Hollandaise Sauce in a Blender

Hollandaise Sauce in a Blender

Hollandaise Sauce in a Blender!

Hollandaise was once the most temperamental of sauces…but that was before blenders made it quick, easy, AND delicious!

Makes

8-12 servings

Prep time:

5 minutes

Total Time:

10 minutes

Good For:

Dinner, Breakfast, Side

Inroduction

About this Recipe

I’ll be honest. I hadn’t had Hollandaise sauce until a couple years ago…when I was inspired by my own writing to try it out, LOL. In The Lost Heiress, Brook is facing down a moody chef at Whitby Park, and he chides her for interrupting him when he’s making Hollandaise, the most temperamental of sauces. Which I chose by looking up “most temperamental dishes” or something like that. Back in the day, one whisked this sauce by hand, and you literally couldn’t stop or it would separate.

Well, thank heavens for blenders! Seriously. You can now make this “most temperamental of sauces” in half a blink, just by tossing it into a blender instead of using a whisk. Woot!

The recipe I first tried called for a tablespoon of lemon juice, and I found that to be WAY to sour for my family’s taste. I dialed it back to a teaspoon, and my husband said, “Yeah, little more than that, please.” So my instructions say to start with 2 teaspoons, but add more to taste. (I liked it with only 1 teaspoon, LOL.)

It’s also very important to note that the temperamental soul of the sauce is still there. You MUST drizzle–don’t pour all at once!–that melted butter into the egg base WHILE the blender is running! If you don’t, you’ll end up with a mess. (Ask me how I know.)

Serve over eggs benedict, aspargus, chicken, pork, or anything else that needs a jolt of salty, rich deliciousness! This recipe makes A LOT, so you’ll have plenty to try on a variety of things. 😉

Ingredients

Instructions

  • 10 tablespoons salted butter
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2 teaspoons – 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Dash of cayenne
  1. Melt the butter in a spouted measuring cup.
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  2. Put egg yolks and lemon juice in a blender. If using unsalted butter, add ½ teaspoon salt to it. Blend on medium high speed until the egg yolks lighten, about 30 seconds.
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  3. Turn blender to lowest setting. While running, slowly dribble in the butter. After butter is added, taste for salt and lemon juice, adding more of either if needed.
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  4. Transfer to a container you can pour it from and keep it warm (not hot) until you’re ready to use.

From the Books

Hollandaise Sauce is specifically mentioned in The Lost Heiress, when the Brook interrupts the chef while he’s making it and he’s none too happy about it.

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Classic Porridge

Classic Porridge

Classic Porridge

Soaked or slow-cooked oat groats create a classic porridge with a satisfying bite and familiar oat flavor, a perfect base for your fixings!

Makes

6 servings

Prep time:

2 minutes

Total Time:

Overnight

Good For:

Breakfast

Inroduction

About this Recipe

You can’t get more classic as a breakfast food than porridge! But…what is it? Oatmeal? Something different? Technically, the word “porridge” describes any hot cereal made from whole grains…but the most classic version does indeed use oats: whole oat groats!

If you’re familiar with steel-cut oats, they’re the closest to groats, just already processed. But if you’re looking for a true WHOLE grain experience, grab a bag of groats, and then either soak or slow-cook them overnight. I’ve personally found the slow-cooker version to be preferable, but if you don’t like the chew of the whole grains, processing them in a blender or food processor after an overnight soak will yield a texture more like traditional steel-cut oatmeal.

This creates a great base…that you can then dress up as desired! We’ve done peanut butter and banana…strawberries and cream…brown sugar cinnamon…even maple and bacon. All were equally delicious. If you’re a one-flavor type of person, you can mix the whole batch into that flavor. Since my family likes variety, I just make the base recipe and then we fix our individual bowls to our tastes.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • 1 cup oat groats
  • 4 ¼ cups water
  • Pinch of salt
  • Flavorings to taste

 

  1. Combine oat groats and water in a slow cooker the night before. Add a pinch of salt.
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  2. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
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  3. Add cinnamon, maple syrup, brown sugar or alternative, fresh fruit, jam, cream, or any other toppings and stir-ins you desire! (Pictured with strawberry jam and fresh-cut strawberries, which pairs perfectly with a tablespoon of heavy cream.)
    .
  4. Store leftovers in the fridge.

