sunday brunch

This comforting and easy spiced pumpkin cake is a perfect brunch treat or after dinner dessert.

Sunday Brunch: Pumpkin Tea Cake Recipe

all-purpose flour

baking powder

baking soda

+ 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

nutmeg

cloves

pumpkin

vegetable oil

sugar

salt

eggs

sugar turbinado sugar

pepitas (optional but highly recommended)

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

Sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

In another bowl, beat together the pumpkin puree, oil, sugar, and salt on medium speed (or by hand--that's how I did it) until well mixed. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. On low speed, add the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Scrape down the sides again, then beat on medium speed for 5 to 10 seconds to make a smooth batter. The batter should have the consistency of a thick purée. Make sure not to overmix, or you will end up with a coarse, tough crumb.

Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the top evenly with half the topping sugar, then the optional pepitas, and then the rest of the topping sugar. Bake until a tester emerges clean from the center, about 1 hour (I left mine in a bit longer, and it was still ever so slightly underbaked). 

Let cook in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes. Then invert the cake onto the rack, turn right side up, and let cool completely. Serve at room temperature. The cake will keep, well wrapped, at room temperature for 4 days or in the refrigerator for about 1 week.

The first time I came across this green sauce was in Peru, but I've made some alterations because the Ají amarillo chili can be difficult to find in some parts of the world. (Ideally the fish in this dish will be freshly caught with a spear gun during a morning swim, but if not any firm fleshed white fish will work.)  Although not absolutely necessary, a food processor comes in very handy when making this sauce, and if you're not in the mood for sauces, lime wedges work very well.

Fried Fish And Yucca Recipe | Sunday Brunch

yucca

firm-fleshed white fish,

flour

kosher salt and cracked black pepper

eggs, beaten

cornmeal

Green Sauce:

jalapeno, finely chopped

cilantro, finely chopped

queso seco, grated

vinegar

garlic,

mayonnaise

lime, juiced

limes

Fried Fish and Yucca Recipe | Sunday Brunch

Peel yucca and cut into pieces about 1 inch wide, 4 inches long if possible.  (Otherwise use your judgement on the size of the yucca pieces.)  Place in a large pot of boiling water and cook until soft, about 30 minutes.  Once yucca are cooked through, place on paper towel and allow to dry as much as possible.

Divide the fish into evenly sized pieces and coat in flour seasoned with salt and pepper; then coat with egg, then with cornmeal.  Repeat with remaining pieces.

Combine all ingredients for the green sauce and whisk to combine. Season to taste with salt.  If you have a food processor, this is a great place to use it.

Preheat oven to low. Add oil to pot. Oil should come at least three inches up the side of the pot. Heat oil over high heat to 380°F.  Make sure yucca are totally dry by blotting with paper towel, then add a few pieces to the pot of oil, making sure not to overcrowd the pot.  Working in small batches, cook the yucca and keep warm in oven.  Repeat with fish, cooking until cornmeal is brown on each side, about 4 minutes per side, once again making sure to not overcrowd the pot.  Once yucca and fish are cooked serve hot with green sauce, beer and lime wedges.

At our house Sunday brunch or breakfast (depending on how early my wife gets up) is the perfect excuse to whip up a batch of featherlight pancakes with a crispy veneer and tender insides. This recipe is adapted from Pam...

Sunday Brunch: Great, Great, Pancakes Recipe

all-purpose bleached flour (softer than unbleached flour)

tsps. sugar

buttermilk

milk

Tbs. unsalted butter, melted

vanilla extract

Vegetable oil

Heat a large non-stick skillet or griddle over low heat while preparing ingredients. Mix flour, sugar, salt (if using salted butter, reduce salt to 1/4 tsp.), baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl.

Microwave buttermilk and milk in a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup to room temperature, 20 to 30 seconds. Whisk in egg, butter and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and whisk until just mixed.

Return batter to measuring cup, stirring in a teaspoon or so of water, if necessary, to make a thick but pourable batter.

