Overnight Oatmeal-Buttermilk Pancakes

My husband absolutely loves the overnight buttermilk oat pancakes served at Main Road Biscuit Company on the North Fork of Long Island. We have tried a couple of versions to try to replicate them at home. Now I love them too! 🙂

This first version was adapted from Molly Wizenberg@Orangette.net, via Food52.com, contributed by Catherine Lamb. We used sea salt, butter instead of oil, and added vanilla extract as well as fresh strawberries and bananas. We ate them for breakfast on Mother’s Day as well as my husband’s birthday. Great.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2 cups buttermilk, shaken
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (I used white whole wheat flour)
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted and cooled (can substitute coconut oil or any oil of choice)
• oil or non-stick spray for greasing the pan or griddle
• fresh bananas and fresh or frozen strawberries, diced, optional
• nuts or chocolate chips, optional
• pure maple syrup, yogurt, berries, or bananas, for serving

1. The night before, mix the oats and buttermilk together in a large bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
2. If you’re feeling especially efficient, mix the dry ingredients in a smaller bowl and set aside on the counter. (a great plan!)
3. The next morning, take the oat mixture out of the fridge. If you haven’t already, mix the dry ingredients together with a whisk until incorporated.
4. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter (or oil) to the oat mixture, stir together, then add the dry ingredients. Mix until fully incorporated, but be careful not to overmix. Batter will be very thick.
5. Grease a griddle or large pan with and set it over medium-high heat. When you flick water at the skillet and it sizzles, it’s ready.
6. Ladle the batter onto the hot pan (I used a 1/3 cup measure, but feel free to adjust if you want larger or smaller pancakes). If desired, sprinkle on sliced bananas, berries (fresh or frozen), nuts, or chocolate chips. (I mixed both diced bananas and strawberries into the batter prior to placing on the griddle.)
7. When the top of the batter bubbles, the edges begin to set, and the bottom is bronzed, flip pancakes. They’re done when the underside is done and they don’t squish when pressed lightly with your finger. 
8. Serve with maple syrup or a dollop of yogurt and additional berries and/or banana slices, as desired. 

This second version was also wonderful. It is Swedish in origin. The original recipe suggests serving them with lingonberry jam instead of maple syrup.

The recipe was adapted from the former Tres Joli Bakery Café in Oakton, Virginia, via Bon Appétit and epicurious.com. I added frozen blueberries to the batter and served them drizzled with maple syrup.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 2 cups old-fashioned oats or quick-cooking oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• cooking oil spray or melted butter, for skillet or griddle
• pure maple syrup or lingonberry preserves, for serving
• fresh or frozen blueberries, optional
• whipped cream, for serving, optional

1. Combine the oats, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
2. Whisk buttermilk, eggs, 1/4 cup melted butter and vanilla in medium bowl.
3. Add to dry ingredients; whisk until blended but some small lumps still remain.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and let batter stand to thicken, about 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
5. Preheat oven to 250°F. (or set a warming drawer to medium)
6. Heat heavy large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Brush skillet with melted butter or coat with cooking oil spray.
7. Fold fresh or frozen blueberries into the prepared batter, if desired. (I added 1 cup of frozen blueberries.)
8. Working in batches, ladle batter by 1/4 to 1/3 cupfuls onto the pan. Cook pancakes until bottoms are golden brown and bubbles form on top, about 2 minutes. Turn pancakes over; cook until bottoms are golden brown, about 2 minutes.
9. Transfer cooked pancakes to a baking sheet or serving platter. Keep warm in oven or warming drawer.
10. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing skillet with more butter or cooking spray, as necessary.
11. Serve with lingonberry preserves or syrup, topped with fresh blueberries and/or whipped cream, as desired.

Maple-Blueberry Scones

These scones were absolutely fabulous- very tender and flaky. Half of the butter is fully incorporated into the dough, making them tender, and the remaining butter is kept intact and only dusted with flour, as in a traditional scone, resulting in flakiness. I loved that they were sweetened with maple syrup and incorporated whole wheat flour.

This recipe was adapted from Joanne Chang of Flour Bakery + Café in Boston, via The New York Times, contributed by Dorie Greenspan. I drizzled the glaze and modified the size and baking time. Amazing.

