Make-Ahead Christmas Morning Breakfast Recipes from Willow Bird Baking

You probably would’ve guessed dessert, but breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I’ve been scheming for a month to bring you this collection of recipes. They’re festive, delicious dishes that are perfect for the most special breakfast of the year: Christmas morning!

Most of these dishes have make-ahead instructions tucked right into the recipe so that you can spend time with your family Christmas morning. There’s also a section of recipes at the end that aren’t make-ahead, but are worth considering anyway because they’re so tasty. I hope you choose one or more of these treats for your holiday table.

1. Sassy Sausage & Hash Brown Breakfast Bake
2. Gingerbread Coffee Cake with Cranberry Pecan Streusel
3. Salted Caramel Mocha Hot Chocolate
4. Bright Pepper Jelly on Buttered Toast


5. Blueberry Cream Cheese Almond Braid

6. Raspberry Almond Braid
7. Cinnamon Sparkled Pastry Stix with Egg Nog Glaze
8. Buttermilk Cranberry Scones
9. Pumpkin Pecan Streusel Breakfast Braid


10. Winter Breakfast Chili Over Eggs in Sourdough Bowls



The following recipes aren’t make-ahead, but they are fantastic:

11. Blueberry Stuffed French Toast Bowls (you could prepare the filling in advance)
12. Banana Nut Bread Waffles
13. Carrot Cake Waffles
14. Eggs in a French Toast Basket


15. Pecan Maple Bacon Pancakes

Merry Christmas!

If you liked this post, please:
Subscribe to Willow Bird Baking
Follow Willow Bird Baking on Twitter
Follow Willow Bird Baking on Facebook
Give this post a thumbs up on StumbleUpon
Pin It


ShareOther ways to share this post with friends!

Cranberry Orange Pecan Cake (vegan)

I’m sitting in my living room like a lump, listening to a Brazilian rock band and watching Mike exercise (I’m pretty sure I’m getting healthier by proxy). Byrd is snuggled beside me, a tiny fellow lump. I’m about to grade papers (I promise), but the sum total of my work today has been coining a new nickname for Byrd: Sweet Potato. It’s a cross between sweetheart and couch potato. Get it?

So it’s been a lazy day. I ate oatmeal on toast and then some sausages, caramelized onions, and sauerkraut for dinner. Mike and I discussed Jean Luc Picard. We finished watching Miracle on 34th Street. Byrd chewed on her toy for awhile. That’s about the sum total of our productivity.

It’s about time for some relaxation, though. I like to say that teachers don’t really get a “weekend” for 10 months out of the year; we’re hard at work or on call 24/7. Work and home start to blend together — you lesson plan at school and grade papers at home or vice versa, answering student and parent queries all the while. You squeeze in the other bits and pieces of your life wherever they fit (and sometimes leave them by the wayside altogether — I won’t mention how long my carpet sometimes goes unvacuumed).

Also, I work at a project based school, which means students learn through authentic application projects. I’m wholeheartedly invested in this model, but it does mean that I’m always knee-deep in projects to grade.

I would never complain — I have the best job in the world (did I tell you about the lamb that was at school last week? Did I mention the Winter Wonderland where students caroled and drank hot chocolate? Did I tell you about how my students are actually excited to receive new projects?) But I definitely appreciate a break now and then.

This break has been appreciated to the fullest. Honestly, this is my first day of lounging around in an otherwise caffeinated week. I’ve been getting housework done and prepping for the holidays. And Monday, I attended a baked goods swap (my first ever, if you can believe it) with the Charlotte Food Bloggers.

The Charlotte Food Bloggers are an incredibly varied group of people. We have mommy bloggers, vegan bloggers, healthy living bloggers, restaurant reviewers, and straight up food bloggers. I decided I wanted to make a dessert everyone could enjoy and that meant (gulp) baking vegan.

Vegan baking may conjure up ideas of dry or oily frankendesserts, but it really shouldn’t. This cake, for instance, was as delicious as any non-vegan cake I’ve ever tasted. It was, if I do say so myself (and I did already, on Willow Bird Baking’s Facebook page), pretty slammin’! It even passed the Mike test, and he’s quite the carnivore.

