Hosting brunch is an Easter tradition enjoyed in many homes as we welcome the warmer days of spring. Preparing much of the food ahead of time allows the hosts to also enjoy the gathering.
Fresh homemade baking always pleases so don’t avoid getting into the kitchen the day before and bake up these hot cross buns and English muffins. Everyone will appreciate your efforts.
Set the table, hide Easter candy and put all the beverages in the refrigerator to chill the night before. This is a basic menu of eggs benedict and hot cross buns with cheeses but you could also add a sliced baked ham, scalloped potatoes, a vegetable platter and fresh or frozen fruits and berries.
Eggs benedict
- 8 eggs
- 4 English muffins, split
- 8 pieces of smoked salmon or back bacon
- 1 tbsp. white vinegar 15 mL
- 1 recipe hollandaise sauce
Toast the split muffins in a toaster oven or under the oven broiler. Quickly brown both sides of the bacon if you are using it. Poach the eggs in gently simmering water with one tablespoon (15 mL) of vinegar added.
Carefully remove with a slotted spoon when done and drain on a plate. The eggs can be made ahead of time and refrigerated. Rewarm in gently simmering water.
Lay a slice of smoked salmon or bacon on top of each split English muffin. Then top with a poached egg and season with salt and pepper. Spoon or pour sauce over, garnish with parsley and chives. Serves four to eight people.
Blender hollandaise sauce
Make a full recipe. Half recipes don’t work well.
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/2 tsp. salt 2 mL
- dash cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp. cream 15 mL
- 1 c. melted sweet butter, heated until bubbling but not brown 500 mL
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice or white wine vinegar 15 mL
Place egg yolks, salt, pepper and cream in blender, blend for a few seconds at high speed until you have a smooth frothy mixture.
Still at high speed, start adding hot butter in a thin, steady stream, not too slowly. As you add butter, the sauce should thicken.
When half the butter has been added, add lemon juice or vinegar. Continue blending until all butter is used. You can keep this warm in a thermos until time to serve.
If you want to make this in advance, chill after making. Reheat in the top of a double boiler over hot but not boiling water. Whisk constantly. It will not be as silky smooth but will be totally acceptable. Source www.epicurious.com.
No knead hot cross buns
Serve these slightly warmed in the oven with soft butter and cheeses.
Buns:
- 1 tbsp. dry yeast, any type 15 mL
- 1/2 c. sugar, divided 125 mL
- 1/2 c. warm water 125 mL
- 1 c. milk, lukewarm, whole or low fat 250 mL
- 4 c. bread flour, plus extra for dusting 1 L
- 2 tsp. cinnamon powder 10 mL
- 2 tsp. allspice 10 mL
- 1/2 tsp. salt 2 mL
- 1 – 2 oranges, zest only
- 1 1/2 c. sultana raisins 375 mL
- 1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted and cooled 60 mL
- 2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten with fork
Crosses:
- 1/4 c. flour, any white flour 60 mL
- 1/4 c. water 60 mL
Glaze:
- 1 tbsp. apricot jam 15 mL
- 2 tsp. water 10 mL
Place the yeast and two teaspoons (10 mL) of the sugar in a medium bowl, then pour in water. Leave for five minutes until it froths.
Place flour, remaining sugar, salt and spices in a bowl. Whisk to combine.
Make a well in the centre. Add remaining bun ingredients and pour in the yeast liquid, including all froth.
Mix until combined with wooden spoon. It will be like a thick muffin batter. Not pourable, but thick and sticky.
Leave dough in the bowl, cover with a wet, clean tea towel and place in a warm place to rise for around 1 1/2 to two hours. The dough will triple in size and be bubbly on the surface.
Meanwhile, line a nine-by-13-inch (22 cm x 33 centimetre) baking pan with parchment paper leaving overhangs.
When the dough is ready, remove tea towel and punch dough to deflate.
Dust work surface with flour, place dough on work surface. Dust top of dough with more flour, then knead lightly and shape into a log. Cut into 12 equal pieces. Roll into tight balls and arrange in baking pan.
For the second rising spray a piece of kitchen plastic wrap lightly with oil then place over the buns. Put in a warm place and leave for 45 minutes to one hour, until the dough has risen by a little less than double in size.
Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
To make the dough for the crosses, mix flour and water until a runny paste forms. It should be runny enough to flow but not to spread. You may need more or less water.
Spoon into a piping bag with a round 0.1-inch (three millimetre) tip or small plastic bag then snip corner.
When the buns have fully risen, remove the plastic wrap and pipe crosses onto the buns. Go slow so it hugs the curves.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the surface is a deep golden brown.
Meanwhile, place jam and water in a bowl, microwave for 30 seconds. Mix to combine.
Remove buns from oven. Brush with jam mixture while warm. Use overhang to lift buns onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool to warm before serving, 30 to 45 minutes. Makes one dozen.
English muffins
- 1 3/4 c. milk, lukewarm 425 mL
- 3 tbsp. butter, softened 45 mL
- 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 tsp. salt, to taste 6-7 mL
- 2 tbsp. granulated sugar 30 mL
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 4 1/2 c. unbleached bread flour 1.125 L
- 2 tsp. instant yeast 10 mL
- semolina flour or cornmeal, for sprinkling the griddle or pan
Combine all of the ingredients, except the semolina or cornmeal, in a mixing bowl or the bucket of your bread machine.
This is a very soft dough, so you’ll need to treat it a bit differently than most yeast doughs. If you have a stand mixer, beat the dough using the paddle attachment until it starts coming away from the sides of the bowl, and is satin-smooth and shiny. This will take about five minutes at medium-high speed.
When you lift up the beater, the dough will be very stretchy. If you have a bread machine, simply use the dough cycle.
Scrape the dough into a rough ball and cover the bowl. Let the dough rise until it’s nice and puffy, one to two hours.
Prepare your griddle by sprinkling it heavily with semolina or cornmeal. If you’re using a griddle or frying pan that’s not well-seasoned or non-stick, spray it with vegetable oil spray first, before adding the semolina or cornmeal.
Gently deflate the dough and divide it into 16 pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball, then flatten the balls until they’re about three to 3 ½ inches (7.5 to 8.5 cm) in diameter.
The easiest way to handle and cook these muffins is to lay them right onto the cold surface you’ll be frying them on. That way, you don’t have to move them once they’re risen. If you don’t have enough griddle space to do this, sprinkle a baking sheet heavily with semolina or cornmeal, and place the muffins on the sheet. They can be fairly close together. Either way, sprinkle the tops of the muffins with additional semolina or cornmeal.
Cover the muffins and let them rest for 20 minutes. They won’t rise a lot but will puff a bit.
Cook the muffins over low heat for seven to 15 minutes per side, until their crust is golden brown and their interior is cooked through.
When done, the centre of a muffin should register about 200 F (93 C) on an instant-read thermometer. If you find the muffins have browned before they’re cooked all the way through, pop them into a preheated 350 F (180 C) oven for about 10 minutes or so, or until they’re thoroughly cooked.
Remove the muffins from the griddle or oven and let them cool thoroughly before serving.
Use a fork to split, not a knife to cut. Fork-split muffins will have wonderful nooks and crannies, whereas knife-cut ones won’t. Makes 16 large muffins.
Sarah Galvin is a home economist, teacher and farmers’ market vendor at Swift Current, Sask., and a member of Team Resources. She writes a blog at allourfingersinthepie.blogspot.ca. Contact: team@producer.com.
