Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Serves: 7 (1/2 cup servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups (135 g) rolled oats (gluten free for GF eaters)
• 1/2 cup (32 g) raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup (56 g) raw almonds (or pecans)
• 1/2 cup (56 g) raw sunflower seeds
• 3 Tbsp (30 g) hemp seeds
• 2 Tbsp (24 g) chia seeds
• 1/4 cup (35 g) dried cranberries
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Arrange oats, pumpkin seeds, almonds, and sunflower seeds on baking sheet and spread into an even layer. If any of your nuts or seeds are already roasted, do not add them to the pan and reserve to add later.
• Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly toasted and golden brown, stirring once at the halfway point.

Optional serving add-ons include fresh fruit (I love banana) and/or a drizzle of maple syrup.  Enjoy!

This week, we thought we’d let you in on some of the behind-the-scenes action of our crème fraîche breakfast challenge. Many of the recipes we’ve compiled originally had yogurt as the main dairy ingredient, and we took the liberty of switching that out for our own crème fraîche. Since we had several recipes in our 30—day challenge that happened to be smoothies, we wanted to know just how well our crème fraîche variations performed versus ones made with plain yogurt. 

First, let’s lay out the difference between yogurt and crème fraîche... 

Especially since distinctions between cultured dairy foods are subtle, compared to the more obvious lines between items like liquid milk and solid cheese:

• The most important difference you should know between yogurt and crème fraîche is that yogurt is made from milk while crème fraîche is made from heavy cream; and this initial difference of starting ingredients affects the culturing process and ultimately the flavor and texture of the final product.

 

• Both yogurt and creme fraiche are cultured, and therefor rich in active probiotics. They are inoculated with good bacteria that convert lactose (milk sugar) into lactic acid. This lactic acid thickens the cream or milk by breaking down bundled proteins called casein, and reorganizing them into a “pocketed” structure that makes the dairy thicker. 

 

• The culture added to yogurt typically consists of Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. These are heat-loving bacteria, which is why they are added to heated milk and then incubated at a specific temperature to turn the milk into yogurt. These specific cultures are what gives yogurt its tangy flavor. 

 

• Creme Fraiche requires a unique culture cocktail to suit its heavy cream (rather than milk) origin. These include L. cremoris, L. lactis, and L. biovar diacetylactis, and often others. It is L. biovar diacetylactis, specifically, that produces the buttery flavor you know to be distinctive of crème fraîche.

​

• More ingredients must be added to make yogurt, with some brands containing thickeners and stabilizers. These stabilizers, such as modified food starch, guar gum, and carrageenan are added by design to provide an engineered smoothness and texture in the end product. (They are even more likely to be added to sour cream, and in larger quantities, but thats a story for another blog post.) The consistency of crème fraîche occurs naturally through the unique culturing process, so no additional ingredients are needed. 

Now that we know the nitty gritty, let’s see how crème fraîche and yogurt compete as the main component of a delicious dairy smoothie. Using the mixed berry with lemongrass smoothie, our home cook and team member, Heidi, blended up both a yogurt and crème fraîche version. Can you guess which uses our Crème Fraîche?

​Although, visually, both smoothies seem — for lack of a better word — smooth, the crème fraîche version proved its top-notch creaminess with superior viscosity, pouring out of the glass in a single, connected stream while the yogurt smoothie was prone to slushy clumps and disconnected droplets. To your palate, the crème fraîche version definitely presents with a thicker, richer body. ​

So, what does this mean for your breakfast?

Of course personal preferences come into play, but if you yearn for a richer, creamier smoothie with gut-healthy probiotics, crème fraîche is the best dairy ingredient for your smoothy. Also, let’s not forget that morning is a better time to consume higher-fat foods (with a clean conscience) for sustained energy throughout the rest of the day. This one-two punch of flavor and fullness makes crème fraîche smoothies a healthy knockout for your next grab-and-go breakfast!

Makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 4 English muffins, split in half
• 8 large eggs
• 1 heaping tablespoon crème fraîche
• 1 tablespoon mixed finely chopped fresh chives and fresh dill
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the English muffins
• 4 slices smoked salmon

Instructions:

• Toast the English muffins, then spread the cut sides with a thin layer of butter.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, crème fraîche, herbs, and a pinch of salt and pepper until just combined.
• Heat the 1 tablespoon of butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat until melted.
  
