spontaneous saturday brunch!

At around midnight last friday/saturday, we decided it would be fun to have brunch in the morning. Here's what we ended up with:

• cucumber coolers
• cranberry-orange scones
• leek, white asparagus and squash frittata
• crêpes with brie, jam and fruit
• cheddar and dill scones
• strawberry and mango fruit salad
• plus toast and orange juice! (not pictured)

Cucumber Coolers

We adapted this recipe from Shutterbean's Boozy Cucumber Coolers. We substituted the agave syrup with honey, and gin with rum (because we had some lying around and are resourceful/lazy). I would like to note that these coolers were refreshing and delicious prior to spiking them. Unfortunately, I (Devin) was the only one to try them pre-rum. We are of the opinion that rum is pretty disgusting, so take heed. These coolers would be great as a non-alcoholic drink. Or, if you prefer your drink to be drank, we recommend sticking with the original recipe and using gin.

Cranberry-Orange Scones (recipe from Nicole's mom!)

4 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

2/3 cup sugar + some for dusting scones

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, sliced

3 eggs

3/4 cup whipping cream

zest of one orange

1 1/2 cups fresh (or frozen) cranberries - we used dried

1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in bowl. Cut in butter by hand until mixture is even-textured. (Mixture will resemble fine meal as in pie crust.) Beat eggs with whisk until pale; add in whipping cream and orange zest. Combine liquid into flour mixture,
reserving 1 tablespoon of liquid. Mix in cranberries and walnuts.
Knead by hand until soft ball is formed.

Roll out on floured board to 1/2-inch thickness, adding only enough flour to keep from sticking. Fold dough into thirds, and roll out
again to 1/2-inch. Repeat folding and rolling dough. Divide dough
into half, and roll each half into a circle, 3/4-inch thickness. Cut each circle into 6 wedges. Brush remaining liquid on each scone, and
sprinkle sugar on top.

Bake at 350 degrees 15 to 18 minutes or until light golden brown. Makes 12 scones.

For the savory Cheddar-Dill scones we used the same basic batter and just added some cheddar and dill (sorry, we guessed how much!) and they were great! It might be fun to experiment with other savory combos too. Like something ANYTHING with bacon, duh. eating with sriracha is recommended.

Leek, White Asparagus and Squash Frittata

Recipe here is originally for leeks, asparagus and mushrooms, but just add whatever vegetables and cheeses you want!

Crêpes

2 large eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1 cup flour

3 tbsp melted butter

butter, for coating the pan

In a blender, combine all of the ingredients and pulse for 10 seconds. Place the crepe batter in the refrigerator for 1 hour (but overnight is best). This allows the bubbles to subside so the crepes will be less likely to tear during cooking. The batter will keep for up to 48 hours.

Heat a small non-stick pan. Add butter to coat. Pour 1 ounce of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly. Cook for 30 seconds and flip. Cook for another 10 seconds and remove to the cutting board. Lay them out flat so they can cool. Continue until all batter is gone. After they have cooled you can stack them and store in sealable plastic bags in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for up to two months.