Authors: Betty Rosbottom

Sunday Brunch (8 page)

BOOK: Sunday Brunch

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Serves 6

PREP TIME:

45 minutes, including making the Glazed Cranberries and Apples, plus 6 hours or longer to refrigerate the toast

START-TO-FINISH TIME:

7 hours or longer

MAKE AHEAD:

Partially

Glazed Cranberries and Apples

2 cups/480 ml apple cider

6 tbsp/90 ml light corn syrup

2 tbsp light brown sugar

8 tbsp/115 g unsalted butter, diced

3 Golden Delicious apples (about 1 ¼ lb/570 g), peeled, cored, and cut into ½-in/12-mm cubes

2 cups/225 g fresh or frozen cranberries (see
market note
)

½ cup/100 g granulated sugar, plus more if needed

Eggnog French Toast

12 thick (¾-in/2-cm) bread slices, cut on a sharp diagonal from a day-old baguette (see
market note
)

2 ½ cups/600 ml purchased eggnog (see
cooking tip
)

½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Pinch of ground cinnamon

3 tbsp melted unsalted butter

Confectioners’ sugar

1. For the Glazed Cranberries and Apples: Whisk together the apple cider, corn syrup, and brown sugar in a large, heavy saucepan set over high heat. Boil until reduced to 1 cup/240 ml, about 15 minutes. Whisk in 4 tbsp/55 g of the butter until melted. Remove from the heat and set aside.

2. Melt the remaining 4 tbsp/55 g butter in a large, heavy frying pan over medium heat until hot. Add the apples and sauté, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the cranberries and granulated sugar, and stir until the cranberries begin to pop, about 2 minutes. Stir in the reduced cider mixture and cook until the mixture has reduced to a syrup-like consistency, about 6 minutes. Taste and stir in more sugar if desired. (The cranberries and apples can be prepared 1 day ahead; cool, cover, and refrigerate. Reheat, stirring, over medium heat.)

3. For the Eggnog French Toast: Arrange the bread slices in a 9-by-13-in/23-by-33-cm shallow baking dish. Whisk together the eggnog, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Pour the mixture over the bread. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours, or overnight.

4. Arrange a rack at center position and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F/230 degrees C/gas 8. Butter a large, rimmed baking sheet with some of the melted butter. Using a metal spatula, transfer the bread slices to the baking sheet. Brush the bread with the remaining melted butter.

5. Bake for 10 minutes, and then turn and bake until golden brown on the outside and still soft inside, 5 to 6 minutes more. Watch carefully so they do not burn.

6. Arrange two slices on each of six dinner plates and mound the warm fruits on top. Dust generously with confectioners’ sugar and serve.

MARKET NOTE:

If using frozen cranberries, defrost and pat dry.

You can also use a good, crusty sourdough bread; cut ¾-in/2-cm slices from it and, if they are large, cut them in half.

COOKING TIP:

If eggnog is not available at the supermarket, whisk together 4 egg yolks, ½ cup/100 g sugar, and 2 cups/480 ml light cream to blend. Then proceed with the recipe.

Strawberry-Glazed French Toast with Sweetened Sour Cream

Thick slices of good country bread, crisped in the oven before being dipped into a rich vanilla-scented custard mixture, are sautéed slowly in a little butter until rich golden brown. However, what makes this French toast extra-special are the simple toppings. In place of the usual maple syrup, a thin coating of strawberry jam and a dollop of slightly sweetened sour cream add colorful and complementary flavorings.

Serves 4

PREP TIME:

10 minutes

START-TO-FINISH TIME:

45 minutes

MAKE AHEAD:

Eight 1-in-/2.5-cm-thick slices bread, cut from a country or peasant loaf (see
market note
)

2 cups/480 ml half-and-half

4 egg yolks

3 tbsp light brown sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract, plus ½ tsp

½ tsp cinnamon

3 tbsp unsalted butter

½ cup/120 ml sour cream

1 tbsp granulated sugar

cup/100 g strawberry jam or preserves (see
market note
)

MARKET NOTE:

The best bread for this dish is an unsliced loaf of good-quality peasant or country bread, preferably one without an extra-hard crust. One that is rectangular, rather than round, is more convenient, but either will do. Cut off the ends of the loaf, and reserve for another use. Then slice the bread into 1-in-/2.5-cm-thick slices. If your loaf is large and the slices seem large, cut them in half.

You can try other jams, preserves, or marmalades. Cherry, raspberry, or peach preserves and orange marmalade are other possibilities.

1. Arrange a rack at center position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F/200 degrees C/gas 6. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and bake until dry and very lightly browned, about 8 minutes per side. Watch carefully so that the bread does not burn. Remove the bread from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 200 degrees F/95 degrees C.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, egg yolks, brown sugar, 1 tbsp vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour the mixture into a shallow pan (a 9-by-13-in/23-by-33-cm glass baking dish works well). Add the toasted bread slices and soak them for 4 minutes per side. Remove to a large plate or platter.

