Mama Knows

This is for all dads, grandpas uncles,brothers…. in short – this is for all the guys out there: Combine forces with kids – or with each other and start planning Mother’s Day brunch for that special mama in your life. I am going to help you out – here are recipes for a great brunch – all are easy to put together, even for those who do not have a high level of expertise in the kitchen.

The Mother’s Day Brunch Menu:

• Old Fashioned Pancakes
• Asparagus and Soft Eggs on Toast
• Strawberry Crepes
• Apples Fritters
• One Bowl Chocolate Fudge Cake

I know – this not exactly a menu for calorie counters and cautious eaters. But – it is Mother’s Day, so – why not indulge?

Old Fashioned Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups of flour
• 3 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 egg
• 1-1/4 cups of milk
• 3 tablespoons of melted butter or vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Stir flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together.
2. Beat eggs thoroughly and add milk.
3. Make a well in the centre of dry ingredients, slowly add the egg-milk mixture.
4. Add melted butter and vanilla.
5. Stir quickly until ingredients are just mixed and batter is still lumpy in appearance.
6. Drop by 1/4 cupfuls on a hot griddle.
7.  Cook the pancakes until they are filled with bubbles and the under-surface is golden brown.
8. Turn and brown the other side.
9. Serve as hot as possible with maple syrup, honey, jam or jelly, bacon or sausages.
10. Do not turn the pancakes more than once during cooking.

Variations of pancakes:

Sour milk pancakes – make pancake batter, using sour milk or buttermilk. Reduce baking powder to 1-1/2 teaspoon; add 1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 teaspoon warm water.

Blueberry pancakes – make pancake batter, increasing sugar to 1/3 cup. Reduce milk to 1 cup. Add 1 cup of floured blueberries. Cook slower than plain pancakes.

Apple Cinnamon pancakes – make pancake batter. Reduce milk to 1 cup;add 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla. 1 cup of grated raw apple, 1.2 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in 1 teaspoon of warm water.

Ginger’n spice pancakes – make pancake batter. To dry ingredients add: 1/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon allspice.

Banana pancakes – make pancake batter. Reduce sugar to 2 teaspoons and milk to 1 cup. Add a few grains of black pepper to dry ingredients, fold in 3/4 cup of mashed ripe banana.

Asparagus and Soft Eggs on Toast

Ingredients:

• 4 slices of your favourite bread (white sandwich bread is not recommended)
• 1 lb. of  asparagus, tough ends trimmed
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil                            
• salt and black pepper
• 8 large eggs
• 1/4 cup Parmesan (1 ounce)

Directions:

1. Heat broiler.
2. Place the bread and asparagus on a baking sheet.
3. Drizzle with the oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
4. Broil until the bread is toasted, 1 to 2 minutes per side; transfer the bread to plates.
5. Continue broiling the asparagus, tossing once, until tender, 4 to 8 minutes more.
6. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil.
7. Carefully lower the eggs into the water.
8. Reduce heat and gently simmer for 6 minutes.
9. Cool under running water and peel. If you want to, you can make poached eggs your usual way and place them on toasted bread with asparagus.
10. Divide the asparagus among the toast, sprinkle on the Parmesan, and top with the eggs.

Apple Fritters

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups of flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon of salt
• 3/4 cups of milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoons of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together and beat gently until smooth.
2. Pick nice firm apples, peel them, core and slice into round circles about 1/2: but no more than 3/4″ thick.
3. Using tongues (or fork), dip each slice into batter mixture and drop into hot oil.
4. You will need to turn the fritter over once one side turns golden brown and rise to the top of your oil.
5. When they are cooked on both sides, gently lift them from hot oil and place on absorbent paper that will soak up excess grease.
6. You can then either put them into a mixture of sugar and cinnamon or sprinkle them with icing sugar mixed with a bit of vanilla sugar of just place them plain on a serving plate.

Also try: Banana Fritters by pealing firm bananas and cutting them into rounds about 1/2″ thick. Sprinkle pieces with about 2 tablespoons of sugar and about 1 tablespoon of orange juice, let stand for 20 minutes. Dip banana rounds into the batter, making sure it coat the entire piece. Drop one by one into hot oil and fry same as Apple Fritters.

 Strawberry Crepes

Filling:      

• 2 tablespoons of melted butter
• 4 cups of sliced, hulled strawberries
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of orange-flavoured liquor or orange juice

Crepes:

• 1-1/2 cups of flour
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• 4 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups of milk
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1 tablespoon of orange flavoured liquor or orange juice

Directions:

1. In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt.
2. Whisk together eggs, milk, butter and liquor or orange juice and whisk into dry ingredients.
3. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
4. Heat 8 or 9 inch crepe pan or skillet over medium heat; brush with some of the butter.
5. For each crepe, pour ¼ cup of batter into pan, swirling to coat; cook, turning once until golden – about 1 minute.
6. Transfer to plate and continue cooking crepes from the remaining batter.
7. In a bowl, combine strawberries, sugar and liquor. Let stand for 15 minutes.
8. Spoon ¼ cup of strawberry mixture onto centre of each crepe, fold sides over into thirds or spread the strawberry mixture over crepe and roll.

One Bowl Fudge Cake

Ingredients:

• 1-3/4 cups of flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1/3 cup of shortening
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup of milk
• 2 squares of unsweetened chocolate, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Stir first 5 ingredients together in a large bowl of electric mixer.
2. Add shortening (at room temperature). eggs and 1/2 cup of milk.
3. Mix on low speed with electric mixer for about 2 minutes.
4. Scrape sides of the bowl often during mixing. Add cooled melted chocolate, vanilla and remaining milk, beat 2 more minutes on same speed.
5. Pour into greased and floured 9″ square cake pan.
6. Bake in a moderate oven (350F) for 35 – 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
7. Frost as desired.

This batter can be used to make fudge cupcakes – place cupcake paper cups into a muffin pan and fill each about 3/4 full with the batter. Bake at 350F for about 15 – 20 minutes. It will make about 1-1/2 dozen of medium size cupcakes.

Hope you have a great Mother’s Day and please, send in your comments, your input is welcomed and much appreciated!