Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Ladies Brunch: Canadian-style Bacon, Orange-nut Ring, Berry-cereal Parfaits

Jiffy Cooking, by Better Homes and Gardens [1967]


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This book has served me reasonably well in the past, save for the unfortunate orange-cherry cobbler incident. I am beginning, however, to notice a distinct tendency towards the use of massive amounts of sugar. This menu is no exception. My tummy hurts.




Orange-Nut Ring
2 packages refrigerated orange or cinnamon Danish rolls with icing (16 rolls)
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Separate rolls and arrange 1 package (8 rolls) flat side down, around bottom of ungreased 6 1/2-cup ring mold. Stagger remaining package of rolls on top of first layer, covering seams of rolls on bottom layer.

Bake at 375 degrees F. for 20 to 25 minutes. Invert on serving plate while warm. Spread top and sides with frosting included in packages. Decorate with nuts. Serve warm with butter. Makes 8 servings.

Serve with sliced Canadian-style bacon browned lightly in a skillet.



Berry-Cereal Parfaits
1 quart vanilla ice cream
2 10-ounce packages frozen sliced strawberries, partially thawed
2 cups sugar-frosted corn flakes

In each tall parfait glass, layer about 1/4 cup vanilla ice cream, about 3 tablespoons partially thawed strawberries, and 1/4 cup corn flakes. Top with another 1/4 cup vanilla ice cream and garnish with fresh strawberry halves, if desired. Makes 8 servings.

Verdict:

Orange-nut Ring: This is a thing of beauty! Look at it, it is glorious! It takes like 5 minutes of effort, total, and you get a beautiful ring of pull-apart pastry covered in orange glaze. It doesn't even stick to the pan! If I ever have to make a dessert and have 5 minutes to spend on it, I am SO making this again. AWESOME.

I rebelled and did not arrange the rolls in the manner prescribed, nor did I use a 6 1/2 qt. ring mold. I used a much smaller pan, and arranged the rolls thusly:



I feel my method is superior in attractiveness and ease of eating. You can just pull off a piece of pastry! So delightful. Three of the rolls didn't fit, though, and had to be cooked separately.

One thing though. The butter. If you recall, in the recipe, it says to serve with butter. The picture has an attractive bowl of butter balls. WHY? There is no good reason for this nonsense! Just... just... why would you even... I don't...

Berry-cereal Parfaits: Upon first glance, I know this looks reasonable brunch food. You may think this has yogurt in it, having not read the recipe carefully. If you have not, go back now. I will wait. .... Done? Good. Now take a moment to cease your weeping, nutritionists. Yes, this is a brunch parfait made of ice cream, sugar-coated cereal, and THREE TABLESPOONS of strawberry. The only fruit or vegetable in this entire meal does not even make up 1 serving. I cheated and did not use the proportions listed, because I was just feeling too guilty. Even with rather a lot more strawberry and rather less ice cream, this... this just isn't right.

All together: I don't feel good. Kind of jittery. Want steak. Or broccoli.

Just for fun, I plugged in the information for this meal to Livestrong's MyPlate program. For 2 small rolls, 1 parfait, and 2 slices Canadian bacon (i.e. not very much, actually):

704 calories
36g fat
39 g sugar



18 comments:

Karen K. said...

Wow, that's a really sugary breakfast. No wonder you felt unwell! Ice cream for breakfast? I think not. And what's wrong with fresh strawberries?

Your nut ring looks fabulous, though!

Nonna said...

Great cookin' !
I think my Mom had that booklet but never made a thing out of it. That nut ring is to die for...add everything else and you just might !!!

BTW, It's June and I promised a guest post for you in February...I haven't forgotten...the post is done, now I have to actually COOK the recipes and take some PHOTOS. How do I send it to you when I finally get it done ?

Jana said...

Thanks, Karen! I actually used fresh strawberries, I'm not sure what their problem is. Especially as it says that you can *decorate* with fresh strawberries...

NB- Great! Send pictures and the words you want to say to timetravelkitchen [at] gmail [dot] com.

rengawk said...

WOW I hope I remember that method for refrigerator rolls in the future, it looks awesome!

I do appreciate your butter presentation, as in the original I had no idea what it was - tiny plastic pinecones?

Jana said...

Ah, thank you! My butter presentation took much time and effort.

~~louise~~ said...

Sweet! Any one of those beauties would be a welcome addition to bring along on the picnic. I am so famished right now and everything looks so cloyingly good, I could devour it all!!! (Of course, I would pay for it big time:)

Jana, we're playing the Picnic Game over at my blog. You're more than welcome to join us. You know the game; I'm going on a picnic and I'm bringing... Come see!!!

Thanks for sharing. GREAT butter presentation:) I sorta like the liitle pinecones too though so retro!!!

Lynda Hardy said...

I pretty much remember this era - the wonders of packaging were still new enough that touting frozen strawberries was very modern! Beyond that though - if you wanted to use fresh strawberries, you either had to be growing them, or living in an area where there was enough of a strawberry season for them to show up in stores. If not... a couple for decoration was about all you were likely to afford or even find. Huge produce departments weren't really in existence yet.

Jana said...

Louise: If I need to, I can create an instructional tutorial for what I did with the butter there. ;)

Lynda: That is a good point. Frozen strawberries ARE very modern and fancy.

~~louise~~ said...

I don't think that's necessary, Jana:)

I'm so glad you are going to make the picnic. I can just imagine what O goodie you will be bringing."See" ya there...

Rita said...

Love your blog! and what a grat picnic with even Candian bacon. That orange ring is calling my name.
Rita

Jana said...

Thank you! You must make it.

Gloria Baker said...

Look fantastic! gloria

My Mom's Recipe Box said...

The way you did the nut ring looks great! Good job. On the parfaits I would have probably used plain corn flakes and yogurt, but hey what's the different between cream or ice cream, just a little bit of sugar??? I just looked up parfaits and they are served with ice cream, I always thought it was just cream. Learning something new all the time.

Jana said...

Thanks! ;D Yes, a plain corn flake/yogurt/strawberry parfait would be a delightful breakfast.

Mary said...

I grew up in the 1960's and 1970's, and my mother used to make a ring coffeecake for breakfast on special days--Christmas and birthdays, mostly, or when we had houseguests. She used a bundt pan. Butter pats around the bottom, then a layer of brown sugar to taste, then nuts (leaving a portion of the bundt ring nutfree for the picky eaters of the family), and finally canned refrigerator biscuits arranged all around the pan much like in your picture. Baked according to the directions on the biscuits. It was delicious--in fact, now I am craving some. I have no idea where she got the idea from, but I remember that from my earliest childhood, and I was one of the later born children in the family.

Jana said...

That sounds lovely! Brown sugar + butter is one of the most delicious combinations in all the world.

Victorian Beauty said...

This is why a lady always leaves something behind on her plate...

Jana said...

Probably starting with the cube of butter!