Alternate Instructions

  1. The night before, cover oat groats with 1-2 inches of water in a large bowl. Let soak overnight.
    .
  2. In the morning, drain the groats, then combine them in a food processor blender with 2 cups of fresh water. Pulse for about 30 seconds or until the groats have broken up and resemble steel-cut oats.
    .
  3. Add mixture to a pot, add an addition 2 cups of water, and cook for 20-30 minutes, until the oats reach you desire tenderness. Top or stir in your choice of flavorings, as above.

From the Books

Porridge would be enjoyed by all my English characters, and it gets a special shout-out in A Beautiful Disguise when (gasp!) the lord and lady make their own breakfast.

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Strawberry Scones

Strawberry Scones

Strawberry Scones

Nothing beats a fruity scone, especially when it’s drizzled with a fabulous strawberries-and-cream glaze!

Servings

12

Prep time:

15 minutes

Total Time:

30 minutes

Good For:

Dessert, Breakfast

Inroduction

About this Recipe

We love scones in our family. I make them every year for Mother’s Day, which means that I’ve tried a wide variety of recipes. One of my favorites, though, is this strawberry variation.

The secret to light, flaky scones is to NOT overwork the dough. It ought to be stirred until just combined and then patted into place with as few movements as possible. Do not knead, do not roll out!! Just pat into shape and cut. You can either make traditional round scones or cut the disc into triangles.

Ingredients

For the Scones

  • 2 ½ cups flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 8 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
  • 2/3 cups + 1 tablespoon cream, separated
  • 1 egg
  • 8 medium sized strawberries, minced

 

Strawberry Glaze

  • 2 strawberries, minced
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cream
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    .
  2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, with some lumps the size of peas.
    .
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the egg and 2/3 cups cream. Pour into the dry mixture and mix until just combined. Gently fold in the minced strawberries. Transfer to a floured surface and lightly form into a disc. Cut the disc into 12 wedges or circles. Brush tops with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cream. Bake for 12 minutes.
    .
  4. While the scones cool, make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the strawberries, powdered sugar, and cream until you have a have a smooth glaze. Pour 1 tablespoon of glaze over the top of each scone. Let set up and serve either warm or at warm temperature.

From the Books

Strawberry Scones were featured in All the Inn’s a Stage, but I can also imagine Ella enjoying them while she’s at the tea house in A Lady Unrivaled.

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Baked Oatmeal

Baked Oatmeal

Baked Oatmeal

Fully customizable to suit your family’s tastes!

Servings

9

Prep time:

10 min

Total Time:

45 minutes

Good For:

Breakfast

Inroduction

About this Recipe

I love oatmeal…but sometimes the mushy texture of stovetop or microwave versions aren’t what I have in mind. I fell in love with baked oatmeal at a writers’ conference in Pennsylvania and tried for years to replicate the delicious dish.

I finally found a base recipe that turned out how I wanted in terms of texture, and from there I tweaked to suit my family’s tastes. We use Swerve Brown to cut down on our sugar intake without compromising on sweet or that rich brown sugar taste. Each family member can then customize to tastemy daughter will add maple syrup and milk, I’ll add sugar-free syrup and peanut butter and milk, my husband will do some fresh fruit. You can add those stir-ins into the recipe itself and bake them in, or make your additions right in your own bowl.

Ingredients

Instructions

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 ½ cups milk (dairy or plant-based)
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • ½ cup sweetener—maple syrup, brown sugar, or Swerve Brown all work great
  • ¼ cup (half stick) butter, melted
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups old-fashioned oats
  • 1 cup stir-ins like fresh berries, chopped nuts, or chocolate chips (optional)

 

For Banana Variation

  • 2 overripe bananas, mashed
  • Decrease to 1 cup milk (rather than 1 ½ cups)
  • Everything else as above

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Prepare. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8 baking dish or a 2-qt oblong dish.
    .
  2. Whisk (and mash, if relevant). If you’re doing the banana variation, mash up your bananas and then move to the whisking; if you’re doing plain or fresh fruit variations, go straight to whisking together milk, eggs, sweetener, butter, baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
    .
  3. Mix in the oats. If you’re using any stir-ins like berried, nuts, or chocolate chips, stir them in last.
    .
  4. Pour. Pour the oats mixture into your prepared baking dish and smooth the top.
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  5. Bake. For 30-40 minutes or until it’s set and no longer wet-looking.
    .
  6. Serve. Let cool for 5 minutes and then cut into squares. Serve with milk, syrup, honey, or whatever strikes your fancy. My family loves adding a bit of peanut butter and syrup to the base recipe and then pouring milk overtop!

