Sunday Brunch (7 page)

Makes 12 pancakes, to serve 4

PREP TIME:

45 minutes, including making the blueberry sauce

START-TO-FINISH TIME:

1 hour

MAKE AHEAD:

Partially

Blueberry Sauce

1 cup/240 ml cold water

½ cup/100 g sugar

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp cornstarch

2 cups/280 g fresh or frozen unsweetened blueberries (defrosted and patted dry)

⅛ tsp ground cinnamon

Pancakes

⅔ cup/80 g all-purpose flour

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

2 eggs, separated

1 cup/225 g whole milk ricotta cheese

½ cup/240 ml whole milk

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp grated lemon zest

Canola oil

1. For the Blueberry Sauce: Combine the water, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a heavy, medium saucepan and stir until blended. Place the pan over low heat and cook, stirring, until the cornstarch dissolves. Add the blueberries and raise the heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove and let cool for about 10 minutes.

2. Purée the sauce in a food processor or blender until smooth. Strain the puréed sauce through a fine-meshed sieve back into the saucepan. Return to medium heat and cook at a simmer until reduced to 1 cup/240 ml, about 30 minutes. Stir in the cinnamon. (The sauce can be prepared 3 days ahead; cool, cover, and refrigerate. Reheat over low heat when needed.)

3. For the pancakes: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, ricotta, milk, sugar, and lemon zest until well blended. Gradually whisk in the dry ingredients.

4. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the egg whites until they are just firm. Gently stir one-third of the whites into the batter to lighten it. Then gently fold in the remaining egg whites.

5. Heat a griddle or a large, heavy frying pan set over medium to medium-low heat until hot, and then brush with just enough canola oil to coat the surface. Working in batches, pour generous ¼ cup/60 ml measures of the batter onto the hot griddle. Cook until bubbles appear on the tops and the pancakes are golden brown on the bottom, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn and cook until golden brown on the other side, about 2 minutes. Remove to a warm platter, and cover loosely with foil. (Do not stack the pancakes or they will steam and become flabby.) Repeat, adding more oil to the griddle until all the batter has been used.

6. Arrange three overlapping pancakes on each of four plates, drizzle with some of the warm blueberry sauce, and serve.

Golden Pecan Waffles with Warm Salted Caramel Sauce and Bananas

Crispy, golden, and studded with pecans, these waffles, which are lightly sweetened, are a perfect foil for a rich dark caramel sauce with bananas. A touch of fleur de sel intensifies the flavor of the sauce, which can be prepared two days ahead.

Makes about six 6½-in/16.5-cm waffles; serves 4 to 6

PREP TIME:

25 minutes, including making the caramel sauce

START-TO-FINISH TIME:

45 minutes

MAKE AHEAD:

Partially

Warm Salted Caramel Sauce

1 ½ cups/300 g sugar

¾ cup/180 ml water

⅔ cup/165 ml half-and-half

4 tbsp/55 g unsalted butter, diced

½ tsp fleur de sel

3 ripe, but not soft, bananas, cut into ½-in/12-mm slices

Golden Pecan Waffles

1 ¾ cups/225 g all-purpose flour

4 tsp sugar

2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

2 eggs

2 cups/480 ml buttermilk

6 tbsp/85 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1 cup/115 g pecans, toasted (see
cooking tip
) and coarsely chopped

1. For the Warm Salted Caramel Sauce: Combine the sugar and water in a heavy, medium saucepan set over low heat, swirling the pan occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat and boil, without stirring, until the mixture is syrupy and turns a rich golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly stir in the half-and-half. Be very careful because the mixture will bubble vigorously. Whisk in the butter, and then add the fleur de sel. (The caramel sauce can be prepared 2 days ahead; cool, cover, and refrigerate. Reheat, stirring, over medium heat.) Stir in the bananas. Cover and keep warm.

2. For the Golden Pecan Waffles: Preheat a waffle iron (and, if you plan to hold the waffles until serving time, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F/95 degrees C).

3. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk.

4. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture, blending gently only until the ingredients are combined. Add the butter in a slow stream, continuing to blend until the butter is incorporated. Fold in the pecans.

5. Pour ½ cup/120 ml of the batter (or more, depending on the size of your waffle iron) onto the waffle iron and, using a metal spatula or table knife, spread the batter to within ½ in/12 mm of the edge. Close the cover and cook approximately 3 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown. (If your waffles aren’t crisp, even after a “ready signal” has sounded, continue to cook them, watching carefully, until crisp and golden. If not serving immediately, place the waffles in a single layer on a baking sheet in the preheated oven while you finish with the remaining batter.)

6. Serve waffles topped with several spoonfuls of the warm caramel sauce and bananas.

COOKING TIP:

To toast pecans, spread on a rimmed baking sheet and place in a preheated 350-degree-F/180-degree-C/gas-4 oven until fragrant and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Watch carefully so the nuts do not burn. Remove and cool.

Orange Whole-Wheat Waffles with Yogurt and Fresh Berries

Fresh orange juice and zest add a clear, refreshing accent to these golden-brown waffles, which are prepared with a light version of whole-wheat flour. Dollops of Greek yogurt sweetened with honey and fresh seasonal berries replace the more typical garnishes of maple syrup and butter.

Makes about six 5- to 6-in/12- to 15-cm waffles, to serve 4 to 6

PREP TIME:

25 minutes

START-TO-FINISH TIME:

45 minutes

MAKE AHEAD:

No

Orange Whole-Wheat Waffles

2¼ cups/285 g white whole-wheat flour (see
market note
)

3 tbsp sugar

2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1 ¼ cups/300 ml whole milk

½ cup/120 ml freshly squeezed orange juice

2 eggs, separated

5 tsp packed grated orange zest

6 tbsp/85 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

Yogurt Topping

1 cup/240 ml plain Greek-style yogurt (see
market note
)

4 tsp honey

1 tsp grated orange zest, packed

Fresh raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries, for garnish

MARKET NOTE:

King Arthur Flour sells an unbleached white whole-wheat flour, which is available in most grocery stores. It’s lighter in color than traditional whole wheat and boasts a milder, sweeter flavor. If unavailable, use half whole-wheat and half white flour.

Nonfat, as well as reduced- to whole-fat varieties of Greek yogurt work in this recipe.

1. For the Orange Whole-Wheat Waffles: Preheat a waffle iron (and, if you plan to hold the waffles until serving time, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F/95 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, orange juice, egg yolks, and orange zest. In a third bowl, beat the egg whites until firm, but not stiff.

3. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the milk mixture, blending gently only until the ingredients are combined. Add the butter in a slow stream, continuing to blend until the butter is incorporated. Gently fold in the egg whites.

4. For the Yogurt Topping: In a small serving bowl, whisk together the yogurt, honey, and orange zest.

5. Pour ½ cup/120 ml of the batter (or more, depending on the size of your waffle iron) onto the waffle iron and, using a metal spatula or table knife, spread the batter to within ½ in/12 mm of the edge. Close the cover and cook approximately 3 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown. (If your waffles aren’t crisp, even after a “ready signal” has sounded, continue to cook them, watching carefully, until crisp and golden. If not serving immediately, place the waffles in a single layer on a baking sheet in the preheated oven while you finish with the remaining batter.)

6. Serve the waffles topped with a generous dollop of the yogurt mixture and garnish with some berries.

Baked Eggnog French Toast with Cranberries and Apples

Crispy baked French toast topped with glistening cranberries and apples makes a stunning main course for a holiday brunch. You can prepare the fruit topping a day ahead and soak the bread slices in eggnog the night before. Either purchased or homemade eggnog (a simple combination of egg yolks, sugar, and cream) will yield delicious results.