We first read Little Women in our tween years. Far into adulthood, we re-read it every few years and watch the showing on TV:
The 1933 original with Katharine Hepburn, Joan Bennett, Paul Lukas, Jean Parker, Frances Dee et al.
The 1994 remake with Winona Ryder, Kristen Dunst, Gabriel Byrne, Trini Alvarado, Claire Danes, Christian Bale, Eric Stoltz, Susan Sarandon et al.
The biographical novel takes place during the Civil War—although far away from it, in Concord, Massachusetts. As the novel opens, four teenage sisters, their mother and the family retainer are living in reduced circumstances, while the father is away ministering to the troops.
The family is struggling to make ends meet, and the sisters are about to sit down to a special Christmas breakfast, when their mother asks if they will give up their meal to a suffering immigrant family whose father [presumably] has passed away. They are living in a shack with no food or firewood, and a broken window to boot.
In the true spirit of Christmas charity, the girls pack up their breakfast and carry it to the desperate family.
The passage reminds us that, no matter how poor the Marches may seem, true poverty and suffering is vastly different.
OUR CHRISMAS MUFFIN INSPIRATION
We were inspired by the Christmas story and began to donate a week’s allowance to the Salvation Army. We also induced our mom to create the March Christmas breakfast for us.
The novel is scant on details, but mentions cream, muffins, buckwheat [probably porridge] and bread.* Mom made buckwheat blini with sour cream and salmon caviar, omelets and muffins with raisins and pecans. We had cream instead of the usual milk in our tea. It became an annual event until we grew up and moved away.
Fortunately, NIBBLE readers can afford a fine Christmas breakfast. If you’re not a big breakfast eater, you can still enjoy fresh-baked muffins, and cream in your tea or coffee.
Here are 12 recipes to consider—one for each of the 12 days of Christmas—beginning with gingerbread muffins from I Heart Eating.
RECIPE #1: GINGERBREAD MUFFINS
Ingredients For 12 Muffins
2½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar packed
1/2 cup molasses
1 large egg
1 cup milk low-fat ok
1/3 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
Optional garnish: 2 tablespoons sparkling sugar
Optional: fresh sweet butter† for serving
________________ *A Victorian breakfast would have included eggs baked in cream, sausages, potatoes, biscuits, fruit and a Christmas pudding.
†For special occasions, we spring for Kerrygold, Plugrá or our favorite European-style cultured butter from Vermont Creamery.
1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, or grease with cooking spray.
2. COMBINE the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl, combine. Set aside.
3. WHISK together the coconut oil and brown sugar in a separate large bowl. Whisk in the molasses, then whisk in the egg. Add the milk and yogurt and whisk until well-combined. Finally, add the flour mixture and whisk until just combined.
3. SCOOP the batter into muffin cups (the cups will be full). Sprinkle the tops with sparkling sugar (a.k.a. decorating sugar, coarse sugar). Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean.
[1] Baked hot chocolate: a new texture experience (photo by F. Martin Ramin courtesy Wall Street Journal). [2] Prefer marshmallows? Pile them on (photo courtesy Framed Cooks). [3] You can use the same recipe for an elegant dessert like this (photo courtesy Fabulous Foods).
What’s baked hot chocolate?
Substitute butter and eggs for the milk, and stick it in the oven.
O.K., it’s not really baked hot chocolate, but the name is fine. It’s not a brownie or cake, since it has no flour. The result is a mash-up of a brownie, a baked pudding and a chocolate soufflé. It’s cousin to a lava cake.
The top layer is slightly crisp; the middle is pudding-like (similar to lava cake), and, at the bottom, you may find some hot chocolate. When served in a cup, the top covered with whipped cream or marshmallows, it is trompe l’oeil food fun.
The recipe is said to have originated with Heidi Friedlander (now Robb), a pastry chef who first served it more than a decade ago at Moxie, a Cleveland bistro, where it is still the favorite dessert.
The recipe ended up in The Essence of Chocolate cookbook by John Scharffenberger and Robert Steinberg, founders of the Scharffenberger chocolate company (now part of Hershey). We adapted this recipe from theirs.
