Tag Archives: brunch

Crepe Cake with Raspberry Orange Mascarpone Cream

This is a great celebration cake and would make the perfect Mother’s Day dessert. It would also be a great addition to a baby shower, bridal shower, or brunch table. The best part is that you can make the crepes the day before and then whip up the cream and assemble a couple of hours before you serve it.


I got this recipe from Canadian Living magazine. They test the recipes until perfect and I have never made a bad recipe from that magazine. I will include a link below to the original recipe.

For the crepes:

2&1/2 cups warm milk

2cups all purpose flour

6 eggs

6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup sugar 

1/4 tsp salt 

1/4 cup vegetable oil

In a blender ( I used my Hand blender in a large bowl) purée together milk, flour, eggs, butter, sugar and salt until smooth.  Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.


You should have a very smooth batter with no lumps at all.

Heat an 8″ skillet or crepe pan over medium heat, brush lightly with oil. Pour a scant 1/4 cup of batter into pan swirling to coat. Cook turning once until golden.



Layer between waxed or parchment paper. Repeat with remaining batter. You should have about 30 crepes.


I ruined the first two and ended up with about 23, the last one was tiny as you can see on the top of the cake. 

I wrapped the crepes in plastic wrap on plate wth parchment between each one and kept in the fridge overnight.

For the cream:

2&1/2 cups whipping cream

1&1/4 cups mascarpone cheese

5 tbsp liquid honey 

1tbsp vanilla 

1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed 

2cups fresh raspberries 

In large bowl beat together cream, mascarpone and honey until stiff peaks form, then beat in vanilla, orange juice concentrate and 1 cup of the raspberries until evenly distributed. Remove 1/4 cup to a small bowl and set aside.




To assemble:

Place 1 crepe on cake plate. Spread with thin layer of cream mixture. 

Repeat with others. 

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Just before serving top with reserved cream and mound remaining raspberries on top of cake.


Look at those layers!


Original source: Canadian Living 

Advertisement

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Maple Sauce

These are lemony, light and airy pancakes. The egg whites give a slightly soufflé like texture and the ricotta gives extra protein. The sauce is quick to make while the pancakes are cooking, just maple syrup, seedless raspberry jam and frozen blueberries simmered to make a sauce.


Start off by seating a lemon, you will need 1 heaping TBSP of the zest.

In a large bowl whisk two egg yolks (save the whites), 1cup ricotta, 3tbsp sugar, 1/2 cup all purpose flour and zest

In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until glossy peaks form.

Gently fold the ricotta mixture, a bit at a time, into the egg whites. Then slowly mix in 2tbsp melted butter.

Cook in hot fry pan or griddle 

For the sauce I placed 1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam, 1/3 cup frozen wild blueberries and 1/3 cup maple syrup in a small saucepan and let simmer gently for a few minutes and then keep warm until ready to pour over pancakes.

Too with the blueberry maple sauce
Very light and fluffy and sooo good!

Favorite food spots in Victoria

These were the favourite spots where we ate while in Victoria. 

Jam Cafe. 

The first time we went here we were shocked at the line up down the side walk to get in. They had been featured on Food Network’s show ” you gotta eat here”, we saw that show.  We wanted to stay and try it.  We waited in line about 20 minutes and it was worth the wait. We went back again. Here is a sample of what we had

veggie bowl. hash browns, biscuit, mushroom gravy and egg. it was huge but delicious

kids pancakes with maple butter

Fruit salad french toast with lemon curd

eggs benedict

Huevos rancheros with cornbread


We also quite enjoyed a couple of visits to Frankie’s

frittata

Waffles with blueberries, lemon curd and whipped cream

kid’s french toast

oatmeal with blueberry compote, carmelized apples, granola and warm vanilla milk


Well that is a sample of some of the great food that we ate at Jam Cafe and Frankie’s Modern Diner.  We did eat at a few other places that were not bad but not worth the money or a second visit. I won’t go into detail on those places. However, if you are visiting and want to know the places that we were not impressed with either the food, service, or both, just email me and I will let you know. There are a few other places that I would recommend as well. 

We were not compensated in any way for this post. The above are the opinions of all three family members, in total agreement that we loved it! 

Dutch Baby Pancake

Summer is here again and we are in the middle of an extreme heat warning.  We had one a few weeks ago and then it cooled down into more normal temperatures and today the temperature spiked again. There was just some thunder and the night sky was lighting up.  Maybe a good storm with break the heat.

I haven’t had time lately for blogging.  Work has been insane and when I am not working I am trying to be outside in summer before it is over.

IMG_6676

A few weeks ago, when our local strawberries were in season we went strawberry picking and made a dutch baby pancake for Sunday morning breakfast/brunch.  It is easy to make, I use my Nutribullet to whip it up quickly, and fun to watch it bake as it puffs up and then falls.

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

3 large eggs

3/4 cup whole milk (you could use 2%)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a Nutribullet or blender, combine eggs, milk, flour, salt, vanilla, and 1/4 cup sugar. Blend until foamy, about 1 minute.

Most recipes call for a medium cast-iron or ovenproof nonstick skillet. I don’t have one, so I used a 9” non-stick cake pan. Just before I was ready to put the prepared batter in I put 2 tablespoons butter in the pan and put it in the over until the butter melted then I swirled it around to totally coat the pan and poured the batter right in. Pour batter into hot pan or skillet; bake until pancake is puffed and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

Working quickly, dot pancake with 1 tablespoon butter, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar and a sprinkle of lemon juice. Slice into wedges, and serve immediately

After you take it out of the oven it will fall very quickly.

IMG_6673

We sprinkled with a light dusting with powdered sugar and topped with berries and whipped cream.  Sometimes we just do a little butter and a drizzle of maple syrup.  Either is delicious.

IMG_6675

I hope you give this recipe a try.  It is fun to watch and delicious too!