LEMON POPPY SEED BUTTERMILK WAFFLES + BLUEBERRY MAPLE SYRUP

Now that we’ve entered the month of February, I of course am going to give a few recipes for the holiday that either people avoid like the plague or fully embrace: Valentine’s Day. I guess I fall somewhere in between these two categories in that I don’t hate the holiday, but I don’t expect my boyfriend to make reservations at a fancy restaurant or give me an extravagant gift like a diamond necklace. I DO however enjoy the two of us making a big dinner, cocktail in hand, while wearing our pajamas. That to me is so much more romantic and fun than sitting next to strangers at a busy restaurant.

Oh, and I like flowers. Flowers are nice. (Hi, Alex!)

One other aspect that I enjoy doing for Alex on V-Day is baking him something decadent for dessert and/or starting the day for him with an amazing breakfast. On most days, breakfast at home is pretty boring and consists of peanut butter toast and greek yogurt. But on Valentine’s Day, I kick it up a notch (I’m Emeril now) and sometimes make Alex pancakes and bacon or an egg scramble filled with whatever veggies I have on hand in the fridge. To say that Alex loves this is an understatement; he appreciates this small gesture so much and I know it makes his day. So I think waking up a little earlier and whipping up a more exciting breakfast for your significant other is about the nicest thing one can do at 7:30 in the morning.

Not sure on what to make for your SO for the love-filled holiday? Let me make the tough decision for you and tell you that you NEED to make these lemon poppy seed buttermilk waffles! And while we’re at it, let’s have you make a homemade blueberry maple syrup (with no added sugar!) to drown those waffles in. Waffles for breakfast is not only delicious and much more exciting than cereal, but actually comes together fairly quickly and will certainly impress whoever you make them for.

Ever since I received a waffle maker this past Christmas, I have been making a new batch of waffles every single weekend (literally) for Alex and myself. I luckily found a recipe that I absolutely love and not only tastes incredible fresh from the maker, but freezes exceptionally well - all you have to do is pop them in the toaster, press the defrost button, and they’ll have the same texture and taste as the day you made them. So, I decided to take that recipe and put my own spin on it by using the classic flavor combo of lemon and poppy seed. We’re currently in the midst of citrus season and so the addition of bright and flavorful lemon zest and juice really brightens up the waffles and gives it such a fresh taste.

As for how many waffles this recipe will yield you, it really all depends on what kind of maker you own. I personally have this one (I love it btw), and with scooping out about 1/3 cup portions, I get 12-14 waffles. If you have the round waffle maker, I would suggest following the manufacturer’s directions on how much batter to use per waffle.

And let’s not forget the blueberry maple syrup! My favorite toppings for when I eat waffles have always been maple syrup and blueberries, so I decided to combine the two to make life a bit easier. Three ingredients + a stovetop + less than 10 minutes of your time = an elevated take on the kind of syrup you find on the table at IHOP. The finished result is a bit more liquid-y than normal maple syrup, but this won’t bother you the moment you take your first bite. And regardless, there are whole blueberries added to the syrup at the end so you’ll get the best of both worlds.

Do me (and your SO) a favor and make these waffles for Valentine’s Day! And if for some weird reason breakfast isn’t your thing, I’ll be posting a Valentine’s Day-friendly dessert next week.

Blueberry Maple Syrup

Yields about 1 1/2 cups

Recipe adapted from Food Network

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, divided 

• 1 cup pure maple syrup

• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups of the blueberries with the maple syrup and lemon juice. Heat over medium temperature for about three minutes, or until the berries have softened a bit.

2. Using the back of a wooden spoon, crush the berries against the side of the saucepan. Do this carefully, because the berry juice will be very hot. After a few more minutes, the mixture will begin to simmer and foam, and that is when it’s done.

3. Pour the mixture through a strainer placed over a medium sized bowl and discard the blueberry solids left behind. Stir in the remaining 1 cup of blueberries and allow to cool a bit before enjoying. Transfer leftover maple syrup to a glass container, like a mason jar, and refrigerate. 