Our favorite garnish is lightly-sweetened whipped cream with a teaspoon of orange liqueur (e.g. Grand Marnier), bourbon or rum. Since there’s currently a Reddi-Wip shortage, you can use the opportunity to make your own whipped cream. It’s fun, and it tastes glorious.
Our article on how to make whipped cream also has recipes for salted caramel, lavender and five spice whipped cream.
RECIPE: BAKED HOT CHOCOLATE
These treats-in-a-cup can be served warm or at room temperature, topped with whipped cream.
These can be made a day in advance and refrigerated, ungarnished. To reheat, first bring to room temperature; then place in a 350°F oven until warm, about 5 minutes.
Total prep/cook time is 40 minutes.
Ingredients For 4 Servings
9 ounces quality* bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (you can also use chips or chunks)
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
Optional: 1/2 teaspoon cayenne or 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon; for Mexican hot chocolate, combine them
4 large eggs, at room temperature
¼ cup sugar
Garnish: whipped cream, lightly sweetened
________________ *The finer the chocolate, the finer the flavor of the finished dish. You can chop up good chocolate bars.
1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Place four eight-ounce ovenproof tea cups/coffee cups in a baking pan. If you don’t have ovenproof cups you can substitute ramekins or custard cups, but you lose the trompe l’oeil effect.
2. MELT the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler. The water in the bottom should be barely simmering; the underside of the top section should not touch the water. As it slowly melts, whisk or stir the chocolate occasionally. When fully melted, remove the top section of the double boiler and place the lid on the bottom section, to keep the water simmering. Stir the optional spices into the melted and set aside.
3. PLACE the eggs and sugar in a heatproof mixing bowl; then set bowl over the simmering water. Stir until warm to the touch (about 1 minute); then turn off the heat and remove the bowl to the counter.
4. BEAT the egg mixture with an electric beater at high speed, until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Gently fold the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula.
5. SPOON the batter into the cups. Add very hot water to baking pan, to come halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake until the tops lose their glossy finish and begin to look crusty: 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully remove the cups from the pan and onto saucers. Top with whipped cream and serve immediately; or set aside and garnish when ready to serve. Serve with a spoon!
For a marshmallow garnish: Sprinkle the marshmallows on top and return the cups to oven for 2 to 4 minutes, until the marshmallows or marshmallow cream begin to crisp. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. You can sprinkle them with a bit of cinnamon, cocoa, nutmeg or other favorite.
If friends and neighbors are dropping by for some holiday cheer, here’s a very quick recipe for a delicious snack. It works well as a quick dessert, too.
Keep biscotti around—they have a long shelf life—or ladyfingers, which freeze well and can be revived in a minute in the microwave. Then, in less than five minutes, make this chocolate dipping sauce.
The combination goes with brandy, coffee, cola, fruity red wine, liqueurs, tea, and of course, a glass of milk.
Cubed pound cake, amaretto cookies and/or sliced fruit are also delicious with the chocolate sauce. Chocoholics may prefer brownie cubes or fingers.
The recipe makes enough for eight two-cookie servings. We turned to one of our favorite holiday snacks, Nonni’s Biscotti.
As a bonus, Nonni’s isn’t rock-hard like conventional biscotti made for dipping in coffee or a dessert wine like vin santo. You don’t have to dip it…although don’t hesitate to follow the tradition.
RECIPE: CHOCOLATE DIPPING SAUCE FOR BISCOTTI & LADYFINGERS
This festive but easy recipe, which we adapted from Nescafé, is presented as individual servings.
But if you have a fondue pot, chafing dish, brazier, or other way to keep the chocolate sauce warm, you can set it on a table with a platter of biscotti, ladyfingers and other cookies.
Apple wedges and orange segments also works.
Ingredients
6 ounces chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips
2 tablespoons coffee or orange liqueur (e.g. Kahlúa, Grand Marnier
1/4 teaspoon instant coffee granules
16 to 24 biscotti or ladyfingers
1/4 cup heavy cream
Optional: cayenne for a bit of heat
Preparation
1. MELT. Place chocolate and cream in a medium, microwave-safe dish. Microwave on HIGH (100%) power for 60 seconds. Stir with whisk until smooth.