3. Place a large, heavy frying pan over low to medium heat. Add about 2 tsp of the butter or enough to coat the bottom of the pan lightly. When melted, add enough bread slices to fit comfortably in a single layer. Cook slowly until the slices are golden brown and crisp on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Remove to a baking sheet and place in the warm oven. Repeat, adding more butter to the pan as needed until all the bread slices have been sautéed.

4. In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, granulated sugar, and remaining ½ tsp vanilla.

5. When ready to serve, spread each toast with a thin coating of strawberry jam and top with a dollop of sweetened sour cream.

A
lthough you might be tempted to run to the bakery or supermarket for a bagful of muffins or scones, with a little extra effort you can pull freshly baked ones from your own oven. Is there anything more welcoming than the aroma of breads wafting through the kitchen? Scrumptious quick breads, like the ones featured in this chapter, can, in most cases, be assembled and baked in the time it would take many of us to drive to the store and back.

These baked goods are termed “quick” because they are leavened with baking powder instead of yeast, which requires long rising times. You simply put the dough or batter together, place it in a pan or on a sheet, and pop it in the oven. For a brunch, it’s helpful to have the ingredients for a recipe measured and set out on a kitchen tray. Then at baking time, you’ll need only to preheat the oven and do a quick assembly. While quick breads are best piping-hot from the oven, many can be baked ahead and re-warmed, or even served at room temperature.

The mouthwatering offerings on the following pages include a trio of muffins, each with distinctive flavorings. You can choose the extra-moist Tart Cherry and Almond Muffins; savor the ones with lemon, dates, and pecans; or indulge in a batch of gingerbread muffins with a double dose of ginger. There are also tender scones, plus popovers that rise so tall they are described as mile-high, and biscuits as delicate as clouds. A delectable coffee cake, scented with espresso, will feed a crowd—but don’t count on any leftovers!

Cranberry-Pecan Scones

The owners of Kinsman Lodge in Franconia, New Hampshire, shared with me the recipe for these popular scones, which they serve at their bed-and-breakfast. What distinguishes these scones is that they are baked with a hearty amount of heavy cream, but no butter or shortening. At the lodge, Sue Thompson varies the dried fruits that stud these tender morning breads, and you can too. I opted for cranberries and also included toasted pecans with a hint of orange to round out the flavors.

Makes 16 scones, to serve 8

PREP TIME:

20 minutes

START-TO-FINISH TIME:

35 minutes

MAKE AHEAD:

Yes

2 cups/225 g cake flour

¼ cup/50 g granulated sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

⅔ cup/85 g dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

⅓ cup/35 g pecans, toasted (see
cooking tip
) and coarsely chopped

1 tbsp packed grated orange zest

1 ⅓ cups/315 ml heavy cream, plus 1 tbsp extra if needed, and additional for brushing on tops of scones

1 ½ to 2 tsp turbinado sugar for garnish(optional; see
market note
)

MARKET NOTE:

Turbinado is a raw sugar that has undergone a steam-cleaning process. With its coarse crystals and mild molasses scent, this sugar is good sprinkled on baked goods. It is available at some supermarkets.

1. Arrange a rack at center position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F/200 degrees C/gas 6. Have ready a large, heavy, ungreased baking sheet.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt to combine well. Stir in the cranberries, pecans, and orange zest and mix well. Slowly add the 1 cups/315 ml cream into the dry ingredients, while stirring, until the dough comes together. If the dough is dry, add the 1 tbsp cream.

3. On a floured surface, divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a round ¾ in/2 cm thick and about 5½ in/14 cm wide. Cut each round into eight triangles (like you would slice a pizza) and place on the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones lightly with cream, and, if desired, sprinkle each with a pinch of turbinado sugar.

4. Bake until light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. These scones are best served warm, but they are also good at room temperature. (The scones can be baked 3 to 4 hours ahead; cool, then cover loosely with foil on the baking sheet. Reheat, loosely covered with foil, in a preheated 350-degree-F/180-degree-C/gas-4 oven until just warmed through, 5 to 8 minutes.)

Lemon-Date Muffins with Pecans

Although I baked my first batch of these delectable muffins more than twenty years ago, I find them as tempting today as way back then. It’s the fine balance of sweet and tart flavors that makes them distinctive. Chopped pecans and dates offer sweet notes, while a lively hint of lemon is a sharp counterpoint. Although these muffins are delicious when served warm from the oven, they can be baked ahead and reheated with fine results.

Makes 10 to 12 muffins, to serve 6

PREP TIME:

20 minutes

START-TO-FINISH TIME:

45 minutes

MAKE AHEAD:

Yes