Lemon Poppy Seed Buttermilk Waffles

Yields about a dozen waffles, depending on waffle maker 

Recipe adapted from The Worktop

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp. granulated sugar

• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon zest

• 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour (all-purpose works as well)

• 2 tbsp. poppy seeds

• 2 tsp. baking powder

• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 2 large eggs

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

Directions

1. In a medium size bowl, using your hands or a whisk, massage/mix the granulated sugar and lemon zest together until fragrant (this helps release the oils in the zest). Add the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together. 

2. In a large bowl, add the buttermilk, fresh lemon juice, vanilla extract and eggs, and whisk until incorporated. Slowly add the melted butter while continuing to whisk, so as not to curdle the cold buttermilk. 

3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. Do not over mix! Allow the batter to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. 

4. Preheat your waffle maker and spray with cooking spray. Add about 1/3 cup of batter for each waffle, but do whatever size works best for you in your personal waffle maker. Cook until the waffles are golden brown, about 4 minutes. 

5. Repeat until all batter is used up. Enjoy your waffles with blueberry maple syrup, a pat of butter, and/or a sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar. Waffles freeze extremely well: just pop the frozen waffles in your toaster, hit the defrost button, and they’ll taste exactly the same as on the day you made them.

MAPLE BACON DOUGHNUTS

What New Year’s resolution?

It’s mid-January, aka a rather depressing time of year where people are trying to be better by swearing off anything from alcohol to meat, signing up for gym memberships, and attempting to be a more well-rounded person. I personally do not set New Year’s resolutions and rather fall into the mindset of trying to stick to realistic goals for myself 365 days of the year.

For example, I do some form of a workout every day and I make sure to change it up so my body won’t get used to it nor will I get bored. I sometimes take an intense strength training class with weights, sometimes I take a more mellow yet challenging PiYo class (pilates and yoga combined), or I’ll take an hour walk in my neighborhood while listening to my favorite podcast. Just as long as I move for at least an hour each day, I’m happy and feel good about myself.

As for what I eat, I really try not to deprive myself and yet focus on little tricks that will allow me to eat things that I love. Three things that I try to stick to every day are: 1) not eating past 8pm, 2) drinking a gallon of water throughout the day and 3) eating at least two servings of fruit and/or veggies. Following these three things are extremely doable for anybody and better yet, allows you to live a normal and social life. You’re not taking anything away from your diet, but rather adding to it which makes it a much more positive experience where you’re not punishing yourself. Furthermore, I save drinking alcohol for the weekends, which I know makes a huge difference when trying to live a healthier lifestyle.

It’s because of these tricks that I’m able to allow myself to eat cookies, or order a side of french fries, or not worry about going out to restaurants because the food doesn’t work with my diet. I am in no way a lifestyle coach or health expert, but I really think that extreme dieting, intermittent fasting, or beating yourself up over a piece of chocolate isn’t going to work in the long run, and it usually doesn’t! Making small changes really does make an impact and you’ll have a better chance of not giving up once February hits.

So. My point in all of this is that life is short and we deserve a doughnut from time to time, ok? And not just any doughnut but an insanely delicious maple bacon doughnut made from a yeasted dough and fried to golden perfection. We do not have to eat this every day, nor should we, but like all sweets, they should be enjoyed in moderation. I’m in the school of thought where if you’re going to have a sweet for dessert like ice cream, I’d rather reach for the full-fat stuff from Häagen Dazs or Breyers, have a scoop or two, versus eating an entire pint of the fake/healthy ice cream that’s been trending recently.

I’d been wanting to make yeast doughnuts for the longest time since they’re my favorite type but was a bit hesitant because I figured that it would be too difficult and that I would mess up somewhere along the way. But I gotta say that making them was not only fairly easy, but actually a lot of fun and so worth it in the end! The doughnut recipe I’m giving you today is simply a standard yeast dough that yields a perfectly plain and barely sweetened doughnut that can be finished and glazed whichever way your heart desires. In the world of doughnuts, you’re either Team Cake Doughnut or Team Yeast Doughnut, and I definitely fall into the latter category. I like my doughnuts light and chewy, and these yeast doughnuts are exactly that.

