This week, we had a celebration at work in honor of a significant milestone for my supervisor: 25 years of federal service. 25 years!
Oh no. I just realized I’m only a few months shy of half-way to 25 years. WHAT. JUST. HAPPENED. Ack.
Composure regained. Any-way, I organized a brunch at work on Monday for this event. And want to know what’s hard? Organizing a brunch at work. No ovens, limited fridge space, commuting/carrying issues, general apathy from party-attenders beforehand about contributing and helping, but then intense interest and scrutiny regarding every aspect of the party the second they walk in the door… etc. Maybe you know this drill.
A big saving grace was that it was on a Monday, allowing me to do any necessary shopping and baking on Sunday, when I would have more time than on a week night.
Back to the “no ovens” and “limited fridge space” road blocks. Tough right? Especially the way I like to do brunch. Bagels and cream cheese are fine – and we did have those – but we needed a more robust menu. I wanted to bake something a bit different than muffins, and I could not believe my luck when I stumbled across this thread. Seriously? “Easy, make-ahead, room temp breakfast ideas for office party?” You can find anything on the internet. But I do love being in good company!
The Salvadoran Breakfast Cakes grabbed my attention. I mean, doesn’t “Think cheesy poundcake. Think party food.” grab yours? A bit heavy and cheesy for me on my own, perhaps, but for an office crowd? Done. And they are gluten-free, which is appreciated more and more in the work environment. I read the comments in the original recipe, and opted to reduce the butter and sugar by 1/4 cup each.
Co-workers tend to graze at office gatherings, so I opted to make mini-muffins. This recipe made about 20. They were fine on the kitchen counter overnight, in the basket I planned to serve them in the next day. I just loosely covered them in foil because sometimes baked goods as moist as these breakfast cakes will get a little sweaty if they are too closely enclosed in tupperware for an extended period.
These Mini Salvadoran Breakfast Cakes are light yet dense, if you can picture that. They went well with the Nespresso that was on loan to our conference room shindig. Mix up a batch and let me know what you think! It will only take you a few minutes – this recipe is really a mix-and-bake.
- 1.5 sticks (.75 c) unsalted butter, softened
- .75 c sugar
- 2 eggs + 1 egg white
- 1 c lite sour cream {you may be able to use Greek yogurt, but I have not tried yet}
- .5 c grated hard cheese (I used parmesan)
- 1 c brown rice flour
- 1 t baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1 t sesame seeds, to sprinkle
- Heat the oven to 350 and spray tins for 24 mini-muffins with cooking spray.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, mix the butter with sugar until creamy and well-combined.
- Add the eggs and egg white, one at a time, until they are fully incorporated.
- Mix in the sour cream and cheese.
- When the wet ingredients are all combined, add in the rice flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix until combined.
- Spoon into prepared muffin tins, filling each one ¾ full. {I used a 2 T cookie scoop, and juuust under-filled it.}
- Sprinkle a few sesame seeds on top of each one.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until they bounce back when you lightly press the top, and the outsides start to brown.
Adapted from: http://food52.com/recipes/12535-salvadoran-breakfast-cake-a-k-a-quesadillas
I just tried some of this from a friend who is from El Salvador, and he said his wife adds some vanilla extract and ground cinnamon as well!! Super moist, just lightly sweet… PERFECT with morning coffee! Thanks for the recipe!