The festive combination of orange zest and cranberries brightened up the moist cake, which was generously slathered with some dairy-free “cream cheese” frosting. Whether you’re vegan or not, give this one a try.


fun with the charlotte food bloggers (instagram courtesy of taylor mathis)

Vegan Cranberry Orange Pecan Cake



Recipe by: Adapted from the veganized version by The Tolerant Vegan, originally from Midwest Living
Yield: 9 servings

This cake is fantastic! It’s a moist, delicious “butter” cake full of festive cranberries, orange zest, and toasted pecans. The whole thing is slathered with dairy-free cream cheese frosting that, unlike some other vegan frostings I’ve tried, is a great consistency for spreading. Whether you’re a vegan or not, you’ll love every bite of this cake.

Cake Ingredients:
3/8 cup Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread
3/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
5/8 cup vanilla almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
1 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen, chopped
1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped (plus more for sprinkling)
1 tablespoon orange zest

Frosting Ingredients:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons dairy-free cream cheese, softened (I used Trader Joe’s This is Not a Tub of Cream Cheese)
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread, softened
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare an 8-inch square baking pan by greasing it with Earth Balance and flouring it. Place a parchment paper square in the bottom, and grease and flour the paper as well. (Note: You can double this recipe and make it in a 9 x 13-inch pan).

In a large bowl, cream together the Earth Balance and sugar for 2-3 minutes until fluffy. Mix in the applesauce, almond milk, and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the baking powder, baking soda, sea salt and flour. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until fully combined.

Mix in the vinegar. Fold in the cranberries, pecans, and orange zest. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Allow the cake to cool completely before you frost it.

To make the frosting, place confectioners’ sugar, dairy-free cream cheese, Earth Balance, and vanilla extract in a bowl and mix until combined and fluffy. Spread the frosting on the cake, sprinkle with toasted pecans, and serve.

P.S. I just learned about orange pomanders this year and have enjoyed making them. Just poke some whole cloves into a few oranges. You can make any design you like. They smell lovely and are a fun little Christmas craft.

P.S. 2 – See Taylor’s visual recap of the CFB baked goods swap here. Lots of pretty food!

If you liked this post, please:
Subscribe to Willow Bird Baking
Follow Willow Bird Baking on Twitter
Follow Willow Bird Baking on Facebook
Give this post a thumbs up on StumbleUpon
Pin It


Shareother ways to share this post with friends

Cinnamon Sparkled Pastry Stix with Egg Nog Glaze

My caffeine tolerance has always been one of my favorite hidden talents (right up there with that funny thing I can do with my knuckle. Remind me to show you that sometime.)

The other day, however, I was bragging to Mike (again) about being able to chug a soda right before bed and I realized something. For years I’ve slurped my coke right up until bedtime. And for years I’ve had trouble getting enough sleep. Hrm.

Must be a coincidence.

My soda adoration is not a new thing. An entry in my baby book illustrates its rich history. When I was less than a year old, my mother records that I’d screech with joy upon receiving Coke and get obnoxious when it was taken away.

(We’ll generously assume that my mother was sleep deprived when she offered soda to a toddler. And gleefully recorded my reaction in my baby book.)

My love for cola has only grown. I love classic Coke, Coke in glass bottles, fountain Coke, Coke Zero, and a good diet Sunkist now and again. I love the tingly feeling of drinking soda after eating something sweet or just waking up. I love sodas on hot days and sodas on cold days. I love funky ginger sodas that burn my throat. I love diet orange creme soda. I can get a little carried away.

(The only thing I don’t love is Pepsi. Don’t even get me started on that mess. And sorry, Cheerwine tastes like cough syrup. Did I just get kicked out of the South? Maybe.)

My penchant for soda isn’t particularly healthy, but it’s served me well this week. I needed that caffeine boost. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had approximately eleventy-billion things to do in preparation for the holidays. Gift shopping, gift wrapping, baking, decorating, attending various gatherings, bathing the dog and trying not to kill her after a particularly messy incident involving puppy chow. You know. Typical Christmas preparations.

Good news if you’re a fellow headless chicken: These little Cinnamon Sparkled Pastry Stix are tasty, cute, and easy to make ahead. They can be prepped and refrigerated overnight to pop into the oven for a simple breakfast.

If you can plan a few days in advance to make your own homemade puff pastry, you should. They’re good either way, but I promise I’m not being a snob when I say there’s a pronounced difference between store-bought and homemade in this case! Once you have your pastry, it’s just a matter of brushing it with butter, sprinkling on some goodies, and making your twists. And then pouring yourself a celebratory glass of Coke, of course.

