Simple Breakfast Food - Cornbread, Quiche Lorraine, and Scone (玉米麵包, 法式蛋派, 蘇格蘭鬆餅)

Having a proper breakfast seems the right thing to do.  So we started making some breakfast items that are simple to heat up in the morning, and pleasant to consume, esp. with a cup of coffee.  These items could last for a week or so in the fridge.  These recipes are based on some (in some cases, many) online recipes.  We try to make a lighter version of each, by reducing sugar and fat without sacrificing the taste too much.   Incidentally, the breads here are classified as quick breads, because they are leavened by baking powder or baking soda, instead of yeast, hence easier to to make, even for a beginner like me.  

I. Cornbread (玉米麵包)

1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a medium-to-large-sized mixing bowl:  1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 cup of cornmeal, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/4 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp of black pepper, 2 tsp of baking soda, 1 tsp of vinegar or lemon juice (to neutralize the baking soda taste, if not using buttermilk or sour cream in Step 2).  Note- Consider reversing Step 2 and 1 (for smoother texture), by whisking the wet content together first, and then, sifting flours into the mixing bowl (with a strainer), before adding sugar, salt, pepper, baking soda, and vinegar at the end.  Whisk again before pouring the batter into the skillet or baking pan.
2. Now add in the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly: 2 eggs, 1 cup of milk (whole milk preferred, 1% or 2% works with 5-10 minutes longer baking time; or 1 cup of buttermilk, see note below for buttermilk substitute), and 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or 1/2 cup of butter melted, or 1/2 cup of sour cream).  Note- If we add 1 tsp of vinegar or lemon juice into 1 cup of milk and let sit for 5 minutes, we'll have what is generally known as 1 cup of buttermilk substitute.
3. Preheat oven to 375-deg F, and pour the mix from Step 2 into a 10" cast-iron skillet or baking pan.  Note- Alternatively, 400-degF (20-25 minutes) for a slightly drier version, or 450-degF (15-20 minutes, preheat a 10" cast-iron skillet with 1 Tbsp veggie oil in the oven for 7 minutes).  Also, we will try to make cornbread on stove-top next time (with a cast-iron skillet).
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes (add 5-10 minutes for 1% or 2% milk), or (more reliably) until an inserted toothpick (or a single chopstick) comes out clean (without any wet material).  Important- Cover the top of the pan with a piece of aluminum foil, once the top of the bread is in slightly lighter color than desired (to prevent the top of the bread from being burnt).  Let cool and serve.  Here is a picture of the finished product. Note- The more water content in the wet ingredients in Step 2, the longer it takes to bake (add 5 minutes, and try the toothpick-test again).  
   

II. Quiche Lorraine (法式蛋派)

1. Place a pie crust over an 8" or 9" pie pan (follow the instructions of the purchased pie crust).
2. Brown 4-6 pieces of bacon in a frying pan, on low heat, till brown but not crispy.  Take out, let cool, and chop into 1/4-1/2" pieces.  Set aside.
3. Use the left over bacon oil to saute about half a pound of fresh mushroom (sliced).  Drain out the fluid produced by the mushroom.  Set aside.
4. Add 1-1/2 cup of Half and Half and 3 eggs into a small-medium-sized bowl.  Add 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp of black pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.  Mix thoroughly.
5. Preheat the oven to 375-deg-F.  Pour the egg mix on top of the pie crust.  Add the chopped bacon and the sauteed mushroom, and stir them evenly into the egg mix.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, or (more reliably) until the quiche surface is puffed and browned.  Here is a picture of the finished product.  Note- We use Julia Child's recipe as the blueprint for a French-style Quiche Lorraine (bacon, but no cheese).  We added sliced mushroom, but took out the butter.  We also experimented with adding frozen chopped spinach (defrost and drain water to reduce the water content, otherwise add baking time).  The more water content we have in the egg mix (e.g., water in the frozen spinach), the longer it takes to bake the quiche (adding 10 minutes a time, and observe).
   

III. Scone (蘇格蘭鬆餅)

1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl: 4 cups of all-purpose flour, 1/4 - 1/2 cup of sugar, 2 tsp of baking powder, 1 tsp of baking soda, 1 tsp of salt.
2. Mix all the wet  ingredients in a small bowl: 1 cup of sour cream, 1 egg.  Mix thoroughly. 
3. Cut 3/4 cups  (i.e., 1 1/2 sticks) of chilled butter into 1/4" - 1/2" chunks.  Keep the chunks chilled in fridge, until ready to mix.
4. Pour the wet mix into the dry mix, add chilled butter chunks, add raisin, cranberry, or nuts if desired into the mix. Finally, add  1 tsp of white vinegar (or lemon juice). Stir the combined mix with a wooden or bamboo spatula to form a dough.
5. Move the dough to a floured surface, and knead slightly (Try Not to Over-Knead, Over-kneading makes the scones dense).  Use one hand as guard, with the other hand to pushing the dough against the guard to form a 3/4"- 1" thick round pie (or just use a 9" cake pan as mold).
6. Cut the round pie into 8 - 12 wedges, and place the wedges  1 -2" apart on a slightly oiled baking pan.
7. Preheat the oven to 400-deg-F, and bake for 15-20 minutes, or (more reliably) until the top is light brown.