Stress Baking: Giant Japanese Style Pancake in an Instant Pot with Nielsen-Massey Vanillas

I was sent product free of charge by Nielsen-Massey for us in the writing of this blog post.

So... stress baking. I talked about it in my last post, but whooooo boy, have things taken a turn since then. Currently, I am still going into my day job daily, which is not ideal, but at least it helps to keep my mind from wandering into darker places. However, last weekend, I was able to put some of my nervous energy to good use in the form of some good old fashioned recipe experimentation.

A while ago, I took a stab at Japanese style souffle pancakes, which I made on my stove top with the help of a ring mold. While they looked lovely for pictures and tasted just a good, they ended up being a little more labor intensive than I would like, so I set out to see if there was another method I could use that would simplify matters some. After some research, I discovered a lot of people were making giant souffle pancakes in their instant pots! "Well, I've got one of those," I thought, "Let's give it a shot!'

As in my original recipe, for the most part I used a pretty standard pancake batter, but I did a few significant things to give my pancake a lovely, fluffy texture and a really good flavor. Firstly, I used cake flour, which is basically more finely milled all purpose flour (think the difference between granulated sugar and powdered sugar). This ensures the batter remains light weight. Secondly, unlike a lot of instant pot pancake recipes I saw in which the batter was pored directly into the bottom of the insert, I decided to use a spring form pan propped up on the trivet insert. This allowed me to put a little water into the bottom of the insert, which injected lots of moisture into the pancake, and also ensured the bottom of the pancake didn't burn. Lastly, I separated my yolks and whites and whipped the whites to soft peaks as if I was making an actual souffle. As part of their "Better Your Bakes" campaign, my friends at Nielsen-Massey Vanillas have produced a really good video on how to do this properly: https://nielsenmassey.com/betteryourbake/ I also used their Ugandan Vanilla Extract, which has a really unique creamy, almost chocolaty flavor to it that takes this pancake to the next level.

The one draw back to doing things this way is that even though the batter is very easy to put together, it does take a bit of time to cook. My suggestion is to get everything put together first thing in the morning, then wash the dishes, make some coffee, take a shower, etc., and when you're done, your delicious giant pancake will be ready for you! I also experimented with making this pancake ahead of time and refrigerating it, and while that does make the pancake a bit more dense, it's still pretty delicious and it reheats very well. In fact, on the second day, I actually took the second pancake and heated it in a skillet with a little butter, which gave it an awesome crunchy top!

Let me know in the comments below how you're taking care of yourself through this crazy time in our collective lives. Are you stress baking too? If so, share with me and Nielsen-Massey by posting a picture of your baking creations to social media with the hashtag #BetterYourBake Hope you and yours are all keeping safe and healthy!

Giant Japanese Style Instant Pot Pancake

1 large egg, yolk and white separated
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon Nielsen Massey pure Vanilla Extract
1 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

In a medium sized bowl, add sugar, salt, and vanilla extract to the yolk and whisk to combine, then add the milk and stir until a uniform pale yellow color has been achieved. Slowly add in the flour and baking powder until the mixture is smooth and mostly free of lumps.

In a separate bowl, whip the egg white using a whisk or a hand mixer until stiff peaks have formed. Slowly add the yolk batter into the whipped whites a little at a time and fold gently to incorporate until everything is combined.

Use butter or cooking spray to line the inside of a small spring form pan. Place the trivet into the bottom of the Instant Pot insert and add 1/2 cup of water, or just enough to cover the bottom of the insert. Pour the batter into the spring form pan and place on the trivet. Set the instant pot to cook at low pressure for 45 minutes and close the valve. Once the time is up, briefly vent, remove the spring form pan, unmold the pancake onto a plate, and serve with butter, syrup, fresh berries, powdered sugar, or anything you like.

Optional: for a crunchy top, heat about 1/2 a tablespoon of butter in a skillet, then brown each side of the pancake in the pan for about a minute on each side.

DIY Egg Bites: Instant Pot vs. Sous Vide with Nando's Peri Peri

I was sent products from Nando's free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

It is a universal fact at this point that the sous vide egg bites are the single best item on the Starbucks food menu. I've personally been obsessed with them even since they first premiered. There is just something so pleasing about their unique velvety smooth texture. As far as fast food breakfast options, there really is nothing like them out there at the moment.

