Breakfast

Breakfast in a Muffin

Preheat oven to 400º.

2 C. flour

1 heaping T. sugar

½ tsp. salt

2 ½ tsp. baking powder

3 lg. eggs

1 C. whole milk or light cream

½ C. melted butter

12 strips of bacon, fully cooked

12 small or medium eggs

½ C. shredded cheddar, Swiss or jack cheese

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir them all up together with a fork until they’re evenly combined.

Break the 3 large eggs into a medium sized bowl and whip then up with a wire whisk.

Add the milk and whisk it in.

Add the melted butter and mix well.

Make a well in the bowl with the flour mixture. Dump the liquid mixtue into the well and mix it all up with a spoon until everything is well moistened. (This batter is supposed to be lumpy – don’t stir it smooth.)

Grease a pan with 12 muffin cups or a jumbo muffin pan with 6 cups.

Give the batter a final stir, and then put a spoonful of batter in the bottom of the cups, enough to cover the bottom.

Form one strip of cooked bacon into a circle that’ll fit inside your muffin cup. Press it down in the batter like a little circular fence. Do the same for the other muffin cups.

Crack and separate a medium size egg. Slide the yolk inside the little bacon corral you just made. (Don’t worry if the yolk breaks, not a big deal) Do the same for the other muffin cups.

Divide the remaining batter among the partially filled muffin cups, just spooning it in on top. These muffins don’t rise a lot, so they can be filled almost up to the top.

Sprinkle the grated cheese on the tops.

Place your muffin tin on a drip pan (just in case) and put it into the oven.

Bake the regular muffins at 400º for 25 minutes. Bake the jumbo muffins at 375º for the same amount of time, 25 minutes.

Yield: 12 regular or 6 jumbo muffins that look very pretty when you slice the in half.

Note: These muffins can be reheated in the microwave and they’re almost as good as they are right out of the oven.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes (Poor Man’s Blintzes)

2 C. cottage cheese

4 eggs

½ tsp. salt

½ C. flour

Mix cottage cheese, eggs, salt and flour together in a small bowl. Let the mixture “rest” in the refrigerator for an hour (overnight is fine too).

Heat a nonstick griddle to 350º, or using a frying pan that’s been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Spoon pancake batter in pan or on griddle and fry until the bubbles on the surface of the pancake remain open. When the bottom side is a nice golden color flip the pancake over and cook until the bottom color matches the top.

Place the finished pancakes on a plate, sprinkle artificial sweetener over the tops and add sliced fruit of your choice.

Easy Cheesy Biscuits

Preheat oven to 425º.

3 C. flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure)

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

½ C. salted softened butter

½ C. shredded strong cheddar cheese

½ C. shredded Asiago cheese

2 lg. eggs, beaten

1 C. sour cream

½ C. milk

½ C. grated Parmesan cheese for a topping

First Step:

Use a medium-size mixing bowl to combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir then all up together. Cut in the salted butter just as you would for piecrust dough.

Second Step:

Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and the shredded Asiago cheese. Then add the beaten eggs and the sour cream in that order. Mix everything all up together.

Add the milk and stir until everything is thoroughly combined.

Third Step:

Drop the biscuits by soup spoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.

Once the biscuits are on the baking sheet, you can wet your fingers and shape them if you like.

Sprinkle shredded Parmesan cheese on the top of each biscuit.

Bake the biscuits at 425º for 12 to 14 minutes, or until they’re golden brown on top.

Cool the biscuits for at least five minutes on the cookie sheet, and then remove them with a spatula. Serve them in a towel lined basket so they stay warm.

Yield: Makes 12 large cheesy biscuits that everyone will love!

Holly Jolly Coffee

1 C. strong coffee, steaming hot

1 packet hot cocoa mix (the kind that makes one cup)

¼ tsp. orange extract

Mix everything up together and top with sweetened whipped cream.