What’s been keeping you busiest this week?

Cinnamon Sparkled Pastry Stix with Egg Nog Glaze



Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking, with pastry inspired by King Arthur Flour and Gale Gand and glaze inspired by Betty Crocker
Yield: 20+ stix

These puff pastry stix are sparkled with cinnamon, sugar, and buttery cinnamon chips. They’re simple to make ahead and chill in the fridge overnight. Pop them in the oven in the morning and drizzle on some sweet eggnog glaze for a quick, festive breakfast. If you can spare the time, make your own homemade puff pastry — it may seem like a lot of effort, but it really does pay off in flavor!

Stix Ingredients:
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed (or make homemade puff pastry!)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup cinnamon chips (you can replace these with more cinnamon-sugar if you don’t have them around)
2 tablespoons milk

Egg Nog Glaze Ingredients:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons eggnog
cinnamon, nutmeg to taste

Directions:
NOTE: If you’re making homemade puff pastry from scratch, you’ll want to start that process 3 days before your meal.

1 day in advance: Mix sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. On a silicone mat or lightly floured surface, roll your puff pastry sheet out to a 10″ x 15″ rectangle. Brush half of it (a 5″ x 15″ strip) with melted butter and sprinkle on cinnamon chips and half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Fold the unfilled side of the pastry over and press to seal around the edges. Brush the top of the now 5″ x 15″ rectangle with the milk and sprinkle on the rest of the cinnamon and sugar.

With a pizza cutter (spray it a little with vegetable spray if it sticks to the dough), cut the square into 1/2″ stix (they’ll be 5″ long). Press them a little to ensure cinnamon chips are snug, but don’t fret when some inevitably fall out. Take each strip by both ends and gently, carefully twist like you’re wringing out a rag. Scoop up cinnamon and sugar that has fallen off the twists and resprinkle them. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Stick them in the fridge overnight (you could also bake immediately).

The morning of: Take baking sheet out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature while you preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Remove plastic wrap and bake stix about 20 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Some of the cinnamon chips might leak out, but don’t worry about it. While the stix cool slightly, mix up your glaze. In a small bowl, mix all glaze ingredients until smooth. Add more eggnog if not thin enough to drizzle, tasting as you go. Drizzle over slightly warm pastry stix and serve.

Coca-Cola didn’t sponsor this post, but they probably should’ve, right?

If you liked this post, please:
Subscribe to Willow Bird Baking
Follow Willow Bird Baking on Twitter
Follow Willow Bird Baking on Facebook
Give this post a thumbs up on StumbleUpon
Pin It


Shareother ways to share this post with friends

Gingersnap Cheesecake Stuffed Snickerdoodles

Things you should know:

1. A guy doesn’t make you a sweater with working Christmas lights unless he kinda likes you. He just doesn’t.

2.You don’t have to sing well as long as you sing loudly and enthusiastically. The people you live with may pretend to disagree with this statement, but they’re just trying to hoard the fun. Disregard them.

3. A dog will never win an Ugly Christmas Sweater competition because any sweater becomes 100% adorable when placed on a dog.

4. Serving hot chocolate to 75 middle school students is a manageable task until the bottom falls out of one of the cups. Then things get dicey.

5. Trader Joe’s cocoa truffles are pure insanity. I just ate approximately 8 billion of them and I can’t even muster up some shame.

6. Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas is You is the best Christmas song ever. Except for the ones about Jesus obviously, because even Mariah cannot compete.

7. Despite vivid memories of walking through Washington D.C. in the freezing rain with holey (not to be confused with holy, which would be kind of cool) shoes a few years ago, I cannot convince myself to purchase shoes more regularly. However, when my shoes basically disintegrated recently, I did finally visit the shoe store. I have a new pair of flats and some fluffy bootlike thingies. And warmer feet.

8. Peppermint is gross. I’m sorry that I’m not baking you crazies all sorts of peppermint things, but . . . I just can’t get into that mess. It’s like straight up eating toothpaste. Ew.

9. There is nothing sweeter than a freshly bathed, blow-dried pup (after they’ve done the whole run-around-the-house-like-a-banshee thing and calmed down, of course). They’re almost sweet enough to make you forget about the ginormous mess they created that made the bath necessary. Almost.

