the bread product that would result if an English muffin and a regular ol' pancake were to get together one night and produce offspring. The crumpet inherits its dense holey goodness from its English side, and its soft & flat characteristics from its pancake side. And from both its parents, the crumpet gets its desire to be topped with additional yummy goodness and served at breakfast, or just about any other time of day.

So anyway, I think I killed the yeast in soymilk that was too warm, but I didn't want to waste the liquid, so I went on with the experiment. What resulted is a product that was a bit too dense and chewy, without the lovely holes that are the perfect crevices for such substances like butter.

Luckily they tasted okay, crumpets or not. They were all gone by the morning, eaten mostly underneath jam piles and in the form of "mini pizzas" and breakfast sandwiches. I can't decide if I want to try again or attempt a different dough-product first, but I will certainly post when I make something that resembles a crumpet a little more closely.

And while I obviously did not master the task, I'll post my recipe for those who want to have a go at it yourselves!



Ingredients:
1 c. soymilk
2 tsp. yeast
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 c. plain flour
2 T. gluten
1 tsp. salt

Directions:
Warm the soymilk, then mix in yeast and brown sugar. Let this sit for a couple minutes to let the yeast do its thing. Sift the remaining ingredients together, then add the liquid and stir well. Let the batter sit in a warm place for about an hour.

After resting, spoon the mixture onto a preheated pan into 3-4 inch circles. Let cook on low for about 10 minutes. Bubbles should form and the top will appear holey. For the last minute or so, flip your crumpets so the other side can turn golden.

Related Links:

• Crumpet Wiki
  
• Crumpet History
  

This Ain't Your Grandma's Porridge

Berry Blue Oatmeal

This delicious concoction of J's reminded me of those delicious blueberry muffins that are soo bad for you. I used to eat them all the time when I was little, and am thrilled at how much the oatmeal tasted just like it. Now there's a healthy way to deal with a craving for something sweet and unhealthy!

Directions:

Add following ingredients to a saucepan and bring to boil:

2 cups rolled oats
3 cups plain soymilk
1 cup water
Dash of salt

Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and cover. Stir periodically if desired.

After about 30 minutes on the stove, add:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup dried blueberries

Stir and keep on heat for 10 more minutes. Your oats are now ready for enjoyment!