Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, some say. Others claim that lunch is best, because it fuels your work. Others love dinner because there is time to prepare a feast.
They are all wrong! The best meal is brunch, because it starts the day off right, fuels your work and is a feast.
Tracey Petrozzi will lead another Book Bites Cookbook Club at the Gilford Public Library on Tuesday from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and April’s theme is brunch! Join her and other foodies and amateur cooks in a cooking demonstration, discussion and dinner. Each month features a new theme to fit the season and the tasting menu typically consists of an appetizer, main course and dessert.
The cost for this program is $5 per person and space is limited, so participants are encouraged to sign up at the library’s circulation desk. For more information, you can contact the Gilford Public Library at 524-6042 or by email at library@gilfordlibrary.com. The Gilford library is located at 31 Potter Hill Road.
Petrozzi suggested these two tasty recipes to help start the brunch discussion.
3 cups flour
⅓ cup sugar
2½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
¾ cup (1½ sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
¾ cup dried cranberries
1 cup chilled buttermilk
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda into a large bowl. Mix in the orange peel.
Add butter and rub with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Mix in dried cranberries.
Gradually add buttermilk, tossing with fork until moist clumps form. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Knead briefly to bind the dough, about four turns.
Form dough into one-inch thick round. Cut into eight wedges.
Transfer wedges to the prepared baking sheet, spacing two inches apart. Bake until tops of scones are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let stand on baking sheet 10 minutes. Serve scones warm or at room temperature.
Notes: I use a food processor to make these scones. Placing the flour mixture in, pulse. Add orange grind and butter, pulse. Add buttermilk, pulse. Add cranberries and pulse lightly. It comes together beautifully.
(Adapted from “Bon Appetit” magazine.)
1 pound strawberries, sliced and divided
3 cups old-fashioned oats
¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
⅔ cup chopped pecans, divided
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2½ cups milk
½ teaspoon orange zest, optional
¼ cup fresh orange juice
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
maple syrup
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with cooking spray. Place half the strawberries in prepared pan.
In a large bowl, stir together oats, sugar, ⅓ cup pecans, cinnamon, baking powder and salt until combined. Add to pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, orange juice, and zest if adding, eggs and vanilla. Pour over oats. Top with remaining strawberries and remaining ⅓ cup of pecans.
Bake until center is set, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve with maple syrup.
(Adapted from “Taste of the South” magazine.)