When fall rolls around, it’s all about the apples! The best apple cider I’ve had here in Maine is from Ricker Hill Orchard in Turner, ME. Luckily, we don’t have to travel to get it, it’s available at Bow St Market and Hannafords. Plus, just about every farmstand in the area.

I used to just buy a tiny bottle of cider, enjoy it, and call it a season. Now, as I’m trying to lay off the hot chocolate (sigh), and I don’t like tea or coffee, I find a cup of warm apple cider every morning is just the ticket. You can use a cinnamon stick to stir it, or just warm it up all on its own. This is the year I find out when cider is no longer in season. I hope it’s not for a few more months.

This apple cider bundt cake recipe was all over the interwebs a month or so ago. Everyone was sharing it, posting pix of it, and exclaiming how wonderful it is. Of course, I had to give it a go.

Excessive sweetness is not my idea of a good dessert, so I left a lot of sugar out of the original recipe, including a dipping sauce that was three cups of sugar too many for me.

There is plenty of room left for adapting this to meet your needs. Add nuts. Add a glaze instead of the cinnamon sugar. Make them mini muffin size if you want to send these off to family and friends. (I made sweet & spicy mixed nuts this year to include in the annual ‘foodie gifts from Maine’ I send to our kids. There wasn’t a mini-muffin’s space left in the box after I got done packing!)

Read the directions all the way through. Don’t be like my friend Julie who added all the cinnamon into the cake at once! (BTW–she said it was really good with all the cinnamon in the cake. You decide for yourself.)

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Apple Cider Bundt Cake

A warm, happy fall and winter dessert.

Course

Dessert

Cuisine

American

Keyword

apple cider, apples, cake, Dessert

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

35-45 minutes

Passive Time

20 minutes

Servings

slices

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 box yellow cake mix (not the pudding kind)
• 1 cup apple cider (not apple juice)
• 1/2 cup apple sauce (natural, not heavily sugared)
• 3 eggs (large)
• 1 tsp cinnamon (add more if you like)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Topping

• 2 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter

Course Dessert Cuisine American Keyword apple cider, apples, cake, Dessert Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 35-45 minutes Passive Time 20 minutes Servings slices Ingredients Cake 1 box yellow cake mix (not the pudding kind) 1 cup apple cider (not apple juice) 1/2 cup apple sauce (natural, not heavily sugared) 3 eggs (large) 1 tsp cinnamon (add more if you like) 1 tbsp brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla Topping 2 tbsp cinnamon 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup butter

Instructions

Make the cake

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix all cake ingredients (cake mix, apple cider, apple sauce, eggs, 1 tsp cinnamon, brown sugar, and vanilla) in a large bowl.
3. Pour mix into a greased, floured bundt pan. (I used a 10" bundt pan, about 12 cups in size.)
4. Put on a baking sheet on the center rack of the oven. Bake for approximately 35 minutes. Test for doneness. Bake longer if needed. (My version was in for 40 minutes and it looks a little overdone to me. See photo.)
5. Remove from oven when done, turn out to cool.

Make the topping

1. Mix cinnamon and sugar together. Put in a shaker. You will have some left over to use on toast tomorrow morning!
2. Melt butter in microwave (20 seconds to start). You want the butter creamy, not clear. Brush melted butter on cooled cake, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Recipe Notes

When we cut this into servings, we cut along the bundt pan lines which gave us 8 wide slices and 8 narrow slices. You can cut it however you want!

If you opt for apple cider mini muffins, bake for 14 minutes. Cool and brush with butter. Dip in cinnamon sugar.

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Blueberry Galette

Blueberry galette is the perfect way to start or end your day! Have it for breakfast or dessert or any old time you want. Nothing says August like blueberries! Well, maybe fresh corn and heirloom tomatoes. But, for dessert, it’s blueberries all the way.

You know how you’re scrolling along on the internet looking at one thing and another until something catches your eye? Well, this recipe pulled me up short! It’s actually a blackberry recipe, but I didn’t have any of those. What I did have was a pint of fresh wild Maine blueberries I’d just picked up at the farmers market on the green in Brunswick.

Wild blueberry facts:

If you’ve never read up on wild blueberries here’s some info about the ones that grow here in Maine.

• There can be 100 different varieties in any given acre of blueberry barrens. They range from sweet to tart to bitter to salty and everywhere in between.
• The barrens are gorgeous in the fall with colors all over the map – oranges, reds, purples, and more.
• Wild blueberries have been harvested by hand (or claw, if you’re a bear) for thousands of years. There are special blueberry rakes with a basket designed to get in and under the low-growing shrubs and gently pull the berries off the stem and plop them into the basket.
• Native Americans have been the prime harvesters of the wild blueberry crop.
• Automated harvesters have been invented, but wild blueberries don’t grow in straight rows, so it’s not that easy to set something like that up to run over the rock outcroppings and uneven landscape.
• After the harvest, the barrens are burned to kill off weeds and any mold that grows from fallen fruit.

