Breakfast at Tiffany's

In March, Mandy and Emily hosted the group for "Breakfast at Tiffany's".  The invites encouraged everyone to wear a black dress and pearls and came with a bottle of Tiffany Blue nail poish. 

Emily rounded up these fun blue dishes from  Home Goods in 3 different states with the help of several friends who don't mind her crazy. The table was decorated with white tulips, pearls, and small wrapped boxes. 

A good friend, Jillian Barron shared her awesome writing talent and chalkboard and did the menu for the evening. 

Place settings were marked with a "little blue box" for each guest that had their take home gift inside. 

The appetizer table

Appetizers for the evening were Puffed French Toast Sticks with Coconut, Berry, and Maple Syrups.  Raspberry Pecan Acai Bowls with Granola and Berries.  And a skewered wedge salad. 

The salad course was a Grapefruit and Avocado Salad with lemon and mint. Simple and refreshing! 

The main course was delicious! Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon, Cantaloupe and Proscuitto Wrapped Asparagus Spears also served with a Mixed Fruit Sparkling Cider. 

Mandy and Emily, our hosts for the evening.  LOVE the photobomb by Leslie. 

Sadly since Emily was hosting and taking pics one of the yummiest parts of the night didn't get a photo!  Dessert was Leige Waffles with Biscoff, Raspberries and Whipped Cream.  It was every bit as good as it sounds. 

The take home had to be jewelry of course!  So each guest got one of these necklaces with their first initial on it. 

Last but not least we couldn't have done it without our amazing kitchen helper Vynette.  Thank you!! 

RECIPES:

Puffed French Toast

Ingredients:

1 egg
1 1/4 Tbs. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
6 slices Texas style toast, cut in half diagonally

Directions:
In a large skillet, heat about 1/4” of vegetable oil over medium heat. In a shallow bowl or pie dish, whisk together all ingredients. Test oil heat by flicking some water into the frying pan. If it pops, reduce the heat. If it sizzles, it’s just right. Working quickly, take each 1/2 slice of bread and soak both sides in the egg mixture. If you leave it too long, it will get soggy, but you want to make sure enough of the egg mixture has soaked into the bread. Gently shake to remove excess batter and place in hot oil. Cook until puffed, golden brown, and a nice crispy crust has formed on each side (probably 3 – 5 minutes per side). Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel. While cooking remaining French toast, keep cooked pieces warm in a 200 degree oven.

When ready to serve, roll each piece in:
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Another Option:
Slice the bread into strips for great French toast dippers. Serve with fresh raspberry jam and powdered sugar.

Coconut Syrup 

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup light Karo Syrup
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup canned milk
1 tsp. coconut extract
1 tsp. butter extract

Directions:
Stir sugar, Karo and water together in saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer 2 minutes. Take off heat and let sit a minute. Add milk, coconut extract and butter extract.

Edited to add: For my family of 5 eaters I doubled the french toast part and made the syrup just like the recipe said, but we had plenty of syrup left over, so next time I think I'll half or 3/4 the syrup.

Honey-Sweetened Berry Syrup

Ingredients

• 
  
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 cup blackberries
• 1 cup strawberries
• 1 tsp arrowroot starch/flour- this acts as a thickening agent, a substitute for GMO corn starch
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract 

Instructions

1. In a medium-size saucepan, over medium-high heat, add the berries, water, and honey. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring to combine ingredients.
2. Turn the heat down to a simmer and mash the berries with a potato masher.  Mash the berries.
3. Once mashed, whisk in 1 tsp of arrowroot to the berry mixture, cooking over low-medium heat (simmer). Place a top over the pan and allow to simmer until the mixture is thick (syrup consistency). This only takes a few minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract.
5. Serve the mixture warm over or  or store in a for later use. Keep syrup stored in the refrigerator. This syrup can also be frozen for later use.

WEDGE SALAD ON A STICK 

Ingredients

• 8 (1-inch) wedges iceberg lettuce
• 4 strips cooked bacon, cut in half
• 8 grape tomatoes

• 8 bamboo toothpicks
• 8 teaspoons blue cheese salad dressing
• 8 teaspoons crumbled blue cheese, or more to taste

Directions

1. Thread each lettuce wedge, bacon piece, and grape tomato onto each toothpick, respectively. Arrange toothpicks on a serving platter. Drizzle 1 teaspoon blue cheese dressing over each and sprinkle with blue cheese.

AVOCADO AND GRAPEFRUIT SALAD: 

Ingredients
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil
4 ripe Hass avocados
2 large red grapefruits

Directions
Place the mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the vinaigrette is emulsified.
Before serving, cut the avocados in 1/2, remove the seeds, and carefully peel off the skin. Cut each half into 4 thick slices. Toss the avocado slices in the vinaigrette to prevent them from turning brown. Use a large, sharp knife to slice the peel off the grapefruits (be sure to remove all the white pith), then cut between the membranes to release the grapefruit segments.
Arrange the avocado slices around the edge of a large platter. Arrange the grapefruit segments in the center. Spoon the vinaigrette on top, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve.

EGGS BENEDICT WITH SMOKED SALMON:

Toast and butter an english muffin.  Place smoked salmon on top of muffin then poach an egg and put that on top of smoked salmon.  Top with hollandaise sauce and chives (optional) 

Hollandaise Sauce:

3 egg yolks

1/4 tsp Dijon Mustard

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 dash Tobasco

1/2 cup butter 

In blender combine egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice and Tobasco.  Cover and blend for 5 seconds.  Place the butter in a glass measuring cup and heat in microwave till melted and hot.  Set the blender on high and pour the butter into the egg yolk mixture in a thin stream.  It should' thicken almost immediately.  Keep the sauce warm until serving by placing blender container in a pan of hot tap water. 

PROSCIUTTO WRAPPED ASPARAGUS 

YIELD: 4 SERVINGS

PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 5 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 15 MINUTES

The easiest, most tastiest appetizer with just 2 ingredients and 10 min prep!

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 ounces sliced prosciutto, halved horizontally
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Working one at a time, wrap halved prosciutto slice on each asparagus spear at an angle, covering the entire length of the spear. Repeat with remaining prosciutto and asparagus.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add asparagus and cook until prosciutto is crisp and asparagus is tender, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Serve immediately.

LEIGE WAFFLES: 

Ingredients

• 3/4 Cup Whole Milk, scalded and cooled to warm milk
• 2 Tablespoons water, warmed
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons sugar
• 2 Teaspoons instant yeast
• 2 Large eggs, lightly whisked
• 1 Cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3 Tablespoons honey
• 3 Tablespoons white sugar
• 3 Teaspoons vanilla
• 2 Cups Bread flour
• 1 1/2-1 3/4 Cups Flour
• 2 Cups Belgian pearl sugar (we buy ours from Orson Gygi)

Instructions

1. Add the 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar to the milk and water and add the yeast, stirring to combine. Allow the yeast to proof, or get foamy and puffy.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugars. Add the eggs, honey and vanilla. Stir together and add the yeast mixture. Place in a standing mixer with the dough hook and add 2 cups of flour. Mix until the dough is thoroughly incorporated, and add the remaining flour, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for up to 4 hours on the counter, or up to 24 hours covered with plastic wrap in the fridge. The dough will need to sit on the counter and come back to room temperature to use. Then punch down and knead in the pearl sugar. Separate into 8 to 10 balls and place on a hot, greased waffle iron. Cook until golden brown and serve with biscoff, whipped cream and fresh berries.