Breakfast Bruschetta

I was looking for a breakfast option that was slightly less sinful than whatever egg + meat + bread + butter concoction I usually eat on vacation days. Sunny side ups and sausage, Moon over the Mountain, Croque Madame...I began to feel guilty. This breakfast bruschetta did get a skeptical look from my breakfast companion, but I assure you it was delicious and just as filling as anything else. It also didn't leave me feeling like I should skip my next few meals.

Size

The recipe below is medium brunch/small army size (like 8 people). You can absolutely make this for two people (I did). The amount of fruit you use on each piece of bread will also depend on the bread.

Bread

It doesn’t matter – all in what you prefer. I think something crusty is better for this though. I used a home-made honey loaf with thick slices, but to make it more authentically bruschetta, you need French bread or something similar. You're full after two slices of the bigger pieces though.

Fruit

The original recipe had peach instead of orange, but I worked with what I had and it came out really well. I say don’t go out and buy anything. Just cut whatever small enough.

Yogurt

Again, I didn’t follow the original recipe. It said to use plain yogurt and drizzle honey over the top. While that sounds and tastes healthier, I used peach yogurt and ditched the honey, sprinkling cinnamon and orange zest on top instead.

Ingredients

16 ½-inch-thick slices crusty Italian or French bread


2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter


A few tablespoons sugar

A few tablespoons cinnamon

1 orange, peeled and cut into fine dice


1 banana, cut into fine dice


8 strawberries, cut into fine dice


3 to 4 tablespoons yogurt

Honey for drizzling and/or orange/lemon zest

Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange bread slices in one layer in a shallow baking pan and bake in middle of oven until lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Note: Thicker bread will get dry inside quickly.

Change oven to broil setting. Brush toasts with butter on one side and sprinkle with cinnamon. Broil slices for a minute or so until they turn golden.

In a small bowl, toss together cut fruit,1 tablespoon sugar, and cinnamon. Heap evenly over buttered side of each toast. Broil toast about 5 inches from heat under preheated broiler for no more than 5 minutes (until the fruit are toasted).

Top each toast with about 1 tablespoon yogurt and drizzle with honey.

Adapted from crumblycookie.net

Brioche Plum Tart

Right, so, technically this is cheating because I’ve baked this before and these pictures are old. That being said, I think you’ll forgive me when you try this recipe. It’s so…classy. I wish I could make it all the time.

I don’t have much experience with brioche and mine still came out wonderfully, so I wouldn’t limit this to daring bakers by any means. It was such an improvement over pastry dough or pie crust too; I can’t begin to do it justice. The brioche dough was delicate but full, soft but just sweet enough to complement the flavors of the plums. The plums themselves are tart, but the taste of the sugar and the nuts stay so individual even when they’re all baked together. Such harmony. Oh man.

A lot of the trick to this tart was just presentation, so have fun with it. Plums can get sloppy, so my original “design” was tossed out the door in favor or a much simpler…umm…heap of plums. Design is an easy cover up on this one though and no one will notice over the amazing flavor tones.

Some things to think about:

• Plums can be hard to find, so plan ahead.
• Channel all your anger into beating up that brioche. It will be better for it.
• Don’t stress over finding the right nuts or the required marmalade. I think you could pretty much use whatever you want and be fine. I wrote in the changes I made below.
• Brioche. Takes. Time. There isn’t that much work involved, but lots of waiting.

Bon appétit!

Ingredients

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1/3 cup whole milk, just warm to the touch

2 cups all purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

pinch of salt

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

14 ripe plums, preferably italian prune plums

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts (I used pecans and almonds)

3 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup plum jam (I used sour cherry with rhubarb)

To make brioche

Put the yeast and warm milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and stir until the yeast is dissolved. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl, and fit the mixer with the dough hook, if you have one. Working on low speed, mix for a minute or two, just to get the ingredients together. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 7 - 10 minutes, stopping a few times to scrape down the bowl and the hook, until the dough is stretchy and fairly smooth. The dough will seem fairly thin, more like a batter than a dough, and it may not be perfectly smooth - that is fine.

Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave it in a warm place until nearly doubled in size, 30 - 40 minutes.

Deflate the dough by lifting it up around the edges and letting it fall with a slap into the bowl. Cover the bowl again with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator. Slap the dough down in the bowl every 30 minutes until it stops rising, about 2 hours. Then if you’ve got the time, leave the dough in the refrigerator overnight - it will be tastier for the wait.

To Make The Tart

Generously butter the pan. Press the chilled dough into the bottom of the pan and up the sides - don’t worry if it’s not even. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

While the dough is in the refrigerator, prepare the filling. Halve and pit the plums. If you are using large plums, cut each half into 2 or 3 slices. Set aside. Toss the chopped nuts with the sugar and set aside.

Remove the tart pan from the fridge and push and press the dough up the sides of the pan. Spoon the jam onto the dough and spread it over the bottom. Arrange the plums cut side down in a concentric circles covering the jam. Scatter over the nut mixture, and cover the tart lightly with a piece of plastic wrap. Place the tart on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat and let it rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Uncover the tart and bake for 20 minutes. Cover it loosely with a foil tent to prevent the crust from getting too dark, and continue baking for another 10 minutes, or until the fruit juices are bubbling and the crust is firm and beautifully browned - it will sound hollow when tapped. Transfer the tart to a rack to cool for at least 45 minutes before serving.

From crumblycookie.net