alltime bestbrunch2 ALL-TIME BEST BRUNCHcontents chapter 1 eggs every way chapter 2 pancakes, waffles, and french toast chapter 3 savory mains chapter 4 quiches, tarts, and casseroles chapter 5 muffins, breads, and more chapter 6 brunch sides about this book Everything that makes brunch great is also what makes it tricky to prepare at home. From perfectly poached eggs to high-flying popovers to rich (not soggy) bread pudding, it’s challenging to get every element just right. Enter this curated collection of 75 foolproof recipes, each one carefully chosen to guarantee an expertly executed brunch for any and every occasion. Whether you’re hosting a laid-back meal of pancakes and bacon or a high-stakes holiday affair, these hand-picked Cook’s Illustrated classics make planning brunch a pleasure.• Organized to Help You Plan the Perfect Brunch Building a menu is easy with chapters devoted to each brunch element: egg dishes, sweets like pancakes and waffles, savory entrées, hearty quiches and casseroles, tempting baked goods, and an assortment of side dishes.• Fit for Brunches Big and Small Dishes serving anywhere from 4 to 12 offer a wealth of options for hosting brunches of all sizes. • Take the Hassle Out of Hosting Clear make-ahead instructions and total recipe times with every dish make it easy to pull off a memorable brunch on your schedule.• Finish with Flair Recipes for homemade toppings and syrups, warm drinks, and classic cocktails offer a fresh finishing touch to any spread.• Inspiring Photography There is a stunning color photo of every recipe.4 ALL-TIME BEST BRUNCHbrunch-ready beveragesbloody marysserves 12We prefer to use Campbell’s Tomato Juice here, but V8 or Clamato juice can be used. To make lemon twists, take a ½-inch wide, 1½-inch long, shallow swipe of lemon zest with a vegetable peeler, avoiding the bitter white pith. Use refrigerated prepared horseradish, not the shelf-stable kind or horseradish cream. Boar’s Head Pure Horseradish is our favorite prepared horseradish.9 cups tomato juice3 cups vodka3/4 cup lemon juice, plus lemon wedges or twists for serving (5 lemons)3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce2 tablespoons prepared horseradish1 tablespoon salt1 tablespoon pepper3/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauceIce cubes12 celery ribs, trimmedWhisk tomato juice, vodka, lemon juice, Worcestershire, horseradish, salt, pepper, and Tabasco together in 4-quart pitcher or large bowl. Pour over ice and garnish with celery and lemon wedges or twists before serving.to make aheadBloody Marys can be refrigerated for up to 8 hours.Coffee is only the start. From bubbly mimosas to creamy hot chocolate, no brunch is complete without a few indulgent drinks on the table. ALL-TIME BEST BRUNCH 5mimosasserves 6 to 8To make orange twists, take a ½-inch wide, 1½-inch long, shallow swipe of orange zest with a vegetable peeler, avoiding the bitter white pith.1 (750-ml) bottle prosecco or champagne3 cups orange juiceOrange slices or twistsCombine all ingredients in large pitcher and serve chilled. Garnish with orange slices or twists.variationrose blossom mimosasOmit orange slices. Add 1/2 tea-spoon rose blossom water. Garnish with rose petals.bellinisserves 6 to 81 (750-ml) bottle prosecco or champagne11/2 cups peach juicePeach slicesCombine all ingredients in large pitcher and serve chilled. Garnish with peach slices.variationginger-peach bellinisCombine peach nectar and 11/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger in bowl, then immediately strain through fine-mesh strainer into large pitcher. Add prosecco and serve chilled.decadent hot chocolateserves 4You can substitute 4 ounces of your favorite semisweet or bittersweet chocolate bar for the chocolate chips. For an adult treat, add a bit of Tía Maria, peppermint schnapps, Kahlúa, or Grand Marnier before serving. This recipe can be doubled.3 cups milk1 cup heavy cream2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder1 tablespoon sugar1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips1 teaspoon vanilla extractBring milk, cream, cocoa powder, and sugar to boil in medium saucepan. Off the heat, stir in chocolate and vanilla. Cover, let chips melt for about 1 minute, then whisk smooth before serving.to make aheadHot chocolate can be refrigerated, covered tightly with plastic wrap, for up to 24 hours before serving. Reheat in microwave or in medi-um saucepan set over low heat.chaiserves 4Depending on how sweet you like your chai, you will need to add between 1 and 2 tablespoons of sugar to the milk mixture in step 1. Any type of supermarket black tea will work here. For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a full kettle of water to a boil and then measure out the desired amount. 11/3 cups milk1 cinnamon stick, broken in half1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom1/4 teaspoon whole black pepper-corns1/4 teaspoon whole cloves2 tablespoons sugar4 black tea bags3 cups boiling water1. Simmer milk, cinnamon, vanilla, cardamom, peppercorns, and cloves in medium saucepan over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in 1 tablespoon of sugar until dissolved, adding remaining sugar to taste, and strain spiced milk through fine-mesh strainer. Discard pepper-corns and cloves.2. Meanwhile, divide boiling water among four mugs and place one tea bag in each. Let steep for about 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and pour 1/3 cup spiced warm milk into each mug.6 ALL-TIME BEST BRUNCHeggs benedict4. Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broil-er. Bring 6 cups water to boil in Dutch oven over high heat. Fill large pot with water and heat over high heat until water reaches 150 degrees, about 10 minutes (water will be steaming, and small bubbles will be visible). Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.5. Meanwhile, crack 4 eggs into colander. Let stand until loose, watery whites drain away from eggs, 20 to 30 seconds. Gently transfer eggs to 2-cup liquid measuring cup.6. Add vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt to boiling water. With lip of measuring cup just above surface of water, gently tip eggs into water, one at a time, leaving space between them. Cover Dutch oven, remove from heat, and let stand until whites closest to yolks are just set and opaque, about 3 minutes. If after 3 minutes whites are not set, let stand in water, checking every 30 seconds, until eggs reach desired doneness. (For medium-cooked yolks, leave covered for 4 minutes, then begin checking for doneness.) Using slotted spoon, carefully transfer each egg to pot with 150-degree water; cover and keep warm.7. Return water in Dutch oven to boil. Repeat draining and cooking remaining 4 eggs and transfer to pot with 150-degree water; cover and keep warm.8. Arrange English muffins split side up on baking sheet and broil until golden brown, 2 to 4 min-utes. Place 1 slice bacon on each muffin half and broil until hot and beginning to brown, about 1 min-ute. Remove sheet from oven.9. Working with one at a time, carefully lift and drain each egg and arrange on top of each muffin half. Spoon 1 to 2 ta-blespoons sauce over each egg. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.to make aheadSauce can be held at room temperature for up to 1 hour or refrigerated for up to 3 days; before serving, microwave on 50 percent power for 1 minute, stirring every 10 seconds, until heated through. Poached eggs can be refrigerated in bowl of cold water for up to 3 days. To reheat, heat 6 cups water to 150 degrees, transfer eggs to water, and cover for 3 minutes.why this recipe works Eggs Benedict is a treat usually reserved for restaurant dining, but this recipe makes it doable at home. We prepared a extra-stable hollandaise by whisking butter, yolks, and water in a double boiler, adding lemon juice off the heat. We kept the poached eggs neat by draining their loose whites in a colander and bolstering the water with vinegar to set the whites. An instant-read thermometer is essential for making the sauce. For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a full kettle of water to a boil and then measure out the desired amount. 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and softened8 large eggs and 4 large egg yolks1/3 cup boiling water2 teaspoons lemon juiceSaltPinch cayenne pepper1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar4 English muffins, split8 slices Canadian baconserves 4total time: 45 minutes 1. Place butter and egg yolks in large heat-resistant glass or ceramic bowl. Bring 1/2 inch water to simmer in medium saucepan. Place bowl over simmering water, making sure that water does not touch bottom of bowl, and whisk constantly until mixture is smooth and homogeneous, about 1 minute.2. Slowly add boiling water and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and sauce registers 160 degrees, 7 to 10 minutes.3. Off heat, whisk in lemon juice, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and cayenne. Remove saucepan from heat (keep bowl over water bath) and season with salt to taste. Cover to keep warm. ALL-TIME BEST BRUNCH 78 ALL-TIME BEST BRUNCH ALL-TIME BEST BRUNCH 9classic buttermilk pancakes2. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in large bowl. In separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, sour cream, eggs, and melted butter together. Make well in center of dry ingredients and pour in wet ingredients; gently stir until just combined (batter should be lumpy with few streaks of flour). Do not overmix. Let batter sit 10 minutes before cooking.3. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Using paper towels, carefully wipe out oil, leaving thin film on bottom and sides of pan. 4. Using 1/4-cup measure, portion batter into pan in 4 places. Cook until edges are set, first side is golden brown, and bubbles on surface are just beginning to break, 2 to 3 minutes. Using thin, wide spatula, flip pancakes and continue to cook until second side is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to wire rack in oven and repeat with remaining batter, using remaining oil as necessary. Serve.variationsblueberry buttermilk pancakes Sprinkle 1 tablespoon fresh blue-berries over each pancake before flipping. (If using frozen berries, thaw and rinse berries and spread them out on paper towels to dry.)graham buttermilk pancakes Substitute 1 cup graham cracker crumbs plus 2 tablespoons corn-meal for 1 cup flour.why this recipe works A stack of fluffy, golden pancakes is the perfect starting place for a standout brunch, delivering piping hot cakes with dis-tinct sweet tang and an open, airy texture. Buttermilk was a must—it con-tributed to the pancakes’ flavor and, with some leavening help from small amounts of baking powder and baking soda, it also created pancakes with better texture—but we craved even more tang, so we whisked in some sour cream for a concentrated boost. To keep our pancakes as light and fluffy as possible, we avoided overmixing the batter, which would overdevelop the gluten and make the pancakes tough. After a brief rest to relax the gluten, we portioned the batter into a hot, lightly oiled skillet. From there, our cakes needed just a few minutes per side to turn beautifully golden brown. To ensure all our guests would enjoy fresh, hot pancakes, we kept the pan-cakes warm while we finished the remaining batches by transferring the finished cakes to a warm oven until it was time to serve. Getting the skillet hot enough before making the pancakes is key. An electric griddle set to 350 degrees can also be used to cook the pancakes.2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour2 tablespoons sugar1 teaspoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon salt2 cups buttermilk1/4 cup sour cream2 large eggs3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly1–2 teaspoons vegetable oilmakes sixteen 4-inch pancakestotal time: 30 minutes1. Adjust oven rack to middle posi-tion and heat oven to 200 degrees. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and place in oven.Next >