Browned Butter Strawberry Eggnog Pancakes

That ah-ha moment when you serve this at the breakfast table will be all the redemption you need. Once they taste the fluffy, sweet & tartness of these pancakes they will not know there is a hidden secret ingredient PACKED full of nutrients, Chia Seeds. 

1. Chia seeds carry the omega-3 fats our bodies need.
2. Chia seeds have more omega-3’s than salmon and they also contain a fat called omega-6. Both of these “good” fats help regenerate cells in our bodies and regulate processes of our bodies. Our bodies themselves do not make these fats and that is why it is essential to eat them daily.
3. They have 11 grams of fiber per ounce! That is 42% of your recommended daily allotment in just 1 ounce. 
4. Chia seeds are full of calcium too, 3 times MORE than skim milk!

I could go on about all the benefits, but I think you get the idea. Eggnog is one of my favorite drinks this time of year, I have yet to make my own, but I try to put it into everything during the season it is around. My husband absolutely HATES the stuff, so I am limited somewhat. BUT since he is at work, I am playing in the kitchen, shakin’ my groove thang to Dominic the Donkey (no I’m not Italian) and drinking my coffee! There is nothing better today…

These pancakes and nutritious, sweet, tart and beautiful to look at. They are easy to make ahead and refrigerate for Christmas morning. All you have to do is get up and cook them while listening to some relaxing Christmas Music or some soothing jazz!

This recipe yields approximately 16-18 pancakes give or take. 

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups all-purpose flour
7 teaspoons baking powder
1.5 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1.5 cups eggnog
1 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten & room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of cinnamon
2 tablespoons strawberry jam (I use my homemade jam, use a good quality one for this recipe)
3 teaspoons Chia Seeds
Butter for cooking with

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar; then sift again into another bowl. The second sifting creates a fluffier pancake.
2. In a small bowl or measuring cup, beat the eggs and add vanilla and pinch of cinnamon to it.
3. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the eggnog, milk, egg mixture; mix until combined (no need to over do it)
4. Add strawberry jam and Chia seeds and stir until just combined.
5. Heat 1-2 teaspoons of butter in skillet and brown it, if you want the method for browned butter click here.
6. Once browned and ready to go add 1/4 cup of batter to skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides. Wipe out pan after each batch with a paper towel adding fresh butter to the pan for the new batch. Repeat until desired number of pancakes are reached.
7. Drench or drizzle your strawberry jam over the top. I heat mine up for about 30 seconds in the microwave prior to the pancakes being completed.
8. Garnish with some cranberries or blueberries or strawberries.

Nutritional information cited from Dr. Oz

This recipe was shared at Wicked Good Wednesday & Manic Monday.

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Strawberry Peach Amaretto Cobbler

The smell, the texture and what peaches represent are so much a part of summer here in California. I received a ton of free peaches from a friends tree and had to get right to work making some goodies. As most of you know I am not a baker, so this is a hard thing for me to do. Muffins, cakes, cobblers…eh, just not me. However I must admit I think this cobbler took the cake in the YUM department. There is not one single crumb left and I just made it last night! (HAPPY DANCE) 

INGREDIENTS 
6 cups fresh peaches,  peeled and sliced
1/2 cup strawberries, cleaned & sliced
½ cup Peach Amaretto Jam or 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup unbleached flour
Juice of 1.5 lemons
1 cup unbleached flour

CRUMB TOPPING
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup rolled oatmeal
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 ounces (1 stick) butter, cold, cut in 8 pieces

SWEETENED WHIPPED CREAM 
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. almond extract
2 tsp. cinnamon

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter a 9″ X 9″ ( i used 8×8) glass baking pan or 2 quart stoneware baking dish. Set aside.
In a large bowl, toss peeled and pitted ripe peaches and strawberries with 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 flour and lemon juice. Set aside.
In a food processor combine flour, brown sugar, oatmeal and cinnamon and pulse until blended.
Add cold butter pulsing until the butter is incorporated and looks like coarse meal.

Spread topping ingredients evenly over the peaches and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until peaches are bubbling through and the topping is starting to brown. Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes or more before serving.

TO MAKE SWEETENED WHIPPED CREAM 

1.    Place a bowl and your beaters in freezer until ready to make whip cream. 

2.    Get hand mixer, bowl and beaters; on medium-high speed add heavy whip cream

3.    As the mixture thickens, slowly add sugar until completely incorporated. 

4.    Add almond extract and cinnamon

5.    Continue mixing until stiff peaks form 

6.    Add on top of cobbler and sprinkle with toasted almonds or pecans. 

Sweetened Whip Cream

 

Basic sweetened whip cream that will have you craving more and throwing away your cans and tubs!

INGREDIENTS

3/4 c. heavy whip cream

1/4 c. white granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean

DIRECTIONS

1.    Place a bowl and your beaters in freezer until ready to make whip cream.

2.    Remove bowl and beaters from freezer; Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed add heavy whip cream.

3.    As the mixture thickens, slowly add sugar until completely incorporated.

4.    Add vanilla extract.

5.    Continue mixing until stiff peaks form being careful not to over mix or butter will form.

Shamrock St. Patty’s

For this cookie, I was looking for something fun to do for St. Patrick’s Day. We all know to wear green and if not you get pinched. We also know that corned beef and cabbage is the honorary food of this day. But sweets, what about the sweets? I need sweets!! Ok, over my sugar high now. So with this past year I was at home with my kids and we were trying to think of something new to make. I decided sugar cookies because they are so versatile you can add to them almost anything and get a great result. Ok, added green food coloring, kids love it, our hands not so much. Then my daughter, Jasmine, came up with the idea of using cookie cutters. Brilliant, we found shamrock! Several batches later we found the perfect ratio of food coloring to dough and all the rest of the sugary goodies that kids love fell into place! Also knowing and always promoting that I am not a baker, makes me feel even more sugary and sweet inside about this recipe!

INGREDIENTS

2.5 – 3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup sugar
2 sticks butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Leaf Green Coloring

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1. Combine the flour and baking powder, set aside

2. Cream the sugar and butter

3. Add egg and extracts, mix well

4. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until well combined

5. Divide dough in 4 parts {or leave all one color} gradually add coloring

6. Place in fridge about 30-60 minutes to make handling the dough easier

7. Roll out dough between 2 pieces of wax paper approximately 1/4″ thick, cut with a shamrock cookie cutter

8. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray

9. Place cookies on sheet and bake about 12-14 minutes or until firm to the touch, but still soft

10. Cool completely

11. Frost one side of cookie with frosting and put your favorite sprinkles on it, then top with another shamrock cookie and roll in more sprinkles!

12. Or if you don’t want the sandwich cookie, frost and sprinkle one cookie.