Increase heat to medium and generously brush skillet or griddle with oil. When oil starts to spider, but before it starts to smoke, pour batter, about 1/4 cup at a time. Work in batches, if necessary, to avoid overcrowding. When pancake bottoms are golden brown and tops start to bubble, 2 to 3 minutes, flip pancakes; cook until golden brown on remaining side. Repeat, brushing skillet or griddle with oil. Serve hot.

Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes: Follow pancake recipe, whisking 1 tsp. of finely grated lemon zest and 1 tsp. of poppy seeds into the dry ingredients.

Orange Cardamom Pancakes: Follow pancake recipe, whisking 1 tsp. of finely grated orange zest and 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom into the dry ingredients.

Gingerbread Pancakes: Follow pancake recipe, substituting 4 tsps. of molasses for the sugar and adding it to the wet ingredients, then whisking 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 1/2 tsps. ground ginger and 1/8 tsp. ground cloves into the dry ingredients.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes: Follow pancake recipe, sprinkling 1 Tb. of miniature chocolate chips over the uncooked side of each pancake as it cooks.

Ginger Pancakes: Follow pancake recipe, whisking 1 tsp. ginger into the dry ingredients and sprinkling 1 Tb. of finely chopped crystallized ginger (about 1/2 cup total) over the uncooked side of each pancake as it cooks.

Almond Pancakes: Follow pancake recipe, substituting 1 tsp. almond extract for the vanilla extract.

Corn Pancakes: Follow pancake recipe, reducing flour to 3/4 cup and whisking 1/2 cup fine yellow cornmeal into dry ingredients, and sprinkling 2 Tbs. of frozen corn (about 1 cup total) over the uncooked side of each pancake as it cooks.

This recipe can be easily tailored to your personal preferences, so don't be afraid to experiment.  Using the same basic recipe but substituting salmon or cod, and dill or cilantro, you can create your own interpretation of this simple dish.  These fish cakes can also be assembled the night before (to just before the breading phase) so it's a great dish for company.

Sunday Brunch: Simple Fish Cakes Recipe

russet potato

pollock (about 1 large fillet)

garlic, crushed

parsley, chopped (stems reserved)

scallions, finely sliced

mustard

Kosher salt and cracked black pepper

panko breadcrumbs

(1/4 cup) vegetable oil, for frying

Wash potato and pierce all over with a fork.  Bake in 425° oven until fully cooked, about 30 minutes (or microwave for 5-8 minutes, or until fully cooked).

Place pollock, garlic and parsley stems in a large frying pan, cover with water, and bring to a simmer until pollock is just cooked through, about 6 minutes.  Once cool enough to handle, remove skin from potato and grate through the large holes of a box grater.

Gently flake fish into large chunks; combine with grated baked potato, remaining chopped parsley and chopped scallions.  Beat egg with mayonnaise and grainy mustard and combine with fish/potato mixture.  Mix until all ingredients are fully combined, being careful to keep fish from falling apart too much. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide fish mixture into 8 even pieces (about 1/4 cup each) and gently press each ball into panko crumbs.  Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in large frying pan until shimmering and fry fish cakes in batches until golden brown – keeping finished fish cakes warm in oven.  Serve with green salad with a lemon vinaigrette.

Butter Tart Muffins - a deliciously caramely flavoured brunch muffin with the added sweetness of raisins and the crunch of nuts too if you prefer.

Butter Tart Muffins

raisins

brown sugar

corn syrup

butter

vanilla

walnuts

Place raisins, sugar, corn syrup, butter, milk and...

Place raisins, sugar, corn syrup, butter, milk and extract in a medium sized saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring almost constantly, until mixture is hot, slightly thickened and just beginning to bubble, from 4 to 5 minutes in total. Cool almost to room temperature before proceeding.

When the boiled mixture has cooled, whisk the...

When the boiled mixture has cooled, whisk the two eggs into it'

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and...

