Wine Blogging Wednesday: Twisted Breakfasts!

I love breakfast food. When I was 8 years old my tonsils were removed. When I got home all I wanted was bacon (ice cream? meh.) The first things I learned to cook were bacon and eggs and pancakes (Tuna Helper came later.) The first thing I learned to bake was "coffee cake." So breakfast foods have always been near and dear to me.

Last Saturday evening I was pouring wine at a benefit event at the Copperopolis Armory and got home late. Needing a bite to eat I remembered WBW and that coffee cake sprang to mind. I hadn't made it for years, but I knew that 1) it required Bisquick and 2) the recipe was on the box. Pleased was I to find a fresh box of Bisquick in the pantry, but unpleased was I to find no recipe for coffee cake on the box. A quick web search first turned up a healthy version (ewww!) but then I found the correct, original, and properly less healthy recipe (whew!)

I recall that when I made this in the dim past, I doubled the amount of strudel topping. (El Jefe Helpful Hint: To improve any recipe, double the topping, double the seasoning, double the bacon, double the mushrooms, double the nuts, double the chocolate chips - in other words, double the good stuff!) And here is what it looked like fresh out of the oven:

I hadn't really planned for this and I needed to find some wine to go with it. Fortunately I uncovered a bottle of 2005 Twisted Oak Tanner Vineyard Syrah from the depths of my wine storage. I fully expected this pairing to be a little less than inspired, but it turned out quite good! The tannins in the wine meshed nicely with the extra cinnamon in the streusel, and the fruit flavors transformed a simple cinnamon coffee cake into a blackberry vanilla cinnamon coffee cake. Amazing how a good wine can elevate any food! (And how a great glass can elevate any wine...)

Sunday night the Queen was coming home from a trip to Southern California and picked up burritos at our favorite local Mexican joint (CC Taqueria, Jamestown, 209-984-0000). I opted for the large chorizo and egg garbage burrito - pictured below with another stylish bit of glassware:

The natural pairing of course is the 2006 Twisted Oak The Spaniard Tempranillo blend. I find that Tempranillo goes really well with spicy Mexican foods, especially pork and beef. It paired well with the spicy CC salsa and was just damn yummy overall!

Tuesday I made a batch of Aebleskivers, which is a sort of Danish ball-shaped pancake. I first had these as a kid while on vacation in Solvang, CA (Arne's Famous Aebleskivers!) We still have them for breakfast every year during the holidays. Here's the family recipe:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 cups buttermilk
4 Tbsp butter melted
2 eggs, separated

Mix the dry stuff. Mix the egg yolks, buttermilk, and butter - then add to the dry stuff and mix just to combine. Get out your mixer and beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks (you can add a little cream of tartar to help if you want). Fold the whites gently into the batter.

Oh yeah, you're going to need a special pan like the one in the pictures below. (Probably should have said something before you got all that batter mixed up, shouldn't I?) It's a heavy cast iron pan with 7 hemispheric bowls formed in it - don't bother with the cheap lightweight aluminum or non-stick pans, they aren't worth it. Trust me.

So you warm up the aebleskiver pan until it passes the same sputter test you normally use on a pancake griddle. Pour a little bit of veggie oil into each bowl - I aim for a dime-sized pool - and the fill each bowl with batter to a little more than the top of the bowl, like this:

Just like a pancake, when the edges start to dry out, using a thin wooden skewer, flip the ball o'dough so that the cooked side is up - you kind of push down the far edge until it goes around. Cook the other side until you can poke it with the skewer and it comes out clean. (Are these pretty or what?)

Aebleskivers are traditionally served with jam (raspberry or lingonberry) and powdered sugar. I'm quite happy with butter and maple syrup in a pinch. And some bacon. And this time a little 2005 Twisted Oak Calaveras County Petite Sirah. The bright blueberry notes of the wine and the creamy fluffy interior of the aebleskiver made me forget that the local store doesn't carry lingonberry jam.

If you think you'd like to share a wine and breakfast food pairing for WBW there is still plenty of time! Please read the instructions in the previous post for details. I will post a wrap-up of all WBW #53 posts by Sunday (after recovering from our annual Thank Goodness The Holidays Are Over dinner on Saturday - by the way, there still a few seats available! Check here for details!)

Comments

[Lynn_in_Sac]

Awesome post! What fun, great pictures and a recipe to boot! Gonna try and pick you up some Lingonberry Jam before my next visit!

[winebratsf]

Ok i am STARVING now. Awesome post Jefe! I need to go find some bisquick now.

Clearly, EVERYthing is better with double the bacon, double the butter, double the pleasure. YUM! Can't wait to try some of the recipes!

[john witherspoon]

great post and great WBW topic. sorry I didn't participate this time! but i have been actively trying to comment on all the WBW'ers postings
cheers

[Remy]

Ola, Jeff. Here's my post for this terrific Wine Blogging Wednesday theme:

http://winecase.wordpress.com/2009/01/15/wine-blogging-wednesday-53-would-you-like-some-slovenian-chardonnay-with-your-breakfast/

Thanks for giving these tastings a well-deserved twist.

[ribbie]

Thanks for hosting. Great theme and loads of fun. I'm with you on bacon and always eat more than I should (it's like, are you going eat that piece?)and like you find Tempranillo pairs well with pork (bacon specifically) but probably wouldn't hold up to your aebleskivers which look and sound delicious. I'll have to try some Syrah next time I eat coffee cake or serve up cinnamon toast. Loved the spam glass!

[Winesleuth]

double the good stuff is my motto! I'm so bummed I missed the WBW this month but great to read about it! I wonder if I can get a rubber chicken in London....

[el jefe]

Glad you enjoyed the WBW! Rubber chickens are often sold in pet shops as chew toys for dogs. And I have to think that London is a large enough town to have a novelty store ;)

thanks! - j