2. COMBINE. Whisk in liqueur and coffee granules until coffee is dissolved.
3. ASSEMBLE. Divide the chocolate sauce among 8 small dessert dishes or whatever you have: brandy snifters, ramekins, rocks glasses, small wine glasses, tea cups, etc). Place 2 to 3 ladyfingers to each glass. Serve immediately.
Alternative: Use a plate under the dish and put the biscotti on the plate.
Tip: Serve with espresso spoons so everyone can scoop up the remaining chocolate sauce.
ABOUT NONNI’S BISCOTTI
Nonni’s Biscotti is the number one-selling biscotti brand in the U.S.
[4] Pick up a few boxes and treat family and friends (photo | THE NIBBLE).
Whether for a coffee break, snack or part of dessert, we’ve been enjoying Nonni’s since they came onto the market in 2012. There are flavors for everyone, plus special holiday editions.
Nonni means “grandmother” in certain Italian dialects (nonna is mainstream Italian). As you might guess, the founder’s nonni came from Italy (almost a century ago), bringing the family recipe with her.
Nonni never envisioned or Salted Caramel (our personal favorite) or Turtle Pecan biscotti; but thankfully, her grandson did. There are eight flavors, plus seasonal specialties like Gingerbread and Pumpkin Spice.
There are also five flavors (including cranberry) of Nonni’s ThinAddictives, a lower-calorie option.
You might prefer the parting of the Red Sea, the when God delivered the 10 Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai, or Passover, when 10 plagues passed over the households of the children of Israel and wreaked havoc on all others, culminating in the Exodus, freedom from slavery.
But our favorite Hebrew miracle is the Chanukah lamp oil. resulting in the Festival of Lights. It commemorates the miracle of a temple lamp (menorah) which had enough purified the oil for one day. It would take a week to make more purified oil. But a miracle occurred: After the the menorah was lit, the flames burned for eight days—by which time new vats of purified oil were ready.
Why is it our favorite Jewish holiday? It comes with fried food, commemorating the lamp oil. That includes latkes, fried potato pancakes.
There are two recipes below: one with a classic potato base, and one that substitutes other veggies for the potatoes. Don’t miss that one (you have to scroll, or click here.
THE HISTORY OF LATKES
The popular potato latkes of European Jewish cuisine descend from Sicilian ricotta pancakes that appeared in the Middle Ages. They traveled north to Roman, where the Jewry called them cassola. Here’s a recipe for ricotta latkes. Traditionally sweetened, you can make a savory version with herbs instead of sugar.
Potato latkes (meaning “fried cakes” in Yiddish) are an Ashkenazi invention that gained popularity in Eastern Europe during the mid 1800s.
While the ricotta pancakes, a cousin to cheese blintzes are delicious, our bet is that most people would rather have fried potatoes!
Here’s a longer history of latkes in Idaho Potato (photo #3).
RECIPE #1: POTATO, ONION & CAULIFLOWER LATKES
In addition to varying the latke ingredients, you can try different condiments. We made a curry-yogurt dip for these.
Ingredients
1 onion, peeled and quartered
2 cups cauliflower florets
4 Idaho baking potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 eggs
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
Canola oil for frying
Topping (see below)
Preparation
1. PLACE the cauliflower florets in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times until it resembles a rice texture. Pour into a large mixing bowl.
2. ADD the onion to the food processor and pulse a few times until it is very finely chopped; add to the mixing bowl.
3. REPLACE the steel blade with a shredding blade or attachment and feed the potato pieces through the tube until all are shredded. Add to the mixing bowl.
4. ADD the eggs, flour, salt, pepper and parsley to the bowl and combine thoroughly. If liquid begins to accumulate at the bottom, remove with a spoon.
5. HEAT the oil in a large skillet or cast iron pan and add scoopfuls of the mixture to form pancakes. Fry for about 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Serve with sour cream, Greek yogurt or other garnish of choice.
FOR THE TOPPING
You can serve more than one topping. Our mom always served sour cream and her homemade applesauce (as did her mom); but this is another century. Try fusion seasonings, go crazy (within reason) with toppings like cardamom applesauce, curried Greek yogurt or 3-herb sour cream.
