It's Easter Dammit!

I love Easter Brunch. I've been having hosting some sort of Easter brunch for 14 years now! This year when it was the day before Easter, I was so sick I had to have a friend drive me to the grocery store. She said, "Uh, maybe you ought to cancel brunch." But I didn't want to! In the end, I postponed it and had it this past Sunday. I called it, "It's Easter Dammit!" I'm so glad I waited cause I was able to enjoy myself. Good friends, good food, good times. Look at that spread!

pancakes, bacon, fruit, cinnamon rolls, baked brie, croque monsieurs, mimosas, oh my!

My contribution to brunch was oatmeal pancakes, grapefruit ginger curd and mixed berry syrup. The grapefruit ginger curd turned out really good. One of my friends was actually eating it by the spoonful by the end of the brunch. I'll take that as success.

I took the recipe from one of my favorite blogs, 101 Cookbooks. I modified the recipe slightly below. I doubled the recipe but now I realize, I didn't double the eggs! (below is exactly what I did) Perhaps that's why it wasn't that thick. I also couldn't figure out how to make the ginger juice. I tried to grate the ginger to make the juice but hardly made any juice. So I added some of the grated ginger. I think I could have used a lot more.

 

Grapefruit Ginger Curd

1 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp / soft
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks, preferably room temp
2 large eggs , preferably room temp
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger


The directions say to simmer the grapefruit juice in a small saucepan, reducing to 1/2 cup. But I didn't have time, so I just left it as is. (which was the appropriate amount for doubling the recipe)

step 1 - fresh squeezed grapefruit juice

Cream the butter in a medium stainless steel bowl. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy and light. Add the yolks, and then the eggs one at a time, beating well. Stir in the salt, and then gradually add the grapefruit juice, lemon juice, and ginger juice.

Make a double boiler out of saucepan and the stainless steal bowl. (Fill the saucepan 1/3 full and bring to a simmer) Stir constantly, and heat the curd slowly enough that the sugar has time to dissolve. This takes at least 10 minutes, maybe it took me longer because I didn't use enough eggs. Pull the curd from the heat when it is just thick enough to coat your spoon. Your curd will thicken as it cools.

irish cream in my coffee, don't mind if I do

101 Cookbooks says it keeps refrigerated for a week, or up to a month in the freezer. But it didn't last that long at brunch! Check out her recipe for more tips.


Notes for next time: I thought it tasted a bit too sweet. Even though she mentions in her blog that she left hers tart, I think I'd start with 1/2 cup of sugar. I might try it without the lemon juice next time. I'd like to add more ginger. I thought the grated ginger would be more potent so I didn't add much maybe not even a 1/4 teaspoon. I need to figure out how to actually make ginger juice.


Now this pancake recipe is from my mom. I don't know where she got it. I also doubled the recipe for brunch. They were a good hearty base for some sweet-treat toppers. I'd say that they are ok but not amazing.

 

Oatmeal Pancakes

1/2 cup flour (add more as needed)
2 cups quick oats
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups buttermilk (I always make my own)
4 tablespoons of melted butter
2 large eggs

Combine the dry ingredients. In another bowl combine the wet ingredients. Then combine together. Use cooking spray to line the pan and cook them up!

Mixed-Berry Syrup

frozen mixed berries
real maple syrup

This is easy. Heat the berries slowly in a saucepan.  They will create their own juice. Add some maple syrup to sweeten. Pour over your pancakes. It was a good compliment to the curd too.

There you go - a good start to a brunch. Don't forget the mimosas!

The Sweater Challenge - I did it!

Sorry to keep you all in suspense but I did it! Yup, I finished my Dad's sweater in time to give it to him just before we went to Costa Rica for his 70th birthday. Too bad, it's not cold anymore for him to get some real use out of it this winter (sigh).