Zucchini Bread

I know what they're saying. Summer is almost over. Back to school is in full swing. I ate pumpkin spice Cheerios with pumpkin spice coffee for breakfast. I had a pumpkin beer yesterday.

But this recipe cannot wait until next summer. There's still plenty of zucchini at the farmers market and grocery store. Even if it isn't the prettiest zucchini, it will still make an AMAZING loaf of Zucchini Bread.

This bread is so simple to make, but it is certain to impress. Loaded with zucchini, cinnamon and sweet vanilla extract, it's everything you could want whether it's for breakfast, a snack, or dessert. In my mind, zucchini bread is banana bread's far superior cousin. The zucchini is not nearly as heavy as banana, both in texture and in flavor, and thanks to the extra water in the summer squash this bread stays fresh and moist for days and days!

I can promise you that wherever you take this bread, everyone will be begging for the recipe! Might I recommend it for your Labor Day barbecues or to bring as a thank you for your next overnight host?

After making this bread many, many times, I have a few tips for you to make this as delicious as possible!

- This bread requires quite a bit of zucchini, so I find a food processor with the grater blade is the fastest and most efficient way to grate it.
- I have used the small grate and the large grate, and although the flavor is just wonderful either way, I prefer the texture of the finer grate.
- I like to make this in one big 10 inch/1.5 pound loaf pan. This requires a little extra cook time depending on your oven. Another alternative would be to cook this up in 2 smaller (8.5 inch) loaf pans instead. Be sure to check the done-ness about 10 minutes sooner to ensure the edges don't get overcooked.
- To remove as much excess moisture as possible, sprinkle the grated zucchini with a pinch of salt and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Using 2 paper towels, press out as much water as possible and drain.

Key Lime Pie Doughnuts

IT'S NATIONAL DOUGHNUT DAY!!(!!!!!)

Have you had a doughnut yet today? Calories do NOT count today, so I say...

...treat yourself!

I have been thinking about these Key Lime Pie Doughnuts for a long time, and the final product is even more magical than I could have imagined. All the flavors of key lime pie, but in adorable, bite-size breakfast packages!

The cake itself is soft and tender, with a big crumb and irresistible sweetness. I start by rubbing lime zest into granulated sugar. This is great little baking trick that releases the oils in lime zest and distributes it throughout the whole cake. In addition to flour, I also whisk in graham cracker crumbs. A big, buttery graham cracker crust is THE most important part of a key lime pie, so I knew it had to be incorporated into these doughnuts. Vanilla yogurt will not only keep our doughnuts moist, but it will also add a tangy sweetness that compliments the tart lime flavor. I mean...what is not to love?

OH right, I almost forgot. All good doughnuts MUST have a glaze. For these, a thick and zesty lime glaze, packed with fresh lime zest and a big squeeze of lime juice, topped with even more crunchy graham cracker crumbs! Yay!

These doughnuts are just so delicious and I am sure you will love them! They are fresh and tangy, sweet and tender. Perfect for breakfast, of course, but also amazing as a snack or dessert! They are ooey and gooey, exactly as a good doughnut should be.

Happy Friday! And more importantly, Happy National Doughnut Day!

Red Velvet Donuts with Cream Cheese Glaze

Did you know I love you? If you didn't, can I bake you donuts to show you that I do?

What about Red Velvet Donuts with Cream Cheese Glaze? I don't think I could possibly pack more love into a single recipe.

I have never been particularly good about posting recipes for certain holidays at specific times, maybe with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas. But today, I am going all in celebrating Valentine's Day with the whole internet! We are so worth it. 

There are a lot of reasons I am obsessed with these donuts and you will be, too. Not the least of which is just how stinkin' cute they are considering tomorrow is Valentine's Day. BUT, please don't go away if you're bitter about this Hallmark holiday. These are just perfect to lift your spirits year round!

First of all, red velvet means cocoa powder and a good bit of it. Chocolate anything is my love language. Besides that, there is the fact that these are soft and pillowy and tender. They just melt in your mouth. The icing on the cake--no, literally--is that cream cheese glaze. What is red velvet without cream cheese frosting? It is nothing, don't even think about omitting it, please and thank you.

 Let's get baking - breakfast is served!

Chocolate Waffles with Peanut Butter Chips

Apologies in advance for anyone who came here hoping for a salad today.

This...this is very much the opposite of salad.

But, also! It's probably the most delicious recipe you can ever imagine, especially if you are like me and are a chocolate and peanut butter FANATIC.

Look, I understand if you're mad because it's January and we are all supposed to be collectively "eating better and exercising more." I would like to argue, however, that this IS eating better. New England got it's first big snowstorm of the year and that always gives me an itch to cook and bake. And that is a very, very good thing, considering these Chocolate Waffles with Peanut Butter Chips were the result.

These waffles walk the line between breakfast and dessert and that is a wonderful thing. A bit of cocoa powder is all it takes to make a classic waffle a CHOCOLATE waffle, and honestly I'm kind of wondering why we haven't made chocolate waffles more often? Why have we been denying ourselves this magical combination for so long?

The batter for this recipe is rich and slightly sweet. When these waffles first come out of the waffle iron, they are a bit more tender, delicate and softer than a traditional waffle. The amazing thing, though, is that as the waffles cool on a wire rack, a crust begins to form developing that irresistible crunch we crave in our waffles. It's magic!

The melty, salty peanut butter chips are an extra special touch that take a simple recipe over the top. I know, I know.

Bonus! This recipe makes enough waffles for today plus a batch to freeze and reheat whenever you want an extra special breakfast! Just pop them in the toaster right out of the freezer and thy will be just as crispy and delicious as the day you made them. That's my kind of meal planning :-)

Lemon Cake with Cranberries

It's cake time!

That's my favorite time, in fact. Especially when it involves this delicious Lemon Cake with Cranberries!

In my humble opinion we don't use fresh cranberries nearly enough, particularly in baked goods. When cooked for a long period of time, they become juicy and sweet, yet are still delightfully tart.

Cranberries and citrus also go together that peanut butter and jelly or New Year's Eve and champagne! Though typically paired with orange in muffins or loaves, I happened to find myself with an abundance of lemons to go with half a bag of leftover cranberries. Thus this cake was born, and man am I glad it was!

There's no denying that there is lots of fresh lemon flavor in this cake. Not only will we rub a tablespoon of freshly grated lemon zest into our sugar (lemon sugar! genius! distributes flavor into the entire loaf! YAS!), there is also plenty of lemon juice in the cake plus a sweet lemon glaze on top. We are in it to win it!

Be sure to work this cake into your holiday breakfast plans! Sweet, tart, festive, and delicious.

P.S. Don't those cran-bebes look like jewels studding the cake?! Swoon!

Apple Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

I love any excuse to have cake for breakfast!

Or lunch, or dinner, or snacks.

Hey, so real quick. Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK. I know, don't panic (I'm panicking).

The good news is, for those of us hosting an overnight guest or two or four, I made us a perfect make-ahead breakfast treat!

This Apple Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze is festive, decadent and delicious. Apples, pecans, and spices come together in a moist cake topped with a rich, sweet glaze that is out of this world. Since we'll be spending much of our time on Thanksgiving day worrying about how exactly we are supposed to cook a turkey (how do people just KNOW how to cook a turkey?!), this cake is baked up the day before. Slice and serve with hot coffee while you and your family watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for pure holiday morning bliss!

P.S. Are you the aforementioned overnight guest? Might I suggest surprising your host with this beauty? They will love you even more than they presumably already do!

There is something so beautifully vintage about a bundt cake. They are showstoppers in and of themselves. But this cake? Well, that drippy glaze? Those crunchy, toasted pecans? It's practically a work of art. A very delicious work of art that fills your home with the most intoxicating scents of autumn!

Breath, bake, and enjoy this cake.

Savory Oatmeal with Crispy Apple Sausage and Drippy Egg

Quick truth bomb: we've been eating oatmeal wrong our whole lives.

Don't run away. I have to be honest, I had my doubts about savory oatmeal. Don't we only eat oatmeal as a vessel for melty brown sugar, lots of cinnamon and crunchy granola? That was the case until I had a bite of this Savory Oatmeal with Crispy Apple Sausage and Drippy Egg and everything I thought I knew about breakfast went out the window.

This is the actual breakfast of champions. Warm oatmeal, seasoned just slightly with a bit of salt and cracked black pepper, is the base. It's hearty and healthy and comforting. Then comes the star of the show: crumbled apple chicken sausage is cooked over high heat until it becomes brown and slightly caramelized. The texture and slight sweetness is out of this world. A drippy, sunny side up egg, over-seasoned with cracked pepper and red pepper flakes binds the whole dish together and keeps us full for hours. For crunch and freshness, chopped scallions are just the ticket. Oh, and how could I forget the cheddar cheese! Salty, melty, a perfect compliment to the apple and egg.

I don't really know what to say. I just love this oatmeal so much! It is absolutely going to be a regular breakfast for me this fall. And the varieties are endless! Oatmeal is such a versatile base that really anything goes - bacon and caramelized onions with goat cheese? Broccoli and cheddar? Ham and swiss? Ah!

I'd love to know - have you had savory oatmeal before? What are your favorite toppings? If you haven't, are you willing to try it? I don't want to be a nag, but I insist that you should. Oh, also, this meal comes together SUPER quick, sooo...why limit it to just breakfast? This has quick weeknight dinner written all over it!

Pretzel Bagels

Well my friends, we've done it.

We've combined two of the best bread products into one. It is as miraculous as you'd expect. It is also much easier than you might think, and that is pretty great too!

Pretzel Bagels. I don't know if there is much more to say (...that won't stop me from gushing about these beauties, of course). Deep, golden brown crusts with a sprinkle of pretzel salt, soft and chewy centers. The taste of soft pretzels in a bagel suit. Ugh, yes. This is what dreams are made of.

In order to make this breakfast dream a reality, there are a few key things we need. First, for the bagel part of it all: yeast, flour, and patience. Yeast will get activated in a bit of warm water with some sugar. This will bring our bagels to life, allowing them to puff up in a hot oven. Although bread flour is more commonly used in bagels because of its higher protein content, all-purpose flour is perfect for our needs in this recipe. It will create a crumb that is a little softer than a classic bagel and more reminiscent of a traditional soft pretzel. The dough won't be as lofty, but that's OK.

For the pretzel parts, we need a good bit of baking soda, an egg wash and pretzel salt. The bagels will take a quick dip in a pot of boiling water combined with baking soda. The baking soda changes the pH of the water and helps speed up the cooking process, creating that deep brown color on the outside of the pretzel bagels. The egg wash will create a sheen on the outside, and also act as the glue that keeps that irresistible salt on top. It's science!

So now that we know we can in fact make pretzel bagels, what on earth should we do with them? Here are a few ideas:

--Eat them warm, straight, right out of the oven
--Cut 'em in half and smear a bit of cream cheese all over, with a sprinkle of garlic and chives for good measure
--Make a breakfast sandwich, heavy on the cheese
--Whip up a batch of tuna salad and pile it high

The options are endless, but the good thing is, there ARE options. Lots of 'em. No matter how to slice it, they're sure to impress