Dairy: crème fraîche, Greek yogurt, sour cream
Fruit sauce: apple sauce, cranberry sauce
Salsa (corn, corn and bean or tomato)
Poached egg (for a main course)
Gourmet: smoked salmon and salmon caviar (or other roe)
Plus
Chopped fresh herbs: basil, cilantro, dill, thyme
Mesclun salad
Grilled or roasted vegetables, ratatouille or other vegetable medley
Pesto
Asian slaw (no mayo), cucumber salad, carrot-raisin salad, etc.
BEYOND POTATO LATKES
And here’s an even more veg-centric recipe from Good Eggs: the classic potato-onion combination with parsnips, carrots and leeks.
And for beet lovers, there are (drum roll) beet latkes. Try them now or save them for Valentine’s Day. Serve them Russian style with fresh dill and sour cream.
You can also make parsnip-centric latkes, carrot and raisin latkes: Go wherever your palate takes you.
In photo #5, these latkes are paired with a crunchy Asian slaw.
Ingredients
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater
1 white onion, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater
¾ pounds parsnip, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater
3 medium carrots, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater
2 leeks, white and pale green parts cut into ¼-inch pieces
3 eggs
3 tablespoons flour
Canola oil
Coarse salt
Toppings
Arugula pesto
Apple sauce
Crème fraîche
Preparation
1. COMBINE the peeled potatoes and onions in a big bowl; mix with your hands. In another bowl, combine the peeled parsnips, leeks and carrots.
2. SQUEEZE the excess liquid out of the potato-onion mixture, using your hands, a clean kitchen towel, cheesecloth or your hands. (We use a large strainer and press down the mixture.). Place in a separate bowl and add the eggs, a few big pinches of salt and flour—again mixing with your hands. Form patties about 3 inches in diameter and just shy of an inch thick. Do the same for the parsnip mixture.
3. ADD oil to a large skillet, until it’s about ¼-inch deep. Heat over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the first batch of latkes, leaving plenty of room between each of them. Cook for about 5 to 6 minutes on each side until they’re a deep golden brown on each side, and fully cooked through.
4. DRAIN: Place the latkes on a platter or in a baking sheet/dish covered in paper towels and sprinkle with flakey salt immediately. Keep the latkes warm in an oven set to very low. Repeat until you’ve cooked all of the latkes.
A Dutch Baby is an airy, popover-type breakfast pancake made first in a skillet, then in the oven.
You can cook it in a cast iron skillet, or in a special pan that does duel duty for Dutch Babies and paella (plus all these uses for a paella pan).
The sides puff up and are crisp like a popover the traditional accompaniment of lemon wedges which get squeezed all over the top.
You can add maple or other fruit syrup, lemon wedges and/or zest, butter and a sprinkle of confectioner’s sugar—or all of them.
You can pair spices with ingredients; for example, an apple Dutch Baby with apple pie seasonings. The fruit can be a topping or diced and added to the batter.
They are typically sweet, but you can omit the sugar and a savory version (photos #5 and #6), topped with ratatouille, leftover stew, taco fixings, etc. (see our article on savory pancakes).
You can see the variety in the photos.
The basic recipe includes eggs, flour, sugar and milk, usually with vanilla and cinnamon. Seasonal fruits are popular additions, as are citrus and chocolate.
Yes, you can add chocolate sauce or other dessert sauce, fruit and whipped cream, mascarpone or crème fraîche for a dessert Dutch Baby. Frankly, we know more than a few people who’d eat this combination for breakfast (more on chocolate pancakes).
THE HISTORY OF THE DUTCH BABY PANCAKE
The pancake is neither Dutch nor Pennsylvania Dutch, Deutsch (German), but created in Seattle at the turn of the 20th century. It has roots in small, thin crepe-like German pancakes, garnished with powdered sugar and a squeeze of lemon wedge; and the Apfelpfannkuchen, German pancakes made in a large plate size.
