Welcome to berry season at inns and B&Bs throughout the USA. Summer is berry time, and bnbfinder innkeepers are relishing the chance to make some of their favorite berry-filled breakfast dishes for their guests.
While B&B travelers know that finding the perfect lodging choice on bnbfinder, the world’s most comprehensive independently owned international bed and breakfast directory, is the best option for B&B getaways, it’s not always possible to get away to their favorite inn. Thus, bnbfinder is here to bring some “berry good” recipes from inns’ and B&Bs’ kitchens to you. Try these out on your own guests and they’ll tell you breakfast at your house is just like being at a B&B!
Raspberry Almond Coffee Cake from Whistling Swan Inn, Stanhope, NJ
This moist, light cake is “berry” delicious as a dessert or for breakfast. The aroma while it’s baking is intoxicating.
Ingredients:
1 cup fresh raspberries
3 tablespoon brown sugar
Coffee Cake
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
½ cup sour cream
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup sliced almonds
¼ cup confectionary sugar
1 tsp milk
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch round cake pan with cooking spray
- Combine raspberries and brown sugar in a bowl. Set aside
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt
- In another bowl, combine sour cream, butter, 1 tsp vanilla and egg. Add to flour mixture and stir until just moistened.
- Spoon 2/3 of the batter into the prepared pan. Spread raspberry mixture evenly over the batter. Spoon the remaining batter over raspberry mixture and top with almonds.
Bake for 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, then turn out onto a serving plate.
Icing:
Combine confectionary sugar, milk and ¼ tsp of vanilla. Stir well and drizzle over cake.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
“I like to embellish the top with a few fresh raspberries and almonds”, says Rosalind Bruno, Owner/Innkeeper of the Whistling Swan Inn.
Lemony Blueberry Baked French Toast from Holden House, Colorado Springs, CO
A great breakfast casserole that can be prepared the night before.
Ingredients:
Butter, for coating pan
6 eggs
1 ½ Cups whole milk
¼ Cup heavy cream
4 oz. cream cheese (room temperature) or substitute low fat cream cheese
1 tsp of sugar
2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
1 16-oz. French Bread loaf cut into 1.5 inch chunks
1 ½ Cups blueberries
Powdered sugar and maple syrup (for serving)
Directions:
- Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish or individual serving dishes (we use oval rarebit dishes and serve individually).
- In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, cream, cream cheese, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla and salt. The batter will be slightly lumpy from the cream cheese.
- Add bread to the buttered baking dish and pour egg mixture over the top. Press the bread down to ensure it is fully covered with the liquid. Stir in blueberries. Cover with foil and refrigerate at least two hours or overnight.
- Remove the casserole from the fridge and let stand at room temperature for 25 minutes prior to baking.
Heat oven to 350 or 375 degrees at high altitude. Bake covered with foil for 30 minutes and then uncover and bake for 20 minutes more.
Serve sprinkled with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup. Garnish with dollop of whipped cream, sprig of parsley and fresh fruit or edible flowers if you wish.
“Add a side of scrambled eggs and ham if desired and enjoy!”, added Sallie Clark, innkeeper, Holden House B&B Inn.
Brioche French Toast from Morning Glory Inn, York ME
A brioche french toast, topped with warmed blueberries with a bit of framboise and sugar, and topped with whipped mascarpone, lemon curd & cream, and sprinkled with lime zest.
Ingredients:
1 thickly sliced a loaf of fresh brioche
Custard Batter
8 eggs, plus 2 extra yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
1 cup half & half
2/3 cup of buttermilk
Berry Mixture
Blueberries (approx. 2/3 c. per person)
Sugar (about 1 tsp. for every 2 people)
Liqueur (optional)
Whipped Mascarpone
2/3 cups of mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese)
Lemon Curd
2 tbs heavy cream
- Whisk together, eggs, yolk, vanilla, lemon extract, half and half and butter milk, and wait until ready to cook.
- In a (round bottom pan if you have one) pan, add the blueberries, according to the number of people you’re serving, add sugar, depending on taste and preference of sweetness, and just a bit on liqueur. (brandy, grand marnier, which is citrusy and sweet is good, or framboise, raspberry liqueur if you have it.)
- Warm the berries with the sugar and liqueur in the pan in the oven until ready to assemble.
- Place the whipped mascarpone ingredients in a dish and beat with a hand whisk until smooth.
- Completely soak the brioche in the custard batter, so that it’s soft and a little gooey on the inside.
- Cook the brioche on the griddle or in a pan with a little unsalted butter and assemble with the blueberries and whipped mascarpone as you see in the picture, one item on top of the other.
“The final touch is grated lime zest. It adds a special little something on almost any fruit.”, added Margie Mindell, innkeeper at Morning Glory Inn.
Stay tuned to bnbfinder for more recipes from innkeepers’ kitchens throughout the summer and fall. Or click on travel articles to see some of the delicious recipes innkeepers have shared in the past. Looking for the gift of a getaway? Check out all the inns on our site that take Bed and Breakfast Gift Cards.