When it came to deciding what kind of doughnut flavor I wanted to make, I thought I’d be selfless this time around and make Alex’s #1 favorite, maple bacon. To put it simply, bacon is Alex’s love language (that’s right, there’s a sixth category that you can test into!), and so whenever we visit an “artisanal” doughnut shop like Sidecar, Blue Star or Holy Donut (in Maine!), Alex orders a maple bacon 100% of the time.

A tip that I have to make the bacon suuuuuuper crispy is to chop it up with a sharp knife before cooking it on the stovetop. I had never thought to do this before and was really happy with the results, and plan on doing this in the future when I make homemade wedge salads or potato skins. Crispy bacon is vital to these doughnuts and should not be skipped! As for the maple glaze, you will be using not only pure maple syrup (the good stuff, ok?!), but also a splash of imitation maple/maple extract, which can be found at your local grocery store. I normally wouldn’t use something like this, but it really does help give a lot of maple flavor and it makes the doughnuts smell so unbelievably good. A bottle of it will set you back about 3 bucks, so I say buy it the next time you’re out shopping.

Let me know if you plan on making the doughnuts anytime soon!

Maple Bacon Doughnuts

Makes 6-8 doughnuts

Doughnut recipe from Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen via Amanda Frederickson

Ingredients

For the doughnuts:

• 1 cup warm (~ 110°F) milk, whole or 2%

• 1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil

• 1 large egg

• 1 tsp. salt

• Canola oil, for frying

For the maple glaze:

• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar

• 2-3 tbsp. milk, depending on desired consistency

• 2 tbsp. pure maple syrup

• 1/4 tsp. maple extract / imitation flavor

• 6 bacon pieces, cooked and finely chopped

Directions

Make the doughnuts:

1. In a small bowl, combine the warm milk, yeast and 1 tbsp. of the granulated sugar. Stir together, and let sit until proofed, about 5 minutes. The mixture will be foamy with bubbles.

2. Transfer the proofed yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment. Add the flour, remaining sugar, vegetable oil. egg and salt, and mix on low speed for 4-6 minutes, or until the dough is shiny and has pulled away from the bowl. It will be fairly sticky.

3. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead it by hand a couple of times on a lightly floured surface. Transfer the dough to a large bowl that has been coated with cooking spray, and tightly cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for at least one hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

4. Once doubled, give the dough a small punch to remove some of the gas bubbles, then transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough to 1/2” thick and, using a doughnut cutter (alternatively, you can use a 3 1/2” cutter with a 1” cutter for the holes), cut out as many doughnuts as you can. You will probably have to roll out the dough once more in order to use up all the dough.

5. Move the doughnuts and doughnut holes to a lightly floured parchment lined sheet pan and allow to proof once again for about 1 hour, or until the doughnuts have doubled in size.

6. Using a large pot or Dutch oven, heat about 3” worth of canola oil on medium heat until the oil reaches 325°F. Working in batches, fry 2 to 3 doughnuts at a time for about 4 minutes, flipping halfway through. The doughnuts will be a deep golden brown color. The doughnut holes will fry up in about 1-2 minutes. Transfer each finished doughnut and doughnut hole to a cooling rack (place paper towels underneath to catch any excess oil) and allow them to cool for about 10 minutes before glazing them.

Make the glaze:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, milk (start with 2 tbsp. and work from there to reach your desired consistency), maple syrup, and imitation maple. Dip each doughnut and doughnut hole into the glaze and immediately sprinkle with bacon bits. Enjoy! Doughnuts are best eaten ASAP, but can last a few days at room temperature. Just give them a quick reheat in the microwave to make them chewy again.

GLAZED CRANBERRY-ORANGE SCONES

Since starting this blog just over 6 months (!!!) ago, I’ve been patiently waiting to give you a cranberry recipe. My go-to pick for either muffins or scones is almost always cranberry-orange (with blueberry being a very close second) because it’s such a classic combination that works so well in baked goods. But back in April, there were absolutely no cranberries for sale and I knew I would have to wait until at least October to get my hands on a bag of Ocean Spray fresh cranberries.