This is perhaps why the internet has been positively flooded with recipes for these darn things. The most common form they seem to take are the versions made in specifically designed silicon molds in an Instant Pot. I actually had received one of these molds for Christmas last year because my mother had remembered me raving about the dynamic little protein bombs. But ever since I got a sous vide machine that actually fits inside my Instant Pot, I've been curious about whether you actually needed to use a sous vide to achieve that distinctive texture. This, ladies and gentlemen, is what I set out to test one morning.

First, I started out by making one egg mixture base to be used in both tests. I scrambled 6 eggs, then added 1/4 a cup of softened cream cheese (many recipes use cottage cheese, and reportedly, so does the original Starbucks recipe) and some salt. I then divided the base into two batches; to the first batch I added some crisped and crumbled bacon and some shredded cheddar cheese, and to the second batch I added some Swiss cheese and spinach I had sauted and squeezed the moisture out of. Then, wanting to kick things up a notch, I grabbed some Nando's Peri-Peri Sauce.

Now, if you've been around here for any length of time, you'll know that I am a bit of a wuss when it comes to spice. However, I make an exception for Nando's Peri-Peri. Ever since they came to Chicago, I have been obsessed with their range of sauces, all made with African bird's eye chilies, AKA peri-peri. They do have heat, don't get me wrong, but they also have a bright vinegary base that gives them a really well rounded flavor, especially when slathered all over Nando's famous South African chicken. The sauces have recently become available in grocery stores all across Chicago, but they are also available through Amazon.

Since I am a spice wuss at heart, I opted to use two of the sauces from the medium range to kick up my egg bites. For the spinach and Swiss, I added the regular Medium Peri-Peri sauce, and for the bacon and cheddar, I added the Garlic Medium, (my personal fav). For the Instant Pot version, I poured the mixtures into the individual cavities of the silicon mold, about 3/4 of the way full, put on the lid, and set it inside the Instant Pot on top of the trivet with 1 cup of water in the bottom. I then set the Instant Pot for 10 minutes. For the sous vide, I poured the mixtures into some jam jars and made sure they were sealed tight. I then put them in the water bath and set my circulator to 172 degrees for an hour.

The Results:

Instant Pot Version: The eggs ended up expanding more than I thought they would and popped the lid off the mold. Next time, I might try sealing it with some tin foil. The flavor of these egg bites was great. Lots of vinegar and spice from the Nando's sauce coming through, saltiness from the cheeses, etc. The texture was good... but not like the originals. They just didn't have that same silky, velvety, luxurious mouthfeel. They were more along the lines of a steamed or baked egg... which is pretty much what they were. Still, using the mold made them very easy to pick up and eat as well as pack for on the go.

The Sous Vide Version: This cooking method ended up dulling the flavors just a tinsy bit, so next time I try this, I probably would add a bit more of the Nando's sauce. The texture was almost spot on, though because of the amount of fillings I had added, the eggs didn't quite hold together like the Starbucks ones. It ended up being easier to scoop them out of the jar with a spoon. Still portable, but maybe not ideal for everyone to have to carry their breakfast in a glass jar with a metal lid. Still, the eggs were perfectly silky and pleasing. It was also a pain in the butt to clean the jars afterwards, even though I had oiled them to try and avoid the eggs sticking to the glass. But this might have happened because my jars were textured on the inside, and I only filled them about half way.

Verdict: The Instant Pot version was definitely quicker to do and tasted fine, but if I were to do these again, which I probably will, I would try to perfect the sous vide version, because the texture was just so close. A few less add-ins, perhaps, smaller jars, and using cottage cheese instead of cream cheese would be my next experiment. I'd also like to try a shredded chicken and sweet onion version with the Nando's Lemon and Herb sauce.

So what do you think? Would you go through the hassle of sous vide just to get that addictive texture at home? Or would you opt for the convenience of the Instant Pot method? Let me know in the comments below!

Weber Grill or Buff-Yay or Buff-Nay?

Brunch buffets can be tricky. Buffets are great for large or mixed groups, especially when those groups contain picky eaters, because chances are better that everyone can find something they'll like. Sometimes buffets are also the most economical option, but not always the most delicious. Sometimes they are overwhelmingly loaded with amazing food, but also with overwhelming price tags. The choice usually boils down to luxury or basic survival with very little in between. Over the years, I've taken mental note of a handful of buffets that I think do a good job of providing quality food for the price they're charging, and this small list usually ends up being some of the places I recommend most often.

