Morning Visitor .. Having Breakfast

red squirrel eating one of our neighbours apples

it didn't like how close I was getting

so, I backed off..

Thin Finn Pancakes

Last night one of my cousins stopped in for an overnight visit on his way back out to B. C., from a visit to his daughter in southern Ontario. This morning I baked some thick sliced bacon, and made thin Finn pancakes for breakfast. I served them with nectarine slices, wow was it a yummy breakfast. I do not make breakfast very often, so it's a treat when I do. Here's the recipe!

Thin Finn Pancakes

2 eggs

1 tsp. sugar

3/4 tsp. salt

1 cup buttermilk

2 tbsp. melted butter

1 cup flour (unbleached)

Butter for frying

Beat eggs and sugar together, add the salt, buttermilk, melted butter and flour. (I put everything in the blender.) Let stand for at least an hour before cooking the pancakes. Heat a cast iron frying pan, and butter it well. Cook on both sides until golden.

Serve with butter, maple syrup, brown sugar or fruit. It is your choice. Use your imagination!

Bircher Muesli

Tomorrow is Mark's birthday. I just made muesli for our breakfast, a little treat. We have been watching our pennies since he was laid off a few weeks ago, so this is a splurge. We all know how much I love birthdays!! A time to celebrate life, as well as the first day of spring!

I will give the recipe for one serving.. I just made it times 8... extra is always good, and we eat big... especially when it is this  yummy!

Bircher Muesli

1 heaping tbsp rolled oats

3 tbsp water

1 tbsp cream

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 apple

 1 tbsp strawberries 

Soak the oats and water in a bowl. (The recipe says to let this soak overnight, and then do the rest in the morning. I just mix everything together at night, so it is ready as soon as you get up. You can do it either way, up to you.)

Stir the cream, honey and lemon juice into the oat mixture. Grate the apple and quickly mix it into the oats. Chop strawberries finely, or if you are like me and used the grater of your food processor to grate the apple, you can just grate the berries too. Add to the oat mixture. 

You can add blackberries, raspberries, raisins or chopped nuts if you would like. 

The recipe says to serve with brown sugar nd cream, but it really isn't necessary, it is delicious just as it is!

Serves one.

Enjoy!

Croissants

Last night Mark made the dough for these yummy croissants, yes from scratch!!

He got up several times throughout the night to fold and roll the dough out to prepare for this mornings baking!  They are delicious.. there is nothing like a homemade croissant!!

Croissants

2 tbsp. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. salt

2 pkg. active dry yeast

3 cups of flour

1 1/4 cups milk

1 cup butter

1 egg

1 tbsp. water

Begin 8 hours or day ahead.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, salt, yeast and 1 cup flour. In a 1-quart saucepan over low heat, heat milk until very warm (120° to 130° F). With mixer at low speed, beat liquid into dry ingredients until just blended. At medium speed, beat 2 minutes, occasionally scraping the bowl. Beat in 1/2 cup of flour to make thick batter; beat 2 minutes more. Stir in about 1 cup of flour to make  soft dough.

On a floured surface, knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding more flour while kneading. Shape into ball: place in greased large bowl, turning over to grease the top. Cover; let rise in a warm lace away from draft, until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down dough; turn onto  lightly floured surface; cover with a bowl and let rest 30 minutes.

Roll butter between 2 sheets of waxed paper to a 10" x 7" rectangle. Turnover for even rolling; lift top sheet frequently to remove wrinkles. Chill butter with waxed paper.

On a floured surface, roll dough to 18" x 9" rectangle. Remove 1 sheet of paper from butter; invert butter on 2/3 of dough, leaving 1" margin on 3 sides.

Remove other sheet from butter. Fold unbuttered dough over butter. Fold buttered dough over center to make a 9" x 6" rectangle.

Press edges to seal. Carefully roll layer dough to 18" x 9" rectangle; do not press edges too hard or butter may ooze out.

Fold in thirds to make a 9" x 6' rectangle; sprinkle with flour; wrap; chill 1 to 2 hours. Roll, fold and chill twice more (dough may be left overnight for the final fold).

Cut dough in half. Roll one piece to 21" x 10". (Chill other piece.) Cut triangles 7" wide at base; join ends for sixth triangle.

From 7" base, roll up triangles. Place, pointed tip down, on ungreased cookie sheet, 2" apart.

Bend ends around toward pointed tip to form crescent shape. Repeat with the   remaining dough.

Cover croissants loosely with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.  In hot weather, set dough inside refrigerator from time to time to prevent butter oozing out. Preheat oven to 425° F. In a cup with pastry brush, beat egg and water; brush over croissants. Bake 15 minutes or until puffed and browned. Immediately remove croissants to cool on wire rack 10 minutes.

Makes 12.

The recipe is from an old cookbook, The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook. I hope you can figure out the recipe without the illustrations.