How to make the galette:

I should just stop yakking and get to the recipe, right? Here it is, with all the changes I made from the recipe I found online.

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Maine Wild Blueberry Galette

A yummy, quick desert to make with ingredients you probably already have in the house.

Course

Dessert

Cuisine

American

Keyword

Blueberries, cheesecake, Dessert, pie crust

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

50 minutes

Passive Time

30 minutes

Servings

people

Ingredients

• 1 pie crust I use Pillsbury from the refrigerator section, not frozen
• 1.5 cups wild blueberries You can use frozen if you don't live in Maine. 😉
• 1 tbsp lemon juice You can use fresh or from a bottle
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp white sugar
• 1 8 oz block cream cheese
• 7 tbsp white sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp raw sugar

Course Dessert Cuisine American Keyword Blueberries, cheesecake, Dessert, pie crust Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 50 minutes Passive Time 30 minutes Servings people Ingredients 1 pie crust I use Pillsbury from the refrigerator section, not frozen 1.5 cups wild blueberries You can use frozen if you don't live in Maine. 😉 1 tbsp lemon juice You can use fresh or from a bottle 1 tsp cornstarch 1 tbsp white sugar 1 8 oz block cream cheese 7 tbsp white sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla 1 tsp lemon juice 1 tbsp raw sugar

Instructions

1. To make the blueberry mix: Mix blueberries, 1 tbsp lemon juice, cornstarch, and 1 tbsp white sugar together, set aside.
2. To make batter: In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, eggs (1 whole egg + 1 egg whites), 7 tbsps white sugar, vanilla, and 1 tsp lemon juice.
3. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Take pastry out of the fridge and let it warm up enough to roll out without breaking apart. About 5-8 minutes in the summer.
4. Roll out pastry on a floured surface. I used a 9" pie plate. Usually, a galette does not need a pie plate, but this is a little runny and you want to keep it from flowing out before it sets. To put the crust in the greased pie plate, fold it in half and half again to make it easier to pick up. Place the point of the triangle in the center of the plate and unfold in half and then fully. Press gently into the pie plate. It should hang out over the edges.
5. Pour the batter into the pie crust.

   
6. Scrape the blueberries into the batter and gently swirl around.
7. Fold the edges of the pie crust gently inward, overlapping. This does not need to look pretty! Rustic is your mantra. Brush the egg yolk onto the crust, then sprinkle the raw sugar onto the crust.

   
8. Bake for approximately 50 minutes with the pie plate on a cookie sheet, just in case. Start checking at around 35 minutes. The center should be firm, not runny.

   
9. Remove from oven and let cool. Put in the fridge before serving. You want the galette to be cold.

Recipe Notes

Essentially you've just made a cheesecake filled with blueberries and baked in a pie crust. What more could you want???

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The Bacon-Spinach-Tomato combo is an excellent hit for your winter morning breakfast. So much so we added it to the summer menu. It’s a simple, quick, immensely adaptable breakfast option. We are always trying new items that are easy to prepare and offer some selection.

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Bacon-Spinach-Tomato with Hard-Cooked Egg

Easy to build bacon, spinach, tomato, and egg breakfast sandwich.

Course

Breakfast

Cuisine

American

Keyword

bacon, breakfast, eggs, Gluten-free, spinach, tomatoes

Prep Time

2 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Servings

person

Ingredients

• 1 English muffin
• 1 egg hard coked
• 2 slices bacon
• 2 slices tomato
• 2 ounces spinach we like baby spinach
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise

Course Breakfast Cuisine American Keyword bacon, breakfast, eggs, Gluten-free, spinach, tomatoes Prep Time 2 minutes Cook Time 15 minutes Servings person Ingredients 1 English muffin 1 egg hard coked 2 slices bacon 2 slices tomato 2 ounces spinach we like baby spinach 1 tbsp mayonnaise

Instructions

1. Hard cook the eggs - place eggs in a pan of cold water, bring to a boil, remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 14 minutes. Put eggs in icy water, then peel. Slice in half. Cook bacon. (If in a rush, cook in the microwave. This is not the best way, but it works in a rush.) Toast the English muffin. Pile the spinach, tomato, and bacon on the split muffin. Top with egg. We served with cantaloupe slices.

Recipe Notes

Looking for more breakfast recipes? We have a collection on our Bed and Breakfast Recipe page.

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Cranberry Parfait

A cranberry parfait (with graham cracker crust!) is a perfect Christmas or New Year’s party dessert. Made as shooters, served with tiny spoons, or in a cute, footed trifle bowl where everyone takes as much as they want, your guests and family are sure to love them. We made them in our dessert cups which allows our guests a delightful taste, but doesn’t overwhelm the coming breakfast entree!

Where’s the recipe?

Before I get to the recipe (I know, I know, stop talking and just give us the goods!) I have to explain WHY it is that whenever you just want the blogger to shut up and give you the details, you find they ramble on for days about how this recipe was handed down through generations of pioneers, pirates, pilgrims, etc. (They also insert dozens of photos you don’t want to see, either.)

