Belated Brunch

Belated Brunch

Tasty brunch recipes for those who aren’t early risers

Brunch is the best of both worlds. It’s the perfect blend of beloved breakfast staples and the savory flavors of lunchtime. Better yet, it’s an opportunity to sleep in, reconnect with friends and family, and enjoy a meal together.

If you’re looking for guidance on creating the perfect brunch menu, check out “Lazy Day Brunches: Relaxed Recipes for the Morning,” a collection by Ryland Peters & Small. This cookbook can help you put together a delicious brunch with spins on classic breakfast foods, such as these featured here, even if you’re not quite through your morning coffee yet. —Kate Lawless

MAPLE AND BACON PANCAKES

Maple and Bacon Pancakes

MAKES 10 PANCAKES | RECIPE BY LAURA SANTINI, PHOTO BY CON POULOS

What’s not to like about the well-loved combination of pancakes, bacon and maple syrup?

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1¼ cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 egg 10 slices bacon

Maple syrup, to serve (optional)

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, butter and egg. Mix the flour mixture into the buttermilk mixture until just combined, with small to medium lumps remaining.

2. In a large non-stick skillet, fry the bacon until golden on both sides and just turning crisp. Drain the bacon on paper towels and set aside.

3. Make each bacon pancake by dropping a tablespoon of batter into the skillet, top with a bacon slice, and cover with a further teaspoon of batter. Cook until some bubbles appear on top of the pancake and a few have burst, 1½ to 2 minutes. With a spatula, carefully flip the pancake and cook until golden.

4. Repeat with all the bacon slices, cooking in batches if necessary and keeping the cooked pancakes warm in a low oven. Make more pancakes in the same way with any remaining batter, adding more oil to the pan if necessary. Serve with maple syrup if desired.

Beignets

MAKES 12 | RECIPE BY CAROL HILKER, PHOTO BY TOBY SCOTT

These New Orleans pillows of heaven are as good as it gets when it comes to doughnuts. Serve with chicory coffee, dip in butter or sugar, or just eat plain.

2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast

1½ cups warm water (about 110°F)

½ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup evaporated milk

7 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup shortening

4 cups vegetable oil, for deep-frying

¼ cup confectioners’ sugar

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water. Add the sugar, salt, eggs and evaporated milk and blend well.

2. Mix in 4 cups of the flour and beat until smooth. Add the shortening and then the remaining flour. Cover and chill for up to 24 hours.

3. Roll out the dough to ⅛ inch thick. Cut into 2½-inch squares.

4. Heat the oil for deep-frying to 360°F.

5. Fry the beignets in the hot oil in batches until they rise to the surface. (If they do not pop up, the oil is not hot enough.) Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

6. Shake confectioners’ sugar on hot beignets and serve warm.

On weekends, when the pace of life slows, there’s nothing better than an indulgent brunch.

WARM CHICKPEA AND SPINACH SALAD

Warm Chickpea and Spinach Salad

MAKES 2 TO 4 SERVINGS | RECIPE BY CAROLINE ARTISS, PHOTO BY ED ANDERSON

The warmth of the lightly spiced chickpeas combines so well with fresh tastes of lemon, parsley, red onion and spinach, making this a superb brunchtime side dish.

For the Tahini Dressing

2 tablespoons tahini 2 tablespoons olive oil

Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon

Pinch each of salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Salad

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, drained

2 cups baby spinach

3 tablespoons freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley

Grated zest of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

1. First, make the tahini dressing. Simply stir all the ingredients together in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of water. (It helps sometimes to give the tahini a really good stir in the pot so it becomes a bit runny.)

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a low–medium heat. Add the garlic, cumin and thyme, and cook together for 30 seconds.

3. Add the chickpeas, reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for 5 minutes.

4. Add 2 tablespoons of water and leave to cook for another 3 minutes. You can squash the chickpeas a little while they are cooking, if you like. Lastly, stir in the spinach, chopped parsley, lemon zest and red onion.

5. Tip into a serving dish, pour the tahini dressing over the top and toss together.

nutrition (per serving)

MAPLE AND BACON PANCAKES

(PER PANCAKE) CALORIES: 120, FAT: 6G (SAT: 2.5 G), CHOLESTEROL: 30 MG, SODIUM: 440 MG, CARB: 12G, FIBER: 0G, SUGAR: 3G, PROTEIN: 6G

BEIGNETS

(PER BEIGNET) CALORIES: 530, FAT: 24G (SAT: 4 G), CHOLESTEROL: 30 MG, SODIUM: 230 MG, CARB: 69G, FIBER: 2G, SUGAR: 13G, PROTEIN: 10G

WARM CHICKPEA AND SPINACH SALAD

CALORIES: 360, FAT: 27G (SAT: 3.5 G), CHOLESTEROL: 0 MG, SODIUM: 510 MG, CARB: 24G, FIBER: 7G, SUGAR: 7G, PROTEIN: 9G

BREAKFAST TART

CALORIES: 330, FAT: 23G (SAT: 9 G), CHOLESTEROL: 230 MG, SODIUM: 340 MG, CARB: 20G, FIBER: 1G, SUGAR: 1G, PROTEIN: 13G

Breakfast Tart

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS | RECIPE BY KATHY KORDALIS, PHOTO BY MOWIE KAY | PHOTO ON PAGE 47

When constructing this tart, it is important to create a good dam, or well, for the egg to sit in to prevent any spillages. When you arrange the first layer of leeks, create the wells and reinforce them with the pancetta—serious building skills are required here

3½ tablespoons butter, roughly chopped, divided

1 leek, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 tablespoons roughly chopped thyme and oregano (or 1 teaspoon each of dried thyme and oregano)

8 phyllo pastry sheets

10 slices of pancetta

6 eggs

1 tablespoon olive oil

1½ handfuls of arugula, coarsely chopped

Tomato chutney, to serve (optional)

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.

2. Melt half the butter in a large skillet over a medium heat, add the leek and garlic and stir occasionally until starting to caramelize. Add the herbs to the pan and set aside off the heat.

3. Melt the remaining butter and use some to brush the base and sides of an 8x11½-inch baking sheet.

4. Trim the phyllo pastry sheets to fit the inside of the baking sheet.

5. Place the first pastry sheet on the baking sheet, brush with melted butter, then lay over another pastry sheet and repeat until all the pastry is used.

6. Spread the leek mixture over the pastry base.

7. Make six evenly spaced indentations in the leek mixture. Place the pancetta over the tart, leaving the indentations free for the eggs. Place in the preheated oven for 7 minutes.

8. Crack the eggs into the indentations, drizzle with oil and bake until the tart is set and the eggs are medium cooked, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Scatter over the arugula and return to the oven until just wilted. Serve with a tomato chutney, if you like.

Recipes and photos from “Lazy Day Brunches: Relaxed Recipes for the Morning” © 2021 reprinted with permission from Ryland Peters & Small.