According to Sunset magazine, Dutch Babies were introduced in the first half of the 1900s at Manca’s Cafe in Seattle, a popular spot that opened around 1902 and closed in the 1950s (here’s the history). The cafe was owned by Victor Manca, but we don’t know who provided the inspiration to adapt a German-style pancake.
History says that the name Dutch Baby was coined by one of Victor Manca’s daughter, who may have transformed “Deutsch baby” into big Dutch Baby.
The Dutch baby is a specialty of some diners and chains that specialize in breakfast dishes, such as the Oregon-founded The Original Pancake House or the New England-based chain Bickford’s, which makes both a plain Dutch baby and a similar pancake known as the Baby Apple, which contains apple slices embedded in the pancake. It is often eaten as a dessert.
Thanks to Good Eggs for this recipe, which we adapted slightly and made with a variety of different toppings.
RECIPE: DUTCH BABY PANCAKE WITH FRUIT & RICOTTA
Ingredients For 3 Servings
A good template for the batter is 1/3 cup flour and 1/3 cup milk/other liquid per egg.
3 eggs
¾ cup whole milk
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 pears or apples, thinly sliced (substitute bananas or other fruit)
Chocolate sauce other dessert sauce or fruit purée
Coconut, toasted nuts, raisins or other dried fruit (we particularly like cherries and cranberries)
Dairy: mascarpone, ricotta, hand-whipped cream (i.e., not from a can)
Syrup
Preparation
1. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F. Combine the flour, eggs, vanilla, salt, milk and a pinch of cinnamon in a mixing bowl and whisk until the ingredients and well-incorporated (i.e. no flour lumps).
2. MELT half of the butter in a 10-inch cast iron pan over medium-low heat. When the butter is melted, add the fruit, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt. If you have a lemon or orange zest, it adds pizzazz. Use a teaspoon or whatever you feel comfortable with.
3. STIR gently to coat the pears and cook them over low heat for about 5 minutes. When the pears have softened a bit, drain the butter but keep the fruit in the pan. Then turn up the heat to high add the remaining two tablespoons of butter. Swish the butter all over the pan—sides included—so that the entire inside surface is covered.
4. POUR the batter over the fruit and slide the pan into the oven. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until that baby is quite puffed up and golden brown. It falls soon after removed from the oven, so be ready to serve immediately. While the pancake is cooking…
4. SET the garnishes on the table so participants can help themselves quickly.
It isn’t hard to make a Dutch Baby. Here’s a video:
THE HISTORY OF PANCAKES
People have been eating pancake-like foods for a very long time. According to Alan Davidson in the Oxford Companion to Food, the first mention of anything other than bread baked on a griddle is the oldest surviving cookbook, De Re Coquinaria (“On Cookery) by Apicius*.
The book describes “cakes” made from a batter of eggs, milk, water and flour. They were fried and served with honey and pepper.
Archaeologists have discovered grains on 30,000-year-old grinding tools, suggesting that Stone Age man might have been eating grains mixed with water and cooked on a hot rock.
While the result not have looked like the modern crepe, hotcake, or flapjack, the idea was the same: a flat cake, made from batter and fried.
Ancient Greeks and Romans ate pancakes topped with honey, and a Greek reference mentions toppings of cheese and sesame as well.
These foods were not called pancakes, but the first mention of “pancake” in an English dictionary dates to the 16th century: a cake made in a pan.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “Flat as a pancake” has been a catchphrase since at least 1611.
For the rest of the pancake’s journey to modern times, head to National Geographic.
And remember to celebrate National Pancake Day on September 26th.
MORE PANCAKE HISTORY
We love this article from National Geographic, and recommend it as a short read on the history of pancakes.
*“Apicius” is believed to be the pseudonym of one or several writers who authored the book. The manuscript of some 400 recipes is believed to have been compiled in the late 4th or early 5th century C.E. Why the name Apicius? It had long been associated with gourmet preferences, named after Marcus Gavius Apicius, a wealthy Roman merchant and epicure who lived in the 1st century C.E. He is said to have once sailed all the way to Libya to eat some much-praised prawns, only to return home without having found any to his satisfaction. He hosted colossal banquets, which eventually drove him to bankruptcy…and suicide.
