Half Assed Kitchen

Pancakes

We are lucky enough to be staying on Bainbridge Island this weekend with good friends, good wine and fantastic pancakes. Our host made these fluffy, old-fashioned delicacies for us and we had to share the recipe.

Since we were late to the party and actually missed breakfast the first day, we reheated ours in a toaster oven this morning and smothered them in butter and maple syrup and they tasted like they'd just been flipped off the griddle.

Rating: Truly 1/2 assed

Here's what you need and how you do it

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon sugar

1-1/4 cups milk

1 egg

3 Tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix in the milk, egg and melted butter until smooth.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium-high heat. Scoop batter onto griddle. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Homemade granola

We've been wanting to write about the wonders of homemade granola for a while now. There is a place in Seattle called Tall Grass Bakery, where they make the most amazing bread...and granola. Granola with whole almonds and big flakes of chewy coconut and seeds and lots of other stuff thrown in.

Sadly, it's not often that we feel like we can dish out $8 for a bag of cereal. So we've learned to make our own.

It is far cheaper than what you can buy at Tall Grass, or any store, and it will ruin you for boxed cereals. The dimensions of flavor when you make your own granola is explosive. And the effort involved? About 10 minutes of hands-on time and 20 minutes in the oven.

(Also, a shout out to The Kitchen Sink Recipes, who reminded us what it takes to make a good granola.)

Here's what you need and how you do it

3-1/2 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup whole almonds, unsalted

1 cup coconut, unsweetened (optional)

3 Tablespoons flax seeds, sesame seeds or sunflower seeds

1 cup dried fruit (optional)

1 teaspoons sea salt

1/4 cup brown sugar or honey

1/4 cup canola oil

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Spread onto cookie sheet with edges or large baking dish.

Bake for 10 minutes. Stir. Bake for 10 more minutes. Serve with yogurt or cold milk. Also great by the handful.

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Dutch baby

Golden and puffy around the edges; custardy and vaguely sweet in the middle. Is there anything better for brunch, or just a weekend morning, than a Dutch baby?

Not that we know of.

And best of all, it is simplicity defined. Dutch babies are made with ingredients you most likely have on hand and they're easy to whip up on short notice.

Here's what you need and how you do it

4 eggs

1 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk (or soymilk)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Put an iron skillet or 8x8 baking pan in oven.

Beat the eggs until frothy. Mix the flour, salt and cinnamon together. Then alternately add flour mixture and milk to eggs. Whisk in vanilla.

Pull pan from oven and coat bottom of pan with butter. Pour in batter. It will be thin, but creamy.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes at 500 degrees. Turn down oven to 400 degrees and bake another 12 to 15 minutes.

Serve with jam or powdered sugar.

For a printer-friendly-version of this recipe, click here.