Holiday brunching

THE DAILY BRUNCH

Long-weekend holidays were made for late mornings, generous plates of delicious food and family time

PHOTOS: TOBY MURPHY RECIPES & STYLING: GAIL DAMON FOOD ASSISTANT: ELLAH MAEPA

Mimosas are best served cold! Get ahead by preparing watermelon juice the night before, chilling along with the bubbly overnight.

WATERMELON MIMOSA

The classic brunch drink gets a fresh twist. Remove skin and seeds of ½ medium watermelon. Cut pink flesh into chunks and remove seeds. Blitz in a blender until smooth, then sift to remove pulp. Combine watermelon juice, white or brut sparkling wine and juice (90ml) of 3 limes in a jug. Serve chilled, with fresh mint and raspberries if you like. MAKES 2.5L

PEACH CRUMBLE SQUARES

The perfect excuse for having dessert before midday!

Shortbread:

2 cups (500g) cubed butter, softened ¼ cup (50g) brown sugar 2 cups (300g) fl our Pinch salt

Filling:

1 Tbsp (15g) butter ½ cup (125ml) apricot jam 6 stone fruit, quartered (we used peaches and nectarines) ¼ cup (50g) brown sugar 1 tsp (5ml) cinnamon 1 tsp (5ml) ground cardamom 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla essence

Crumble:

1 cup (250g) soft butter 1 cup (150g) cake fl our 2 tsp (10ml) ground ginger ½ cup (100g) brown sugar Pinch salt

PnP double-cream salted caramel

yoghurt, for serving

MAKES 16 SQUARES

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 30x20cm baking tray with baking paper. Cream butter and sugar together until pale and fl uffy. Add fl our and salt to form a soft dough. Spread into tray in an even layer. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool. Combine fi lling ingredients in a pot or large pan over medium heat. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until syrupy. Cool slightly. Spoon over shortbread base. Combine crumble ingredients, working the butter into the fl our using your fi ngers until it has the consistency of coarse breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over fi lling. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares. Serve with dollops of yoghurt.

TRY THIS

PNP DOUBLE CREAM STRAWBERRIES & CREAM YOGHURT (1KG)

Swap the salted caramel yoghurt in the recipe for this fruity, super-creamy fl avour.

3-CHEESE POTATOES

Best served straight out of the oven, with golden fried halloumi if you like.

Prick 4 medium-sized potatoes with a fork. Bake at 200°C for 40-45 minutes, until tender in the centre. Cool slightly, halve lengthwise and scoop out flesh into a bowl. Reserve potato shells. Heat a glug of oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté 2 sliced spring onions, ½ each chopped red and green peppers, 2 cloves minced garlic and 1 tsp (5ml) each smoked paprika and ground cumin. Stir sautéed mixture into potato flesh, along with 1 Tbsp (15ml) butter, 2 Tbsp (30ml) cream cheese and ½ cup (60g) each grated cheddar and mozzarella. Mix well and season. Fill potato shells halfway (1-2 Tbsp) with filling mixture. Top each with 1 rasher uncooked bacon, then break an egg into each potato. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 180°C, until egg whites are set and yolks are still soft. Serve garnished with sliced spring onions.

MAKES 8

THE TIPSY MONTE CRISTO

Glam toasted sarmies with a boozy twist.

Berry jam:

1 cup (250ml) water 1½ cups (375ml) frozen mixed strawberries and raspberries ½ cup (100g) sugar Juice (80ml) and grated peel of 1 orange 1/³ cup (80ml) vodka or water

1 loaf PnP ouma bread or ciabatta, cut into 12 slices (about 2cm thick) Melted butter, for toasting ½ cup (125ml) cream cheese (optional) 1 packet (125g) Black

Forest ham

12 slices emmental

cheese

Icing sugar, for dusting

MAKES 6 (+ 2 CUPS JAM)

Combine jam ingredients, except vodka, in a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until berries start to break down and mixture thickens, 12-15 minutes. Add vodka or water and simmer for another 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Brush bread slices with butter and toast on both sides until golden. Spread cream cheese on one slice and layer with ham and 2 slices emmental cheese. Top with 2 Tbsp jam. Sandwich closed with remaining toast and dust with icing sugar to serve.