10. Christmas is the perfect excuse to eat loads of cookies, as if you needed one.


11. Present wrapping tip: plain brown paper and some hemp string or lace makes for a pretty parcel.
You can even reuse some old paper grocery bags.

These Gingersnap Cheesecake Stuffed Snickerdoodles were modeled after my Pumpkin Cheesecake Stuffed Snickerdoodles. They were so delicious that I had to make a Christmas version! The dense gingersnap middles are sweet, spicy, and delicious inside the pillowy snickerdoodles.

These cookies are insane on their own, but I may have heated up a couple and eaten them over vanilla ice cream, and it may have been amazing. I think you should try it and see for yourself.

Gingersnap Cheesecake Stuffed Snickerdoodles



Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking, using cookies adapted from Sunset, 1998 via Bakergirl
Yield: 30-35 large cookies

Delicious gingersnap cheesecake truffles are enveloped in a pillowy snickerdoodle. These cookies are filled with holiday cheer and perfect for a cookie swap (or for hoarding and devouring beside the Christmas tree). Heat them before serving for maximum enjoyment, and I won’t judge you if you decide to serve them over a bowl of vanilla ice cream.

Snickerdoodle Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
2 large eggs
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar + 1 tablespoon cinnamon for rolling cookies

Gingersnap Cheesecake Filling Ingredients:
2 cups white chocolate chips (about 10 ounces)
3 cups finely ground gingersnaps
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
4 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

Directions:
Make the gingersnap cheesecake filling: Melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave on half power. Start with 1 minute and stir. Continue to heat the chocolate in 15 second intervals, stirring well after each to aid the melting, until it is smooth (be careful not to overheat). Transfer this to a shallow pan to cool until just warm (but not until hardened).

In the meantime, mix gingersnap crumbs, confectioners’ sugar, ginger, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and cream cheese together. Add the white chocolate and mix well until thoroughly combined. Transfer the mixture to the fridge while you make the snickerdoodle dough.

Make snickerdoodle dough: Mix together the butter, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, and eggs in a large bowl. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture in 3-4 additions, mixing until just combined between each. Place the finished dough in the refrigerator to chill. While the cookie dough chills, roll gingersnap mixture into balls and place the balls on a wax paper lined baking sheet. Cover, and chill until firm (about 1 hour).

In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup granulated sugar and cinnamon. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Take a few gingersnap balls out of the fridge at a time to work in small batches (so they stay firm). Scoop out about a tablespoon of chilled cookie dough. Press a frozen gingersnap cheesecake ball into the center, then cover with another bit of dough, working the dough around the whole ball. Roll the ball in cinnamon-sugar (which will make the soft dough easier to handle, so you can firm up the shape here) and place it on a greased baking sheet. Repeat the process, placing cookies 2-3 inches apart. If cookie dough gets too soft, re-chill it for a bit and continue working. I made sure to stick it back in the fridge during any downtime (like when I had some cookies in the oven).

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until edges are slightly browned. Let the cookies cool on the pan for a few minutes before removing them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the fridge, reheating for 30 seconds to a minute before eating. Serve a few hot cookies over vanilla ice cream for a special treat!

If you liked this post, please:
Subscribe to Willow Bird Baking
Follow Willow Bird Baking on Twitter
Follow Willow Bird Baking on Facebook
Give this post a thumbs up on StumbleUpon
Pin It


Shareother ways to share this post with friends

Winter Breakfast Chili Over Eggs in Sourdough Bowls


winter breakfast chili: spicy chili served over fluffy scrambled eggs in sourdough bowls

My 6th graders’ faces lit up deviously. It was a cold, gray morning hardly worthy of delight, but they seemed delighted nonetheless.

I was standing at the front of the room sipping the day’s second diet Sunkist while I issued instructions for the assignment they were about to begin. They double-checked: “So we don’t put our name on it anywhere? Can we disguise our handwriting? Can we give you a letter grade?”

The assignment was something I affectionately call Ms. Ruble’s Progress Report.

It was only fair, I had explained to them, for students to give me a grade since I got to give them one. And since I wanted them to feel comfortable honestly evaluating my performance, they could complete the entire progress report anonymously.

The ardor with which they began furiously scribbling comments — some writing in careful cursive or big block caps to hide their identity — made me a tad bit nervous. One after another finished with a flourish and shuffled their paper into the growing stack at the front of the room.