Anyway, why they do it – in the land of online searching, they need to have at least 300 words in the text part of the recipe (this section where I’m aimlessly nattering on) so that the recipe is deemed ‘valuable’ and may appear in a search conducted by you, fair reader. I don’t get paid if you find this recipe (unless you love it so much you decide to stay here), but the bloggers DO get paid if you click any of the links in their recipe.

So, that’s why you have to wade through pages and pages before you get the goods. (If you want to stay with us, by the way, there is a link at the bottom of the recipe and at the top of the page. We’d love to see you!)

Looking for something else? Check here for all of our breakfast recipes.

While the cranberries were cooking down, I assembled the cups with the graham cracker crust. For some unknown reason, I actually have one of those pastry tampers, so I put it to good use on this. The graham cracker crust is made with an entire sleeve of crackers and about 3 tbsps of butter. I pulsed the whole thing in a small food processor (Rock offered to smash the graham crackers with a hammer, but this worked out ok) and then scooped it out by the spoonful into the dessert cups. Tamp it down evenly, put it in the fridge to harden up, and it’s all ready for when the cranberry filling is done.

Helpful tip!

(The recipe I started with said to just crumble the crackers into the cups and top with the cranberry sauce. Take my word for it that throwing in that little bit of butter improved the graham crackers 100%! Apologies to the folks who had it first. The following weekend it was remarkably better.)

Cranberry filling after cooking it with orange juice and sugar. Run it through with an immersion blender to completely break it down. Now it needs to ‘rest’ for a bit, then into the fridge to set up. You want it cooled down enough that it doesn’t make the graham cracker crust soggy. The consistency is that of a thick milk shake.

This is almost finished. If you are serving these right away, you’ll top them with whipped cream and a sprinkle of crushed graham crackers. You could also do nuts for the sprinkle. We put this in the fridge to set up overnight. It’s nicely chilled that way. And, the whipped cream doesn’t melt as quickly if the cranberry filling is chilled.

Your cranberry parfait is almost ready to assemble!

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Cranberry Parfait with Graham Cracker Crust

Cranberry parfait with graham cracker crust is going on the rotation here as it was a hit with our Sparkle Weekend crowd. (Sorry it has taken me 2 weeks to post it!) It's a festive-looking dessert with the deep red cranberries and topped with whipped cream. Here's how... (also check the photos above for some helpful hints) Recipe can be easily halved, or keep the same ingredient amounts and make the parfaits bigger for fewer people.

Course

Dessert

Cuisine

American

Keyword

Cranberries, Dessert, Graham crackers, Parfait, Trifle

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Passive Time

1 hour

Servings

people

Ingredients

Cranberry filling

• 16 oz bag frozen cranberries or, fresh
• 3/4 cup sugar or less if you want it really tart
• 1 cup orange juice

Graham cracker crust

• 1 sleeve graham crackers don't get the flavored ones
• 2 graham crackers these are for the sprinkling
• 3-4 tbsps butter melted

Topping

• whipped cream

Course Dessert Cuisine American Keyword Cranberries, Dessert, Graham crackers, Parfait, Trifle Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 10 minutes Passive Time 1 hour Servings people Ingredients Cranberry filling 16 oz bag frozen cranberries or, fresh 3/4 cup sugar or less if you want it really tart 1 cup orange juice Graham cracker crust 1 sleeve graham crackers don't get the flavored ones 2 graham crackers these are for the sprinkling 3-4 tbsps butter melted Topping whipped cream

Instructions

For the cranberry filling

1. Cook cranberries in a deep pot with orange juice and sugar until cranberries are popping open. They should be soft. About 10 minutes.
2. Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly.
3. Pulse with immersion blender until thick and smooth.
4. Put pot in fridge and let cranberry filling cool completely. About 1 hour.

For the graham cracker crust

1. Break crackers (8 full-size) into smaller pieces and put in food processor, pulse on high until crumbled.
2. Pour in melted butter and pulse again on low until the crust pulls together. Add more butter if the crust doesn't hold together when pressed with a spoon.
3. Scoop into bowls and tamp down. (The wooden pastry tamper really works well. I just looked in my utensil drawer to see what's lurking in there that is a suitable replacement and I see I have two ice cream scoops with nicely thick, shaped handles that might do the trick. A clean top from a jar tamped down with a spoon handle is another option. For obvious reasons, I can't use my thumbs, the Board of Health would have a heart attack!)
4. Put dessert cups in fridge to allow the butter to harden.

Assembly

1. When cranberry filling has cooled, remove from fridge along with dessert cups with crust. Pour filling into cups covering graham cracker crust. About 1/4 cup per serving for 14 desserts. If serving immediately, top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of crushed graham crackers. Otherwise, cover and put back in the fridge until needed.

