It's a Berry Happy Breakfast! Part 1 of 3 - Berry Breakfast Trifle

One of the best thing I've found about blogging are the Events and Challenges other bloggers have devised (and I may do my own one day - who knows!?) because they challenge you to try new things and blog about recipes you wouldn't normally blog about. And that's why FussFreeFlavours Breakfast Club challenge is one I look forward to - My brekkies are generally boring - and when I saw that this months host 'Simply Food' had chosen Berries for their theme, I jumped with joy. I love 'em!

Juicy, tender, sweet, in season, and most excitingly, LOCAL! Best of all this adds up to CHEAP! Sadly, this also meant I went a bit mad at the grocers at the weekend and bought:

• 3 punnets of juicy, shiny red strawberries, 
• 2 large punnets of dusky dark pink raspberries, 
• 3 punnets of juicy blackberries 
• 2 punnets of blueberries. 

That's a lot of berry goodness.  And how much did I pay!? Well, if I'd have been in Sainsburys, I would have closed my eyes at the check out and just handed over my credit card. But no need with my local grocer, as the whole lot came to a very tidy £6.50! That won't get you far in Sainsbury's I tell thee.

As I walked home (feeling rather sumg... again), I began to think about recipes as I picked away at my purchases, munching my way home. There would be a lot of berry goodness in my kitchen that afternoon (hence why this post is Part 1 of 3)!

I'll save the other two for later in the week, but I planned a gorgeous breakfast for hubs and I of Berry Breakfast Trifle followed by Blueberry Pancakes.

I got home and unpacked my shopping, planning to make the pancake batter to rest overnight and... oh dear.   I'd eaten ALL of the blueberries (except a sorry looking few left in the punnet that I quickly wolfed down when I saw them - does anyone else feel sorry for foods left behind so have to gobble them immediately? Or is it just an excuse for gluttony?).

I digress. But the pancake idea fell as flat as a.. well a pancake.  So, we are left with just a Berry Breakfast Trifle.  Not a bad consolation prize bad though - it was a real treat and a half, a healthy one at that. Perfect for healthy breakfasts that look like you've put a lot effort into - they look great. The only downside I can see to these gorgeous breakfast treats is that you can't make them in advance - if you do, you get gooey granola, and no one wants gooey granola.

This recipe uses my Gorgeously Good Granola (available for sale on Etsy too, I'll have you know!), so make a big batch and it'll last you the week (or just buy some of mine - yum!)

Berry Breakfast Trifle

Berry Breakfast Trifle

• One big handful of Granola per person (do you like my precision here?)
• Selection of juicy berries, large ones chopped. (I used raspberries, strawberries and blackberries. Sadly not blueberries).
• A large pot of natural yoghurt (you'll need 150g-200g per person
• Drizzle of honey

1. In a large glass (I used a chunky wine glass, but squat tumblers would looks fantastic), put roughly 2cm of granola in the bottom. Top with yoghurt (just a small dollop) and sprinkle generously with berries.

2. Continue to layer until you have filled the glass, finishing with yoghurt, and topping with more berries, a sprinkling of granola and a drizzle of yoghurt.

And that's it! I feel a fraud calling this a recipe; let's go with an assembly, an idea to create a filling, impressive low fuss, low fat, full flavour brekkie.

Enjoy!

Cheesy Courgette Breakfast Muffins

For the first time, I have decided to take part in Fuss Free Flavours Breakfast Club, mainly because this is the first time I've come across it.  This month, #11, has a theme of 'Vegetarian and Savoury', as set by Green Gourmet Giraffe. An interesting one for me as my ideal breakfasts are either a stonking great big bacon buttie smothered in butter and tomato ketchup, or blueberry pancakes covered, drenched in fact, in maple syrup. But I do like a challenge.

So I got to thinking.  I've found my self pondering veggie and savoury breakfasts at all hours of the day (obsessive?  Moi?), but finding a problem with each idea. I thought about (and tried - oh the things we do for our blogs!) soft boiled eggs with early British asparagus dippers - but that's hardly a recipe; cheesy french toast with vine roasted tomatoes - but I couldn't have this without parma ham; Sweet potato rosti with roasted tomatoes - likewise, but bacon; Baked eggs with spicy tomato - but Green Gourmet Giraffe isn't keen on eggs so it didnt seem fair.

If I'm on the move, a croissant or blueberry muffin is my weapon of choice for breakfast, so I started thinking about savoury muffins. If I'm going to think about and create a new recipe, it has to be something my family will also want to eat, and they are fully fledged carnivores.  With this in mind, it had to suit both sides of the fence. I had a route around in my fridge and, to my delight found the right ingredients for these light yet filling muffins, that I'm sure contain one of your 5-a-day (wishful thinking?) and would be delicious on their own, with smoked salmon, with bacon or, in the case of the Breakfast Club Theme, a swipe of cream cheese and a sprinkling of black pepper.


Enough to turn me veggie?  Well, it's turned me savoury in the mornings and that's no mean feat.

Cheesy Courgette Breakfast Scones

• 220g plain flour
• 1.1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 60g butter, melted
• 1 egg
• 250ml milk
• 1 medium courgette, about 200g, grated
• 80g grated cheddar cheese
• 30g grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp chopped thyme leaves

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 and wipe a none stick muffin tray with a slick of oil. (I tried this recipe lining the muffin tin with paper cases, as per the picture, and without. The mixture sticks to the paper so don't do it now!)

2. Mix the flour, baking powder, bicarbinate of soda and salt in a bowl.

3. In a separate, larger bowl, lightly whisk the egg then mix in the melted butter, milk, and courgette until combined.

4. Stir in the flour and mix until just combined but still lumpy and finally stir in the cheeses and herbs.

5. Spoon into the cake tin and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden and springy to the touch. Leave to cool slightly and eat warm. These can be warmed through another day and can be refrigerated.

I've frozen a few and will let you know how they are once defrosted and warmed through.

Enjoy!