Honeycomb Archives - Kitchenmess

Happy New Year everyone!

2021 was indeed another troubling year plagued with uncertainty thanks to the ongoing pandemic. Granted, I didn’t really have much time to post on my blog last year (please forgive me as I have been very busy with my supper club, work, and my new eco-friendly napkin initiative to support underprivileged women.

Started a new job in data/blockchain last year specialising in alternative data. Didn’t leave Hong Kong at all (not a fan of the 3 week hotel quarantine; I’d probably go mental). Picked up French lessons again (inspired by Emily in Paris and missing my days in Paris attempting to learn French in 2015). Started some basic coding lessons too (which I need to continue this year). And that was it, another year just flown by like a breeze. Didn’t travel at all. My only “trip” / break was a short 3 night ‘cruise to nowhere’ on the Royal Caribbean Spectrum of the Seas just before Christmas with a few friends.

I promise to update the recipe blog more regularly this year and start a cookbook too which has been in my backlog for way too long.

But yes, let’s start the year right by being resourceful and creative. How am I resourceful? Well, I had a leftover baguette from a New Years dinner party I got booked for so figured I may as well make good use of it and make French Toast this lazy, Sunday morning.

So to start, let’s focus on what makes this French toast better than the regular version. First, you do away with the regular white bread and substitute it with baguette cut thick. By “thick”, I’m talking 1.5-2 inches thick. Also, do away with the oil and get yourself a good quality French butter. It really makes a difference. I also added some vanilla bean and a hint of cinnamon to the egg soak mixture.

As the toasts are cut thicker, you will need to let the baguette soak longer in the mixture for around 5 minutes or so. Heat a heavy frying pan with the butter on low medium heat and fry patiently till it is golden on both sides. As I had a passionfruit in the house and honeycomb, again being resourceful I just topped my French toast with those two ingredients. Served with a dollop of whipped cream on the side and dusting of icing sugar for the whole jazz. There you have it, a classic breakfast elevated to an entirely new level thanks to the baguette!

French Toast With Baguette

Serves: 2 Prep Time: 10 Cooking Time: 10 10

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 2.3/5

( 6 voted )

Ingredients

2 eggs
1/3 cup full fat milk
2 tablespoons of butter
1 vanilla bean or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla essence/paste
1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
1/2 baguette cut into 1.5-2 inches thickness
Pinch of sea salt

Instructions

Cut your baguette into thick, 1.5-2 inch slices. Half a baguette should yield about 5-6 slices.
Whisk together the egg, milk, sea salt, vanilla bean, and cinnamon in a bowl.
Soak the baguette into the egg soak mixture for several minutes and flip over to ensure both sides are well soaked.
Heat up a heavy based frying pan on low-medium heat and add the butter.
Once pan is hot, transfer the soaked baguette slices and patiently fry for few minutes on each side till it is golden brown.
Serve with a spoonful of honeycomb and passionfruit. Feel free to add whipped cream or yoghurt on the side and dust some icing sugar if you want.

Notes

Stale baguette is good for this

Light and fluffy pancakes with a creaminess one can only dream of.

I love breakfast. And nothing beats waking up to some seriously fluffy and warm ricotta hotcakes dowsed with honeycomb. Extra fluffy with creamy, custard-like middles, ricotta hotcakes are something pancake connoisseurs have to try making (or die trying).

Inspired by Bill Granger – who hails from my sunny hometown, Sydney – his signature ricotta hotcakes with honeycomb butter and banana are to die for. I’ve had my fair share of his ricotta hotcakes in Sydney (Surry Hills), and recently in London (Nottinghill) and Tokyo (Ometosando) this year. Now is the time to recreate the ‘magic’ back home (until he sets up shop here at least, but who knows when that day will come – or where I’ll be by then!).

Mind you, there is no ‘magic’ or skilful technique required in this recipe. From a methodological perspective though, what separates these ricotta hotcakes apart from regular ones is the fact that you are meant to separate the egg yolks from the whites and beat the latter until stiff peaks form before folding it into the batter.

Note: The ricotta isn’t something you necessarily taste — the pancakes definitely don’t taste “cheesy” — but rather, the ricotta adds a magical milky richness and creaminess to each bite.

Ricotta Hotcakes with Honeycomb (24 of 50)

INGREDIENTS (makes 6 medium sized pancakes, serves 2):

70 grams of fresh milk
70 gram of plain flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
110 gram of ricotta
2 eggs, white and yolks separated
pinch of salt
butter for pan-frying
1-2 tablespoons of honeycomb, to serve
icing sugar, to dust

METHOD:

1) Place ricotta, milk and egg yolks in a mixing bowl and mix to combine.

2) Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add to the ricotta mixture and mix until combined.

3) Place the egg whites in a clean dry bowl and beat until still peaks form. Fold egg whites through batter in two batches, with a large metal spoon.

4) Lightly grease a large non-stick frying pan with a small portion of the butter and drop 2 tablespoons of batter per hotcake into the pan (don’t cook more than 3 per batch). Cook over low to medium heat for 2 minutes, or until hotcakes have golden undersides. Turn hotcakes and cook on the other side until golden and cooked through.