Recipes from Kayla, PopCosmo’s Teen Chef who blogs at The Nerdy Chef. As you are heading back to school, getting up early may be an adjustment. Breakfast recipes that are quick and nutritious are important, and since breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day, you may also need a breakfast that is portable if you are rushing out the door. Kayla has two amazing recipes for us this month to help you get your breakfast AND make it to school on time! Strawberry Ricotta Scones Celebrate the end of strawberry season and the beginning of the school year with this delicious breakfast treat! These scones are not too sweet, but they are bursting with summery strawberries, hints of tart lemon, and tangy ricotta cheese. It appears to be an odd combination, but it definitely works! I recommend keeping a bowl of dough in the refrigerator and baking one or two each morning so that they are warm and fresh when you are ready to eat. They are also perfect for after-school snacks!
This recipe is fairly easy; you combine the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately, then whisk the two together before folding in the berries. However, there are a few tricks to make these some of the best scones you will ever have! I rub the lemon zest and sugar together so that you taste lemon in every bite. It works because the oils in the lemon zest perfume the sugar, giving it a subtle lemony flavor and pale yellow color. Another tip is to keep everything cold, including the butter, ricotta, berries, buttermilk, and the finished dough. The cold ingredients, especially the butter, steam in the oven to create a light, fluffy scone. My final piece of advice is to not overwork the dough. You want to have small nuggets of butter and ricotta, so don't worry about having a smooth, even dough.
I often find myself rushing out the door to get to school on time, so breakfast is usually overlooked. However, if I have a bowl of strawberry ricotta scone dough ready to bake, I never go hungry!
1 Egg 1/2 Cup Buttermilk 2 T Lemon Zest 2 T Lemon Juice 1 tsp Vanilla 1/2 Cup Ricotta 3 T Sugar 2 1/2 Cups Flour 2 1/4 tsp Baking Powder 1/4 tsp Baking Soda 1/4 tsp Salt 1 Stick Butter, Chilled & Cubed 1 1/4 Cups Chopped Fresh Strawberries
Heat oven to 375F. Line a cookie tray with parchment.
Combine the egg, buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Whisk in the ricotta.
Combine the sugar and lemon zest. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the butter, then stir in the liquid mixture. Fold in the strawberries.
Scoop the dough onto the prepared trays using a large cookie scoop. Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through.
Makes 12, Recipe Adapted from www.twopeasandtheirpod.com
Lemon Poppyseed Muffins These muffins are one of my favorite on the go breakfasts because they are tart, tangy, and freeze well. I like to make a big batch and freeze them so that I can grab one when I need to eat quickly.
This recipe is very easy, but it is bursting with tart lemons and nutty poppy seeds. To make the flavors pop even more, I drizzle the muffins with a gooey lemon glaze and more crunchy poppy seeds. If you freeze the muffins, I would top them with the glaze and poppy seeds just before eating them instead of before freezing. It will make the muffins taste fresher, and the glaze will have a better texture.
Since these are lemon poppyseed muffins, you would expect a lot of poppy seeds. A tablespoon doesn't sound like much, but wait until you mix the poppy seeds in before increasing the amount. Remember, you want to have a lemon muffin studded with poppy seeds, not a mass of poppy seeds barely held together by some muffin batter. This applies to most recipes; personally, I stick with the original recipe the first time and adapt it to fit my taste once I make it again.
If I'm running late in the morning, I can only have breakfast if it's quick and easy, so I make sure I have a batch of these in my freezer. They are the perfect treat to wake up to!
2/3 Cup Sugar 1 Lemon 2 1/2 T Lemon Juice 2 Cups Flour 2 tsp Baking Powder 1/4 tsp Baking Soda 1/4 tsp Salt 3/4 Cup Sour Cream 1 tsp Vanilla 1 Stick Butter, Melted 1 T + 1 tsp Poppy Seeds 1 Cup Powdered Sugar Heat oven to 400F and line muffin tins with paper cups.
Rub the sugar and the zest of the lemon together. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Whisk the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, juice from the lemon, and butter together in another bowl. Pour into the flour mixture and stir to combine. Fold in 1T poppy seeds.
Divide the batter between the cups and bake for 16-18 minutes or until cooked through.
Meanwhile, combine 1 1/2 T lemon juice and the powdered sugar. Gradually add the remaining lemon juice until it forms a thin glaze. Drizzle on the cooled muffins and sprinkle with remaining poppy seeds.
Makes 12, Recipe Adapted from Dorie Greenspan
For more delicious recipes by our Teen Chef, Kayla, check out her blog, The Nerdy Chef!