Recipe Notes

These are remarkably festive and easy to make. By the second try I didn't even need to consult the recipe. Give these cranberry parfaits with graham cracker crust a try!

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Pumpkin Pie French Toast is one more way to celebrate the cool, crisp fall days we love from September through November. This is a perfect breakfast treat for autumn mornings and the day after Thanksgiving. That is if you have room for anything the morning after turkey day!

I’m not a coffee drinker so I am not overloaded with ‘pumpkin spice’ everything when September rolls around. And, I’m not a pumpkin pie fan, either, so a little pumpkin + spice goes a long way with me. I was not really certain I would enjoy this particular French Toast, but we like to try new things when we can. Luckily, we had some repeat guests here and we practiced on them. (Two thumbs up was the response.)

Generally we ‘cook without a net’ as it were, just following directions and hoping for the best. There are innkeepers who gasp at the idea of trying out new recipes without first making them 5 times to get them perfect. We like to get opinions in the wild. Give it a try and let us know how it tastes is our motto. In 15 years there was one recipe that was actually awful. We’ve never made it again. Kind of sad as it was something with blueberries and it was tragic to waste so much yumminess on a bad recipe. Live and learn.

OK, it annoys me no end when someone with a recipe blog yammers on and on before getting to the recipe part, showing 27 photos of the thing from all different angles and saying how the whole family gathers around and the scent of whatever wafts through the air and even the dog comes in to beg for scraps. So, without further ado I give you the Pumpkin Pie French Toast recipe…

Enjoy! Invite some friends over!

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Pumpkin Pie French Toast - Welcome Fall

Warm yumminess for a cool fall morning. Easy recipe for sleepovers and sleepyheads.

Course

Breakfast

Cuisine

American

Keyword

eggs, French Toast, pumpkin, pumpkin pie, pumpkin pie spice

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

8 minutes

Servings

people

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk or cream or milk substitute
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (save the rest for pumpkin panna cotta)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 12 slices bread challah, croissants, thick cut English toasting bread

Course Breakfast Cuisine American Keyword eggs, French Toast, pumpkin, pumpkin pie, pumpkin pie spice Prep Time 5 minutes Cook Time 8 minutes Servings people Ingredients 4 large eggs 1/2 cup milk or cream or milk substitute 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (save the rest for pumpkin panna cotta) 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice 12 slices bread challah, croissants, thick cut English toasting bread

Instructions

1. Whisk first 6 ingredients together in a deep Pyrex baking dish.
2. Heat griddle or stove-top pan until water drops sizzle on surface.
3. Dip each bread slice in the batter covering both sides. Place on heated surface and cook each side until browned.
4. Keep finished French Toast warming in oven (at 170 degrees) until all slices are cooked. Plate 2 per person, dust with powdered sugar. Serve with warm maple syrup. We also had warm applesauce as a side.

Recipe Notes

This was not overwhelmingly pumpkin-y. I thought it was just right. Just enough spice to make you think fall, but not so much you were longing for summer again!

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Pumpkin Pie Panna Cotta (for the leftover pumpkin puree).

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What’s not to love about breakfast pizza? It’s a throwback to college days when there was always a slice or two left over from some bash or other. It’s a kid’s favorite school lunch. It’s easy peasy for dinner, too. So, why not have a piping hot breakfast pizza for a little nostalgia and a lot of flavor.

This one is made with crescent roll dough, but you could easily make your own dough, or buy it from a local pizza joint. (Yes, pizza joints sell the dough!) I keep saying I’m going to grab some from the Tuscan Bistro when the dough guy is making a delivery! Plan ahead a little and pick up some dough on the way home from work this week.

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Breakfast Pizza

Add your favorite ingredients to the breakfast pizza - peppers, sausage, bacon, a fried egg on top!

Course

Breakfast

Cuisine

American

Keyword

asparagus, bacon, breakfast, eggs, mushrooms, onions, peppers, pizza, prosciutto, sausage, spinach

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Passive Time

5 minutes

Servings

slices

Ingredients

• 1 can crescent roll dough 8 oz size (or, one round of pizza dough)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup spicy taco cheese
• 1/2 cup cooked bacon crumbled (or, prosciutto)
• 1/3 cup veggies assorted veggies, 1/3 cup each - peppers, mushrooms, onions

Course Breakfast Cuisine American Keyword asparagus, bacon, breakfast, eggs, mushrooms, onions, peppers, pizza, prosciutto, sausage, spinach Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 20 minutes Passive Time 5 minutes Servings slices Ingredients 1 can crescent roll dough 8 oz size (or, one round of pizza dough) 1 tbsp olive oil 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup spicy taco cheese 1/2 cup cooked bacon crumbled (or, prosciutto) 1/3 cup veggies assorted veggies, 1/3 cup each - peppers, mushrooms, onions

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spray 9x12 rectangular baking sheet with cooking spray. You can also use a round baking sheet if you have a round of pizza dough.
3. Pat the crescent dough onto the sheet, pushing the edges together to form one large dough. Brush with olive oil.
4. Top with cheeses, bacon, and veggies.
5. Bake for 20 minutes until cheese is melty and edges of dough are browning.
6. Remove from oven, let sit for 5 minutes. While pizza is resting, fry up the 4 eggs to your desired doneness. Slice pizza, plate, top with eggs. Sprinkle with herbs, if desired.

