[Molly] I'm hosting a fanta-bulous kids' brunch
loaded with fun and flavor on the farm.
I'm giving the preschoolers what they want,
that's also what I want,
nice, savory breakfast sausage stuffed biscuits
-with eggs and maple syrup for dunking. -Oop.
Strawberry vanilla bean pastry pockets
drizzled with cream cheese glaze and sprinkles.
Adorable.
Easy peasy spinach egg bite.
These look like a party.
And to wash it all down,
frozen peanut butter drinks
that kiddos and parents will both love.
Let's get ready to caffeinate these kids.
Just kidding.
Look at these beauties.
Hey, this is me, Molly Yeh.
This is my husband, Nick.
This is our growing family,
and this is our farm on the North Dakota-Minnesota border,
the place where I eat, sleep and breathe food.
Bernie just started pre-school,
and she's already making new little friends.
So I thought I would be fun to put together a feast
so that they could kickstart their own brunch club tradition.
Just like mine. Get 'em started young.
For a savory bite,
I'm-- We're gonna make breakfast sausage stuffed biscuits
which are warm, bready balls of glee
that have savory sausage and melty cheese in the bellies,
and I'm serving them with eggs and maple syrup for dunking on the side.
I think they're actually for me, not for them.
For the sausage,
I'm gonna start with a combination of milk and breadcrumbs.
That's gonna help the meatball stay together
and then it's also gonna add that necessary moisture.
So, I've got a quarter cup of whole milk,
and then half a cup of panko breadcrumbs.
I'll crack in an egg to help bind these all together.
I'm using one pound of ground pork.
You can use other meat too.
Ground turkey or ground chicken would be totally fine.
I love making homemade breakfast sausage
because you can tailor the spices and the seasonings to your taste.
And it's actually really easy.
And I will season it now with one teaspoon of kosher salt.
I always like to distribute the seasonings as best I can
over the surface of the meat
just so they get a jumpstart on distributing evenly.
I don't have to feel like I'm over-mixing the meat,
'cause you never wanna over-mix ground meat
otherwise it could get tough.
All right, now half a teaspoon each of ground sage,
dried thyme,
and fennel,
which is key in any sausage.
I love fennel.
Smells kinda licorice-y.
A quarter teaspoon of crushed red pepper.
A touch of heat will balance everything out.
A quarter teaspoon of onion powder.
A quarter teaspoon of rosemary,
Bernie's middle name.
Can't leave the rosemary out of this sausage.
And then, an eighth of a teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg.
A necessary part of any breakfast sausage is some sweetness.
So, I'm sprinkling in one and a half teaspoons of brown sugar.
Before I get in here with my hands and get them all meaty,
I'll get my skillet heating up over medium high.
And then, I'll combine this quickly.
I wanna be careful not to over-mix.
And the most efficient way of mixing up meatballs or sausage
is just by getting in here with your hands.
So, this is actually a breakfast version
of the meatball stuffed biscuits that my mom would make growing up.
It was one of my favorite dinners.
They're just so comforting.
Now that this is all combined, I'll roll 16 little meatballs.
It'll be the perfect size to go inside of the biscuits.
The only difference between this,
and a regular meatball is all the spices and the brown sugar.
If you can make meatballs, you can make breakfast sausage.
I'll brown the ball on all sides now,
which will amplify their flavor and it'll give them that great crust.
It'll also make them easier to work with as I'm forming the biscuits.
So, I've got a little bit of neutral oil in my skillet.
I'll cook these over medium high heat till they're golden brown.
Oh!
This is the smell of a brunch party.
Bernie and Ira are total meat girls.
They could eat meatballs for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Every single day.
These have some great color on them and they smell so good.
I'll just dispatch out of the pan.
They're gonna finish up their cooking once they're in the biscuits in the oven.
And then brown up the second batch.
I think Bernie will be okay with Ira crashing the party.