You may think I’m a little nuts. And every trimester when I give a gaggle of 12- and 13-year-olds the power to anonymously evaluate me, I kind of wonder if I’m a little nuts as well. But even though I may get one or two angsty comments, I learn something about how my students are feeling from every insight they offer. And beyond that, every single time I’ve completed this exercise with them, I’ve been overwhelmed not by how snarky they are, but by how kind.

For instance, from my most recent evaluations:

“I like your singing and your happiness.”

“I like having individual chats about my essays or projects.”

“I know you care about me because you always take the time to make class fun and equal for every student.”

“I really liked making haiku and working outside.”

“Ms. Ruble only gets mad when necessary.” (Ha!)

“I like how organized everything is and how we read a lot.” (Lots of them asked for even more reading time!)

“I love the creative projects we do because they really entertain me.”

“Ms. Ruble is always helping me with things I don’t understand.”

“You can tell she has put thought into each lesson and really wants you to enjoy it.”

“I really enjoyed making the paper cranes and doing the anime project. I have learned a lot so far this year about China and Japan.”

“I like that language arts challenges you, makes you want to put forth all of your potential and effort. Awesome teacher.”

“Ms. Ruble is fair because she gives proper instruction for everything we do and constantly includes our opinions about activities.”

“I like that Ms. Ruble is funny and that makes the class fun. I also like that she adds her own touch to the lesson.”

“Class is strict to keep it running smoothly and that’s what I like the most.”

“There is never a day that is boring from just note taking off the board.”

“I know that Ms. Ruble cares about me because she gives us lots of tips and is always trying to make us better at everything.”

“I think Ms. Ruble sees so much potential in every one of us. She thinks we all can succeed.”

. . . Wow, right? I’m getting a little teary compiling these just like I did while reading them.

Honestly, these comments say a lot more about my students than they say about me. I’m no different from any other teacher who works hard and tries to give her class a valuable experience. But my students, given complete freedom, anonymity, and voice — a soapbox to gripe about homework! to call me a witch! to rip apart my policies! to complain about having to write essays! — are the ones who chose words full of kindness.

If you’re surprised that when given the opportunity to say anything, these tweens chose to be sweet, I understand. We hear about the cyberbullying and the “mean girls,” very real issues, but we don’t often hear about kids’ kind hearts. The day after I read these evaluations, I stood in front of class and tried not to get choked up as I thanked them for their suggestions, critiques, and most of all, for their thoughtfulness.

Sometimes folks are skeptical about this claim, but I’ll say it again: middle schoolers are great little people.

. . .


Speaking of things that have warmed my soul lately, this Winter Breakfast Chili was another pleasant surprise. I’d never toasted and ground chiles to make my own chile paste before, but believe me, I’ll never go back. First, it was easy — I found cheap, big bags of the dried chiles I needed right in my local grocery store (in the small Hispanic foods section). Second, this chili is flippin’ awesome — it’s the best I’ve ever tasted hands down.

You may be curious about the concept of a breakfast chili. The idea was borne from my desire to create a winter breakfast that was warm and filling, full of protein and just a bit of heat. This chili includes bacon and chorizo and is served over fluffy scrambled eggs in sourdough bread bowls from my local bakery. It turned out to be a phenomenal breakfast reminiscent of spicy, comforting huevos rancheros. And since the chili can be prepared in advance and refrigerated, it’s also the perfect special breakfast for a busy holiday morning.

What’s warmed your soul lately?

Winter Breakfast Chili Over Eggs in Sourdough Bowls



Recipe by: Recipe adapted from Cooks’ Illustrated, as found on Brown Eyed Baker
Yield: 4 servings

The layers of flavor in this chili come from the toasted dried chiles used to make the chile paste, the savory chorizo and bacon, and the addition of some yeasty beer. It’s a rich, deep, slightly spicy dish that shines on a breakfast or dinner table. For breakfast, serve it over fluffy scrambled eggs in a sourdough bowl with broiled cheese on top. Since the chili can be prepared in advance, it makes the perfect dish for a busy holiday morning.