Recipe Notes

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Shortbread cookies? Yes, indeed. Every once in awhile (honestly? every day!) a food photo ends up in my Facebook feed and I have to follow it to the recipe. I love shortbread cookies so how has it taken me decades to finally try to make them? I thought they were difficult. Mostly because they are so expensive if you buy them at the store. Well, yeah, a pound of butter will have that effect on the price!

Fear not on the difficulty level – this is a 1. Little kids can help you with this.

I’m probably causing grandmotherly mutterings up in Heaven by adding chocolate chips, but there you go, crazy American ways. These would be absolutely delish with pecans, too!

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Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread cookies are a light, airy treat for any time of year. Wonderful with a cup of tea or hot cocoa.

Course

Dessert

Cuisine

Scottish

Keyword

chocolate chips, Dessert, shortbread

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

12 minutes

Passive Time

2 hours

Servings

cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips mini size

Course Dessert Cuisine Scottish Keyword chocolate chips, Dessert, shortbread Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 12 minutes Passive Time 2 hours Servings cookies Ingredients 1 cup butter softened 1/2 cup powdered sugar 2 cups flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup chocolate chips mini size

Instructions

1. In a deep bowl, cream together butter and powdered sugar until fluffy. Gradually add flour and salt until completely mixed. Gently stir in chocolate chips (and/or pecans).
2. Turn out onto floured surface, separate into two equal parts. Roll dough into a 'snake' (just like Play Doh!) that is about 2" in diameter; roundness not really important, they can be kind of square-ish as well. Wrap in cling film, refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
3. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut dough into slices about 1/2" thick. Place on cookie sheet (I used parchment paper to make clean up easier). Bake for 11-13 minutes. Bottom edges will start to brown, top edges should not. Cookies set up after removing from oven. Store in an airtight container.

Recipe Notes

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Gluten-free almond flour scones

We’re giving gluten-free almond flour a try with this recipe. Quite a lot of you have heard of our adventures with gluten-free biscuits way back about 12 years ago. They came out like hockey pucks and were totally inedible. That pretty much put the kibosh on us making anything GF for the next 13 years. Well, we’re trying again. According to guests, these were successful! Yay, team!

Give them a try at your house.

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Gluten-Free Almond Flour Scones w/Blueberries

Need a quick gluten-free snack for dessert or afternoon tea? This almond flour recipe does it all!

Course

Dessert

Cuisine

American

Keyword

Almond Flour, Blueberries, breakfast, Dessert, Gluten-free, Scones

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Servings

scones

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups almond flour or meal
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 eggs
• 4 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Course Dessert Cuisine American Keyword Almond Flour, Blueberries, breakfast, Dessert, Gluten-free, Scones Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 15 minutes Servings scones Ingredients 2.5 cups almond flour or meal 3/4 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 cup blueberries 2 tbsp butter 2 tsp lemon juice 2 eggs 4 tbsp maple syrup 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl beat butter, maple syrup, vanilla, lemon juice and eggs together.
3. Add flour, salt, baking soda to wet ingredients. Mix until incorporated.
4. Fold in blueberries. (Blueberries can make a mess. I find it easier to not use frozen blueberries for baking scones or muffins.)
5. Turn mixture out onto floured surface. Shape dough into a ball, pat flat until about 3/4" high and circular. I cut the scones out with a round glass. You can also put the dough on the parchment and gently slice into 8 even segments after patting flat.
6. Brush some milk on the top of the scones, sprinkle on one tablespoon of raw sugar (total). Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Recipe Notes

I made these last week and honestly? I do not like almond flour. If you do, these are great. We had some lovely comments about them being better than the ones at Whole Foods and these were free! (Well, yeah, you DO have to pay for the room...)

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You didn’t know there was a specifically Freeport-based version of chocolate bread pudding did you?
Actually, you can make this anywhere you can get your hands on When Pigs Fly chocolate bread! Can’t find chocolate bread? You need to move!

This is a riff on Paula Dean’s chocolate bread pudding but with a lot less sugar and chocolate.

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Freeport Chocolate Bread Pudding

A dense, chocolatey bread pudding for dessert or whenever.

