When Ipswich-based Emily Scott posted a picture of one of her favourite breakfasts on Instagram in 2015, she had no idea seven years later she’d have 191,000 followers, and a book deal.
Nor did she dream she’d become the creator of super-used Instagram terms such as ‘scrumpet’ and ‘frumpet’.
The financial analyst recently signed with Harper Collins, one of two publishers to approach her during lockdown, and her first cookbook, What I Ate for Breakfast (named for her Instagram account) is set to launch this March.
“This is my dream,” smiles Emily. “I’d love to be able to write books as my full-time job. I’ve been asked if I’m going to have a book so many times by my followers.”
The cookbook will include a section of basics, following Emily’s finely honed recipes to ensure perfection with classics such as scrambled eggs, poached eggs and pancakes. She then pulls focus on indulgent brunches, celebratory breakfasts, everyday breakfasts and more.
“It’s a mixture of sweet and savoury,” Emily says, “and all the recipes are new for the book, apart from a couple which are similar to what I’ve done before.
“I’ve made sure they’re breakfasts you could fit into any morning, with any cooking ability. Everyone has such busy lives and commitments that I wanted it to be really accessible and easy. There’s even a chapter of dishes that can be prepared ahead of time and taken with you on the go.”
The foodie says her love of eating a decent breakfast harks back to childhood. While her parents worked, Emily’s grandparents were often drafted into help with childcare – especially in the holidays. And her grandma always made an effort to put something special on the table early in the day.
“She made these amazing breakfasts for us,” Emily recalls. “Normally two courses. So we might have soft dippy eggs and soldiers, then homemade bread with plum jam. Everything was perfect. She was an excellent cook and I loved all her food, but breakfast was always a special time for us. We’d gather around the table and have a cup of tea and it would be an event.
“Today breakfast can be such a rushed and uninspired meal. More of us would rather sleep in and press snooze, leaving the house without eating. That’s what inspired me to create the page in the first place – to take us back to when breakfast was the most important meal of the day. To make it more fun!”
Emily had just begun her full-time career when she set up What I Ate for Breakfast, saying she found she was skipping her morning bites, which led to her not enjoying mornings. “I thought, I’m going to make things I want to eat. The kind of things that will inspire me to get out of bed.”
Posting almost daily, Emily saw interest in her Instagram account climb rapidly, and says the lockdown periods were especially busy with lots of people working at home seeking inspiration – including parents trying to find new ways to get breakfast into their kids.
So, what have been her best-loved creations?
“I’m proud of so many of the things I’ve made, but scrumpets and frumpets are two of my favourites. They both use crumpets which are something a lot of us will have at home, and they are so versatile. I’m not claiming to have invented the ideas, but I came up with the names. When I see the word ‘frumpet’ in other posts online it does make me smile.
“So a scrumpet is my word for scrambled crumpets. I chop up a couple into small pieces and soak in whisked egg with herbs, cheddar, whatever seasonings I like, and I pan fry them. You get a lovely crispy coating but the centre stays soft. You can get a lot of flavour into them and they take minutes to prepare.
“Frumpet is a French toast crumpet. Similar to a scrumpet really. You just soak a whole crumpet in whisked egg and flavourings and fry it.
“I love all breakfasts, but I would say I’m more of a savoury fan. I couldn’t choose a favourite dish of mine, but anything with crumpets or eggs gets my vote. They’re both lovely and filling. And eggs especially pack in lots of protein, and keep you full which is a positive way to start the day – and keep you away from the biscuit tin!
Find What I Ate for Breakfast on Instagram where there are hundreds of quick and easy breakfast recipes to try. Look out for the release of Emily’s book in mid-March too.
What I Ate for Breakfast’s most-liked posts of 2021
1. Croissants filled with halloumi, avocado and chilli jam - “This is a really nice combination. The salty halloumi goes beautifully with the sweetness of the chilli jam. It’s really quick too.
2. Salted caramel and marshmallow pancake stack - “I posted this on Pancake Day. It’s very sweet but I had to go all-out.”
3. Cheese-topped baked croissants - “So easy. You cut a ready-made croissant in half, add Cheddar, bake until it goes crispy and add your choice of filling. I add eggs, bacon and avocado.
4. Mango chutney glazed halloumi - “I love halloumi and adding all sorts of glazes to it. This works really well.”
5. Homemade melt in the middle Marmite hash browns - “Really easy. The Marmite gives a nice savoury flavour and the Cheddar melts as you bite into them.
6. Hasselback crumpets - “The story behind these is I was fast asleep and woke up in the middle of the night having dreamt about these. I wrote a note on my phone and found it in the morning. I thought I’d have a go, so I cut slices in a crumpet, added Marmite and cheese, brushed with butter and put them in the oven. It worked and was delicious. So last year I tried to hassleback everything – muffins, apples, croissants.”
7. Melt in the middle cheesy broccoli potato cakes - “These are similar to the hash browns with a melty filling. I microwave the potatoes to save time, mash with broccoli and shape into potato cakes with the cheese in the middle. People love these for sneaking veg into kids.
8. Hasselback croissants with ham and cheese - “So indulgent.”
9. Homemade hash brown sandwiches - “Instead of using bread, I used hash browns to make a sandwich, filling the middle with scrambled egg, salmon and avocado.”
10. Scragles - “These are like the scrumpets. Cut a bagel into chunks and soak in eggs, chives, cheese and herbs, then pan fry until crispy and golden. This is an amazing, quick breakfast.”
Emily’s pains au chocolat muffins
(makes 6)
These muffins are a wonderful way to use up leftover pains au chocolat. They are sure to be a hit with adults and children alike and are an ideal breakfast to prepare ahead of time, as they can be kept in the fridge for up to three days. They are delicious served either warm straight from the oven or cold. You could swap the pains au chocolat for torn up croissants or chocolate chip brioche rolls for a similar effect.
Ingredients
Oil or butter, for greasing the tin
4 pains au chocolat
2 large free-range eggs
30ml semi-skimmed milk (or a non-dairy alternative)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp maple syrup or runny honey
50g milk or dark chocolate chips (optional)
Method
Pre-heat your oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6.
Grease six holes of a non-stick muffin tin with the oil or butter.
Roughly tear the pains au chocolat into small pieces, around 2cm in size.
Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl, then beat them with the milk, vanilla extract and maple syrup/runny honey, using a fork or hand whisk.
Add the torn pains au chocolat pieces to the bowl, give the mixture a good stir to make sure everything is combined, then leave it to sit for a few minutes so the pieces absorb the egg mixture.
Optional: if using, stir in the chocolate chips.
Spoon the mixture into the muffin tins, dividing it evenly between the six holes.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown. Leave them to cool slightly before carefully removing them from the tin and transferring them to a plate. Either serve immediately while still warm or allow them to cool completely on a wire rack before storing them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days.
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