Brunch Recipes and Drinks for Your Family and Friends Drinks Refreshing Punch 1 can frozen cranberry juice (thawed) (frozen raspberry juice may also be used) 1-2 liter Raspberry Ginger Ale (chilled) (or plain Ginger Ale if Raspberry is not available) Mix together and garnish with slices of oranges or lemons if desired. Creamy Homemade Eggnog 6 large eggs ½ cup granulated sugar 2 c. milk 2 c. whipping cream 1 ½ t. vanilla ¼ t. cinnamon 1/8 t. nutmeg 1. In a large saucepan, beat together eggs and sugar. Stir in 2 cups of the milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thick enough to coat a metal spoon with a thin film and reaches 145 degrees and remains there for 3 ½ minutes. Remove from heat. 2. Stir in whipping cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, several hours or overnight. 3. Serve garnished with whipped cream and nutmeg! Sweet and Spicy Hot Punch 4 cups Cranberry/Raspberry Juice 4 cups Apple Juice 1 c. sugar 2 cinnamon sticks or 1 t. ground cinnamon Simmer together until the mixture is warm and the sugar has melted. Serve hot. Delicious on a cold evening or for brunch.
Appetizers Smokies with Bacon 1 package of Little Smokies 1 package of precooked bacon (slices cut in half) ¾ cup brown sugar Wrap the bacon around the Smokies and secure with a toothpick. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cook in broiler for 5-10 minutes. Can be kept warm in a crock pot. Apple Brickle Dip 1 8-ounce cream cheese, softened ½ cup packed brown sugar ¼ cup granulated sugar 1 t. vanilla extract 1 package Heath bits or English toffee bits (1 cup) 3 medium tart apples (it looks nice if you use both green and red apples) 1-12 ounce can lemon lime soda In a mixing bowl beat the cream cheese, sugars and vanilla. Fold in the chips. Halve, core, and slice the apples and soak in lemon-lime soda for a few minutes to keep them from darkening. Drain and lay the apple slices around the dip bowl. Easy Festive Dip 1 8 ounce cream cheese 1 jar of red or green jalapeno jelly Pour jelly over block of cream cheese. Serve with a variety of crackers. Easy and tasty! Breads/Sweets Mom s Sour Cream Coffee Cake Batter: 1 box Duncan Hines yellow cake mix ½ cup sour cream ½ cup sour cream ½ cup Crisco oil 4 eggs 1 4 oz. vanilla instant pudding Topping: ½ cup melted butter Combine together: ¾ cup sugar and cinnamon to taste (Optional: ¼ cup chopped nuts) Mix batter ingredients together. Pour into 13x9 pan. Pour melted butter over batter. Sprinkle sugar combo on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
Fresh Apple Cake Cream Together: 2 cups sugar ½ cup shortening 2 eggs 1 t. cinnamon 1 t. allspice or nutmeg Add: 4 cups fresh apples, finely chopped 2 cups flour 1 t. soda ½ t. salt 1 cup nuts, optional Mix together and bake in greased pan 9x13 at 350 for 45 minutes. Serve either warm or cold with whipped cream or dust with powdered sugar. This freezes beautifully! Overnight French Toast Casserole 12 slices of any type of bread (French bread works well) 1 cube of butter melted ½ cup refined sugar ½ cup brown sugar 1 t. cinnamon 1 t. vanilla extract 5 eggs 1 ½ cups milk or half/half Directions: Pour half of melted butter in a 9 x 13 pan Mix together white sugar and cinnamon. Whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla-add to the sugar/cinnamon mixture Layer bottom of pan with half of the bread Sprinkle half brown sugar over the bread Layer second half of bread Pour remaining butter and egg mixture over all then cover with remaining brown sugar Cover/refrigerate overnight Cook covered at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes (should be browned and set) Options: Nuts or raisins can be added with the brown sugar. Classic Buttermilk Pancakes with Praline Bacon and Apple Syrup Praline Bacon 1 lb. of bacon 3 T. brown sugar ¼ cup finely chopped pecans Line two 15 x 10 pans with foil and lay out bacon in a single layer. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes until bacon is crisp drain. Top with brown sugar and pecans. Bake 5 more minutes until brown sugar is bubbly.
Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes 2 cups buttermilk 2 large eggs 1/2 cup of melted butter 1 t. vanilla extract 2 cups flour 2 T. sugar 1 t. baking soda 1 t. baking powder 1 t. salt Mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in a bowl and whisk together. Combine buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla in a separate bowl and stir lightly. Mix the ingredients together lightly, but do not mix too long or the pancakes will be tough. The batter will be slightly lumpy. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes. Cook on a non-stick pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cook on medium/low heat. Pour ¼ cup batter per pancake into heated pan. If a non-stick pan is not used, add about 1 tablespoon of oil and heat before pouring in the batter. Add additional oil between batches. Pancakes should cook about 2-3 minutes per side or until bubbles form on top. Makes 18-20 pancakes Makes a light and delicious pancake. Options: Chocolate Chip pancakes (add 1 cup of chocolate to chips to the batter) Blueberry Pancakes (add 1 cup of fresh blueberries to the batter) Banana Pancakes (add 1 cup of mashed bananas to the batter with ½ t. cinnamon) Apple Syrup 1 c. sugar 2 T. cornstarch ¼ t nutmeg ½ t. cinnamon 2 c. apple Juice 2 T. lemon Juice ¼ c. butter Mix together dry ingredients. Add apple juice and lemon juice. Cook over medium high heat until it is bubbling and thickened. Stir in butter. Serve warm over pancakes or waffles. Apricot Cream Cheese Pinwheels Quick and easy a great addition to any holiday party Ingredients: 1 (8 ounce) package of refrigerated crescent rolls 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 4 tablespoons apricot jam 2 T. cinnamon/sugar mixture Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Unroll the dough and divide into four rectangles. Press together any other perforations to seal them. Using a butter knife spread the cream cheese over the rectangles leaving ¼ to ½ inch border on all sides. Spread the apricot jam over the cream cheese. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Starting at the long side, roll each piece of dough into a log, then cut each log into five, 1-inch wide slices. Place slices on an ungreased cookie sheet (sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar) and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let the pinwheels sit for 5 minutes to allow filling to set before removing to wire racks. Serve warm. Makes 20 delicious pinwheels.
Breakfast Casseroles Hashbrown Casserole 1 32-ounce package shredded hash browns (thawed) (Option: You may use 6-8 hash brown patties to line the pan with instead of the shredded hash browns) 1 cup chopped ham (may substitute cup cooked/chopped bacon pieces or cooked sausage) 7 eggs, beaten and mixed with 1 t salt and 1/2 t. pepper, and 1/2 cup milk or half-and-half Layer hash browns in a well greased 9 x 13 baking pan, followed by ham, and egg mixture. Top with 2 cups jack/cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the egg mixture is firm. Option: Chop/dice/sauté selected vegetables if desired and add to egg mixture such as spinach, onion, or green peppers. Overnight Breakfast Casserole Prepare the night before and cook in the morning. 1 pound hot sausage or any sausage that is your favorite 4 T. butter melted 5 slices of bread (remove crusts and cut or tear into small pieces) 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 6 eggs beaten 2 cups milk or half and half 1 t. salt 1 t. dry mustard Preparation: Cook the sausage until it is no longer pink. Drain well. Place melted butter into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Place bread pieces on top of the butter. Sprinkle cooked and drained sausage on top of the bread. Sprinkle the cheese over the sausage. Beat eggs with half and half or milk; add salt. Pour mixture over the mixture. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight. Bake at 350 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until set. Dessert Pumpkin Praline Cake Preheat oven to 350 degrees Mix together: 1 box carrot cake mix 1 cup pumpkin 1 t. pumpkin pie spice 4 eggs 1/3 cup oil ½ cup milk Pour into two-nine inch cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool in pan for five minutes before removing from pan. Cool completely on wire racks. Slice cake into half horizontally making four layers. Frosting: 1 8-ounce cream cheese, softened 1 cup confectioner s sugar 1 cup pumpkin ½ t. pumpkin pie spice
1 container Cool Whip or other frozen topping thawed Whip the cream cheese with the confectioner s sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the pumpkin and pie spice. Fold in container of frozen topping. Frost the cake and refrigerate until ready to serve. Praline Pecans Mix together: 1 cup whole pecans 3 T. butter ¼ t. pumpkin pie spice 3 T. brown sugar Spread mixture on a cookie sheet and toast for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Set aside to cool. Chop the pecan mixture and keep in a closed container until ready to serve the cake. Top cake with the praline mixture just before serving.