She hasn't gotten to that phase yet
where the little sister isn't allowed to hang out
with her and her cool friends.
I'll get these out of the pan
and then let them cool briefly while I get my biscuits and cheese.
I'm ready to assemble.
I've got my nine by nine pan here.
It's greased.
American cheese, heck yeah, and biscuits.
Smells good.
You could use homemade biscuits,
but store bought biscuits are so good.
This is just like shaping a dumpling.
I'll take one biscuit and flatten it out a little bit with my fingers.
And then get half a slice of cheese.
This'll be like a melty cheese hug around the meatball.
I'll place it on top of the biscuit.
And then one of the meatballs.
And then stretch the biscuit dough
over the meatball and the cheese.
Pinch the edges well to seal.
A little sausage-y packet.
I'll press it seam side down, right in the corner of my pan.
I'll shape the rest and then I'll bake these 375 degrees for 35 minutes
until they're golden brown.
Okay.
I think the biscuits are ready to come out of the oven.
Oh, yeah.
These look so good.
I've got a couple of tablespoons of melted butter here
that I'll brush all over the top
to make the tops glossy and party ready.
A good pinch of flaky salt.
To add that sparkle.
Okay, this egg is just about ready to flip.
Every breakfast sandwich needs a fried egg.
I'll slice this in half and make a sandwich.
Hello.
And top it with the egg.
Ready for it?
Oop.
I'll finish with a little drizzle of maple syrup.
Just a tiny bit.
Bis-cute.
I'm going in.
[muffled chuckling]
That sausage is so flavorful
and the melty American cheese with the egg yolk is...
the ideal ooze.
[chuckles] Okay, get these away from me.
I'm just kidding.
I love these.
Coming up, my sweet, hand-held treats
will make your kids jump for interactive joy.
Oh, yeah, baby.
If there is one major life lesson
that Bernie already has a grasp on
it's that brunch is really just an excuse to ear dessert in the morning.
So, I'm giving the preschoolers what they want,
that's also what I want,
and I making strawberry vanilla bean pastry pockets
that are buttery, flaky vehicles
for homemade strawberry jam,
and they're served with individual packets of cream cheese
and little bowls of sprinkles
so they can DIY the topping at the table.
It's freakin' cute, if you ask me.
I'm starting with store bought puff pastry
that I've allowed to thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Or you can let this go at room temperature for half hour, 45 minutes.
And, I'll use my rolling pin to roll it out in a big rectangle
that's 12 inches tall by 16 inches wide.
Bernie loves doing her little projects at pre-school.
Everyday, she comes home with her backpack
and her take-home folder is filled
with stacks of drawing and paintings and stuff.
And my favorite thing to do is bring it to the dinner table
and then she talks us through all of her art pieces that she's made at school.
It's so fun.
I'll divide it into eight rectangles now
and to do that, I'll divide it down the equator
and then four equal size rectangles vertically.
I'll transfer four of the rectangles to my baking sheet,
it's lined with parchment.
And these will become the bottom parts of the pastry pockets.
And I'll top each of these
with a heaping tablespoon of my homemade strawberry vanilla bean jam.
This was really satisfying to make.
You just combine strawberries, sugar and lemon juice,
add some fresh vanilla bean or vanilla extract
and then bring the mixture to a boil
and cook for 10 to 12 minutes,
stirring continuously until it's thick.
Pop in a little butter for richness,
and a splash of rosewater to make it floral.
Cool it down completely and chill in the fridge.
If you wanted to use store bought,
I would recommend adding some vanilla bean and rosewater.
Just to amp it up.
I don't wanna get the jam too close to the edge
and risk it leaking out while it's baking.
So, eyeballing a heaping tablespoon
right down the center.
I'll brush the edges with an egg wash,
just an egg beaten with a splash of water.
This is the glue that holds these all together.
And top with the remaining rectangles.
This is my homemade version of those store bought pastry pockets
that I seem to remember came with little teeny tiny packets of glaze.
