Ina Garten, the beloved Barefoot Contessa, has recipes that blur the line between breakfast and dessert. These treats, while indulgent, can easily kickstart your morning with a sweet boost. If you enjoy a decadent start to the day, these options from Garten’s repertoire are worth considering. Here’s how to make them:
Raspberry Crumble Bars
These bars combine buttery dough with sweet raspberry jam and a crunchy crumble topping. The process is straightforward:
1. Cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla in a stand mixer.
2. Gradually add sifted flour and salt until a dough forms.
3. Press two-thirds of the dough into a baking pan, spread with raspberry jam, and top with a granola-almond crumble.
4. Bake for 45 minutes, then cool and cut into bars.
These are best enjoyed with coffee or tea, though the sugar content may not be ideal for everyone.
Blueberry Ricotta Breakfast Cake
This cake is designed for breakfast but works just as well as a dessert. The recipe involves:
1. Beating butter and sugar until fluffy.
2. Adding eggs one at a time, then ricotta, sour cream, vanilla, and lemon zest. The batter will appear curdled, but this is normal.
3. Combining flour, baking powder, and salt, then slowly adding to the stand mixer.
4. Folding in blueberries and baking in a springform pan for 45 minutes.
Allow to cool before serving with your favorite morning beverage.
Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Garten’s Sour Cream Coffee Cake is a classic pairing for coffee. The recipe includes:
1. Creaming together butter and sugar in a stand mixer.
2. Adding eggs and vanilla extract, followed by sour cream.
3. Combining flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl, then gradually adding to the batter.
For the streusel topping:
1. Pinch together sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter until crumbly.
2. Add walnuts.
3. Layer half the batter into a tube pan, sprinkle with streusel, add the remaining batter, and top with the rest of the streusel.
4. Bake for 45 minutes, then cool completely and drizzle with a maple glaze made from confectioners’ sugar and maple syrup.
These recipes demonstrate that there’s no strict boundary between breakfast and dessert. If you’re looking for a sweet way to start your day, these dishes from Ina Garten offer a delicious and indulgent option.
