The Chronicle Herald (Provincial)
Something special for mom
Making a Mother’s Day breakfast from scratch is easier than you think
Mother’s Day will be different this year than ever before and likely won’t involve going out for brunch, but breakfast in bed for mom is an old favourite that doesn’t have to go by the wayside in this strange new world.
Kids of all ages can help make a special breakfast for mom from scratch, which is a lot easier than you think.
Here are a couple of easy breakfast recipes that are sure to make mom smile:
EASY BAKED FRENCH TOAST
Make French toast even easier to enjoy with this baked version. There are plenty of recipes around that call for preparation the night before, but that ruins the surprise.
Try this easy version that will have a yummy hot breakfast on the table in just over 30 minutes. And better yet, it uses items you have around the kitchen already, so no special trip to the store is needed.
Use your favourite bread (or get creative and use something like a banana bread or croissants) and add in chocolate chips or berries if desired (I highly recommend chocolate chips).
Ingredients:
• 8-10 pieces of bread of your choice
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 / 3 cup brown sugar
• 1 / 4 cup flour
• 1 / 2 tsp salt
• 1 / 2 cup chocolate chips, blueberries or strawberries (optional: berries can be frozen or fresh)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F and grease a 9X13 baking dish.
In a large bowl, tear up eight pieces of bread of your choice – no need to slice neatly. This is a great way to get kids of any age involved. Set aside.
Break eggs in a smaller bowl and whisk in all other ingredients except chocolate chips or berries. Once combined, pour over bread mixture and stir through until well combined. If desired, add chocolate chips or berries of your choice and gently stir through.
Pour bread mixture into baking dish and bake for 30 minutes – add another few minutes if you prefer your French toast crispier.
Remove from oven and let sit for two minutes, then serve with maple syrup.
PERFECT PANCAKES
The trick to getting light and fluffy pancakes is allowing the batter to sit for a few minutes before pouring it into your pan. Watch for the top of the pancake to start bubbling and the edges starting to slightly brown before flipping your pancake, and you only want to turn it once. Add in mashed banana, applesauce, berries or chocolate chips to this basic recipe to make these pancakes extra special.
Ingredients:
• 1 cup flour
• 1 / 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp butter
• 1 / 2 cup berries or chocolate chips, if desired Directions:
Mix together egg, milk, sugar, vanilla, and vegetable oil, stirring well. Mix in dry ingredients gradually, stirring well. Add in chocolate chips or berries, if desired.
Allow mixture to rest for five minutes.
Preheat frying pan on medium-low heat and add butter to pan. Pour one-quarter of the batter into the pan and allow to cook until bubbles start to form on the top of the batter. Flip, and allow to continue to cook – it will take less time to cook the bottom of the pancake, so watch carefully so they do not burn.
Makes four pancakes. Serve with maple syrup or strawberry sauce for a special treat.
WAFFLES WITH STRAWBERRY SAUCE
Dig out the waffle maker and heat it up for this tasty breakfast for mom. For a nice twist to this basic recipe, replace half a cup of milk with mashed banana, or replace the vanilla flavouring with maple flavouring.
Ingredients:
Waffle batter:
• 4 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 cups flour Strawberry sauce:
• 2 1/2 cups sliced strawberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 3 tbsp water. Directions:
For strawberry sauce: Start by making the sauce to allow time to thicken and cool while preparing waffles.
Add strawberries, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice to saucepan on medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for five minutes, stirring frequently. In a small bowl, combine water and cornstarch, stirring to combine well and form a slurry. Pour half into strawberry mixture, stirring gently and allowing to thicken. If still too runny, add remainder to mixture. Remove from heat and allow to cool before serving.
For waffles:
Mix milk and lemon juice and let sit for a few minutes while you get the rest of your ingredients together. Milk should thicken.
Separate egg whites and yolks, setting yolks aside for use later. Using an electric mixer, whisk egg whites on medium-high until soft peaks form.
Gently stir in milk mixture, egg yolks, melted butter, sugar and vanilla and stir well. Stir in baking powder, salt and flour gradually, making sure it’s well combined. Allow to sit for a few minutes.
Plug in waffle maker and coat with butter or cooking spray. Once heated, scoop waffle mixture onto maker. This will need much less batter than you expect – try using an ice cream scoop to measure out properly. Close and cook until waffles are a golden brown. Serve hot, topped with strawberry sauce and, if desired, whipped cream.
If you want to add in bacon or sausage to your breakfast feast, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Bake bacon in the oven at 400F, turning once, until browned – about 15 to 20 minutes for bacon, depending on your desired level of crispness. For breakfast sausage, bake at 375F for about 10-15 minutes, turning once. Clean up is a snap thanks to the foil.