I didn't get them very often growing up.
So, now I'm making up for lost time.
And now I'll take a fork around the edge
to ensure that these stay sealed shut.
You could totally freeze them at this point.
Just keep 'em in the freezer for an easy brunch.
And now, a few holes poked into the top
will help the steam release while they're baking so they don't explode.
Also makes them look cute.
Another coating of egg wash will help them get shiny and golden all over.
And now, before these bake, I'll stick them in the refrigerator
for about 30 minutes.
That's gonna help them hold their shape in the oven.
And then bake at 425 degrees for 18 minutes
until they're golden brown and puffed.
And then, the real fun begins.
[school bell ringing]
Smells like a school morning in here.
Oh, yeah.
Those are puffy and golden and delightful.
Okay, I'll let these cool briefly while I mix up my cream cheese glaze.
So, I've got four ounces of cream cheese
and it's softened to room temperature.
And I'll mix it with two cups of powdered sugar.
This is just a super simple, thick cream cheese glaze.
I love the cream cheese in it because it adds a great tanginess.
And also, cream cheese, breakfast...
It all fits with the vibe.
I'll mix this up slowly.
I don't want powdered sugar flying on these great pants.
I begin to drizzle in about two-thirds of a cup of heavy cream
to smooth it out and make it a glaze consistency.
About a pinch of salt.
All right.
Looks like a smooth, glossy glaze to me.
Oh yeah, it's good.
For my individual piping bags,
I've just got little zip top bags.
I'll spoon a few tablespoons of the glaze into a bag,
right into the corner.
Whenever I'm baking with Bernie,
it always helps to use tools that are side
so they fit in her hands nicely.
These are the perfect size.
I'll smoosh the glaze down to the corner.
Give it a little twist,
and then close it up with a rubber band.
Okay.
I'll snip off the top so it looks cute.
And a little bowl of sprinkles.
Here's how I'm going to present it.
Each person gets their own little mise en place.
And now I'm gonna take it for a test drive because I can't resist.
Just go to town.
Tan-ta-na-na!
I mean, there she is.
That's pre-school pastry excellence.
Mmm.
They're sweet, they're flaky.
And that little bit of rosewater in the jam
makes these feel kinda fancy.
I think Bernie and her friends are gonna love these.
Next, the secret to making any kid crave spinach.
So cute.
Every single day of my life brings awareness to the fact
that preschoolers and vegetables
have truly hot and cold relationship.
So, for a veggie forward dish
that I think these kiddos are actually gonna go for,
I am making the softest, fluffiest egg bites ever
and then sliding it in some spinach and pepper "confetti".
They're really easy to eat
and so ridiculously easy to make.
I just whizz a bunch of stuff in the blender and bake.
I'm starting with six whole eggs in my blender,
and I'll combine them with one cup of shredded fontina cheese,
which is really creamy and mild.
Mozzarella would work too.
And half a cup of cottage cheese,
and a quarter cup of half and half.
So this will be a smooth egg-y base
to catch all the veggies.
Now, I'll blend this up until it's smooth.
Looking extra creamy.
Now, I'll toss in a good handful of baby spinach.
About a cup.
So, there are some days when Bernie clears her plate of her vegetables
and asks for seconds and I'm like,
"Whose child is this?"
Because truthfully, I didn't eat vegetables when I was growing up.
But then, there are other days where she'll shove her plate across the table
because there was one broccoli floret on it
and it was touching her other things, and I'm like, "Oh, yeah.
We're related." [laughs]
I'll season it with a good couple of pinches of salt,
and some black pepper.
I'll blend this just to break up the spinach.
All right.
I like to bake these in silicone molds.
Number one, it makes them really easy to remove
when they're done baking,
but it also allows the texture of the egg bites
to be really creamy.
I will divide this mixture evenly between the 12 cups.
