When we fist cracked Chicken and Egg, Janice Cole’s memoir of suburban homesteading featuring her three hens, Lulu, Cleo and Roxanne, we were completely distracted from her memoir by the delicious collection of recipes she’s compiled, all featuring, well…chicken or eggs.  Just as her prose shows that raising chickens (and eggs) is more of a slow food sort of endeavour, her recipes are better suited to leisurely weekend breakfasts or those evenings when you have a little more time to cook.

We must admit it’s unlikely we’ll ever keep chickens, but it’s nice to think that one day I may live a more bucolic lifestyle and Cole’s chick lit is as enticing as her recipes.  Plus we can’t resist her blog which has even more recipes – including the delicious sounding (and super seasonal now rhubarb’s abounding)  Strawberry-Rhubarb Baked Custard French Toast. While Cole’s recipes have never steered us wrong, we do find she likes her desserts a little sweeter than we do, so if you have a medium-sweet tooth you may want to adjust the sugar in her recipes accordingly.

It’s not fair to wax food poetic without sharing some of the recipe love with you, and we’ve got Cole’s recipe for Nutmeg-Coated Creamy French Toast,  Bacon and Egg Breakfast Tarts and Cinnamon Breakfast Popovers. Which leaves us all in a dither about what to make for breakfast this weekend…oh wait, since it’s a long weekend we try a different recipe each morning…

Nutmeg-Coated Creamy French Toast
Serves 4

Golden crisp on the outside yet tender on the inside, here is the ultimate in French toast.
The additional egg yolks give extra richness, body, and color to this twist on the classic. This recipe is perfect for entertaining because it’s made the day before. Simply fry and serve in the morning.

One 1-pound loaf unsliced bread, preferably challah, brioche, or another rich egg bread, or a firm, fine textured white bread
5 eggs plus 3 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup half-and-half or milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt, preferably Greek
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg, plus 1/8 teaspoon
Butter or canola oil for frying
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Maple syrup or fruit preserves for serving

Cut the bread into thick slices a little shy of 1 inch (see Note).
Arrange the bread in a single layer in a 13-by-9-inch pan, using an
additional 8-inch square pan if necessary.

Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, and salt together in a medium bowl for
1 to 2 minutes, or until they are light, frothy, and completely smooth.
(There should be no bits of egg or stringiness remaining, or you
will have pieces of cooked egg on the toast.) Whisk in the half-and half,
yogurt, granulated sugar, and 2 teaspoons nutmeg until well
blended. Pour the egg mixture over the bread. Cover with plastic
wrap and refrigerate overnight, carefully turning the bread once or
twice if possible.

When ready to cook, preheat an electric nonstick griddle to 350°F
or heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Lightly brush the
griddle or skillet with butter and cook the bread in batches
for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown on the outside but still
soft in the center, turning once. Adjust the heat as necessary.

While the bread is frying, stir together the powdered sugar and
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg and put in a fine-mesh strainer. Sprinkle the
hot French toast with the powdered sugar mixture and serve
topped with maple syrup or preserves.

The bread is thickly sliced so the center of each slice will stay
creamy, but if the slices are too thick, the center will not cook
in the time it takes to cook the outside.

Bacon and Egg Breakfast Tarts
Serves 4

1 sheet frozen puff pastry
5 eggs
4 ounces slab bacon or thickly sliced bacon, cut into
1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream
8 tablespoons shredded
Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup grape tomatoes,
halved lengthwise
1/4 cup sliced green onion
(green part only)

Thaw the puff pastry according to the package directions. Line a
baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out the pastry on a lightly
floured surface to a 12-inch square. Cut into four squares. Trim
each square to about 51/2 inches. Place on the baking sheet.
Fold over and press 1/2 inch on each edge of the squares to form
a rim. Using a fork, prick each pastry square inside the rim every
1/2 inch to keep the center of the pastry from puffing up. Whisk 1 of
the eggs in a small bowl until frothy. Brush the pastry squares with
the egg. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F. Cook the bacon in a medium
skillet over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until browned, stirring
frequently. Drain on a paper towel–lined plate. Stir together
the cream, 6 tablespoons of the cheese, the mustard, and pepper.
Spread over the center of the puff pastry squares.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. If the center
has puffed, prick with a fork to deflate. Crack the remaining
4 eggs into small cups and pour one into the center of each tart
shell. Sprinkle the eggs with the salt. Scatter the bacon over the
eggs and arrange the tomatoes over the egg whites. Sprinkle the
remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese over the egg whites and tomatoes.
Top with green onion.

Bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until the tart is golden
brown, the egg whites are firm, and the egg yolks are soft.

Serve immediately.

Note: Much of the assembly of these tarts can be done the day
before. The puff pastry squares can be prepared and refrigerated
overnight. The bacon can be browned the day before
and stored in the refrigerator, and the cream mixture can be
prepared and refrigerated overnight, too.

Cinnamon Breakfast Popovers
Makes 5 Popovers

These huge popovers are like giant cinnamon doughnuts. Actually, they’re even better because they’re baked, not fried. Crisp on the outside, airy and tender on the inside, they’re served hot from the oven, dripping with melted butter and cinnamon sugar.

Popovers
1 cup bread flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg plus 2 egg whites
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cinnamon-Sugar Topping
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

To make the popovers: Whisk the flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg
together in a large bowl until the spices are well blended with the
flour. Whisk the egg and egg whites together in a medium bowl
until smooth. Pour in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla, whisking
until combined.

Slowly whisk the egg mixture into the flour mixture until the dry
ingredients are moistened and almost smooth. Pour the batter into
a large liquid measuring cup or bowl with a spout for easy pouring.
Let rest for 30 minutes.

To make the topping: Combine the sugar and cinnamon together
in a small bowl. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Coat five
popover cups with nonstick cooking spray (popover pans usually
have six cups, but dividing the batter among five cups creates
extra-large popovers). Pour the batter into the prepared cups.

Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F, without
opening the oven, and continue baking for another 20 minutes
or until puffed, golden brown, and firm. Using a thin knife, make a
small slit in the side of each popover to allow the steam to escape.
Turn off the oven and let the popovers remain in the oven for
5 minutes to allow the insides to dry slightly. Remove from the
oven and place on a wire cooling rack.

As soon as the popovers come out of the oven, brush the tops
with the 2 tablespoons melted butter and remove the popovers
from the pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture generously
over the tops, holding the popovers over a plate to catch the
excess sugar. Serve immediately.

NOTE: The popovers can be made up to 1 day ahead. Store in an
airtight container at room temperature. To reheat, place on a
baking sheet in a 325°F oven for 3 to 5 minutes or until hot.

Yo, mama! Looking for more cookbook recommendations? Might we suggest you browse through our bookstore?

Recipe excerpted from Chicken and Egg: A Memoir Of Suburban Homesteading with 125 Recipes
by Janice Cole. Copyright © 2011. Excerpted with permission of Chronicle Books. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

 

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