There’s something about winter that really lends itself to breakfast. Give me a frosty first light and a cosy kitchen and I'll give you any number of start-the-day eats and warming drink ideas.
Over the past few years our morning meals have got far more exciting as we've learned to play around with traditional breakfasts foods. No longer is milk just milk; there are now a million different incarnations to have in your coffee, on your cereal, or to bake with.
One of our current faves is new-to-the-UK Califia almond milk. It's made in the traditional way, by taking whole raw almonds, blanching them, grinding them and then soaking them in water which is as close to homemade as you could get! This means it's super fresh and really tasty too, it also has a thicker consistency making it the perfect creamy addition to coffee. Ahead, we've got three recipes showing you how to use it to create a healthy and delicious breakfast but first, let's make you a ginger latte to accompany your reading...
Chop yourself one teaspoon of stem ginger, add two teaspoons of the ginger syrup and a quarter of a teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Pour in 150ml of steaming hot, freshly brewed black coffee, stir and leave for a minute to infuse. In the meantime, heat 100ml of Califia unsweetened almond milk in a saucepan (almost to the boil). Take off the heat and froth the hot milk in the pan for a minute or two with a whisk (battery frothers work brilliantly). Strain the spiced coffee into a heatproof glass or cup and top with the frothy hot milk. Finish by sprinkling your drink with a little grated nutmeg, cinnamon or dark chocolate.
Nice.
Now you're settled with that, click through to find out how else you can use Califia to make yourself an excellent winter warmer breakfast.
Winter is peak porridge time. Team yours with this quick plum and blueberry compote and sweet almond dukkah. Both are easy and quick to make and will keep in the fridge for a few days.
Porridge with spiced plum and blueberry compote and sweet almond dukkah
(Suitable for vegans)
Serves 2
Ready in 35 minutes (but you can take that down to just a few minutes if you make the compote and dukkah the evening or day before).
Ingredients
For the porridge
80g raw porridge oats
1 tsp golden caster sugar (optional)
Pinch of salt
300ml Califia Unsweetened Almond Milk
For the plum compote
4 plums, chopped into small pieces
150g blueberries
Juice and zest of a clementine
1 dessertspoon golden caster sugar
1 star anise
For the dukkah
75g almonds
1 tsp light muscovado sugar
1/2 tsp olive oil
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 180 C/160 C fan/ gas 4 degrees. Put the plums and blueberries into a small heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat with the zest and juice of the clementine, the sugar, star anise and 30ml of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for around 20 minutes until soft and jammy. Take off heat and leave to cool.
2. While that’s cooking, make the dukkah by putting the almonds on a shallow baking tray. Sprinkle with the sugar, drizzle over the olive oil and combine with the sugar.
3. Roast in the oven for around 5-8 minutes. Leave to cool. Crush lightly in a pestle and mortar or chop roughly with a knife.
4. Put the porridge oats in a saucepan with the sugar (if using) and Califia Unsweetened Almond Milk over a medium heat. Bring to the boil stirring all the time. When it starts to boil, turn down the heat, add the salt and continue to stir for another five or so minutes until it’s cooked and creamy, adding a little more milk if needed.
Photographed by Sophie Davidson.
Who can say no to pancakes? They’re a no-brainer for breakfast, perfect for brunch and let’s face it, nobody minds when they show up for pudding too. Sweet or savoury? It’s your call. But with breakfast firmly in mind here, we’ve gone for these simple banana-rich beauties, topped with bananas, pistachios and a drizzle of flavourful maple syrup.
Banana pancakes with maple syrup and pistachio
(Dairy-free)
Serves 2
Ready in 20 minutes
Ingredients
75g self-raising flour
25g buckwheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 banana (mashed)
1 tsp maple syrup
1 egg, lightly beaten (or vegan alternative such as a chia seed solution (1 tablespoon chia seeds combined with 3 tablespoons water)
100ml Califia Unsweetened Almond Milk
1-2 tbsp rapeseed oil
To serve
1 tbsp pistachio nuts, chopped
1 banana, sliced
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to lowest setting and put a baking tray or heatproof plate on the middle shelf. In a mixing bowl, measure out the flours and baking powder.
2. Add the mashed banana, maple syrup, egg and Califia Unsweetened Almond Milk and whisk lightly into a thickish batter. Leave mix to rest for a few minutes.
3. Heat a little of the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add a heaped tablespoonful of the mixture and flatten slightly. Let it cook for a minute or so until surface starts to bubble. Then flip and cook the other side for another minute or so until that bubbles.
4. Stack cooked pancakes on baking tray or plate in the oven until all pancakes are cooked. Stack and serve with extra banana slices, drizzle with maple syrup and top with pistachio nuts.
Photographed by Sophie Davidson.
There are many cinnamon buns out there, mostly delicious, though for me the fine buns they knock out at the Swedish Bageriet Bakery in Covent Garden take some beating. However, baking your own is surprisingly easy, strangely satisfying and super impressive. Not a quick breakfast fix, it has to be said, so save these low sugar Scandi delights for a relaxed weekend brunch.
Nordic cinnamon breakfast buns
Makes 6-8 buns
Ready in 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients
For the buns
150ml Califia Unsweetened Almond Milk
80g butter
350g plain flour
50g golden caster sugar
7g dried yeast
Pinch of salt
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1 egg, lightly beaten
To bake
Egg wash, made with 1 egg beaten with a pinch of salt
For the filling
75g sugar
110g butter
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
To serve
Icing sugar
Instructions
1. Heat the almond milk in a pan on a medium to low heat. When it’s hot (don’t let it boil), take off heat and stir in butter. Leave until butter is melted and mixture is warm.
2. Meanwhile, put the flour, sugar, yeast, salt and lemon zest into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre of the dried ingredients and then tip in the beaten egg and the milk and butter mix. Stir together (I use my hands for this) until the mixture comes together into a soft ball.
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly oiled board and knead with both hands for about 5-6 minutes. This will be a messy business to start with but keep going, the dough will come together into a soft smooth ball, I promise.
4. Cover dough in clingfilm and put into the fridge to rest for half an hour.
5. Make your filling by beating the sugar and butter together in a bowl, then adding in the cinnamon.
6. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 200 C/180 C fan/ gas 6. Place the dough between two large sheets of greaseproof paper and roll out into a rectangle around 25 x 16cm.
7. Remove paper and spread your spiced sugar/butter mix over the surface. Then carefully roll up the dough along the longest side. Cut the finished roll into 8-10 pieces and place them swirl side up on a baking tray. Brush with the beaten egg wash and bake for around 20 minutes. When cooked, leave to cool before dusting with icing sugar.
Photographed by Sophie Davidson.Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Sip Efficiently This Season With The Wine Pocket Christmas Jumper
Customers Tweet Damning Reviews From 'Bleak' London Cheese Festival