Yield: 18 scones

For the Scones:

• 1 ⅔ cups/240 grams whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup/130 grams all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ cup/170 grams unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cold, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• ½ cup/120 grams crème fraîche, Greek yogurt or sour cream, at room temperature
• ½ cup/120 milliliters pure maple syrup
• 5 tablespoons/⅓ cup/80 milliliters buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1 cup/125 grams fresh blueberries

For the Maple Glaze:

• ½ cup/60 grams confectioners’ sugar
• 4 to 5 tablespoons maple syrup

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, briefly mix both flours, the baking powder, baking soda and salt on low speed.
2. Add half the butter and paddle until fully mixed into the flour, 2 to 3 minutes. (This will coat the flour with butter so the scones are tender.)
3. Add the remaining butter to the bowl of the stand mixer. Pulse the mixer three or four times to mix the pieces into the dough while keeping them whole. (This step will give you small pieces of butter in the dough, which will help the scones be a bit flaky.)
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the crème fraîche, maple syrup, buttermilk and yolk until thoroughly mixed.
5. Stir in the blueberries.
6. With the mixer on low, pour the blueberry mixture into the flour mixture, and paddle on low for about 10 seconds to get some of the liquid mixed into the flour.
7. Stop the mixer, and mix the rest of the loose flour into the dough by hand: Gather and lift the dough with your hands and turn it over in the bowl several times until all the loose flour is mixed in.
8. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it well and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or for up to 1 day. (This gives the flour time to fully absorb the liquid.)
9. Heat the oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection, and position a rack in the center. Line three rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
10. Using a 3 tablespoon ice cream scoop, scoop out 18 mounds of chilled dough, and place them on the prepared baking sheets a few inches apart. (I placed 6 per sheet.)
11. Bake scones for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet midway through the baking time, until the scones are evenly golden brown and firm when you press them.
12. While the scones are baking, make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and enough maple syrup to make a drizzle-able glaze. Use immediately, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Rewhisk before using.
13. Remove the scones from the oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before drizzling with glaze.
14. Using a spoon, drizzle with maple glaze. Serve.

French Strawberry Cake

A friend shared this wonderful recipe with me knowing that I go strawberry picking every June. I couldn’t wait for my fresh picked berries to make it though. 😉 It was such a crowd pleaser, I will have to make it again with my special berries! It’s a summertime version of French Apple Cake. We ate it for dessert but it would also be fabulous as a coffee cake.

This recipe was adapted from Foodtastic Mom, via The View from the Great Island. I used 3 large eggs instead of jumbo eggs and modified the baking time. The recipe suggests baking the cake in a springform pan or a cast iron skillet. Next time, I’ll have to try the skillet version. Amazing!

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp coarse salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 14 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

1. Set oven to 350°F, preferably on convection.
2. Lightly spray a 9 or 10 inch springform pan with cooking oil spray. (Alternatively, a 10-inch cast iron skillet can be used.)
3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
4. Cream the soft butter with 1 cup of granulated sugar in a stand mixer for 3-4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl a couple of times.
5. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then beat in the vanilla.
6. Stir the sour cream and buttermilk together, and then add the flour to the mixing bowl alternately with the wet, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until combined, but be careful not to overmix.
7. Fold in the berries and turn into the prepared pan. Smooth out the top. Sprinkle the surface of the cake liberally with the remaining 1/4 cup of granulated sugar.
8. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cake no longer jiggles in the center and the top is golden and slightly crackled. This cake is meant to be custardy in the center. The exact cooking time will depend on the pan size you use. You can insert a toothpick in the center to test. (I baked mine for 38 minutes in a 9-inch springform pan.) Update: The (also delicious) 10-inch cast iron skillet version made with freshly picked berries baked for 35 minutes. I may even check it slightly earlier next time.
9. Let cool briefly, and then unlatch the spring and remove the outer ring. I like to run a spreading knife along the edge first to loosen any parts of the cake that are sticking to the pan. If using a skillet, serve the cake right out of the pan.
10. Cool completely on a rack before slicing.

Notes:

• This version uses half sour cream and half buttermilk, but you can use all sour cream, all buttermilk, half and half, full fat yogurt, or full fat milk for this cake.
• Other berries or fruit can be substituted for the strawberries.

One Year Ago: Berry Breeze and Blueberry Muffin Tops with Streusel Topping

Two Years Ago: Whole Grain Blueberry Muffins with Orange Streusel

Three Years Ago: Dori Sanders’ Blueberry Cornmeal Muffins

Four Years Ago: Alton Brown’s Berry Muffins

Five Years Ago: Whole Wheat Raspberry Ricotta Scones

Skillet Graham Cake with Peaches & Blueberries

I have been looking for an excuse to make this skillet cake since last summer. Graham crackers… peaches and blueberries… streusel topping… and baked in a cast iron skillet? Irresistible. I finally had to make it after having too many ripe peaches on the counter. 😉 What an excuse!

This recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by Chicago chef Stephanie Izard. (I have loved her since she won Top Chef.) The cake is baked on the grill in the original recipe. Delicious!

Yield: Serves 10 to 12

For the Streusel:

• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (from 7 whole crackers)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Fruit:

• 3 large peaches, each cut into 1-inch wedges (I used 4 medium white peaches)
• 3/4 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

For the Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 cup fine graham cracker crumbs (from 4 whole crackers)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 stick plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Make the Streusel:

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat all of the ingredients together at medium speed until crumbs form.
2. Press together to form a large mass.
3. Transfer to 
a bowl and break into clumps.
4. Refrigerate until chilled, about 15 minutes.

Prepare the Fruit:

1. Preheat an oven to  300° F, preferably on convection.
2. In a medium bowl, toss the peaches with the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch.
3. In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Remove from the heat.
4. Scrape the fruit and any juices into the skillet.

Make the Cake:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk both flours with the graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter with both sugars and the honey at medium speed until fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in the buttermilk, oil and vanilla.
4. Scrape down the side of the bowl and beat in the dry ingredients until just smooth.
5. Spread the batter in the skillet in an even layer.
6. Scatter the streusel evenly on top.
7. Place the skillet on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes, until 
a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. (The cake is cooked off of the heat in a grill for the same amount of time in the original recipe.)
8. Let the cake cool for 1 hour. Cut into wedges and serve with vanilla ice cream.

I’m bringing my special skillet cake to share at Angie’s Fiesta Friday #184, co-hosted by Jhuls @The Not so Creative Cook and Petra @ Food Eat Love. Enjoy!

One Year Ago:

• Blueberry & Corn Crisp

Two Years Ago:

• Old-Fashioned Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp
• Fourth of July S’mores Bars with Marshmallow Meringue

Three Years Ago:

• Fourth of July Blueberry Pie
• Blackberry-Raspberry Hand Pies

Four Years Ago:

• Peach & Pecan Sandy Crumble
• White Peach & Raspberry Cobbler with Butter Biscuits

Seeded Lemon-Blueberry-Banana Bread

As soon as I saw a post about this healthy and delicious bread, I wanted to make it for my mom. She doesn’t get a chance to visit us that often and she really enjoys morning baked goods and special breakfasts. (as I do!) She absolutely loved it.

The seeds in the batter gave the loaf incredible texture. Incorporating lemon and blueberries made it summery. It was subtly sweet as well. Perfect.

This quick bread was adapted from my food blog friend Johanne @French Gardener Dishes. I incorporated whole wheat flour, used ground flaxseed, added salt, and baked the loaf in my favorite Pullman pan. Wonderful!

Yield: 1 loaf

• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed meal
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• zest of 1 large lemon
• juice of 1 large lemon

1. Preheat oven to 350 F, preferably on convection.  Coat a loaf pan with cooking oil spray.
2. Whisk together the eggs, oil, bananas and sugar until blended.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, flaxseed, chia seeds, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix only until incorporated.
5. Add the blueberries, lemon zest and lemon juice and gently blend into the batter with a wooden spoon.
6. Transfer to the prepared loaf pan and bake on a middle rack 35 to 40 minutes for a Pullman loaf pan, or 50 to 60 minutes for a standard loaf pan, and a test toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
7. Let cool 15 minutes before taking out of the pan.

One Year Ago:

• Banana Oat Muffins with Maple Syrup Drizzle

Two Years Ago:

• Whole Wheat Blueberry Scones
• Whole Wheat Cinnamon Sugar Blueberry Banana Bread

Three Years Ago:

• Whole Wheat Banana Bread with Roasted Bananas
• Easy Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

Four Years Ago:

• Whole Wheat Banana Streusel Muffins
• Whole Wheat Banana-Chocolate Chip Muffins
• 4th of July Blueberry Cornmeal Butter Cake

Sour Cream & Blueberry Coffee Cake

I love an excuse to make a special breakfast. This time, it was a cold and rainy Saturday morning at home with my daughter. Perfect.

