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Breakfast recipes for slow weekends: Cinnamon doughnuts and sweet potato pancakes

If you've got some extra time this weekend why not try rustling up one of these tasty treats?

Breakfast is often called the most important meal of the day - so take time over it this weekend with these indulgent breakfast recipes.

Apple and Cinnamon Mini Doughnuts

You’ll need a mini doughnut mould to create these bite-sized doughnuts with the classic combination of grated apple and a sticky, cinnamon glaze. They’re oven-baked, not deep-fried - just plonk a batch on the table and see how quickly they disappear.



Ingredients
60g plain flour
30g golden caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
quarter teaspoon cinnamon
1 apple - peeled, cored and grated
100ml semi-skimmed milk
half teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
20g butter, melted and left to cool slightly

For the glaze
4 tbsp icing sugar
quarter teaspoon cinnamon
hot water

Method
Preheat your oven to 180ºC. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and grated apple. In a jug, mix together the milk, vanilla, egg and butter. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until you get a smooth batter. Scrape the batter into a disposable piping bag and cut off the end. Pipe the mixture into the holes of a mini-doughnut mould (we used a silicone one) placed onto a baking tray. You will need to do this in two batches. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes. Leave to cool slightly and then remove the doughnuts from the mould.

To make the glaze, mix the cinnamon and icing sugar in a small bowl. Add drops of hot water from the kettle (starting with half a teaspoonful), until you get a thin but still sticky glaze. Drizzle this over the cooked doughnuts and serve.

Cheesy Bacon and Egg Cups
This baked version of bacon and eggs is protein-rich and indulgent. Just double the recipe to feed more people. Makes 4.



Ingredients
4 rashers streaky bacon, not too fatty, chopped into small pieces
2 large eggs, beaten
4 tbsp grated cheese (we used Double Gloucester)
2 tbsp snipped chives

Method
Preheat the oven to 200ºC. In a dry non-stick pan, fry the bacon pieces until cooked through and just beginning to turn golden - about 2-3 minutes. Take off the heat and leave to cool. Add three quarters of the cooled bacon to the beaten eggs and pour into four indents of a silicone muffin tray. Top with a sprinkling of cheese, the rest of the bacon and the snipped chives. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the egg has set. Eat while still hot.

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Sweet Potato Pancakes with Pecans and Maple Syrup

You’d never guess these pancakes contained mashed sweet potato - you could also try them with mashed pumpkin or butternut squash. Great for using up leftovers. Makes 10-12.



Ingredients

220g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
quarter teaspoon cinnamon
quarter teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
220ml full-fat milk
100g leftover (cold) mashed sweet potato
small pinch of salt
maple syrup and pecans, to serve

Method
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and cinnamon. In a jug, mix together the vanilla, egg, milk and then mash in the sweet potato. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and beat well, until you have a smooth batter. Stir in a small pinch of salt.

Heat a little oil (half a teaspoonful will do) in a non-stick frying pan and drop tablespoonfuls of the batter into the hot pan. Cook on a medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side, flipping them over when bubbles start to appear around the edges and on the top. Serve while they’re still hot, with pecans and maple syrup alongside.

Honey, Oat and Berry Cookies

These cookies use traditional breakfast ingredients such as honey, oats and fruit. Makes 12 biscuits.



Ingredients
100g salted butter, softened
50g golden caster sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons runny honey
150g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
50g jumbo rolled oats
40g dried mixed berries (we used a combination of dried cherries, blueberries, strawberries and raisins)

Method
Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Line two baking trays with greaseproof paper. Mash together the softened butter and the sugar in a bowl until smooth, and then stir in the egg yolk and honey. Add the flour, baking powder, oats and berries and give everything a good stir until well combined (you might want to use your hands).

Pinch off small balls of the mixture and place on the baking tray, leaving a small space between each. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Cool slightly before serving.

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