BLUEBERRY GRIDDLECAKES                 
           adapted from the 1942 Woman's Home Companion Cookbook

• 1/4 cup sugar, divided
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 cup milk, plus more if needed to thin batter
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• additional butter for the pan or griddle
1.  Add 2 tablespoons of the sugar to the blueberries; let stand a few minutes.
2.  Sift flour; measure; add baking powder, salt and remaining sugar; sift again.
3.  Combine egg, milk and melted butter.  Pour into the flour mixture and stir just enough to moisten the dry ingredients.  Do not beat.  Add additional milk if a thinner batter is desired.  Gently fold the sweetened blueberries into the batter.
4.  Melt butter onto a griddle or into a cast iron pan.  Turn pancakes when they look slightly dry around the edges.  Serve with butter, pure maple syrup and additional fresh berries. 

   My Sunday morning breakfast utilized another ingredient from Epicurious' list of 10 money-savings foods.  This time I used APPLES, and there are endless varieties ranging from tart to sweet.  Sautéed in butter and sprinkled with sugar while cooking and a bit of cinnamon upon finishing, apples are a classic addition to a German pancake.

                                 GERMAN PANCAKE with APPLES

• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup unbleached flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup milk
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 5 small apples
• 2-3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• powdered sugar

1. In a blender, purée the eggs, flour, salt, nutmeg and milk until smooth.  In a 10-inch cast iron skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the butter until hot and beginning to bubble.  Pour in the batter.  Place the skillet on the top rack of a 425˚F oven.  Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the edges are browned and crisp.
2. While the pancake is baking, peel and core the apples and cut into slices.  In another skillet, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and add the apple slices.  Sprinkle with the sugar and sautée over medium-high heat until the apples are browned.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  Spread the hot apples over slices of the pancake and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

   The moment I saw this tart in the Williams-Sonoma catalog I knew I would be making it this morning for breakfast.  It's comprised of all my favorite things and it goes together easily, making it a great addition to any breakfast or brunch where you might be having quite a few people.   It calls for puff pastry and I usually shy away from tarts calling for that since I've got this thing about making everything myself; no processed anything.  But I also shy away from the time consuming puff pastry, and I'm sure if I made it more often, it wouldn't seem so time consuming.  Also-- I don't particularly care for Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry since it's made with oil and Dufour, a puff pastry made with butter that is available at Whole Foods, is over double the price.  And yesterday I just couldn't justify spending $10.99 for a quality puff pastry.  I had to draw the line.  I just had to say, Eileen,  buy the puff pastry made with oil, and get over it.  And I'm glad I did because I really enjoyed eating this tart this morning for breakfast!   It was very good.

                                          BREAKFAST TART
                          adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen

• 1 sheet puff pastry
• 1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water
• 3 ounces creme fraîche
• 2 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese
• salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 6 bacon slices, cooked until crisp
• 3 eggs, organic preferred
• fresh chives cut into 1/2-inch lengths, optional

1.  Thaw puff pastry dough according to the package directions.
2.  Preheat oven to 425˚F.
3.  Open up puff pastry and place on a sheet of parchment placed on a baking sheet.  Using a paring knife, score the border 1/2-inch in from the edge of the the pastry dough.  Using a fork, prick the center of the pastry.  Brush the border with the egg wash and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
4.  In a small bowl, stir together the creme fraîche and cheese, and season with salt and pepper.
5.  Spread the creme fraîche mixture on the pastry, keeping the border clean.  Lay the cooked bacon on top.  Bake the tart for 14 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 7 minutes.
6.  Remove the baking sheet from the oven.  Using a fork, prick any large air  pockets in the pastry.  Crack the eggs onto the tart spacing them evenly on the surface.  Bake until the whites are set and yolks are still runny.
7.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with chives and serve immediately.

My mother made this sweet yeast bread often, always twisted into a circle for the last rise.  I usually ate the bread along with a cup of hot chocolate, often dipping it to melt the icing.  Knowing how much I liked this bread, or pretzel as we called it, my mother would bake several to bring along whenever she came to visit, and on occasion, would even mail one to me. 

