Thanksgiving Brunch

Before the feast, we had another feast.  We had to have something to sustain us until the turkey was done.  We tend to have Thankgiving dinner later in the day, so this does actually make sense, though it's possible I went overboard in my baking.  We had fresh scones (cranberry-chocolate chip and pecan praline), crumb cake, apple-cinnamon coffee cake, eggs, bacon, Canadian bacon, cheese, fruit ... just a few things to keep us going during the day.

Sunday Brunch

On a suddenly cold, rainy Sunday, what's better than a cozy, leisurely brunch?  We had a ton of food for five people, but that's how it should be.  Brunch is my favorite meal--you can go in so many directions, and you're supposed to have plenty.  You don't have a bowl of cereal for brunch.  I made a leek and goat cheese frittata, a cinnamon-apple coffee cake made with sour cream and lots of pecans, and chocolate chip-cranberry cream scones.  We also had a selection of cheeses, smoked fish, fruit, olives, nuts, the requisite coffee, apple cider, and pear cider with prosecco--which is every bit as tasty as it sounds.

Triple Almond Scones

Weekend guests call for a little something extra for breakfast. I made this recipe, adapted from Dorie's Baking cookbook, which uses a coarse almond flour, slivered almonds and almond extract. The scones were satisfying and not too sweet (though I did sprinkle a little extra sugar on top for added flavor and crunch.) - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Easter KISS*

Easter this year was full of eating--and thankfully no jellybean taste tests like last year. There was, however, a rather unnecessary level of cooking on my part--big plans, tasty plans, but more work than needed. We started the day with a brunch that included a cheese soufflé, almond buttermilk scones, bacon, strawberries and blackberries, and various cheeses. I could have stopped there, we were all so full.

But in my mind I saw gnocchi, lovingly handmade and then lightly covered with a tomato-porcini sauce. So I made these, and they were good--though much more time-intensive than I'd meant them to be. We also had asparagus and green beans. Also in my mind I could practically taste the limoncello tiramisu recipe I'd come across months ago. It was also good--though not great--and cutting the recipe down to serve the four of us made more work, not less (just less leftovers, which was the point.) *keep it simple stupid -- something I need to remind myself of every so often. :) - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Happy Mother's Day!

To all the moms out there, most especially mine, Happy Mother's Day! Brunch this morning was a casual affair -- scrambled eggs with three cheeses, cranberry-orange glazed scones, fresh fruit, and a couple of cheeses. With a few chocolate-dipped strawberries to end the meal.

Scones, two ways, and a cat

I made buttermilk-cheddar scones tonight to go with the salads we were having for dinner. I split the dough in half, and with the rest I made lemon-poppyseed scones--a favorite of a young traveler who is returning tonight. The cat, pictured below, took a big bite out of my scone when my hand drifted too close to his face. He then went back for a couple more bites.

His eyes don't usually glow like that, but he's cute, no?