4

2

3

QUICHE 4 WAYS

With this basic crust and custard, you can add just about any fi lling combinations you like. We’ve given you four fl avours to start with.

Cheesy shortcrust:

11/³ cups (200g) cake

fl our

Pinch salt ½ cup (45g) grated

gruyèrecheese

½ cup (125g) cold butter cubes 1 egg yolk About 2 Tbsp (30ml) cold water

Custard:

4 eggs, whisked ½ cup (125ml) milk 1 cup (250ml) cream Salt and milled pepper Prepared fi lling of your choice (see right)

SERVES 6-8

Combine fl our, salt, cheese and butter in a food processor and blitz until it resembles fi ne breadcrumbs. Add egg yolk and process until crumbs clump together. Place dough on a sheet of baking paper and roll out to about 2cm thick (it’s quite crumbly but will come together as you roll it). Rest pastry in fridge for 10-15 minutes. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 23cm fl uted tart tin with pastry. Prick base with a fork and blind-bake for 15-20 minutes. Combine custard ingredients and season. Add fi lling to baked quiche base and pour over custard. Bake for 35-40 minutes until set. Cool before serving.

1. Baby marrow, kale and feta Combine 2 discs (80g) feta cheese with 4 sliced baby leeks, 3 stalks kale, chopped, and 3 sliced baby marrows. Add to quiche base and season. Serve scattered with mint. 2. Caramelised potato, butternut and onion Cut 2 peeled potatoes and 1 small peeled butternut into cubes and roast in oven at 180°C for 15-20 minutes. Sauté 1 sliced onion in a pan until caramelised. Combine onion, veg and 2-3 sprigs each thyme and rosemary. Add to quiche base and season. Serve garnished with extra herbs.

3. Blue cheese, bacon and mushroom Combine 1 wedge (100g) blue cheese, 1 packet (250g) cooked and sliced bacon, 1 tub (120g) PnP pickled red onion slices and ½ punnet (125g) sliced portabellini mushrooms. Add to quiche base and season. Serve with chopped chives.

4. Salmon, goat’s cheese and cream Combine 1 packet (100g) PnP smoked salmon trout ribbons, 2 sliced spring onions, ¼ cup (60ml) crème fraîche or sour cream and ½ packet (50g) goat’s cheese. Add to quiche base and season. Serve with watercress and dollops of extra crème fraîche or cream.

LEMON AND POPPY SEED FRENCH TOAST WITH BOOZY COMPOTE

French toast has never tasted this good!

1 box (500g) PnP

vanilla cake mix

2 tsp (10ml) lemon

essence

3 Tbsp (45ml) poppy

seeds

3 eggs, whisked 1 cup (250ml) cream ¼ cup (60ml) castor

sugar

1 tsp (5ml) vanilla

essence

1 Tbsp (15ml) each butter and oil

Compote:

1 cup (250ml) water 1 cup (250ml) frozen or fresh blueberries 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme ¼ cup (50g) brown

sugar

1/³ cup (80ml) rum or vodka

Whipped ricotta:

1 packet (180g) ricotta

cheese

½ tub (87g) PnP

medium-fat cream cheese

Juice (60ml) and grated peel of 1 lemon ¼ cup (60ml) honey

MAKES 8

Preheat oven to 180°C. Prepare cake mix according to package instructions. Mix in lemon essence and poppy seeds. Spoon into a 20x12cm loaf tin and bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely, then cut cake loaf into 8 slices (about 2cm thick). Simmer compote ingredients, except the liquor, in a pot over medium heat for 12-15 minutes until berries break down and water has reduced by half. Add vodka in the last 5 minutes of simmering. Set aside to cool. Combine whipped ricotta ingredients and blitz with a stick blender until smooth. Set aside. Whisk eggs, cream, sugar and vanilla together until combined. Dip cake slices into egg mixture, coating well. Fry in batches (one or two at a time) over medium heat in butter and oil until golden, about 5 minutes a side. Serve warm with generous dollops of whipped ricotta and a drizzle of boozy berry compote.