"DELICIOUS MORNINGS: Comforting Breakfasts Baked from Scratch," by Dina Foglio Crowell, Front Table Books, $18.99, 120 pages
Eggs, bacon and donuts — oh my.
Just when breakfast couldn't get any yummier, it did. Thanks to self-taught baker-turned-author Dina Foglio Crowell, "Delicious Mornings" is a twist on a breakfast cookbook that belongs in every kitchen.
The 120-page guide begins with definitions and cooking tips — some of them so shockingly simple it's a wonder they're not more well-known. For example, most home cooks improperly scoop flour directly from the bag into the measuring cup, which adds 20 percent more flour than called for. Crowell writes it's better to use a spoon to transfer flour from the bag to the cup.
One of the battles home cooks face is not knowing what the finished meal should look like, but Crowell knew that and made sure a colored picture accompanied every recipe. This book covers the gamut of breakfast options, including muffins, coffee cakes, eggs, tarts, pastries, pancakes and casseroles, and tempts readers to try breakfast for every meal. A bonus is that the ingredients are recognizable and more than likely already in the pantry.
Some of the mouthwatering recipes — created from scratch — include John’s Buttermilk Biscuits and Apple Sausage Gravy, Eggs Benedict Asparagus Bundles, Overnight Salted Caramel Bread Pudding and Crowell's Classic Cinnamon Coffee Cake. The most encouraging aspect of the cookbook is that it's suited for novice cooks who want to impress family and guests. Even ambitious children could assist in a meal or two.
The author and mother of four began as a self-taught baker, opening her own bake shop in 2009. From there she launched foodie blog Buttercream Bakehouse, at buttercreambakehouse.com, which took off immediately. Crowell lives in Virginia with her husband, four children and two dogs.
EGGS BENEDICT ASPARAGUS BUNDLES
These savory little bundles are easy to prepare and taste like you spent all morning making them. If you don’t want to make your hollandaise sauce from scratch, you can use an instant seasoning packet to save time.
Serves: 4–5
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
8 eggs
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for frying egg
8-10 slices pancetta
HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
1⁄2 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons hot water
3 egg yolks
dash of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Fill a large pot half full with water and heat over stovetop. Blanch asparagus for 4 minutes. Remove asparagus and lay on paper towels to dry.
On a cookie sheet, bunch 5-6 pieces of asparagus together. Wrap each bunch with one piece of pancetta and place with the seam down. Cover with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Bake in oven for 12 minutes. Prepare hollandaise sauce.
To make hollandaise sauce: Boil about 2 cups of water in the bottom of a double boiler. Reduce the heat to low and let water stop boiling. Place egg yolks in the top of the double boiler and whisk until they begin to thicken. Be sure boiling water is not touching top pan with yolks. Add 1 tablespoon hot water and whisk until sauce begins to thicken. Repeat 3 times. Whisk in lemon juice. Remove from heat and carefully whisk in melted butter.
In a small saucepan, fry each egg individually. Remove and transfer to plate. Top each baked asparagus bundle with a fried egg and a drizzle of hollandaise sauce. Add more salt and pepper if needed and a dash of cayenne pepper.
Baker’s Tip
Blanching vegetables helps bring out their vibrant natural color, making your asparagus a beautiful bright green. It will cook the vegetable, slightly reducing the amount of time it needs to be in the oven.
— "Delicious Mornings," by Dina Foglio Crowell
EMAIL: bporter@deseretdigital.com