Recipes: Homemade Christmas brunch sure to impress holiday guests
BY NICOLE MARSHALL MIDDLETON World Scene Writer
Saturday, December 22, 2012
12/22/12 at 4:23 AM
Give yourself the gift of a really great homemade Christmas brunch.
And with all of the family gathered for Christmas, if couldn't hurt to plan something tasty for the first meal of the day to make sure everyone wakes up on the right side of the bed.
When Stacey West-Feather, a local cook and food blogger, gathers with her family for brunch, she likes to make bacon baked with brown sugar, or maybe sausage or ham, eggs and her tried-and-true recipe for English muffins.
West-Feather said the hardest part is waiting for the muffins to rise a second time, but it is very important to wait and let them rise enough or you will not have the bubbly holes in your English muffins.
"The English muffins sound complicated, but you cook them on top of the stove, and they freeze really well. You could make a whole bunch in advance, freeze them, and then you could toast them up for people in the morning, West-Feather said.
"You will be so surprised ... that you didn't make them before."
OATMEAL BRULEE WITH GINGER CREAM
Makes 4 servings
Ginger cream:
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 slices fresh gingerroot (about 3/4-inch diameter)
1 cinnamon stick (3 inches)
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Oatmeal:
4 cups water
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup dried cherries, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1. In a small saucepan, combine the cream, ginger, cinnamon stick and orange peel; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat; strain and discard solids. Stir in syrup and nutmeg.
2. In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil; stir in the oats, apricots, cherries and salt. Reduce heat to medium; cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat; stir in brown sugar and 1/4 cup ginger cream. Let stand, covered, for 2 minutes.
3. Grease four 10-ounce broiler-safe ramekins with butter; place on a baking sheet. Divide raspberries among ramekins. Spoon oatmeal over raspberries; sprinkle evenly with sugar. Broil 4-6 inches from the heat for 7-9 minutes or until sugar is caramelized. Serve with remaining ginger cream.
BRUNCH STRATA
Makes 2 casseroles (8 servings each)
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
3 small zucchini, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup half-and-half
12 eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups cubed day-old bread
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1. In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the vegetables and ham; cook and stir until vegetables are tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain and pat dry.
2. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and cream until smooth. Gradually beat in eggs. Stir in the remaining ingredients and vegetable mixture.
3. Transfer to two greased 11-by-7-inch baking dishes. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Here is West-Feather's recipe for English muffins as featured on her blog, What's Cookin?? Following that recipe, there are two recipes courtesy of Taste of Home.
ENGLISH MUFFINS
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup cornmeal
1. Mix water, yeast, salt and sugar. Let yeast proof in warm water for about 4 minutes. Add butter and flour. When all comes together, knead for 10 minutes. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
2. Once dough has risen, break into 9 equal balls and flatten slightly. Place the slightly flattened balls on a sheet of parchment paper dusted with cornmeal. Let them double in size. This takes about 50 minutes.
3. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Place three of the risen muffins in the heated skillet and cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to low-medium. Cook for 8-9 minutes and then flip and continue to cook for 5 minutes more. Cool completely.
Original Print Headline: Festive brunch
Nicole Marshall Middleton 918-581-8459
nicole.marshall@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
Oatmeal brulee with ginger cream. Courtesy
English muffins. Courtesy
|
