For the past month, we have all been sick. Each of my kids got the flu. One right after another. Then I got sick, too. It's been a month now since we had a real brunch and I wanted to do something special. Somehow, ordinary turkey bacon and waffles with artificial syrup just weren't enough.
While I was sick, I'd been watching Barefoot Contessa reruns and had admired her maple flavored bacon. I had also read a recipe in a magazine for chile maple syrup. I mentally combined them to make this spectacular mildly spicy, smoky turkey bacon. The rest of the brunch just fell right into place.
Ingredients
1/2 seeded jalapeno pepper (finely minced or frozen and grated)
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
6 strips of turkey bacon
On an ungreased cookie sheet (with a lip to it), spread out the turkey bacon so that it doesn't overlap. Stir the syrup and jalepeno together in a small bowl, then brush the turkey bacon with the syrup mixture. Broil on medium until the bacon is crisp and has absorbed the syrup and flavor. Serve alongside waffles with compote and, possibly, sunny-side-up eggs. Or scrambled if that's all the kids will eat.
Waffles from the King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook.
The one my mother always uses.
Note: this recipe requires a waffle iron. It also works for pancakes if you don't have one, so just go ahead with it in a fry pan or on a griddle.
Ingredients
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk (or 2 cups sweet milk with 1/8 cup vinegar or lemon juice and 5 minutes to clabber)
1/4 cup veg oil
Mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat eggs and buttermilk together. Add oil to the eggs. Stir into the dry ingredients. Don't stir too much. A little lumpy is ok. Use in a waffle iron according to the machine's instructions or cook in a non-stick frying pan as pancakes.
Raspberry Compote
Ingredients
less than a quarter cup sugar
1 1/2 cups raspberries (frozen works)
1/2 cup water
Bring all the ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring frequently. Once sugar is dissolved and fruit has begun to break up, turn heat down to simmer. Still stirring occasionally, allow the compote to cook until it is thick and syrupy or the rest of breakfast is ready.