Chili Paste Ingredients:
3 dried ancho chiles (about 7/8 ounces), stems and seeds removed, and flesh torn into 1-inch pieces
1-2 dried árbol chiles, stems removed, pods split, seeds removed
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons cornmeal
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoos cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups chicken broth, divided

Chili Ingredients:
1/4 pound dried pinto beans (about 1/2 cup), rinsed and picked over
Table salt
1 medium onions, cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
1 1/2 jalapeño peppers, stems and seeds removed, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon light molasses
3 ounces chorizo, with casings removed
a few strips of bacon
1/2 (12-ounce) bottle milk lager (I don’t know anything about beer, so I just used Red Stripe and it came out perfectly)*
4 eggs for scrambling
1 tablespoon butter
4 sourdough boules (about 4 inches in diameter)
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
sour cream and cilantro for serving
*If you don’t cook drink alcohol (I don’t, either), you should know that according to this chart, only about 5-10% of alcohol will remain in the entire dish by the time you’re done. The beer is very important to the flavor and I don’t recommend skipping it.

Directions:
Note on scheduling: This chili can be fully prepared in advance and stored in the fridge for a few days. You can hollow out fresh bread boules the day before serving and wrap them tightly to keep them soft. When ready to eat, reheat the chili in the microwave for a few minutes, stirring periodically. Scramble your eggs, assemble the dish, broil the cheese on top, and serve.

Other notes: Make sure to wear gloves when working with chiles and avoid touching your eyeballs (or other people’s eyeballs. But why would you be doing that? Weirdo.) You can substitute 1/4 cup chili powder and 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper if you don’t want to use the dried chiles, but I highly, highly recommend you give it a try. It’s so easy, and very gratifying.


Soak the beans: In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, bring 8 cups of water, beans, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, remove the pot from the heat and cover it. Let it stand for 1 hour before draining and rinsing the beans and rinsing out the pot.

Prepare chile paste: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Toast ancho chiles in a skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until they’re fragrant (4 to 6 minutes). Reduce the heat if they start to smoke. Place the chiles into the bowl of a food processor and let them cool. Leave the skillet unwashed for future use.

Add the árbol chiles, cornmeal, oregano, cumin, cocoa, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the food processor with the ancho chiles and pulverize for about 2 minutes, or until finely ground. Then, with the food processor still running, slowly add 1/4 cup of chicken broth until a smooth paste forms (about 45 seconds). Use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Transfer the paste to a bowl and set aside.

Make the chili: Put the onions in the food processor and pulse them until they’re chopped (about 4 pulses). Add the jalapeños and pulse until the mixture reaches the consistency of a chunky salsa, about 4 more pulses, scraping the bowl if needed.

In your stock pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are softened and the moisture has cooked off, about 7 to 9 minutes. Then add the garlic and saute until it’s fragrant, just about 1 minute. Add the chili paste, tomatoes, and molasses and stir to combine thoroughly. Add the remaining 1 cup of chicken broth and the drained beans and bring the whole mixture to a boil before reducing the heat to simmer.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon over medium-high heat in your skillet to your desired crispiness. Remove it to drain on a paper towel lined plate. In the same skillet, cook the chorizo until browned through (add 1 1/2 teaspoons of vegetable oil if needed to supplement the bacon grease). Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chorizo to the Dutch oven. Discard any liquid in the skillet (but don’t rub off the stuck-on bits!) and return to the heat. Add 1/2 of the bottle of lager to the skillet, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits, and bring it to a simmer. Pour the lager into the Dutch oven. Stir to combine and return the mixture to a simmer.

Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven. Cook until the meat and beans are fully tender, 1½ to 2 hours (I kept test-tasting the beans, since they took the longest — mine actually took longer than 2 hours). While the chili cooks, hollow out 4 sourdough bread boules for serving. If you’re not serving the chili today, wrap these tightly to preserve their freshness for the next day. Otherwise, set them aside.

When the chili is finished, let it stand, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Stir the chili well and season to taste with salt. (Afterwards, you can store it in a tupperware in the refrigerator if you’re not eating it right away.)

Assemble the dish: When you’re ready to serve your chili, heat 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Scramble 4 eggs and distribute them evenly between the bread boules. Ladle chili over the eggs in each boule. Top with shredded cheddar and place on a baking sheet covered in foil. Broil on high for a couple of minutes, watching closely, until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve immediately with cilantro, avocado, chopped onions, and sour cream.

If you liked this post, please:
Subscribe to Willow Bird Baking
Follow Willow Bird Baking on Twitter
Follow Willow Bird Baking on Facebook
Give this post a thumbs up on StumbleUpon
Pin It


Shareother ways to share this post with friends

1 80 81 82 83 84 127