   I have never baked this bread before today.  It's been over eleven  years since I've last eaten one but it's been on my mind a lot lately.  I pulled out of my files this old Amana recipe for New Year's Pretzel Bread.  I don't know if it's the exact recipe my mother used, but if it isn't, it comes very close.

                            NEW YEARS'S PRETZEL BREAD

• 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water (105˚ to 115˚)
• 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 cups unbleached flour
•1/3 cup sugar
• 1/8 cup vegetable shortening (non-hydrogenated!)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup currants
• Powdered sugar icing

1.  In a small bowl, soften the yeast in 1/8 cup of the warm water.
2.  With a dough hook, in the bowl of an electric stand mixer, beat together 1 1/2 cups of the flour, the sugar, shortening, salt and the remaining water.  Beat in the egg and softened yeast, scraping the sides of the bowl to incorporate all of the ingredients.
3.  Add the currants and as much of the remaining flour as needed to form a moderately stiff dough, beating for 8 to 10 minutes.  Place dough in a large greased bowl; cover and let rise in a warm place for 2 hours or until double in size.
4.  Punch dough down and turn out onto a floured surface.  Divide dough in half; cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
5.  Shape each portion of dough into a 2-foot-long rope.  Fold and twist dough into a pretzel shape.  Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; cover and let rise for about 45 minutes or until doubled (or, before the last rise, the dough can be placed in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap.  Removed from the refrigerator about an hour before you plan to bake the pretzels and let rise in a warm spot). 
6.  Bake the pretzels in a preheated 350˚F oven for about 20 minutes or until golden.  Place the breads on a wire rack to cool.
7.  Prepare the icing by mixing approximately 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract and enough milk to make a good spreading consistency.
                                       YIELD:  2 pretzels

   Luckily, I got these eggs made (and eaten!) before I slipped on the stair and slammed my hand into it, breaking my finger in two places.  I certainly won't stop cooking, baking, and eating, but this most likely will slow me down a bit.  Everything is taking a little longer.
   Around this time each year I purchase a large disc of Brie.  Much of it is eaten topped with a fig spread and served on crackers, but I always make sure to save enough Brie to make these eggs.

                               BAKED EGGS with BRIE and HAM
                adapted from The Silver Palate Good Times Cook Book

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons minced ham
• 2 tablespoons cubed Brie
• 2 organic eggs
• a drizzle of heavy cream
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
1. PREHEAT oven to 400˚ F.
2.  For each serving, toss together the parsley, ham, and Brie in a 3-inch ramekin.  Top the mixture with the 2 eggs and drizzle with the heavy cream.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
3.  Place the ramekins in a baking pan and add enough hot water to cover the bottom 1-inch of the ramekins.  Bake 15-20 minutes.  Makes 1 serving.

I'm not one to jump out of bed on a Sunday morning to start breakfast.  I wake up slowly.  First I need a cappuccino and then I like to sit and read the newspaper for a long, long time.  But once I am finally awake, I can usually be counted on to make a breakfast that is a little more substantial and special than what is served during the work week.  Today I made Apple Pancakes.

                                              APPLE PANCAKES
                         from the Woman's Home Companion Cook Book

• 1 cup chopped apples
• 1/4 cup sugar, divided
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 egg, well beaten
• 1 cup milk, plus additional for thinning the batter
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1.  In a small bowl add 2 tablespoons sugar to the chopped apples; let stand a few minutes.
2.  Sift flour, baking powder, salt, remaining sugar and cinnamon together in a large bowl.
3.  Combine egg, milk and melted shortening (slightly cooled).  Pour into the flour mixture and stir just enough to moisten the dry ingredients.  Fold sweetened chopped apples into the batter.  At this point, add additional milk if you desire a thinner batter.  I usually add another 1/4 cup.
4.  Bake in a hot pan that has been rubbed with butter.  Add additional butter every time new pancake batter is added to the pan.
5.  Serve pancakes with butter, maple syrup and toasted pecans.