My niece, Chelsea, is getting married in about two weeks and my daughter, Amanda, is her Maid of Honor. Amanda planned her Bridal Shower and the bride-to-be requested a brunch. I thought this was a novel idea and we did some research on the internet, browsed through bunches of cookbooks and pulled out some family favorites to build the menu. We added some prepared items (donut holes and bagels and cream cheese) from local shops to add variety and make the prep work a little easier the day of the event. I had help from Amanda, my sister, Diane, and my Mom the day before. We had fun cooking together, selecting the serving dishes and preparing for the big event. Here is the menu we chose. Some of the recipes have been posted previously on this site. I printed out a copy of the recipes in a booklet with photos of the engaged couple and inscribed it with a personal note as a memento.
Fruit Kabobs with Amaretto Dip
Fines Herbs Deviled Eggs
Glazey Squares Donut Holes
Yogurt Parfaits with Coconut-Sour-Cherry Granola
Dried Cherry Scones
Blueberry Cake
Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Baked Sugared Ham
Sausage Gravy and Biscuits
French Toast Casserole
Scrumptious Eggs
Classic Quiche Lorraine
Bread Company Bagel Slices and Cream Cheese
Fiery Pineapple Hibachi with Fresh Fruit
Spinach Feta Bites
Monkey Bread
Potato Casserole
Willie’s Chicken Salad
Assorted Olives
Prosciutto-Wrapped Cantaloupe
Beverages
Kir Royale
Brennan’s Mimosas
Bloody Mary Bar
Mocha Punch
Ice Tea
Blue Mountain Coffee
Fruit Kabobs with Amaretto Dip
1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons sour cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 ½ tablespoons Amaretto Liqueur (or ¼ teaspoon almond extract)
6 wooden skewers, 8 inches long
12 small to medium strawberries, trimmed
12 green grapes
6 1-inch pieces of freshly cut pineapple
Combine cream cheese, sour cream, powdered sugar, and Amaretto. Cream for 1 minute, or until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Place strawberry, grape, pineapple, grape, strawberry on each skewer. When ready to serve, place all skewers on a platter with the dip in a bowl. (Or, for salad or brunch dish, place one skewer and a spoonful of dip on each plate.)
For a low-fat version, use low fat cream cheese and sour cream.
Yogurt Parfaits
Coconut –Sour-Cherry Granola
2 3/4 cups organic rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 cup unsalted pistachios
1/3 cup unsalted pepitas (hulled green pumpkin seeds)
1 tablespoon kosher salt (or 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup dried sour cherries
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Toss the oats, coconut, pistachios, pepitas and salt in a large bowl. Warm the brown sugar, maple syrup and olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Fold the sugar mixture into the oat mixture to evenly coat. .Spread the granola on the prepared baking sheets and bake, stirring often, until dry and lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and toss with the dried sour cherries. Let cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month.
Purchase your favorite flavor(s) of yogurt then select individual dishes, shot glasses or tasting dishes. Place a dollop of yogurt in the dish and top with liberal amounts of granola. Do not add granola ahead of time or it will get soggy. If making ahead, fill dishes with yogurt, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until a few minutes before serving, then top with granola.
Dried Cherry Scones
2 ½ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
5 teaspoons sugar
1/3 cup dried cherries
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ cup plus 1 teaspoon milk
Clotted cream (optional)
Strawberry jam (optional)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a baking sheet. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles breadcrumbs, then stir in cherries. Add egg and ½ cup milk. Mix lightly until dough forms. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 3/4 –inch thickness. Using a 2 ¼-inch biscuit cutter, cut rounds, rerolling the dough as necessary. Place scones on baking sheet and brush tops with 1 teaspoon milk. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden. Serve warm with clotted cream and strawberry jam.
Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Cake
1 box (18 ¼ ounces) yellow cake mix
1 large egg
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
Filling
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 box (16 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with butter, oil, or cooking spray.
To make the cake:
Place the cake mix, egg and melted butter in a large bowl and mix well, using a large spoon, until well combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out.
To make the filling:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese at medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well. Add the melted butter and beat until combined. Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar, ¼ cup at a time, and beat well after each addition. Using a spatula spread the filling over the cake mixture and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. You want the center to be a little gooey, so be careful not to over bake. Stick a toothpick into the center and you should see a few wet crumbs stick to it.
