Making Scrumptious Brunch Dishes for Mother’s Day

In 2012, I wrote a book called Sunday Brunch that included a collection of recipes for that popular mid-morning meal. Whenever I am asked to pick a favorite recipe from this book (or any other, for that matter), I typically respond that I love them all! Many readers, however, make their favorites well known to me, and for this book, the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Warm Blueberry Sauce as well as the Gratin of Leeks Eggs, Bacon and St André Cheese were the recipes they liked best. So, with a Mother’s Day brunch in mind, I’ve included the directions for both.

Ricotta cheese gives the golden pancakes their rich, smooth texture, while a generous addition of lemon zest provides a light, citrus accent. The scrumptious blueberry sauce that accompanies these griddlecakes is easy to assemble, and can be prepared three days ahead and reheated at serving time. (By now, most of you who follow my blog must have figured out that I love lemon and blueberry combinations. See recipe for No Bake Lemon Cheesecake with Blueberry Sauce here.) Continue reading

Extra Special Pancakes—For Moms with Love!

Photo by Susie Cushner

Photo by Susie Cushner

 For Mother’s Day many of us either send a card, make a call, or wire flowers, but what could be more thoughtful than starting this celebration with a homemade meal! As a cook and a mom, I love turning the kitchen over to my son and grand kids on this special day. My daughter-in-law, mother par excellence, shares my feelings.

This year we’ll all be together on May 12th, and since our family loves to make pancakes for brunch, griddled fare will have a starring role on the menu. Among my favorite breakfast recipes are Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce, which some of you may recognize from my newest book, Sunday Brunch. Continue reading

Sunday Brunch by Betty Rosbottom

Guess what’s in my basket this month—my newest book, Sunday Brunch, published  by the wonderful people at Chronicle Books. This is the third in a series and follows Sunday Soup and Sunday Roasts. You’ll find a cornucopia of delectable dishes in this collection that should make you rush to the kitchen and invite friends over for brunch. There’s a chapter devoted to eggs–scrambled, pan-fried, poached, baked, or in omelets—and another that features Continue reading

Grape Tomato and Blue Cheese Tart

I’m delighted to feature a special recipe from the just published Sunday Brunch here today. This tart is simplicity itself to prepare and has been a long-time favorite with students in my cooking classes. The recipe (like all those in the book) includes metric equivalents—a help, I hope, to those cooking abroad. Continue reading

Twice Ginger Gingerbread Muffins

Typically, gingerbread is baked in a pan and then cut into squares, but in the following version the batter is ladled into standard-size muffins tins. When using tins, the baking time is cut almost in half, a big advantage for busy cooks. These muffins rise above the rims of the molds, but do not spread out as much as traditional ones. They are especially moist and tender because of a generous addition of butter, and have a deep brown hue from plenty of dark brown sugar and molasses. There’s also a double dose of ginger in these little cakes; ground ginger (along with other fragrant spices) is added to the batter, and halfway through the baking, chopped crystallized ginger is sprinkled atop each muffin.

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