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until well mixed. Make a well in center of flour mixture and pour in the boiled raisin mixture, stirring just until combined. Stir in the nuts until evenly mixed. Do not over mix.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 12...

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 12 muffin cups, coat with cooking spray or use paper liners.

Spoon batter into muffin cups. Bake in center...

Spoon batter into muffin cups. Bake in center of oven until golden and a cake tester inserted into center of muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and immediately brush tops with...

Remove from oven and immediately brush tops with corn syrup or maple syrup. Cool muffins in cups for 10 minutes.

Remove muffins to a rack.

Yields 12 muffins.

This is the BEST Key Lime Pie...citrusy, sweet-tart -- the perfect sweet to-pucker ratio; light and bright with a crisp not-to-sweet graham cracker crust!

The BEST Key Lime Pie

graham cracker

sugar, I like all natural cane sugar

Tablespoons butter, melted

sour cream

egg yolks (omit if making egg free)

oz Heavy Whipping Cream (I used organic), very cold

lime,

Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter and set...

Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter and set aside. Finely crush graham crackers in food processor, blender or freezer baggie with rolling pin until all the same size. Add in sugar and pulse a few times until blended, pour in butter and stir with fork or pulse a couple times until mixed. Reserve 1/4 cup crumb mixture for topping, if desired.

Pour crust mixture into 9" deep dish pie...

Pour crust mixture into 9" deep dish pie dish and using hands, press into bottom and up sides, evenly. Bake for 6-8 minutes, just golden, not browned. Remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack.

*If needed, cool for 10 minutes on rack,...

*If needed, cool for 10 minutes on rack, then transfer to freezer for 20-30 minutes to cool completely.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Wash, dry and zest limes, set zest aside...

Wash, dry and zest limes, set zest aside until ready to use. Squeeze 3/4 cup of lime juice (about 24 key limes, or 6 Persian limes). Pour lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, egg yolks (if using) and zest into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on low until combined, then increase to medium-high for 2-3 minutes. Scraping down sides once or twice. DO NOT SKIP THE LONGER WHIPPING.

Whip until batter is thickened.

Pour Key Lime filling into COOLED graham cracker...

Pour Key Lime filling into COOLED graham cracker crust. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes until center is set, but still jiggles slightly when shaken. DO NOT ALLOW TO BROWN. Remove from oven to cooling rack and cool for 30 minutes. Place in fridge for at least 3 hours -- if you remove sooner it will still taste good, it will just not be quite as set if you had let it sit longer in the fridge. See notes for details if making key lime mini pies.

While your pie is cooling, make whipped cream.Pour...

While your pie is cooling, make whipped cream.Pour cold whipping cream into cool bowl and whip until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla and powdered sugar, mixing on low until combined, then increase to speed to medium-high and whip until thick, almost to a light butter stage.

Scoop out and into piping bag with star...

Scoop out and into piping bag with star tip. Whipped cream in bag may be kept in fridge until ready to garnish pie. Garnish with whipping cream stars, a little lime zest, graham cracker crumbs and a slice of lime. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve and chill all leftovers.

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/kpjnmynyqeaevhbdhxfu.mp4

Describe your BEST Key Lime Pie...is it citrusy, sweet-tart, creamy -- with the perfect sweet-to-pucker ratio; light and bright with a crisp not-to-sweet graham cracker crust? Well look no further...you found it!

Top 6 sunday brunch recipes from across the web

The most viewed sunday brunch recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

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Sunday Brunch: Pumpkin Tea Cake Rec...

Fried Fish And Yucca Recipe | Sunda...

Sunday Brunch: Simple Fish Cakes Re...

Butter Tart Muffins

The BEST Key Lime Pie

Top 6 sunday brunch recipes from across the web

The most viewed sunday brunch recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Sunday Brunch: Pumpkin Tea Cake Rec...

Fried Fish And Yucca Recipe | Sunda...

Sunday Brunch: Simple Fish Cakes Re...

Butter Tart Muffins

The BEST Key Lime Pie

The most viewed sunday brunch recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine