Showing posts with label Weekends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Weekends. Show all posts
On the weekends I like to pull out the stops a bit and make something special for breakfast. Just because I live all on my own now doesn't mean that I can't still do that. Usually at the weekend you will find me enjoying bacon and eggs or pancakes or something similar!
I do need to apologize for the photos today. It's such a dull and gloomy day and although I like to take my photos with natural light, I was forced today to take them at my dining room table as I just could not get decent photos in front of my window. I hope you will forgive me!
.jpg "BHG 1943 Cookbook")
The recipe I am sharing today for these tasty Griddle Cakes was adapted from one found in the Vintage Better Homes & Garden Cookbook, published in 1943.
I love cookbooks, and I confess that I love vintage cookbooks most of all. Although some adaptations need to be made according to present knowledge and ingredients, most of the recipes in them are sound and well worth trying.
.JPG "Vintage Griddle Cakes (1943)")
So it is with this griddle cakes (or pancakes as they are also known) recipe which I am sharing with you today. I confess that these are some of the best pancakes I have ever made or eaten.
They are light and fluffy and puff up very nicely, without deflating after you cook them. Always a bonus! They have become my favorite pancakes!
.JPG "Vintage Griddle Cakes (1943)")
Perfect for serving fresh off the griddle with butter and syrup and your favorite bacon and sausages. I know, I am a glutton at the weekend!
Usually, I will also add canned sliced peaches, but today I didn't have any!
.JPG "Vintage Griddle Cakes (1943)")
Just look at how lovely and puffed up those pancakes are! And this is after sitting in the oven while I take the time to cook all of them!!
Normally they will deflate somewhat in the waiting. Not so with this recipe. Not so! They were lovely, light and quite puffed!
.JPG "Vintage Griddle Cakes (1943)")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE VINTAGE GRIDDLE CAKES (1943)
Pretty basic ingredients. There is nothing out of the ordinary here.
- 2 cups (480ml) of whole milk
- 2 large free-range eggs, beaten
- 2 TBS melted shortening (I use butter)
- 2 1/2 - 3 cups (312g - 374g) of plain all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 2 TBS sugar
.JPG "Vintage Griddle Cakes (1943)")
I like to begin with all of my ingredients being at room temperature. I am not sure if this is what makes the difference or not, but it is just how I do things.
I also like to use whole milk. In face I keep nothing but whole milk in my house. It doesn't make sense for me to buy several kinds of milk when there is really only me living here.
.JPG "Vintage Griddle Cakes (1943)")
I don't really like using shortening if I can help it, which means I almost always substitute butter for it, which works fine in this recipe. I do also like to butter the griddle pan a bit. Just me. The recipe doesn't ask for it. But, really, can you ever have too much butter?
Most times I don't need a full three cups to make these. This can vary according to the weather (damp or dry) and of course the brand of flour. You only need to use as much as will give you a thick droppable consistency. Not too thick. Not too thin.
.JPG "Vintage Griddle Cakes (1943)")
HOW TO MAKE VINTAGE GRIDDLE CAKES (1943)
It's a pretty basic recipe. Measure and whisk, then cook/bake. In the UK I had a dedicated griddle pan. Here in Canada, I have to just use a skillet, which works fine.
Whisk the milk, eggs, melted shortening/butter together in a large bowl.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the liquid ingredients and mix thoroughly to combine until smooth. (Begin with 2 1/2 cups of flour and only add the remaining flour to give you a proper consistency. It should be thick, but not overly so.)
Heat your griddle pan or skillet until quite warm over medium heat.
Ladle the batter onto the ungreased griddle pan using a 1/4 cup measure, spreading it out with the bottom of the cup until you have an even circle.
.JPG "Vintage Griddle Cakes (1943)")
Cook until the mixture is covered with small bubbles on top and is starting to look dry. It should also be golden brown on the bottom. Flip over and cook the other side until golden brown.
Keep warm in a low oven until you have cooked all of your griddle cakes.
Serve hot with pats of butter and maple syrup.
.JPG "Vintage Griddle Cakes (1943)")
I can promise you I didn't eat everything on that plate! haha It was for presentation purposes only. I probably only ate one of the pancakes, a sausage and two strips of bacon. (I adore bacon and I only ever very seldome have it. Oh how I miss British bacon.)
The plate is a very old China one that my sister gave me to use for my food photos. The cloth is a fluor sac tea towel that I hand embroidered. The cute tea cosy is one that a lovely friend knit for me. Together I thought they made a beautiful vintage presentation. But perhaps that is only my own flight of fancy!
.JPG "Vintage Griddle Cakes (1943)")
There is no shortage of pancake recipes here in The English Kitchen. These griddle cakes today are very similar to what are called Griddle scones or Scotch Pancakes or Irish Pancakes in the UK, usually served with jam. Some other ones you may enjoy are:
Fluffy Ricotta Pancakes. These fluffy pancakes have a deliciously creamy texture. They make a particularly scrumptious breakfast for that special someone in your life, but they also make a delicious dessert when topped with sweetened whipped cream!
Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes. Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes are the best! You get all the wholesome and nutty flavor of a tasty Oatmeal Cookie . . . except in the glorious deliciousness of a breakfast pancake!
Yield: 16 pancakes
Vintage Griddle Cakes (1943)
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 35 Min
One of the best pancake recipes I have ever made. Light and fluffy and thick!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (480ml) of whole milk
- 2 large free-range eggs, beaten
- 2 TBS melted shortening (I use butter)
- 2 1/2 - 3 cups (312g - 374g) of plain all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 2 TBS sugar
Instructions
- Whisk the milk, eggs, melted shortening/butter together in a large bowl.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the liquid ingredients and mix thoroughly to combine until smooth. (Begin with 2 1/2 cups of flour and only add the remaining flour to give you a proper consistency. It should be thick, but not overly so.)
- Heat your griddle pan or skillet until quite warm over medium heat.
- Ladle the batter onto the ungreased griddle pan using a 1/4 cup measure, spreading it out with the bottom of the cup until you have an even circle.
- Cook until the mixture is covered with small bubbles on top and is starting to look dry. It should also be golden brown on the bottom. Flip over and cook the other side until golden brown.
- Keep warm in a low oven until you have cooked all of your griddle cakes.
- Serve hot with pats of butter and maple syrup.
Notes
The time is estimated for what it might take to cook all of the pancakes. It should take you no more than 3 or 4 minutes to cook each individual one.
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
At the weekend I like to pull the boat out a bit with breakfast if I can. Recipes like Peaches and Cream French Toast recipe are just the way to do that!
It may look a bit indulgent and over the top, but I can assure you, depending on the ingredients you choose to use, it can actually quite low in fat and calories. Especially if you choose to use low fat milk and cream cheese.
If you are a Vegetarian or a Vegan, you might want to look away now.
What follows isn't going to be pretty for you, however tasty it might seem to the rest of us. Sorry about that!
When I was a child I used to love it when my mom made us Egg in a Hat (or Egg in a Hole) for breakfast. It was a real treat.
A lovely runny egg, cooked into a piece of golden brown buttery toast. Oh boy was it ever yummy.
I've been thinking about that sandwich all week long and pondering how I could make it even better . . . in a way that has never been done before.
I think I might have cracked it! (No pun intended! Seriously!)
As you know at the weekend I like to pull out the stops a bit and give my husband a bit of a treat for breakfast on at least one of the mornings.
When I first moved over here we would pop into town and go to one of the shops and have a fry up at their café. We haven't done that in a long time now.
Grilled cheese sandwiches are something which we are quite fond of . . . we are also quite fond of bacon sandwiches . . . a really rare treat . . .
Today I have combined our favourite grilled cheese . . . using a really good strong cheddar, sliced (no plastic cheese here) . . .
with some grilled back bacon . . . you could use streaky . . . its up to you.
I have been using the nitrate-free, free range bacon from the people at Naked Bacon. So its not quite as bad for you as regular bacon.
Add to that a perfectly cooked large free range rspca approved egg with a runny yolk, cooked "in a hat" style . . . with that crisp buttery hat perched on top . . .
And I do believe you have a pretty darned near perfect breakfast sandwich!
I did use a good whole wheat bread . . . and I always use real butter . . .
My husband thought he had died and gone to heaven . . . he is a cheddar man all the way . . .
We like brown sauce with ours . . . some people like red sauce (ketchup) . . . we are brown sauce people . . .
That egg was perfectly cooked . . . not too runny, but just enough of a gorgeous rich goo to sink your teeth into with pleasure . . .
Likewise the cheese . . . melted just perfectly . . . along with that salty bacon and that crisp buttery bread . . . which is kind of like fried bread when you really think about it.
It went down a real treat, let me tell you . . . a REAL treat!
Grilled Egg in a Hat Breakfast Sandwich
Yield: 1
Egg in a hole, a fried egg, fried into a hold cut in a slice of bread, sandwiched together with some grilled bacon and cheddar cheese and another slice of bread, toasted in a skillet until golden brown all over. Quantities and instructions are given for only one sandwich. If you want more, multiply everything by the numbers you want. Its really only possible to make one at a time anyways. This is a knife and a fork sandwich.
ingredients:
- 2 slices of your favourite bread (pick a sturdy one)
- 1 large free range egg
- salt and black pepper
- 4 slices of grilled streaky bacon, or two sliced of grilled back bacon
- 1 1/2 slices of strong cheddar cheese
- softened butter for spreading
instructions:
How to cook Grilled Egg in a Hat Breakfast Sandwich
- Make sure you have your bacon all grilled before you begin, and your cheese sliced. (I sometimes buy strong cheddar already cut in slices and that is what I used today.)
- Butter one slice of bread on both sides and one slice of bread on one side only.. Cut a shape out of one that has been buttered on both sides with a cookie cutter. Today I used a flower. A heart is nice and so is a circle. Just go with your own inspiration.
- Place the piece of bread with the cut out into a large skillet, placed over moderate heat. Drop a tiny knob of butter into the centre of it. Crack your egg into the hole as soon as the butter begins to foam. Cook until set on the bottom. Add the cutout to the pan over on the side so that you can toast that also. Flip the toast with the egg in the centre over and cook just until you have the egg done to your liking. (We like them a bit runny.) Season to taste with some salt and black pepper. Remove and keep warm for a few minutes, while put in the other piece of bread. Flip over the cutout. (I hope you've been keeping an eye on it. If it is done, take it out and keep it warm)
- Add the other slice of bread, buttered side down to the skillet. Top with the cheese and then the bacon. Finally pop on the egg bread, egg side down. Cook and toast over moderate heat until the cheese melts and the sandwich is heated through. Pop that little toasty cut out on top and serve to one very lucky person. We like brown sauce with ours.
I largely abstained from this myself . . . I don't need the extra calories in all truth. I did have a tiny nibble from the edge. My husband didn't mind. He is used to eating food that has been sitting long enough to have photos taken of it, and nibbles missing. LOL Such is the life of the husband of a food writer! Happy Mother's Day to all you North American ladies out there! I hope you are treated really special today. You deserve it.
At the weekend I like to cook the man something a bit heftier for his breakfast rather than his usual Oats or Wheatabix. I've never had him complain.
When I first moved over here we used to pop into Chester often on a Saturday morning and treat ourselves to an all-day breakfast . . . .
Bacon, sausage . . . eggs any way you wanted them . . . grilled tomatoes, baked beans, mushrooms . . . hash browns, black pudding (only if you liked it) and beautiful crisp fried bread . . . oh, I so loved the fried bread.
Thick slices of white bread that's been fried in fat until crisp . . . oh, it is sooo good.
They closed down the local BHS a few years back, so no more Saturday breakfasts . . . Oh, I know we could get one easily somewhere else, but there was just something about the BHS, and they were the only ones I knew that served fried bread.
I'll tell you something however . . . those full breakfasts don't hold a patch to these Crispy Tortilla Eggs! They are phenomenal!
Buttery crisp tortilla topped with a fried egg and cheese . . . and garnishes . . .
You start off by frying the egg . . . . just until the white is opaque, season it and flip the egg over . . . carefully so the yolk doesn't break.
I only ever use large free range organic eggs, and if they are RSPCA approved so much the better. I refuse to support an industry that is in-humane if I can help it.
Once you have flipped the egg, quickly sprinkle it with a tablespoon of cheese and a 6 inch tortilla . . .
Leave it until the cheese melts and helps the tortilla to stick to the egg and then carefully flip it over so you can fry that tortilla in the pan drippings . . . it only takes about a minute for it to get lovely and crisp.
Crisp and buttery . . . after that you turn the heat out, top with a bit more cheese and pop on a lid so that the cheese can melt.
Slide that baby onto a heated plate and top with some hot sauce and spring onions . . . I like to use a combination of Sriracha sauce and green Tabasco. Just a drizzle of each . . .
Fabulously tasty . . . FABULOUSLY!!
Yield: 1
Crispy Tortilla Eggs
You can make as many or as few of these as you want. Simple ingredients put together in a spectacular way. NOM NOM!
ingredients:
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 large free range egg
- 1/4 tsp seasoning salt
- 2 TBS grated cheddar or Jack cheese
- 1 (15cm) flour tortilla (6 inch)
Toppings:
- chopped spring onions
- hot sauce (I used Sriracha and Green Tabasco)
instructions:
- Melt the butter in a medium skillet over moderate heat. Crack in the egg. Sprinkle with the seasoning salt. Cook until the whites are set. Carefully flip over. Sprinkle with 1 TBS cheese. Immediately top with the tortilla. Cook until the cheese melts (won't take long). Carefully flip back over until the egg is on top and the tortilla is on the bottom. Cook for about a minute. Sprinkle on the remaining TBS cheese. Remove from the heat and pop on a lid. Leave til the cheese melts.
- Slide onto a heated plate and top with some hot sauce and the spring onions. Serve immediately.
NOTES:
Note - I like these with a softly cooked egg, but if your family prefers them firmer, just let the egg cook for a bit longer.
Created using The Recipes Generator
These are so, so, SO good. I had planned on only making one for Todd, but it was so delicious, I ended up eating it and then had to make him another one. I know. Me <====== willpower.
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