After seeing some interesting items on Weber Grill's Easter brunch menu, I was curious to check out their breakfast buffet. I entered into it with a hopeful outlook and a touch of skepticism; hopeful in that I've had Weber's perfectly grilled cuisine before, but skeptical because their website didn't list much more than a few items. I took Starr along with me (she is a burger expert after all) and we settled in for what we hoped would be some delicious meaty offerings.

Weber Grill's interior is a little dark with a definite masculine aesthetic in the woods and red tones throughout. We settled into a comfy booth by a window and our adorably chipper server, Igor, made sure we had water and (in my case) coffee right away. We then sampled a couple of their breakfast cocktails while we created our game plan. The house mimosa was pretty simple, and actually tasted quite fresh. The Backyard Bloody Mary was made with their house mix and boasted a garnish of smoked Gouda, sausages, pickles, olives, and a chaser of Weber's own Backyard Brew. Though I'm not the biggest fan of bloody mary's, this one had a nice briny flavor with just a little kick of spice that I rather enjoyed.

The small selection of buffet items had been set up along the side of the bar, and the kitchen had a few items they could make to order. We decided to have the kitchen fix us up some sweet dishes while we composed our plates. Aside from the normal stuff you'd expect to see on a buffet (fruit, yogurt, cottage cheese, various bagels, pastries, cereals, and muffins), we were a little saddened to find only four hot dishes; scrambled eggs, house potatoes, bacon, and sausage. We took a little bit of everything back to the table and methodically tasted our way through them. What we discovered was that everything was actually cooked really well. The eggs were still moist and fluffy, unlike a lot of other buffet eggs I've come across, and the meats weren't overly greasy. The potatoes ended up being the best part, as they alone showed signs of the Weber Grill I know and love; along with the perfectly crisped spuds, there were chunks of tender steak.

Now, I don't mind a smaller buffet, and the food that was on this buffet was surprisingly good. I was just disappointed that there wasn't anything there that showed off the Weber brand. No grilled meats or veggies, nothing fire roasted or broiled or skewered. Just a simple continental breakfast. Now granted, this buffet will run you less than $20 a person, and for those kinds of prices, I'm more than certain that most people can get their money's worth. I guess I was just expecting to see a little more personality.

Igor cheerfully delivered our freshly made sweet dishes: some French Toast and a Belgian Waffles. Both had been garnished with fresh berries, fresh whipped cream, and came served with butter and maple syrup. Again, these were both plenty tasty, just not very creative, and with so many other restaurants in the area vying for attention, it was hard for me to understand why Weber wouldn't want to add a little more sparkle to their menu. After chatting with a few of the employees there, I came to understand that the buffet was created to offer the guests in the hotel upstairs an easy option, rather than to entice people off the street. This made total sense, and for a "hotel breakfast buffet," I think what they were putting out was pretty good. I just wanted more... fire.

Starr and I decided to stick around for the lunch service, which started at 11:00, so that we could remind ourselves what Weber Grill was really all about. We ordered a Firestarter Sampler, which came with a skewer of shrimp, chicken, steak, and BBQ ribs. Now this was what I pictured when I think of Weber Grill! Glistening meats with perfectly seared grill marks, wonderful marinades, and succulent seasonings, ready to be picked up and consumed in the most primal kind of way.

Starr decided to try out the Pulled Pork Sandwich, which came dressed with their house BBQ sauce and topped with a scoop of creamy cole slaw. This was backyard eating at it's finest, with lots of finger licking and lip smacking and sauce going absolutely everywhere. I went for the Prime Burger, which was topped with bourbon grilled onions, Wisconsin white cheddar, and fried pickles. The cheese had a bit of a mealy texture to it, but otherwise, this was a perfect burger, with plenty of flavor and a perfect char on the outside.

At the end of the day, if you're looking for a breakfast buffet that is quick, good, and not overwhelming to the senses or the wallet, Weber Grill is a great option. But if you're looking to satisfy your carnivorous cravings, get there after 11:00 and order from the lunch menu instead.

I was given parts of my meal free of charge in exchange for an honest review.