brunch – Cooking through the seasons: the adventures of a San Diego Gastronaut.

Hello Fellow Foodies!

Who doesn’t love brunch? Since we were gifted with a 3-day weekend, I felt it only proper to celebrate with a fabulous brunch. This recipe turned out SO good and was SO easy to make. There is definite prep involved which lengthened the cook time, but in the end it was very worth it.

FIRST- pick your breakfast/brunch item of choice: i.e. pancakes, waffles, french toast, crepes, etc…

If you are going to buy them already made, great! If you’re going to make them on your own, I suggest making them last so they can be served hot.

Let’s get to our TOPPINGS!

SYRUP – the idea of homemade syrup can be daunting, but don’t let it be! It’s really easy.

Ingredients- fresh fruit of your choice (no citrus), granulated sugar, any juice, honey OR simple syrup.

ONE – slice fresh fruit into smallish pieces. They don’t have to be minced, chopped is fine, just small enough that they will break down during the cooking process. I used strawberries and blackberries. Place cut fruit into medium sized sauce pan. If you are using a juicy fruit – like I was with the blackberries- squeeze/smush them a bit.

TWO – add 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1/2 cup juice (I used orange juice), and honey or syrup to the pot. I used a pomegranate simple syrup – you know the kind you use to make fancy sodas or badass cocktails? (SEE BELOW) If you do not have this on hand you can easily substitute a honey or agave.

THREE – cook on medium heat until the mixture has reduced to the desired texture. Stir occasionally so it does not burn to the bottom of the pot. I left this on for about 25 minutes while I cooked the rest of the meal. Remove from heat at least 5 minutes before serving so that it may cool and “firm” up.

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SWEET CHEESE – this sweet cheese can be made in a variety of ways and can be used as a topping or put inside a crepe to make blintz!

Ingredients – cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla, cream.

ONE – Pick your cheese. You can use ricotta, mascarpone, cream cheese, or a mixture of any of these. I only had cream cheese on hand so that’s what I used. In a bowl mix 4 tablespoons of cheese, 1/2 table spoon of granulated sugar, 4 drops of vanilla extract, and 3 tablespoons cream – if you do not have cream on hand you can use half and half – I did and it turned out great. Mix with a spoon until all ingredients are evenly mixed.

TWO – Use whisk (a small whisk is preferable) to whip mixture into more “spreadable” consistency. This took approximately 5 minutes.

THREE – Place uncovered in refrigerator.

— At this point you are ready to make your pancakes, waffles etc. The cheese should chill the entire time you are cooking these. Remove cheese mixture from refrigerator 5 minutes before serving so that it can come to room temperature. —

Now you’re ready to put it all together! First spread a spoonful of the cheese mixture, then the syrup. Then add fresh fruit, mint, and some powdered sugar to garnish!

I read on a cooking blog recently that you’re not supposed to garnish with anything not in your actual meal, but I think that’s absurd! So garnish away!