Columnist: Indulge in the glories of morning

Monday, July 8, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

SOME YEARS AGO, Robert and Donna Leahy, proprietors of the Inn at Twin Linden in Lancaster County, Pa. were seeking a way to pay for a vacation home in Maine. Without any experience, they decided to turn the home they bought into what they now call their "practice inn." The venture didn't last long, but it whetted their appetite for another property closer to Philadelphia where they worked. The rundown estate they purchased in Pennsylvania's Dutch Country is now known for its gracious manor house, the beautiful gardens, the antique furniture and for Leahy's cooking.

In "Morning Glories: Recipes for Breakfast, Brunch & Beyond from an American Country Inn," (Rizzoli, $30) she shares some of the imaginative recipes that have brought her such acclaim. She also shares the life of a country inn owner. It's not an easy life, but Leahy's realistic way of dealing with the problems is probably why this now full-time innkeeper manages so well.

Photographs in the book lovingly portray the lush countryside and the Amish and Mennonite farmers who live in the surrounding town. Pictures of the food will entice you right into the kitchen.

Coffee Chocolate Pecan Popovers The decadent feeling of eating chocolate for breakfast is balanced by the light-as-air quality of these popovers.

2 eggs

1 c. milk

2 Tbs instant coffee

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped into fine bits

1 c. finely ground pecans

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease 6 popover pans or large muffin cuts. In a medium bowl, beat eggs lightly. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and instant coffee and pour into the eggs. Add the flour and salt and beat until just smooth. Gently fold in chocolate bits and pecans. Divide the batter among the cups. Bake for 20 minutes. Decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake 15 minutes longer. Remove from oven and immediately remove from pans. Serve hot.

Notes: Popovers should be served warm from the oven while they're still puffed. Finely chopping the chocolate and walnuts prevents the weight of these ingredients from collapsing the popover.

Try different nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, etc.) for a unique variation. While popover pans may seem like an extravagant purchase, the shape of the pans creates a dramatic pouf on top that makes a fabulous and elegant presentation.

Broccoli Roquefort Soup For all you skeptics, this unusual combination works. Fresh broccoli is one of the last vegetables of our growing season, appearing in the cool of autumn on the farmstands along with pumpkins and apple cider. Combined with imported French Roquefort, it makes a flavorful soup.

4 c. fresh broccoli florets

1/2 c. butter

1 1/4 c. finely chopped Vidalia or other sweet onions

1/4 c. all-purpose flour

3 c. defatted chicken stock

2 c. half-and-half

1 1/4 tsp ground white pepper

1 Tbs Colman's dry mustard

1 1/4 c. crumbled Roquefort

Blanch the broccoli florets: Drop into boiling water for about 3 minutes or until just cooked, then immediately into a bowl of cold water. The florets should be bright green. Drain and set aside.

On low heat, melt the butter in a large saucepan, add onions and saute until tender and translucent (about 2 minutes). On medium heat, whisk in the flour and cook about 2 minutes. Whisking hard, add the chicken stock and half-and-half. Remove 1 cup of the mixture and set aside, bring the remainder to a boil. Puree the broccoli with the reserved cup of liquid in a food processor or blender. Stir this broccoli cream mixture into the soup base and heat just to a boil; remove from heat. Whisk in the pepper and dry mustard and cool for about 10 minutes. Add the crumbled Roquefort and stir to combine. Serve warm. Serves 6 to 8.

Note: Blanching is a way to fix the green color of vegetables and to guard against overcooking. Simply submerge the vegetables in boiling water. Cooking times can vary from an instant for snow peas and baby asparagus up to 2 minutes for thicker asparagus spears or green beans -- they should just turn bright green. Immediately immerse the vegetables in ice water to stop the cooking. They should be crisp and slightly undercooked, since they will finish cooking in their final preparation.

Cinnamon Bread Pudding French Toast with Bourbon Sauce This French toast is made with slices of a cinnamon-scented bread pudding and served with a creamy custard in lieu of syrup.

Bread pudding:

12 slices French bread, cubed

1 c. walnuts

2 c. milk

2 c. half-and-half

5 eggs

1/2 c. plus 3 Tbs sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 tsp cinnamon

Bourbon sauce:

1 c. heavy cream

1 c. milk

5 egg yolks

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 c. bourbon

Assembly:

3 eggs

1/2 c. half-and-half

1 Tbs butter

1 Tbs corn oil

Pudding: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the bread cubs and walnuts. Combine the milk and half-and-half in a medium saucepan and heat until just ready to boil; remove from heat. In a medium metal bowl, whisk the eggs and half-cup sugar together until light colored and frothy. Gradually whisk in the hot milk mixture. Stir in the vanilla and 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Spoon the cubed bread and walnuts into the loaf pan; pour the milk mixture over. Combine the remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 3 tablespoons sugar and sprinkle over top. Bake the pudding for 60 minutes or until firm in the center. Cool, then refrigerate completely before slicing.

Sauce: In a medium saucepan, stir the heavy cream and milk together and heat until it just reaches boiling. Remove from the heat. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until light colored. Whisk the egg yolk mixture into the hot cream. Return to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the bourbon. Cool to room temperature.

Assembly: Slice the bread pudding into 12 pieces. Whisk together the eggs and half-and-half. In a large skillet, heat the butter and corn oil until the butter is melted and frothy. Dip each piece of bread pudding into the egg mixture, coating both sides. Keep finished slices warm in a low oven until all are cooked. Serve 2 to 3 slices on individual plates in a pool of custard sauce. Serves 6.

Notes: The custard sauce may be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. The bread pudding is best prepared at least 24 hours in advance and may be made up to 2 days ahead.

Sauteed apple rings would make a delicious accompaniment to this dish.

Corn Waffles with Smoked Salmon and Caviar Cream This is an exceptional dish for a morning meal that is equally at home as an elegant dinner appetizer. I use the finest Scottish smoked salmon and black sturgeon caviar for a beautiful presentation and refined taste.

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. cornmeal

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 Tbs sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs, separated

1/2 c. melted butter, cooled to room temperature

1/2 oz caviar

1 c. creme fraiche*

12 (2-inch) strips of thinly sliced smoked salmon

Preheat a waffle iron. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Whisk together the egg yolks and buttermilk. Stir the egg yolk mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in the butter. Fold in the egg whites. Ladle the batter into the preheated and lightly greased waffle iron. Bake until light brown, according to manufacturer's instructions for doneness; keep the cooked waffles warm until 6 have been made.

Whisk together the caviar and creme fraiche. Divide the waffles among 6 individual plates and spoon on the caviar cream. Lay 2 strips of smoked salmon across the cream and serve warm. Serves 6.

*Editor's note: If creme fraiche is not available, substitute sour cream.

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