Sausage Gravy and Biscuits
1 lb. mild pork sausage
½ cup flour
4 cups milk
Brown the sausage in a 2-quart pot or skillet. After the sausage is browned, stir in ½ cup of flour until the sausage is coated with the flour. Slowly add the 4 cups of milk, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened. Serve with your favorite biscuits.
French Toast Casserole
8 large eggs
1 cups firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup milk
½ cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup maple syrup
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons cinnamon-flavored whiskey (Fireball Cinnamon Whisky works well)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
¼ teaspoon salt
1 (16-ounce) loaf challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
½ cup chopped pecans
Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and the next 10 ingredients; stir in the bread. Pour into prepared pan. Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Let casserole stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with pecans. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with maple syrup if desired.
Scrumptious Eggs
1 ½ pounds Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
¾ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
½ large onion, chopped
¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 cup cubed ham
11 eggs, beaten
1 ¾ cups milk
¼ cup flour
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 ½ teaspoons salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place half of the cheese in a buttered 9 x 13-inch dish. Sauté the mushrooms and onions in butter until tender; place over cheese. Distribute ham over the top of the sautéed vegetables. Beat eggs, milk, flour, parsley and salt. Pour evenly over casserole and top with remaining cheese. Bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until eggs are set.
Classic Quiche Lorraine
8 slices bacon
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
4 eggs, beaten,
1 cup light cream
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
Dash of freshly ground nutmeg
1 ½ cups shredded Swiss cheese
½ of a package of prepared pie crusts (one single pie crust)
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Cook the 8 slices of bacon in a nonstick pan until crisp; remove bacon and place on paper towels to cool. Drain all of the bacon fat except for about 2 tablespoons. Cook the sliced onion in the drippings until tender, remove from heat and pour off the bacon fat. In a separate stir together the 4 beaten eggs, cream, milk, flour, salt and nutmeg. Stir in the bacon, onion, and shredded Swiss cheese. Mix well. Place the pie crust in a deep pie pan and blind bake, weighing the crust down with pie weights or dried beans on a sheet of aluminum foil, for 5 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake for another 5 to 7 minutes until pastry is nearly done. Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Pour the egg-cheese mixture into the hot pastry shell. If necessary, cover the edges of the crust to prevent overbrowning. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Fiery Pineapple Hibachi with Fresh Fruit
1 whole fresh pineapple
Assorted fruits, cut in chunks
Dark rum
Sugar
1 small can sterno fuel
Cut the crown from the pineapple. Carefully hollow out the pineapple from the top, leaving a ½-inch shell. On a large tray surround the pineapple shell with fruits and small dishes of rum and sugar. Place sterno can in the pineapple (set on a wooden block if necessary) and light. Gue
Monkey Bread
4 (10 count) cans buttermilk biscuits
1 cup sugar, divided
1 stick butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
Cut each biscuit into fourths. Mix ½ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Gently roll pieces of biscuits into mixture. Place into a Bundt pan. Melt 1 stick butter; add ½ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Pour over biscuit pieces. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes then invert onto a heat-proof serving plate.
Kir Royale
½ ounce Crème de Cassis (or to taste)
5 ounces Champagne, chilled
Mix in a tall fluted champagne glass and serve immediately.
As a variation, you may also use French Raspberry liqueur, Chambord, or Crème de Framboise (a raspberry cream liqueur) to make a Kir Imperiale
Brennan’s Mimosas
3 ounces Champagne
3 ounces orange juice
1 whole ripe strawberry
1 orange slice
Pour the Champagne into a stemmed glass, then add the orange juice. Drop a strawberry into the glass and decorate the rim with a slice of orange.
Bloody Mary Bar
Set up a bar with Vodka, Clamato Juice, V-8 Tomato juice, horseradish, hot pepper sauce, and Worcestershire sauce to the guest’s taste. Use celery sticks, pickled vegetable spears for garnish.
Mocha Punch
64 ounces freshly-brewed Brewed Coffee (1/2 gallon)
1 cup sugar
½ gallon whole milk
½ gallon chocolate ice cream
1 tsp. vanilla (optional)
In a container combine coffee and sugar. .Stir until sugar is dissolved Refrigerate until chilled. .Just before serving, pour into a punch bowl. Add milk, mix well. Add ice cream and stir well. (Some recipes added 1 tsp. of vanilla)
I am having trouble posting pictures, but will add them in a second post. I’m working from the main computer tonight instead of the iPad and it doesn’t quite behave the same way!
sts may spear fruit on fondue forks, dip in rum, then sugar, and glaze over flame.
Some Enchanted Eating 