A couple quick brunch ideas and some fun food we made for Shavuot at our house. All could be brunch food for sure.
Two of my favorite new brunch foods are these polenta muffins and apple pancakes. The pancakes are easy and look slick--like you spent so much time creating this little adorable plate. But, really, just grab a bag of Bob's gluten-free pancake mix and go to town. I always add a little cinnamon to my pancake mix, but with this recipe, chop a tangy apple into small bits and add some cinnamon to the apple. Heat a pan and spray either with cooking spray or use a little butter. Cook the apples for a couple minutes and then add your favorite maple syrup to the pan. The trick is to keep the heat low enough so that the syrup doesn't burn. Cover for a minute to let the apples get just a tad softer and pour over your pancake stack.
Next, the MUFFINS! Oh, yeah! These are just the right bite of savory, and the texture of the polenta in the muffins makes them perfect for a brunch food.
The recipe is featured here. I did not use the shallot in mine, as I am not a big onion-flavor person when it comes to brunch food. I did, however, use many fresh herbs from the garden I am growing in my window sill, including thyme, oregano, and sweet mace.
Before the dry ingredients.
Baked.
As for our Shavuot treats, we did a cheesecake brownie and a ricotta and cream cheese wanton "blintz."
The brownies are a pretty familiar recipe for most. We used the more decadent Ghirardelli brownie mix, and then added the cream cheese mixture--softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, one egg, and a splash of vanilla--to the top. Swirl and bake for about 30-40 minutes (check the box). These didn't swirl well because I made individual muffin tin-size servings.
And, finally, a fun take on a blintz. Rather than go to all the work of making a crepe, just use a wonton wrapper.
The filling for these is blintz-like. Mix a softened 8 oz. cream cheese with a tub of ricotta, an egg, some lemon zest, if you like, and either 1/4 cup sugar, or, if you're me, a couple squeezes of agave.
Wonton wrappers are so cute, you will want to start putting all your food in them.
Just a small bit of filling--or, yes, they will explode. If they do, fry them anyway. They are too good to waste.
The fold. Take a little warm water on your finger and go along all edges. Fold up and press the sides. Don't get frustrated. It will work. Give it a couple tries. And not all of them will be this beautiful. Trust me. I just get one good one for a picture. Duh.
Fry them in a little oil. I am sure you could bake them. I am also sure they would not taste as good.
These are made for fillings and toppings. Add fruit or chocolate chips. Top with jam and/or sour cream or greek yogurt.
Party food! Yay!