• Pour in the egg mixture. Using a rubber spatula, move the eggs around the pan, pushing the cooked parts off the bottom of the pan. If the eggs are cooking too quickly, reduce the heat. Stir the eggs gently but constantly until they are just set but not dry. Remove from the heat.
• Divide the eggs over the English muffin bottoms. Drape each one with a slice of smoked salmon, and top with English muffin tops.

​Ingredients:

Pineapple Marmalade

• 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed
• 3 cups finely chopped pineapple (from about 1 medium pineapple)
• 1 cup sugar

Whipped crème fraîche

• 1 cup crème fraîche
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Pancakes

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups whole milk
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 4 ripe bananas, peeled, sliced 1/4" thick

Preparation:

• Bring lemon, pineapple, sugar, and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan.
• Reduce heat and simmer until pineapple and lemon are soft, 35-45 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Whisk crème fraîche and sugar in a medium bowl until thickened, about 2 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 200°F. Whisk flour, salt, eggs, milk, 4 Tbsp.butter, and 1 cup water in a medium bowl.
• Heat 1/2 tablespoons butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and swirl to coat pan. Pour 1/4 cup batter into pan and place 5-6 banana slices on top. Cook pancake until bottom is golden brown and top looks almost dry, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until pancake is just set and bananas are golden brown, 1 minute longer.
• Transfer to a baking sheet; cover loosely with foil and place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining butter, batter, and banana slices, transferring to oven as you work.
• Serve pancakes with pineapple marmalade and whipped crème fraîche.

DO AHEAD
Marmalade can be made 2 weeks ahead to save time in the morning. Store covered and chilled.

YIELD: Makes 6 servings
ACTIVE TIME: 45 min
TOTAL TIME: 1 1/4 hr

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 lb mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons crème fraîche
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
• 12 slices Black Forest or Virginia ham (without holes; 10 oz)
• 12 large eggs

Garnish: fresh tarragon leaves
Accompaniment: buttered brioche or challah toast
Special equipment: a muffin tin with 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups

PREPARATION:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Cook mushrooms and shallot in butter with salt and pepper in a large heavy skillet over moderately high heat, stirring, until mushrooms are tender and liquid they give off is evaporated, about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in crème fraîche and tarragon.
• Fit 1 slice of ham into each of 12 lightly oiled muffin cups (ends will stick up and hang over edges of
• cups). Divide mushrooms among cups and crack 1 egg into each. Bake in middle of oven until whites are cooked but yolks are still runny, about 15 minutes. Season eggs with salt and pepper and remove (with ham) from muffin cups carefully, using 2 spoons or small spatulas.​

Cooks'note:  The eggs in this recipe are not fully cooked. Please adjust cook time if salmonella is a concern in your area.

Ingredients:
Sweet Potato Crust

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 large sweet potato
• sea salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Frittata

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 red onion
• sea salt, to taste
• 1/2 cup crème fraîche
• 8 large eggs
• ½ cup frozen spinach, thawed (or 2 cups fresh spinach)
• ⅓ cup shaved or grated parmesan
• ½ teaspoon italian seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 425ºF.
• Shred the sweet potatoes (peeling the sweet potato first is optional). I do this in my food processor, and it takes seconds.
• Coat the bottom of a baking dish with 1 teaspoon olive oil.
• Add the sweet potatoes, and lightly season with sea salt and black pepper.
• Cover tightly with foil, and bake for 30 minutes.
• While the sweet potatoes are baking, thinly slice the onion, and add it to a frying pan with 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened. Season with sea salt. If they seem dry, rather than adding more oil, add a few tablespoons of water. Set aside when the onions are very soft and caramelized.
• Beat the eggs with crème fraîche, and mix in thawed spinach (or chopped fresh spinach), parmesan, and spices.
• When the sweet potatoes have finished cooking, remove the baking dish, and let cool for 5 or 10 minutes.
• After it's cooled down a bit, loosen the foil. Use a dish towel to protect your hand from the heat, and compress the sweet potatoes to form a crust.
• Once the crust has been formed, add the egg mixture. Top the egg mixture with caramelized onions.
• Cover the dish tightly with foil, and bake at 425ºf for another 20 minutes.
• Remove the foil, and lower the oven temperature to 320ºf. Bake for another 10-15 minutes, depending on your oven, until the eggs are firm in the center.
• Sprinkle with extra parmesan, and enjoy!