One day recently, my mum came over
and made spinach "cookies" with Bernie, and Bernie loved them.
They were piles of spinach and cheese, baked into the shape of cookies.
Sometimes I feel like getting kids to eat vegetables
is more about the marketing.
If I need to resort to this, I'll just call these cupcakes.
And now, for some added veggies,
I'll chop up some rainbow bell peppers.
I'll cut of the stem, then get the seeds out and then chop 'em in half
and then into tiny strips
and then crosswise them too.
Little bit of confetti.
I just got Bernie her first sharp knife for her birthday.
So now, I'm trying to teach her knife skills.
Teaching her the joys of uniformly cut vegetables.
It's so fun.
I'll sprinkle these in.
A few of each color in each cupcake.
These look like a party.
Now,
to bake these, what's gonna give them the silkiest,
most luxurious texture,
is baking them with a hot water bath.
So, I've got some boiling water here.
And I'm gonna fill up this big metal pan halfway.
And what that's gonna do is,
in the oven, it's gonna steam the eggs in addition to baking them.
It just makes the egg so soft.
I'll get these in the oven now at 325 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes
until they're just set.
All right, my egg bites are baked.
Just get them out of the pan.
So soft and jiggly and so cute.
Just wanna eat this.
I like finishing these off with yogurt,
and herbs and crushed red pepper.
But I know for a fact that my child is not gonna want that.
So, I'll decorate a couple of these
and then leave a couple of them undecorated.
All of the get a bit of flaky salt because that tastes good.
And Bernie gets down with flaky salt.
I'll dollop a few of them with some yogurt.
A couple of herbs.
I've got some fresh parsley and cilantro.
And lastly, a little crushed red pepper.
Just a little.
Tee-dee.
So cute.
I'm going in.
Mmm, these are so rich and creamy.
Delicious.
I think the kids are gonna think these are egg-cellent.
Still to come, my version of a blended iced coffee drink,
but for kids.
[in sing-song voice] Let it go...
[in normal voice] right into your mouth.
No brunch party is complete without a bev.
So, let's get ready to caffeinate these kids.
Just kidding. There's no caffeine in this beverage.
But it is so good, even the parents will want it.
I am making my frozen peanut butter drink
which is sweet and frosty and nutty.
It'll make your little one feel like they're strolling around the mall
sipping an iced coffee,
gossiping.
Going for a prom dress.
[chuckles] Okay, pre-school.
I have peanut butter here, about half a cup.
This is creamy, unsweetened.
I'll sprinkle in a little cinnamon.
Cinnamon and peanut butter go really well together.
A splash of vanilla,
and two cups of oat milk.
You can really use any milk with this.
And then three tablespoons of brown sugar.
Figure if you can't caffeinate them, just sugar them up.
I'll get this combined.
And now, to make it frozen and frosty,
I'll grab my oat milk cubes.
This is just two cups of oat milk,
but I froze it into an ice cube tray.
I love making milk cubes,
because you can add them to smoothies or drinks like this
and you don't have to worry about diluting the flavor.
And blend.
Oh, yeah.
That's the texture I'm going for.
It's smooth and blended but still thick and icy.
I'll get my glasses.
I'll fill 'em up.
Kinda looks like a frozen coffee, right?
Bernie loves peanut butter.
And all the best frozen coffee drinks are topped with whipped cream.
So I've got some fresh whipped here,
sweetened with a little powdered sugar.
I'll dollop this on top.
And I'll finish with chocolate shavings.
When I was little and I would go to the mall with my mom,
we would go to this little coffee kiosk
and she would get me some sort of drink
with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles,
and that's what I remember eating
and then I don't think I actually drank the drink.
She probably did.
And cherries.
Why the heck not?
Cute.
And a straw.
Adorable.
Cheers.
Mmm.
They're so nutty and creamy and refreshing.
I don't even miss the caffeine.
Okay, I think it's brunch time.
[kids cheering]
[kids applauding]