Emily says: “True story: last February, in the middle of the night, I suddenly sat up in bed and announced ‘Hasselback crumpets!’ before making a note on my phone and going back to sleep. A strange moment, but my sleepy brain was clearly on to something and the next morning I tried making Hasselback crumpets, stuffing them with cheese and Marmite. They were a great success. The technique is usually reserved for potatoes: you slice them with a sharp knife, which gives them a bigger surface area and offers the opportunity to infuse them with flavour. Shortly after my Hasselback crumpet discovery, I found that a Hasselback croissant works brilliantly too, as you can stuff the gaps with all kinds of ingredients. This recipe is by no means an authentic Italian dish, but I have taken the main ingredients from an Italian Caprese salad and combined them with a classic French croissant to make a scrumptious amalgamation. The recipe serves one, but it’s easy to increase the quantities if you have lots of hungry mouths to feed!”

Serves 1 

Ingredients

• 1 croissant
• 1 salad tomato, sliced
• 25g mozzarella, sliced
• 4 or 5 fresh basil leaves
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• pinch each of salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C fan.

Use a sharp knife to make seven or eight cuts along the croissant, being careful not to slice all the way through.

Place the croissant on a baking tray, then stuff the gaps with the sliced tomato, mozzarella and basil leaves.

Drizzle over the olive oil and add the salt and pepper, then bake for 5–10 minutes, or until the croissant is golden and crispy and the mozzarella is gooey.

Transfer the croissant to a plate using a fish slice or spatula and serve immediately.

Emily says: “Cloud eggs may have been a social media trend in 2017, but I’m bringing them into 2022 with this yummy Parmesan and bacon version. Whisking the white gives it a fluffy, cloud-like texture which surrounds the runny yolk. Using an electric whisk, instead of whisking by hand, will save time and prevent your arm from becoming too tired, unless you fancy a morning workout of course!”

Serves 1 

Ingredients

• 1 large free-range egg
• pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 20g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, finely grated
• 20g unsmoked or smoked bacon lardons, or 2 rashers streaky bacon, diced
• ½ tbsp chives, finely chopped (optional)

Method

Preheat your oven to 200°C/ 180°C fan. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Separate the egg white from the yolk, then set the yolk aside. Put the egg white into a large, clean mixing bowl, then beat it using an electric whisk until it forms stiff peaks.

Gently fold the salt, pepper and grated cheese into the egg white, making sure not to knock out too much of the air you whisked in. Spoon the mixture into a circular shape on the baking tray, then use the back of the spoon to create a small well in the centre.

Bake for seven to eight minutes, or until the egg white has set and is starting to turn golden.

While the egg white is baking, heat a small non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the bacon, then fry for three to four minutes, or until the lardons are crispy and completely cooked through. Set aside.

Remove the egg white from the oven and carefully put the yolk into the well in the centre without breaking it. Return the egg to the oven for a further three minutes.

Transfer the cloud egg to a plate using a fish slice or spatula. Sprinkle the bacon and chopped chives, if using, over the top, then serve. You can enjoy the cloud egg as it is, or serve it on a slice of toast or a toasted crumpet, both of which are marvellous for mopping up the yolk.

Emily says: “Brushing halloumi with a sweet glaze before pan-frying gives it a sticky coating that works superbly with the salty, squeaky cheese. I have combined balsamic vinegar with honey for the glaze, which creates the perfect balance of sharpness and sweetness, and complements the cherry tomatoes too. The avocado and pine nuts are both sources of ‘good’ fats, which will help to keep you feeling full for longer.”

Serves 1 

Ingredients

• 30g halloumi cheese
• ½ tsp balsamic vinegar
• ½ tsp runny honey
• ½ tsp oil for frying, such as olive oil or cold-pressed rapeseed oil
• 6 or 7 cherry tomatoes, halved
• ¼ tsp dried thyme
• 1 crumpet
• ½ large avocado, stoned and peeled
• pinch each of salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 15g pine nuts
• pinch of chilli flakes, to garnish (optional)

Method

Slice the halloumi cheese into ½cm slices using a crinkle knife if possible. Mix the vinegar and honey in a small bowl, then brush the glaze all over the halloumi slices, making sure they are evenly coated.

Heat the oil in a medium non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the slices of halloumi.

Fry the halloumi slices on both sides for one to two minutes. They may release some water as they cook, but this will evaporate. Make sure you keep a close eye on the halloumi while it is cooking and turn the heat down to low if it looks as though it is starting to burn.

Once the halloumi is cooked, remove it from the pan and set it aside. Add the cherry tomatoes and thyme to the pan, then cook them for two to three minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft. Turn the heat down to low and put the halloumi back into the pan for a minute to ensure that it’s completely warmed through.

While the tomatoes are cooking, toast a crumpet and put it on a plate. Mash the avocado in a small bowl with the salt and pepper, then spoon it on top of the crumpet.

Top the crumpet with the cooked tomatoes, followed by the halloumi slices, then scatter over the pine nuts. Sprinkle a pinch of chilli flakes on top, if desired, then serve. 

What I Ate For Breakfast: Recipes Worth Getting Out of Bed For by Emily Scott (Harper Collins, £12.99) is out now