Course

Dessert

Cuisine

American

Keyword

Dessert

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

60 minutes

Passive Time

30 minutes

Servings

servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 loaf Italian bread stale, shredded. I've also used croissants
• 1/2 loaf chocolate bread shredded, from When Pigs Fly
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup cold coffee for added zip
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsps cinnamon
• 6 eggs
• 3 oz baking chocolate chopped

Course Dessert Cuisine American Keyword Dessert Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 60 minutes Passive Time 30 minutes Servings servings Ingredients 1/2 loaf Italian bread stale, shredded. I've also used croissants 1/2 loaf chocolate bread shredded, from When Pigs Fly 2 cups whole milk 1/2 cup cold coffee for added zip 1 cup light brown sugar 1 tbsp vanilla extract 1 1/2 tsps cinnamon 6 eggs 3 oz baking chocolate chopped

Instructions

1. Lightly grease 9x13 baking dish and toss in shredded bread, cover bottom of dish. If needed, add more bread.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, coffee, vanilla, and cinnamon.
3. Pour egg mixture over bread.
4. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over eggs and bread.
5. Sprinkle baking chocolate over the top.
6. Let sit for 20 minutes until egg mixture is absorbed into bread. This can also sit, covered, overnight to bake in the morning. If the egg mixture isn't absorbing enough, add more bread, pushing it down into the mixture.
7. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. You should not see any liquid after the pudding sets up. Let sit for 10 minutes to firm up, then cut into servings and plate.

Recipe Notes

Serve with whipped cream or a raspberry compote or both!

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Thrice poached pears is a play on words around here. We first ‘poach’ the pears from our neighbors across the road (in the church) and then we poach them according to the recipe below, which we poached from another B&B. You’ll have to get your pears from your own source. (We won’t tell!)

You can serve this up as a special dessert or for a family brunch.

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Thrice Poached Pears

Course

Dessert

Cuisine

American

Keyword

Dessert

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Passive Time

0 minutes

Servings

people

Ingredients

• 1 pear pear per 2 servings
• 2 tsps bleu cheese or goat cheese with cranberries
• 1 pat butter
• 2 tbsps brown sugar
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Course Dessert Cuisine American Keyword Dessert Prep Time 5 minutes Cook Time 20 minutes Passive Time 0 minutes Servings people Ingredients 1 pear pear per 2 servings 2 tsps bleu cheese or goat cheese with cranberries 1 pat butter 2 tbsps brown sugar 1/4 cup orange juice 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375. Butter a baking dish (size of dish depends on number of servings, pears should not be squished in dish). Sprinkle a thin layer of brown sugar in bottom of dish.
2. Slice pears in half lengthwise, core (a melon baller works very well!), leave skin on. Lay pear halves cut side down in pan. Pour in enough orange juice to cover the bottom of the pan and an 1/8" up the side of the pears. Sprinkle pie spice over the pears.
3. Pop in oven for 20 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick inserted into the thickest part of the pear. The pear should be soft but not falling apart. Baste with pan liquid and return to oven if not done. Ripe pears should take between 20-30 minutes. Not quite ripe pears may take up to an hour. (Kind of like baked potatoes.)
4. When done, remove pears from oven and plate cut side up. Fill cavity with cheese and pour some of the pan juice over the top. Let cheese melt a bit. Serve warm.

Recipe Notes

This is a lovely fall dessert after a day of apple-picking. (And pear poaching!)

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Cheesy polenta can be adapted to vegan guests by subbing out your favorite veggie broth and vegan cheese.

This cheesy polenta was a big hit with guests back in December! (There is a vegan version as well.) Although I couldn’t get my mind around polenta for breakfast, the plates came back clean! I will say those sauteed portobello mushrooms were excellent.

We served this with scrambled eggs on the side. Rachael Ray’s version (from which we adapted this) has frico eggs on top. That’s a little too hard to accomplish on the tiny griddle, so we went with our usual creamy scrambled eggs.

Not sure if cheesy polenta is really adaptable to a brunch, but it definitely makes a great dinner! If you’ve never made it before, allow some time to get the polenta to the right consistency.

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Cheesy Polenta with Mushrooms and Eggs

Cheesy polenta topped with roasted portobello mushrooms and sauteed tomatoes.

Course

Breakfast

Cuisine

American

Keyword

dinner

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes total

Servings

people

Ingredients

• 6 large portobello mushroom caps scraped out and cut into thick slices
• 1 1/3 cups polenta quick cooking
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic sliced thinly or crushed
• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary destemmed and chopped
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
• 4 cups stock chicken or veggie
• 3 pats butter (3 tbsps or 3 pats)
• 1/4 cup scallions chopped
• 1 cup grape tomatoes cut in half
• 1 pinch dried thyme

Course Breakfast Cuisine American Keyword dinner Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 30 minutes total Servings people Ingredients 6 large portobello mushroom caps scraped out and cut into thick slices 1 1/3 cups polenta quick cooking 1/2 cup olive oil 4 cloves garlic sliced thinly or crushed 2 tbsp fresh rosemary destemmed and chopped 1 tsp crushed red pepper 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp dried thyme 1/2 tsp allspice 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated 4 cups stock chicken or veggie 3 pats butter (3 tbsps or 3 pats) 1/4 cup scallions chopped 1 cup grape tomatoes cut in half 1 pinch dried thyme

Instructions

Mushrooms

1. Start with roasting the mushrooms. Be sure the gills are scooped out before slicing. Preheat oven to 450. Use parchment paper on a large baking sheet for mushrooms. In a bowl, toss the mushrooms, oil, garlic, spices and salt & pepper. Arrange on baking sheet without overlapping. Roast for 10 minutes, turn mushrooms over and roast another 10 minutes, until nicely browned. When done, remove from oven and return to bowl.