Last week, I went to Trader Joe’s wishing and hoping it would be cranberry time, but alas, they were nowhere to be found and I was told by an employee that the berries wouldn’t be in stock until a week or so into November. I was pretty bummed about it, but that all changed when I went to Growers Direct: a small grocery store that only sells fresh fruits and veggies. There, they had bags upon bags of beautiful cranberries and I bought three immediately - I will not forget to save and freeze them this year! Moral of the story, your local grocery store may not have cranberries in stock just yet, but with November just around the corner, they’ll be available very, very soon. You can maybe try looking at your city’s farmers market as well.

When it comes to making scones, there are a few tips that I need to give you to succeed:

1) You want to keep the dough as cold as possible. This means none of your ingredients will be room temperature, and actually, I’d prefer that you’d measure out your buttermilk and cut up your butter into its small pieces, and then place them back into the fridge until they’re needed for the recipe. You can even freeze the butter if it’s extra hot in your kitchen the day you bake them. To take this one step further, I also would suggest using frozen cranberries over fresh (and of course, you can use dried cranberries as well if that’s all you can get your hands on at the time). Keeping the dough cold ensures that your scones get the rise that defines these baked goods and it also gives you that flaky and crisp exterior that we all love. I also strongly suggest popping the scones into the freezer for 30 minutes before baking them.

2) It is very important that you refrain from over-mixing the dough. Too much mixing causes your scones to be tough and won’t give you the perfect scone texture. Therefore, I highly suggest not using a food processor or a stand mixer/hand mixer. When I add my wet ingredients to my dry ingredients, I only use a wooden spoon, and then I rely on my hands to do the rest (mixing in the cranberries and rolling out the dough). A lot of professional bakers prefer using their hands to mix scone and biscuit doughs, and I don’t think anyone should shy away from this method.

3) Brush the unbaked scones with liquid and sprinkle with sugar. The liquid can be either buttermilk, heavy cream, or an egg wash, and since we’re using buttermilk in the actual scones themselves, it makes the most sense to use it for the tops as well. This step allows the scones to have a more golden color. As for the sugar, the scones themselves aren’t that sweet so it’s nice to add a bit more sweetness as well as creating a slight crunchy texture. You can use granulated sugar, but I prefer using turbinado sugar. Either works just fine!

And that’s it! I hope baking scones doesn’t sound too overwhelming to you. Just carefully read through the directions before making any moves and you’ll have delicious scones in no time.

P.S. I hope everyone has a great Halloween!

Glazed Cranberry-Orange Scones

Yields 8 scones

Recipe adapted from Epicurious/Bon Appétit

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

• 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

• 1 tsp. salt

• Zest of 1 large orange (save the juice for glaze)

• 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2” pieces

• 1 cup buttermilk, chilled, plus more for brushing

• 1 cup cranberries, preferably frozen but fresh works too

• Turbinado sugar (or granulated sugar), for sprinkling on top

For the glaze:

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

• 2-3 tbsp. fresh orange juice

Directions

1. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a large bowl. Whisk in the orange zest.

2. Add the butter pieces to the mixture by working with your hands or a pastry cutter, and rub the mixture together until it resembles course crumbs. Slowly add the buttermilk, mixing it in by hand or by a wooden spoon. Very carefully, fold in the cranberries.

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it a couple of times (some cranberries may roll away, but you can just stick them back in). Using your hands or a rolling pin, work the dough into a 1-inch thick circle. Using a sharp knife, cut the circle into 8 wedges and pop them into the freezer for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper Transfer the wedges to the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each scone. Brush each scone with buttermilk and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

5. Bake the scones in the oven for 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the tops are a light golden brown. Let the scones cool for about 15 minutes before adding the glaze.

6. In a small bowl, whisk the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice. Drizzle the glaze generously over each scone. Enjoy fresh out of the oven, or store in an airtight container at room temperature.