Leisurely breakfasts for the weekends
Spring is upon us and with daylight streaming through the windows it gets easier to jump out of bed and start the day
So with that in mind we're sharing our favourite lazy breakfast recipes - some can even be used for Mother's & Other's Day brownie points.
Cinnamon Crumb Cake
This is one of the first cakes I ever made and I’ve made it ever since – taken from a Vogue Entertaining recipe book my friend Simone gave to me on my 21st Birthday! I wasn’t a great cook then so that tells you how EASY this recipe is – no mixer needed. And what’s also nice about this recipe is it thoughtfully uses up a whole 250g pack of butter so you’re not left with that annoying rectangle of butter in the fridge.
Crumb mix:
375g plain flour
375g caster sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
185g butter
Cake mix:
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 medium eggs
250ml (250g) milk
Cinnamon Topping:
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 tsp. soft brown sugar
60g butter, softened
185g plain flour
Oven temperature 170 deg C. 25cm Square cake tin.
Make the crumb mix: in a large bowl mix the flour, sugar and salt and then rub the butter in to make breadcrumbs, using gentle fingers and lifting the flour mix high to get the mix light and airy. Save 230g of this crumb mix into another largish bowl, since we’ll use that to make the cinnamon crumb topping later.
Make the cake mix: Make a well in the centre of the remaining crumb mix and break the eggs into it and beat them, add the milk and baking powder and mix well with a whisk/fork until combined.
Make the topping: Then take your reserved crumb mix and add the cinnamon, soft brown sugar and flour and again make fine breadcrumbs.
Use the leftover butter wrapper to grease well and then flour a 25cm square cake tin.
Pour the cake into the greased tin and then top with the cinnamon crumb, ensuring you get right to the edges. Bake for 45-50 minutes and then leave the cake to cool in the tin, sitting it on a wire rack.
Cut squares of the cake and serve alongside a hot cup of coffee or tea. Enjoy x
Spanish baked eggs
This simple comforting brunch recipe that you will no doubt tailor to suit your taste buds. Mop up the sause with crusty sourdough or some fried potatoes if you want something more substantial.
Ingredients: (serves 2-4)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely sliced
1tsp good quality tomato paste
150g good quality Chorizo
1 red pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp La Chinata smoked sweet paprika
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
A pinch of caster sugar to slightly sweeten the sauce
A splash of sherry vinegar to finish the sauce
4 Free Range Eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
You can add other ingredients and experiments such as adding green olives, parsley, wild garlic, chilli seed, feta cheese or you could even replace the eggs by adding fried halloumi.
Method:
Heat the oil in a frying pan, then soften the onions, garlic and tomato paste slowly for 5-10mins until soft. Add the chorizo and sliced pepper and cook for a further 5 minutes. Stir in the tinned tomatoes and sugar, then turn the heat up for 8-10 mins to thicken the sauce. Add the splash of sherry vinegar.
With a spoon make 4 evenly spaced circles in the sauce, then crack an egg into each one. Put a lid on the pan, then cook over a low heat for 6-8 mins, until the eggs are how you like them. Once ready you could scatter fresh parsley to add some freshness.
You could make a double batch of the sauce and freeze some for another lazy brunch.