From the Books

Breakfasts weren’t often mentioned in Yesterday’s Tides,
but this oatmeal would have been on the table at the inn, for sure!

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Classic Cinnamon Rolls

Classic Cinnamon Rolls

Classic Cinnamon Rolls

Fill them with jam or cinnamon…smother them with icing…and dive in and enjoy!

Servings

12

Prep time:

45 min

Total Time:

12 hours (overnight)

Good For:

Breakfast, Dessert

Inroduction

About this Recipe

 

Is there anything better than an ooey-gooey cinnamon roll? These sweet rolls are fully customizable. Fill them with apple, strawberry, peanut butter, or anything else your little heart desires.

Eating lower sugar or sugar free? Substitute the granulated sugar with All Purpose In the Raw or another sugar alternative and the confectioner’s sugar with Swerve Confection and enjoy the taste without the calories or the blood sugar spikes!

Ingredients

For the Dough

  • 1 cup milk (whole is best; if you don’t have whole, add a tablespoon of cream to your measuring cup and then fill the rest of the way with other milk)
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar or sugar alternative (I love All Purpose In the Raw!)
  • 2 packets or 1.5 tablespoons active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened and in 4 pieces
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4.5 cups (558 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

For Classic Cinnamon Filling

  • 6 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar or sugar alternative
  • 1.5 tablespoons cinnamon

For Apple Filling

  • 6 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar or sugar alternative (I like Swerve Brown)
  • 1.5 tablespoons cinnamon
  • 2 cups chopped and peeled apples (about 2 medium apples)

For Jam Filling

  • 6 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup jam of choice
  • 1 cup chopped fruit of choice (optional)

For Icing

  • 1 cup confectioner’s sugar or sugar alternative
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  1.  Making the dough. First, warm your milk either in the microwave or on the stove until it’s warm but not hot, about 95°F or 35°C. Add to the bowl of an electric stand mixer with a dough hook. Sprinkle sugar and yeast over the milk and whisk by hand for a few seconds (if you’re using a sugar alternative, be sure to add at least a tablespoon of regular sugar to feed the yeast–don’t worry, it’ll eat it all up!). Let the yeast sit for 5-15 minutes, until it’s creamy and foamy. Beat in the softened butter on low; it will break up but not totally incorporate. Add the eggs and salt. Gradually add the flour. Once all ingredients are added, increase speed to medium and mix until it turns into a soft dough. Increase speed again to medium high and knead for 6 minutes.
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  2. Proof the dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead it by hand for a minute, then form into a ball. Put into a grased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit for 1-2 hours, or until it has doubled in size. (If your kitchen is cool, turn the oven onto the lowest setting, then turn off as soon as it reaches temp. Slide the bowl into the oven.
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  3. Roll the dough. Grease a 9×12 baking dish. Turn the risen dough out onto a floured work surface and roll to a 12×18″ rectangle. Dough should be smooth and of even thickness.
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  4. Filling. Spread softened butter over the entire rectangle. If you’re using the classic cinnamon filling, mix your sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and then sprinkle evenly over it. If you’re using fruit, spread the fruit (and brown sugar, for the apple) over the butter.
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  5. Make the rolls. Working from the LONG side, roll the dough into a tight log. You want it to be 18″ long when you’re done. Cut into 12 rolls. Arrange them in your baking dish with the cut sides up. Cover and store overnight or for about 12 hours in the fridge.
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  6. Second Rise. In the morning, remove the rolls from the fridge and let rise in a warm spot for 1-2 hours, until they’re puffy.
    .
  7. Bake. Bake the rolls at 375°F / 190°C for 25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. (Check them halfway through; if they’re starting to brown too much, cover them with foil.) Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes.
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  8. Icing. While the rolls cool, mix the icing ingredients in a medium bowl with a wire whisk. Spread evenly over rolls.
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  9. Enjoy!

From the Books

Cinnamon Rolls are featured in several of my books! Mrs. Dawe was renowned for her sweet rolls in the Secrets of the Isles series (as was Polmer’s Bakery!), and the ladies of the Ocracoke Inn in Yesterday’s Tides treat their guests to them as well!

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