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2:00 PM 30th December 2021
family

Family-friendly Festive Brunches To Make At Home

 
The festive season is upon us and there’s no better time to bond over baking some seasonally inspired brunches with your children.

With that in mind, the team at Bottomlessbrunch.com have delved into the details to bring you a list of the best brunches to try out this yuletide season, and into the new year, that will benefit from having extra helping hands in the kitchen.

Chocolate orange waffles

Add some Christmassy flavours to your brunch with this indulgent chocolate orange waffle recipe. With only a few easy steps to follow, you can let your children take the lead and mix together the batter.

Ingredients - Serves 4

2 eggs
200ml milk
130g self-raising flour
20g cocoa powder
20g caster sugar
60g butter, melted
1 tsp orange essence
1 large orange, zested
25g dark chocolate, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve

Toppings

Orange segments, maple syrup, grated chocolate and whipped cream

Method

Switch on your waffle maker and mix the eggs and milk together in a jug.
In a bowl, combine the flour, cocoa and sugar, then carefully whisk in the egg and milk mixture until you have a smooth texture.
Slowly pour in the melted butter, the teaspoon of orange essence, zest and chopped chocolate.
Pour a ladleful of batter into the waffle maker and cook for 5-6 minutes.
Then repeat the process until the mixture runs out.
Place your waffles on a large plate, and serve with maple syrup, whipped cream, orange segments and grated chocolate.

Panettone pudding

Panettone pudding is a great way to give your leftover Christmas panettone a new lease of life and if you can’t have a panettone as part of your brunch over the festive period, then when can you?. This recipe is a festive twist on bread and butter pudding, and bound to go down as a treat with the whole family.

Ingredients - Serves 4

50g butter, softened
250g panettone (about 5 medium slices)
2 eggs
142ml carton double cream
225ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp caster sugar
Icing sugar, for sprinkling
Softly whipped cream, to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 160C and grease a baking dish with a little of the 50g butter.
Next, chop up 250g panettone into chunky wedges, leaving the crusts on.
Lightly butter the slices of bread and arrange them in the dish, buttered side up.
In a bowl, whisk together 142ml double cream, 2 eggs, 225ml milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 2 tbsp caster sugar. Pour the mixture into the tray evenly covering the panettone.
Place the dish in a larger roasting tin and pour hot water around it to the depth of about 2.5cm.
Bake for around 35 minutes until the pudding is just set and is slightly browned on top.
Dust with a sprinkle of icing sugar and serve with whipped cream.

Brie and cranberry wreath

Brie and cranberry is the perfect combination of flavours, so why not try them out in a delicious pastry wreath for a festive brunch? It’s the perfect festive sharer to serve up to your guests that will definitely keep the Christmas spirit alive all the way into January.

Ingredients - Serves 8

Puff pastry
1 wheel of brie
Cranberry preserves/sauce
Pistachios, roughly chopped
1 beaten egg

Method

​​Shape the pastry into a circle and roll out the pastry until it’s around ½ cm thick.
Use a large round bowl as a guide and cut the puff pastry into a large disc and cut a star into the middle.
Next, spread the cranberry sauce over the pastry, avoiding the star in the middle.
Then evenly add the Brie and pistachios around the wreath until you have a good amount of filling.
Pull each point of the star over the filling towards the outer edge, then pinch the pastry together using your fingers.
Brush your wreath with an egg wash before baking for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and puffed.

Rudolph pancakes

If you and your little ones are still feeling christmassy, this recipe will make your pancake brunches a little more fun and festive. They are super easy to make using just two different sized round pancakes and with a variety of toppings to choose from, your little ones can get creative with their brunch.

Ingredients - Serves 4

1 cup (250ml) milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
2 tsp butter
4 rashers streaky bacon
Whipped cream
Blueberries
4 strawberries

Method

Start making a standard pancake batter by whisking together milk and egg in a bowl and sifting flour into it.
Once your mixture is smooth, melt the two teaspoons of butter in a large frying pan and pour in the batter to form one large circle and one smaller circle.
Cook for a few minutes until bubbles form and then flip the pancakes and cook on the other side.
Repeat this step with the remaining ingredients.
In a separate pan, cut your 4 bacon rashers in half and cook them until they have a nice crisp texture.
To create Rudolph, place the large pancake on a plate with the smaller pancake on top, but positioned halfway down.
Place the bacon rashers at the top of the head to create antlers, and use the whipped cream and blueberries to create the eyes and a strawberry for a nose.

Bubble and squeak

Bubble and squeak is the perfect way to make a tasty brunch, whilst using up all of your Christmas leftovers. It’s a great option if you have fussy eaters in the family, as you can pick and choose your favourite parts of Christmas dinner to include.

Ingredients - Serves 4

Olive oil
25g unsalted butter
4 sprigs of rosemary, sage or thyme
600g chopped leftover roast potatoes
600g chopped leftover cooked veg, such as carrots, swede, turnips, parsnips, Brussels sprouts, kale etc…
Leftover ham, turkey or pigs in blankets

Method

Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a frying pan and place it over a medium heat.
Drop in the fresh herbs and leave them to crisp up, before adding in the chopped potatoes, veg, and any leftover meat you have.
Season well with sea salt and black pepper, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until everything starts to get a lovely golden crust
Using a fish slice, keep flipping the contents of the pan to give it a rougher, more mashed texture, and cook for a further 20 minutes.
Serve in a bowl with a choice of festive sauces to help really bring out the Christmas flavours.

www.bottomlessbrunch.com