This recipe was adapted from San Francisco’s Hobee’s Restaurant via Mario Batali’s Big American Cookbook: 250 Favorite Recipes from Across the USA. I loved that Batali noted that this coffee cake is “suspiciously under the heading ‘Light Bites'” on their menu. 🙂 I suppose it doesn’t incorporate that much butter… 😉

I adapted the recipe by incorporating whole wheat pastry flour, increasing the baking time, and modifying the topping. Instead of using a 9×9-inch baking pan, I used an 8×8-inch equivalent baking pan (it has a berry pattern on it!), which was a little bit too small… Still yummy, thank goodness.

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

For the Cake:

• 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup granulated sugar

For the Brown Sugar Topping:

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 T unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Spray a 9×9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
3. Make the Cake: Rinse the berries in cold water and then toss them in 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour.
4. Place a sieve over a mixing bowl, and pour the berries into the sieve. Shake the excess flour off into the bowl; set berries aside.
5. Add the remaining 1 cup all-purpose flour and whole wheat pastry flour to the bowl, along with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to incorporate.
6. In a separate bowl or stand mixer, beat together the eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and granulated sugar until well combined.
7. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until a smooth batter forms.
8. Pour half the butter in the pan and scatter most of the berries over.
9. Pour in the rest of the batter and drop the rest of the berries on top.
10. Make the Brown Sugar Topping: In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon. Combine throughly using a pastry blender.
11. Spread topping over the top of the batter.
12. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the top is uniformly brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
13. Let cool before serving.

Two Years Ago:

• Gooey Cinnamon Squares

Three Years Ago:

• Mini-Cheesecakes

Four Years Ago:

• Banana-Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes
• Blueberry Buttermilk Waffles
• Blueberry Scones
• Blueberry-Cornmeal Muffins

Blueberry Muffin Tops with Streusel Topping

Yes, it’s true… I’m still talking about Mother’s Day. 🙂

One of my special Mother’s Day gifts was a “Muffin-Top” pan. It’s genius. (My daughter only eats the top of her muffins, so this really was a perfect gift!) Needless to say, I already have a couple of muffin-top recipes to share. We enjoyed this version for our Memorial Day breakfast. They were fabulously loaded with fresh blueberries.

This recipe was adapted from Gourmet via Epicurious.com. I lowered the oven temperature, increased the vanilla, and reduced the flour in the topping. Next time I plan to incorporate some whole wheat flour. These muffins could also be made in a standard muffin tin, of course!

An absolute highlight in the original recipe was the informative explanation about the origin of the “Muffin-Top” baking pan. It was described as a TV triumph from a 1990’s Seinfeld episode. Here’s the recap:

“After Elaine exclaims that she only likes the tops of muffins (“The Muffin Tops” first aired on May 8, 1997), her former boss thinks Elaine has hit on a clever marketing idea. But when you only sell the tops, what do you do with the hundreds of muffin ‘stumps’ (bottoms) that are left? Elaine and her gang take to the streets with garbage bags of stumps, trying to pawn them off on anyone and everyone. There are no takers; even the homeless turn them down with disdain. It didn’t take long after the airing of the episode for muffin-top pans to appear on store shelves.”

LOVE it. 🙂

Yield: 12 muffin tops

For the Batter:

• 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1 whole large egg
• 1 large yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (can use some white whole wheat flour, if desired)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 cups fresh blueberries (12 oz)

For the Topping:

• 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Make the Batter:

1. Put oven rack in the center or upper third of oven and preheat to 350°F, preferably on convection. Generously butter muffin pans. (I used cooking oil spray.)
2. Melt butter in the microwave or in a small saucepan over moderately low heat, then remove from heat. Whisk in milk, then whisk in whole egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined well.
3. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, then add milk mixture and stir until just combined.
4. Fold in blueberries gently but thoroughly.
5. Divide batter among 12 muffin cups, spreading evenly. (I used a large cookie scoop.)

Make the Topping and Bake the Muffins:

1. Rub together all topping ingredients in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender until crumbly, then sprinkle evenly over batter in cups, about 1 tablespoon per muffin.
2. Bake until golden and crisp and a wooden pick or skewer inserted diagonally into center of a muffin comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.
3. Cool in pans on a rack 15 minutes, then run a knife around edge of each muffin top and carefully remove from cups. Serve warm or at room temperature.

One Year Ago:

• Whole Grain Blueberry Muffins with Orange Streusel

Two Years Ago:

• Black & White Crème Brûlée
• Vanilla Rose Cake

Three Years Ago:

• Alton Brown’s Berry Muffins

Four Years Ago:

• Cheesecake Brownies
• Banana-Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies