Ah, breakfast. It has always been my favorite meal of the day, regardless of whether I’m having it in the morning or making breakfast for dinner. Either way, there’s something special about breakfast foods and the comfort inherent in every dish. We loved trying all these recipes, and hope you love them, too!
Multigrain Waffles with Vanilla Maple Glaze
Makes 6–8 servings
I couldn’t have a breakfast section in this book without having a waffle recipe. If there’s one single-use kitchen appliance you buy, I would definitely suggest getting a good-quality waffle iron. It really makes a difference! These waffles, even with half whole-wheat flour, are light and crispy thanks to the seltzer. They’re best eaten hot, right off the iron, but you can also stash them in a 250°F oven as you cook to keep them warm and crisp.
Waffles
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
½ cup yogurt
¼ cup buttermilk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup safflower or vegetable oil
1 cup seltzer water
In a large bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat pastry flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together. Beat the eggs, then add to the dry ingredients, along with the yogurt, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and oil. Stir in the seltzer.
On a large, round waffle iron, drop about ½ cup of batter for each waffle and cook until crisp and golden. While the remaining waffles are cooking, keep the finished waffles warm in the oven (this will help keep them crispy).
Serve the waffles warm with some of the Vanilla Maple Glaze (page 84) and softened butter.
Makes 6 muffins
Technically, these are muffins. In spirit, they’re a cross between a muffin and a classic cake donut, covered in some melted butter and cinnamon sugar. The nutmeg pairs so well with the coffee flavor, and the cinnamon sugar topping adds a little something special.
2 tablespoons softened butter
2 tablespoons safflower or vegetable oil
¼ cup sugar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon instant espresso
1 teaspoon baking powder
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup milk
¼ cup coffee, cooled
For rolling after baking
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Grease your muffin tray or place liners in 6 of the spaces.
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Cream the butter, oil, and sugars together. Add in the egg and mix thoroughly.
Stir in the instant espresso, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla.
Gently stir in half of the flour, then half of both the milk and coffee. Add the remaining flour and the rest of the milk and coffee.
Fill 6 spaces in the muffin tray and bake for 15–17 minutes or until set and a toothpick comes out clean.
Let the muffins cool about 5 minutes. Dip the tops of the muffins in the melted butter and then roll them through the sugar and cinnamon.
Makes 2 loaves
I love a good, classic banana bread and this one fits the bill. With the addition of instant espresso, it becomes the perfect slice to have for breakfast or as an afternoon snack. Feel free to add in your favorite spices, nuts, chocolate chips, or other mix-ins!
2 cups bananas, mashed
½ cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, beaten
2½ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons instant espresso
1 cup nuts, chopped
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix the bananas with the butter, sugar, and eggs.
Stir in the flour, salt, baking soda, vanilla, espresso, and nuts.
Grease two loaf pans (either 8½” x 4½” or 9” x 5”) and divide the batter between the two pans.
Bake for 60–70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Spiced Cinnamon Rolls with Coffee Glaze
Makes 8 servings
Is there anything better than a hot, doughy cinnamon roll, right out of the oven? Well, one thing can make them better: a rich, sweet, coffee glaze drizzled all over the top. These are perfect for a fun weekend breakfast or serving overnight guests.
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1¼ cups milk, warmed to just above room temperature
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
2 eggs
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon instant espresso
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅓ cup sugar
Coffee Glaze
1½ cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons brewed, chilled coffee
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1–2 tablespoons milk, to thin glaze
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or other large bowl), mix the yeast with the warmed milk. Let this mixture sit about 5 minutes until the yeast is foamy.
Add the butter, 2 tablespoons sugar, salt, flours, and eggs, and mix 5–10 minutes with a dough hook (or your hands) until everything is combined and the dough is smooth.
Put the dough in an oiled bowl and let it rise, covered, in a warm place until doubled (about 1 hour).
Punch down the dough and roll out into a large rectangle, about 10 x 14, on a floured surface.
Spread the softened butter on the dough with your hands and sprinkle on the instant espresso, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar.
Starting with one of the long sides, roll up the dough and pinch the seam sealed with your fingertips.
Slice the dough into 1-inch thick pieces and place them on a greased baking dish.
Cover the rolls and let them rise again, until puffed and almost doubled, about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
In the meantime, heat oven to 350°F.
Bake the rolls 20–25 minutes until golden on the edges. Let them cool at least 10–15 minutes before adding the glaze (the longer you wait, the better the glaze will do).
In a medium bowl, mix the powdered sugar with the maple syrup, coffee, and vanilla bean paste. Add 1–2 tablespoons (or more) of milk until the glaze is as thick as you’d like.
Spread the glaze on the rolls before serving.
Makes 6 servings
One of the first hot breakfasts I fell in love with was oatmeal, and I love finding new ways to use it. The main reason I love this dish is that you can mix it up right in the baking dish—no need to dirty another bowl! Plus you can customize this with anything you have on hand—dried fruits, nuts, spices. Have fun with it!
½ cup milk
½ cup brewed coffee, cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs, beaten
1½ teaspoons baking powder
2 cups oats
¾ cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease an 8 x 8 baking dish.
Pour the milk, coffee, vanilla, salt, and applesauce into the pan. Mix in the beaten eggs.
Gently stir in the baking powder, oats, and chocolate chips.
Bake for 35–40 minutes.
Makes 12 muffins
Muffins are such a great quick breakfast or snack, and espresso and banana together make for a delicious combination. These would be perfect to make on the weekend to have as an easy grab-and-go choice during your busy week. I like mine split in half, toasted a little bit, and topped with butter, but jam is also incredible on these muffins!
2 cups bananas (about 3 medium bananas), mashed
½ cup butter, melted
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon instant espresso
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup walnuts, chopped
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Mix the bananas with the butter, sugar, beaten eggs, and vanilla.
Stir in the instant espresso, flour, salt, baking soda, and chopped walnuts.
Fill the muffin tin and bake for 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Makes 6 cups granola
I feel like granola often gets overlooked. While some varieties can be pretty high in calories, you can customize it to fit exactly what you want. Plus, most of the ingredients in granola are healthy, whole foods—oats, grains, nuts, seeds—so it’s a great choice to have with milk or yogurt in the morning. This mix uses coffee and cocoa powder for a mocha flavor and is tossed with coconut and mini chocolate chips for a little indulgence.
4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup almonds, slivered
2 tablespoons water
½ cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons oil (light oil like safflower or melted coconut oil)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons brewed, chilled coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup mini chocolate chips
½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
Preheat oven to 275°F.
Mix the oats and almonds together in a large bowl.
In a saucepan over medium heat, mix the water, maple syrup, oil, cocoa, coffee, vanilla extract, and salt until the cocoa is dissolved.
Pour the mixture over the oats and almonds and stir everything together.
Spread the oat mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir. Bake another 20–30 minutes until the granola is mostly dry.
Let it cool completely. Stir to break up the granola and add in the chocolate chips and coconut.
Coffee and White Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
Makes 12 servings
Growing up, I always thought coffee cake was made with coffee. Turns out, most recipes don’t include it in the ingredients! Since I love the flavor of coffee—especially in baked goods, and alongside a cup of coffee—I came up with a coffee cake that uses instant espresso for a punch of coffee flavor and white chocolate chips for some sweetness.
Cake
1 cup buttermilk
⅓ cup vegetable or safflower oil
⅓ cup sugar
1½ tablespoons instant espresso
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup white whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup white chocolate chips
Streusel
½ cup all-purpose flour
⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup quick oats
4 tablespoons butter, melted
Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a medium bowl, mix the buttermilk, oil, sugar, espresso, and vanilla together. Stir in the flours, baking powder, and salt. Fold in the white chocolate chips. Pour batter into an 8 x 8 baking dish.
In a small bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, oats, and melted butter together. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top of the batter.
Bake 35–40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Makes 10–12 scones
Over the past few years, scones have become one of my favorite things to bake at home. Once you get the basic dough recipe down, they’ll turn into one of your favorite things, too. The best part about these scones is that you don’t have to cut butter into the flour, which means less work and one less ingredient!
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons fresh orange zest
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon instant espresso
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1½ cups heavy cream, plus 2 tablespoons for brushing the tops of the scones
1 egg, beaten
Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or get out a baking stone.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, orange zest, sugar, instant espresso, salt, and chocolate chips.
Mix the 1½ cups heavy cream with the beaten egg and stir the cream mixture into the dry ingredients. The dough needs to come together and will still be a little sticky. If there are still dry patches of flour, gently work them in.
Dump the dough onto a floured pastry cloth or floured surface.
Mound the dough into one piece, gently, and pat out until it’s about ¾-inch thick.
Cut out triangles or rounds, using a biscuit cutter or knife, and place on stone or tray. Gather the scraps of dough, gently put them back together, and pat out again, cutting scones until you’re out of dough.
Brush the tops of the scones with heavy cream.
Bake for 12–15 minutes until golden around the edges.
Makes 2 servings
I know what you might be thinking: ricotta on toast for breakfast? Don’t knock it until you try it! My husband and I had something similar at a little café in Montreal and I couldn’t stop thinking about it once we got home. This mix, with the coffee and vanilla, almost tastes like a cannoli filling on your morning toast.
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon instant espresso
1–2 tablespoons brewed coffee, cooled
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
4 slices bread, toasted and buttered
2 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon large flake sea salt
Mix the ricotta cheese with the instant espresso, brewed coffee, and vanilla extract.
Spread the ricotta on the toasted bread and top with honey and sea salt.
Espresso Vanilla Chip Scones with Vanilla Espresso Glaze
Makes 10–12 scones
Already in love with the orange scones in the book? Then you’ll love this version! It’s almost the same exact dough base (easy and only one bowl needed) with a simple vanilla espresso glaze to drizzle over the top. Want to impress visitors or bring something fancy but easy to a brunch? Whip up a batch of these and watch them disappear.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon instant espresso
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1½ cups heavy cream, plus 2 tablespoons for brushing the tops of the scones
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Vanilla Espresso Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon instant espresso
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1 tablespoon brewed coffee, cooled
1 tablespoon milk
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or get out a baking stone.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, orange zest, sugar, instant espresso, salt, and chocolate chips.
Mix the 1½ cups heavy cream with the beaten egg and vanilla bean paste, and stir the cream mixture into the dry ingredients. The dough needs to come together and will still be a little sticky. If there are still dry patches of flour, gently work them in.
Dump the dough onto a floured pastry cloth or floured surface.
Mound the dough into one piece, gently, and pat out until it’s about ¾-inch thick.
Cut out triangles or rounds, using a biscuit cutter or knife, and place on stone or tray. Gather the scraps of dough, gently put them back together, and pat out again, cutting scones until you’re out of dough.
Brush the tops of the scones with heavy cream.
Bake for 12–15 minutes until golden around the edges.
In a medium bowl, mix the powdered sugar with the instant espresso and vanilla bean paste. Add the coffee and milk and stir until the mixture is smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add a bit more liquid.
Spread the glaze on the scones once they have cooled completely.