Polenta

1. While the mushrooms are roasting, start the polenta on the stove top. In a medium saucepan, heat the stock (veggie or chicken) over medium heat. Add the polenta and whisk until thick (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat and add butter. Whisk until melted in. Add in Parmesan cheese and a little salt & pepper. Stir until combined. If the polenta is too thick, add a bit of stock. It should be scoopable, but not soupy.

Tomatoes

1. The mushrooms and polenta should be done at this point. In a small frying pan, saute the tomatoes with the scallions and thyme in a bit of olive oil. Essentially, you are warming up the tomatoes, not cooking them. Toss them lightly in the pan over low heat for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Toss with mushrooms.

Plating

1. With your plates lined up, spoon the polenta onto the plates. Top with mushroom and tomato mixture. Enough for 8 if serving with eggs. 4, if serving for dinner. We serve with scrambled eggs. We made the polenta and mushrooms the night before and warmed them in the oven in the morning.

Recipe Notes

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Lovely cranberry curd for your brunch this winter

Perfect for your holiday feasts! This cranberry curd can be used as a filling for a tart or muffins, or the perfect accompaniment for orange scones. If there is any leftover, grab a spoon!

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Cranberry Curd

A luscious cranberry curd makes a tangy addition to your winter and holiday brunches and desserts. Make into tarts - use frozen pie crust or make your own. Follow directions on pie crust package.

Course

Dessert

Cuisine

American

Keyword

Tart

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

35 minutes

Servings

servings

Ingredients

• 12 ounces whole cranberries fresh
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large orange peel and juice
• 1 stick butter
• 2 large eggs
• 2 egg yolks

Course Dessert Cuisine American Keyword Tart Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 35 minutes Servings servings Ingredients 12 ounces whole cranberries fresh 1 cup sugar 1 large orange peel and juice 1 stick butter 2 large eggs 2 egg yolks

Instructions

1. Cook cranberries, orange juice and peel (just the orange skin, not the pith), and sugar over medium heat for about 10 minutes. The cranberries will be soft.
2. Remove from heat and press thru a medium mesh sieve into a bowl. Discard cranberry skins and orange peels.
3. Return cranberry juice to the pan and stir in the butter. Set aside to cool.
4. While the juice is cooling use the time to bake the tart shell if you are going to use the curd to make a pie. (9" pie pan)
5. Return to the cooled cranberry juice. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl. Slowly add 1 cup of the cranberry juice to the eggs to temper.
6. Mix the tempered eggs into the remaining cranberry juice and return to heat. Cook over low-medium heat until thickened. Do not boil.
7. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
8. Once cooled, pour into tart shell and bake for 10 minutes at 350 to set. Curd will still be a little jiggly.
9. Cool tart, cover with plastic wrap to avoid 'skin' forming on curd. Serve cooled.

Recipe Notes

This took quite a bit of time as I've never made curd before. If you've made lemon curd, you probably know all the shortcuts!

The tart can be cut into 8 large slices or 12 slim sections.

If you are not making a tart, you can use the curd in muffins as a filling. Or, use it as a spread for orange scones.

Looking for more yummy dessert ideas? Check out the rest of our recipe blog.

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Baked blueberry oatmeal is a yummy, warm start to your cool autumn mornings. Make a big batch and reheat for the whole weekend. We recently had a guest who went out for a run after enjoying the baked blueberry oatmeal and deemed it ’12-mile oatmeal’ as that was the distance he went. We always love when guests come up with better names for the breakfast entrees.

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Baked Blueberry Oatmeal

Pile on the love in this recipe - oatmeal, blueberries, a little maple syrup - it's a perfect baked breakfast. Adaptable for vegans - see ingredients in ( ).

Course

Breakfast

Cuisine

American

Keyword

Oatmeal

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

40 minutes

Passive Time

5 minutes

Servings

servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats Not instant oatmeal
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts Or, whatever you like
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 dash sea salt
• 2 cups whole milk (almond or soy)
• 1 large egg (banana)
• 1 1/2 tbsp butter (oil or applesauce)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 ripe bananas sliced
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries or, other berry

Course Breakfast Cuisine American Keyword Oatmeal Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 40 minutes Passive Time 5 minutes Servings servings Ingredients 2 cups rolled oats Not instant oatmeal 1/2 cup chopped walnuts Or, whatever you like 1/3 cup maple syrup 1 tsp baking powder 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 dash sea salt 2 cups whole milk (almond or soy) 1 large egg (banana) 1 1/2 tbsp butter (oil or applesauce) 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 ripe bananas sliced 1 1/2 cups blueberries or, other berry