There’s no hiding that at Kriemhild we’re focused on fat. It’s hard to find a more nutritionally disputed food than full-fat dairy, and we’re at the extreme end of the opinion spectrum by making a butter with higher-than-average butterfat percentage (on purpose, no less!), and now by making crème fraîche, which has higher fat content than either yogurt or sour cream.

It’s not uncommon for us to be playfully scolded by customers for selling such good-tasting full-fat dairy products; a “tempting dietary sin,” they say. And we understand, conventional dietary advice has been to avoid saturated fat to reduce the risk of heart disease and maintain an overall healthy diet. However, over the past 7 years there’s been growing scientific evidence to challenge the findings that inspired the original USDA Food Pyramid in 1992 (1,2).

What we’re really trying to say it this: we’re not out to get you, and neither is fat.  We truly believe we are providing you with quality dairy that has authentic nutritional benefits. We agree with the scientific proof that saturated fats in our dairy products are not inherently bad, and are actually an important part of a healthy diet.

In response to the growing scientific consensus pardoning saturated fats, Americans are increasingly switching to full-fat foods from low-fat options. A report published by the Credit Suisse Research Institute shows that butter and whole milk sales are rising. In 2014, butter sales rose 14% and in the first half of 2015 whole milk sale increase 11% while sales of skim milk dropped 14% (3).

Being that fats, particularly saturated fats, have been the scapegoats of the nutritional world for decades, their vital roles in our bodies have been greatly unappreciated and misunderstood:

• Omega 3 and saturated fats regulate hormones, therefore are vital for healthy fertility and energy levels (3,4).
• Fat helps us utilize Vitamins A, D, E and K (3,4).
• Cell membranes require saturated fatty acids to be waterproof (3,4).
• Bones need saturated fats to assimilate calcium effectively (3,4).
• Fats function as signaling messengers for hormone production (3,4).
• Saturated fats play an important role in the immune system, priming white blood cells to destroy invading bacteria, viruses, and fungi, as well as to fight tumors (3,4).

Of the three macronutrients —Protein, Carbohydrates and Fat— Fat is the most efficiently absorbed by our bodies for our energy needs.

It’s that last little tidbit of information that inspired our 30 days of crème fraîche for breakfast challenge. Who hasn’t suffered through a low-fat breakfast only to be hungry an hour later? Fats signal satiety to our brains and slow down nutrient absorption so you eat less and feel full longer. Adding crème fraîche is one way to make an interesting breakfast that carries you over until lunch.  

Our fat advocacy is born from our advocacy of food from grass-fed animals. It’s, in truth, the fat of these foods that carry the benefits of the animals’ grass-fed diets. 

The fat profile of milk and other dairy products depends on what the cows eat. Grass-fed dairy contain more omega-3 fatty acids. Milk from cows with grass-based diets contains between 2.5 and 5 times the levels of omega-3 of the milk of grain-fed cows and present a better omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. Grass-fed milk can contain 1.5 to 2.5 times higher levels of conjugated linoleum acid (CLA), which helps reduce insulin sensitivity and lessen symptoms of inflammatory disorders (4). Omega-3 isn’t just a salmon thing (although salmon and crème fraîche go great together, not going to lie).

So, if you’ve ever wondered why we shamelessly announce the full-fat content of our dairy, this is why. We’re convinced that full fat deserves a chance. Are you? Check out Today's recipe for Day 7 of the 30-Days of Crème Fraîche for Breakfast challenge.

Cited Sources:

1. http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2010/01/13/ajcn.2009.27725.abstract
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26068959
3. http://publications.credit-suisse.com/tasks/render/file/index.cfm?fileid=9163B920-CAEF-91FB-EE5769786A03D76E
4. https://authoritynutrition.com/butter-eaters-have-fewer-heart-attacks/