Breakfast Strudel

Breakfast Strudel

From: Cuisine at Home. Issue No. 48
Makes 2 Strudels
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 box puff pastry dough (Pepperage Fram Puff Pastry Sheets)
• 2 tbs butter
• 1 cup frozen cubed hash brown potatoes
• 1 cup red or green bell peppers, seeded, diced
• 1/2 cup onion diced
• 1 cup smoked ham diced
• 11 eggs
• 2 tbs minced fresh chives
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 tbs orange juice
• 1 egg
• 1 tbs water
• 2 tbs Parmesan cheese shredded

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
2. Thaw pastry according to package directions, about 30 minutes
3. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes and saute 5 minutes. Stir in bell pepper and onion; saute 3 minutes, then add ham.
4. Whisk eggs and chives together. Add them to the pan and scramble just until set. Season with salt and pepper to taste; off heat, stir in cream cheese and juice until blended. Refrigerate eggs while working with the pastry.
5. Unfold pastry sheet on a work surface that has been lightly dusted with flour. Roll pastry length wise to 12 x 10", then transfer to a piece of parchment cut to fit a baking sheet. Cut diagonal lines on each side only 1/3 of the way into the pastry going lengthwise (It will look like the tear-off phone number slits at the bottom of a flier). The middle of the pastry should be uncut.
6. Fill the pastry with half of the egg mixture, placing in in the center between the cuts. Braid the tabs by starting and one end and folding a left tab then a right tab over the egg mixture.
7. Repeat with other pastry sheet and last half of egg mixture.
8. Lift parchment and place on a baking sheet. Combine remaining egg and water, brush over the top of strudels. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 20-30 minutes, or until golden. Let cool 5 minutes before slicing.

Pumpkin Bread (Really Good)

Really Good Pumpkin Bread

From: Cook's Illustrated Issue No. 118
Makes: 2 loaves

Ingredients:

Topping:

• 5 tbs packed light brown sugar
• 1 tbs all-purpose flour
• 1 tbs butter, softened
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp salt

Bread:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 (15-oz) can unsweetened pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 4 ounces cream cheese cut into 12 pieces
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped fine

Directions:

1. For the topping: Using fingers, mix all ingredients together in a bowl until well combined and topping resembles wet sand; set aside.
2. For the Bread: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf pans. 
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and baking soda together in a bowl.
4. Combine pumpkin puree, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in large saucepan over medium heat. Cook mixture, stirring constantly, until reduced to 1 1/2 cup, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove pot from heat; stir in sugar, brown sugar, oil, and cream cheese until combined. Let mixture stand for 5 minutes. Whisk until no visible pieces of cream cheese remain and mixture is homogeneous.
5. Whisk together eggs and buttermilk. Add egg mixture to pumpkin mixture and whisk to combine. Fold flour mixture into pumpkin mixture until combined. Fold walnuts into batter. Scrape batter into prepared pans. Sprinkle topping evenly over top of each loaf. Bake until skewer inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Let breads cool in pans on wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove breads from pans and let cool at least 1.5 hours. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Best Ever Oatmeal Muffins

Oatmeal Muffins

From: Betty Crocker Cookbook, 1965

Makes: 12 muffins
Total Time: 35 minutes

I found this one in my mother-in-law's old Betty Crocker Cookbook. What a gem! Add 3/4 cup of any fruit or chocolate chip pieces.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup old fashion oats (quick oats work too, you just don't have to let them sit for 15 minutes in the milk.)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar 
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil (Reduce to 1/8 cup if adding smashed fruit)

Optional:

• 3/4 cup of fresh fruit
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (goes great with banana & walnuts)
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup walnuts

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Mix oats and milk in a medium sized bowl - let stand for 15 minutes. (This is important even if you are using quick oats.)
3. Prepare muffin tin with paper liners or nonstick spray
4. Combine all dry ingredients including nuts or chocolate chips in a large wide bowl. Create a well in the center by pushing flour mixture up the sides of the bowl, leave only a thin coating at bottom of bowl.
5. Add fruit, egg, and oil to oat mixture and stir until blended. 
6. Wait until the oven is preheated. Then pour the wet mixture into the well of dry ingredients. Using large even strokes (only about 20 to 25) mix ingredients until just moist. Don't over mix, the muffins will be tougher, it is ok if there is some lumps and dry mixture visible - as long as 95% is moist.
7. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full, being careful to stir batter as little as possible.  Moving the muffins to the pre-heated oven as soon as possible is important. Don't let the wet batter sit around, the muffins are more dense if the batter sits around or is put into a cooler oven.
8. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, tops will be lightly browned.