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350, grease an 8" baking dish.
2. In one bowl, mix all the dry ingredients and half of the nuts. In second bowl, mix all the wet ingredients. (If making the vegan version, mash the single banana and add to the wet ingredients.)
3. Cover bottom of baking dish with sliced bananas. Sprinkle 1 cup of blueberries over the banana slices. Sprinkle dry ingredients over banana and blueberries. Pour wet ingredients over the top, shaking baking dish to distribute liquid all around. Top with remaining blueberries and nuts.
4. Bake for 35-45 minutes until completely set and lightly browned on top. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Either cut into 8 square servings or scoop out with a large spoon. Serve with warm maple syrup or extra fruit. (The ingredients in the parentheses above are the substitutes to make the dish vegan. It is a bit 'banana-y' but not too bad. This is the version we generally make.)

Recipe Notes

I wish the baked blueberry oatmeal took a better picture! It just comes out so 'blue' from the blueberries popping when baked. Take my word for it that it tastes a heck of a lot better than it looks. We've actually started serving it in ramekins as it looks a lot better that way.

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Yummy chocolate panna cotta! A quick, easy dessert with or without the puff pastry hearts.

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Chocolate Panna Cotta

Chocolate panna cotta is a fun, easy recipe to take to a picnic or tailgating party. It can be dressed up for all kinds of events. The basic panna cotta recipe can be altered to encompass all kinds of flavors. Whatever you want, give it a try!

Course

Dessert

Cuisine

American

Keyword

Panna Cotta

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Passive Time

2 hours

Servings

servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 packet powdered gelatin
• 3 tbsp cold water
• 6 oz chocolate chopped (semi-sweet, milk chocolate, your choice)

Course Dessert Cuisine American Keyword Panna Cotta Prep Time 5 minutes Cook Time 10 minutes Passive Time 2 hours Servings servings Ingredients 2 cups heavy cream 1/4 cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 packet powdered gelatin 3 tbsp cold water 6 oz chocolate chopped (semi-sweet, milk chocolate, your choice)

Instructions

1. Put 3 tbsps of cold water in a large measuring cup. (I use a 32 oz measuring cup that has a good pouring spout.) Add the gelatin and put aside.
2. Pour the heavy cream and sugar into a saucepan. Heat on medium until the sugar is dissolved and the cream is hot, but not boiling. Add chocolate chunks and stir over low heat until completely melted. Do not boil.
3. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
4. Quickly transfer to the measuring cup with the gelatin. Stir to incorporate panna cotta and gelatin.
5. Pour into 8 dessert cups. Put in fridge to set, at least 2 hours. Can be made the day before and covered in the fridge overnight.
6. Serve with berries and whipped cream. (I added the puff pastry hearts for Valentine's Day.) Panna cotta can also be made without the chocolate, just using the vanilla. If you'd like a fancier presentation, first coat the inside of the dessert bowl with flavorless cooking oil. To invert the panna cotta onto a plate, run a warm, thin knife around the the edge and turn out onto a small plate. Top with a berry coulis and fresh mint.
7. The sky's the limit with this recipe. It can be made with pumpkin and pumpkin spices in the fall. You can also use food coloring for different holidays!

Recipe Notes

Frosty mango mousse is a similar recipe.

Pumpkin pie panna cotta: replace chocolate chips with 1- 15 oz can of pumpkin. Add 2 tbsps of pumpkin pie spice.

 

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Spicy Potato Omelet

Looking forward to fall with this spicy potato omelet. Yes, the potatoes are inside! Nestled comfortably with a Mexican cheese blend and prosciutto for an extra pop. This one takes some prep work, so buy the ingredients at least a day ahead so you have time to create the aioli sauce for the top and crisp up the fingerling potatoes for the stuffing.

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Spicy Potato Omelet

Turn up the heat at breakfast with smoked paprika and spicy cheese!

Course

Breakfast

Cuisine

American

Keyword

Omelet

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

40 minutes (total)

Servings

omelets

Ingredients

Crispy Potatoes

• 1 lb fingerling potatoes cubed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• fresh ground pepper

Smoky Aioli

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic small head
• 3/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise

Omelets

• 8 large eggs
• 1 splash heavy cream
• 1 cup Mexican blend cheese
• 2 ounces prosciutto or ham or bacon
• 4 tsps chives chopped
• 2 ounces asiago cheese

Course Breakfast Cuisine American Keyword Omelet Prep Time 30 minutes Cook Time 40 minutes (total) Servings omelets Ingredients Crispy Potatoes 1 lb fingerling potatoes cubed 2 tbsp olive oil 1 pinch salt 1/2 tsp smoked paprika fresh ground pepper Smoky Aioli 1 tbsp olive oil 1 clove garlic small head 3/4 tsp smoked paprika 1 pinch salt 2 tbsp tomato paste 1/2 cup