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Well, how was your week? Busy? I believe you, and don't forget, we still have two more weeks to go before Christmas. It is so fun, I love it. I cannot stand the thought of not having anything to do. They call me the Energizer Bunny and I do feel that way. My week was filled with frun times and Christmas parties every night but one, and that was the night I cooked dinner for a dear friend, Dr. Troy Skidmore, who has sadly moved to Georgia with his lovely wife, Missy, and three beautiful daughters. It is always so nice to see good friends come back to visit. I asked him to bring us two Georgia products: pecans, which I will use to bake with, and cabbage, which I will use to make cabbage and coleslaw.
I took my three oldest granddaughters, Eleni, Nadia and Kiki, to lunch last Saturday and to the mall for some Christmas ideas as a little treat because they made the Principal's list again. Grandkids are so special. I'm sure you have all heard the expression, if you knew how great grandchildren were, you'd had them first. Ha ha! It is so touching to see the girls growing so fast and instead of choosing toys, now they are picking out makeup and stylish clothes. I really like all of that myself. On top of all that, they all enjoy watching the Cooking Network and that makes me so proud and hopefully I will leave something behind. My little granddaughter, Calli, told me a few weeks ago that she is going to open a bakery when she grows up and that her mother and I will be her helpers.
Back to the Cheery Brunch Celebration…why not welcome Christmas or ring in the 2017 with a cheery brunch? I'm sure many of you have friends come from out of town to spend the Christmas season with you. If you make the recipes below and then add fruit juice, deviled eggs and some sweet desserts (which I have recipes or you as well) it will complete this festive menu. The more the merrier when you serve this mouth watring brunch. Santa will wish he had stayed at your house.
Wake up to all your breakfast favorites blended into one delicious Italian Sausage Egg Bake. Seasoned to please, this casserole is refrigerated overnight to pop into the oven in the morning. You can start just about any meal with refreshing Apple and Pear Kabobs. The combination of fresh fruit and warm butter pecan sauce is sweet and scrumptious. You can try them for dessert, too. Breakfast patties are quick and easy to make. What's more, they're lower in fat.
If you like hot and spicy sausage, just simply use more cayenne.
Tangy Citrus Cranberry Tea makes sucha pretty holiday beverage. I also like to serve it for afternoon tea or even after ball games.
Some Brunch Safety Tips:
Remember to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold and don't let sit at room temperature for more than two hours. Keep food from spoiling by setting out smaller serving dishes. When replenishing your Brunch table, wash or replace your empty platters and bowls to prevent contamination.
And now, a cute quote that I found to share with you, "How to keep a clean kitchen – don't cook!"
Until next time, have a festive week and yummy baking!
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Banana Nut Cake
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Butter Pecan Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
dash salt
2-2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted
additional chopped pecans, optional
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture, beating just until combined. Fold in banana and pecans. Pour into a greased 8-inch square baking dish. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. In a small mixing bowl, cream butter. Beat in the milk, vanilla, salt and enough confectioners' sugar to achieve spreading consistency. Stir in toasted pecans. Frost cake. Garnish with additional pecans if desired.
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Walnut Cranberry Butter
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup chopped fresh cranberries
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted
In a small mixing bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar and honey until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add cranberries and walnuts; beat 5 minutes longer or until butter turns pink. Transfer to a sheet of plastic wrap; roll into a log. Refrigerate until chilled. Unwrap, and slice or place on a butter dish.
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Cranberry Almond Coffee Cake
1/2 cup almond paste (see recipe below)
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
3 eggs
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
In a small mixing bowl, cream almond paste, butter and 1/2 cup sugar until fluffy. Add two eggs, beating well after each addition. Combine 1 cup flour and baking powder; add to creamed mixture. Beat in the remaining egg and flour. Stir in extracts. Gently fold in cranberries. Spread evenly into a greased 8-inch square baking dish; sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake at 325 for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
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Almond Paste
1 1/2 cups blanched almonds
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 egg white
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
Place almonds in a food processor; cover and process until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar, egg white, extract and salt; ocver and process until smooth. Divide almond paste into 1/2-cup portions; place in airtight containers. Refrigerate for up to 1 month.
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Citrus Cranberry Tea
4 quarts water
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 cinnamon sticks
8 cups cranberry juice
4 cups orange juice
1/3 cup lemon juice
In a Dutch oven or large kettle, combine water, sugar and cinnamon. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Discard cinnamon sticks. Stir juices in to tea. Serve warm.
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Italian Sausage Egg Bake
8 slices white bread, cubed
1 pound Italian sausage links, casings removed and sliced
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
9 eggs
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
Place bread cubes in a greased 13×9 baking dish; set aside. In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Spoon sausage over bread; sprinkle with cheeses. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and seasonings; pour over casserole. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown. Let stsand for 5 minutes before cutting.
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Breakfast Patties
2 pounds lean ground turkey
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Combine turkey into a large bowl. Add the salt, sage, pepper, ginger and cayenne. Shape into 16 2 1/2-inch patties. In a large skillet, cook patties over medium heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until meat is no longer pink.
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Apple n Pear Kabobs
5 medium apples, cut into 1-inch chunks
4 medium pears, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Butter Pecan Sauce:
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Toss apples and pears with lemon juice. Thread fruit alternately onto 12 metal or soaked wooden skewers. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine sugars and cornstarch. Gradually stir in cream until smooth. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in butter until smooth. Add the pecans. Serve warm with kabobs.