The
Appleton Post-Crescent
Wednesday, March 31, 2004
Extras! Extras! Special
Touches make big difference with Easter and spring brunches.
Unique touches make Easter
brunch special, not just your usual hot entrees, homemade pastries, fruit and
beverages, said Judy Halma, owner of the Franklin Street Inn Bed &
Breakfast in Appleton.
Halma is a champ at making
breakfasts and knows what keeps her customers coming back with her creative
little extras each morning. Presentation with color, flowers, candles, fancy
dishes and garnishes enhance what the homemade food offers in smell and taste,
she said.
“Go beyond their
expectations,” Halma said. “Presentation is the most important. After all,
food always tastes better when someone else makes it.”
Some of Halma’s personal
touches for a brunch include having several flavored fruit syrups for waffles
or pancakes, garnishing with spearmint leaves, serving orange juice in goblets,
baking ethnic dishes traditionally each year, serving fresh fruit such as
pineapple, kiwi and star fruit and making pastries from scratch.
“It makes for a lot of extra
dishes to wash, but it’s worth it, absolutely,” she said. “People don’t want
run-of-the mill things.”
Here are some of the items
Halma suggests for an Easter Buffet or any spring brunch:
- Grow grass in some potting soil
in a basket. Trim the grass and set dyed Easter eggs in it.
- Warm up coffee carafes with
boiling water. Empty and fill with fresh coffee. This will keep the
container from bringing down the temperature of the coffee.
- Serve grapes in clusters rather
than individually so as to not have them rolling around people’s plates.
- Keep two pitchers of fruit
juice on the table.
- Have plenty of salt and pepper
shakers on the table.
- Make sure you are offering
guests a well balanced meal.
- If you know you will have
vegetarians over for brunch, sprinkle some meat on top of one casserole to
tell which is which.
- Serve pancakes, waffles, French
toast, or crepes. Sticky rolls with cream cheese filling are popular.
“Some people don’t like
fruit, but smoothies? ‘Right on, I’ll have one of those.’ People say,” Halma
said. “I don’t know what it is about smoothies.”
“You don’t want to get up at 3:00 on Easter morning to start making this.” Halma suggested making a list well ahead of
time and mentally walking through the meal to eliminate surprises. Try recipes
ahead of time as well, she said, and have a back-up plan for items that might
be over-cooked. She also recommended setting the table the night before.
Halma said the true key to a
successful brunch is the effort put into it. I use one spice in all my recipes,
and it’s called love. Then I know I’ve done the best I could.
The Franklin Street Inn of Appleton, WI truly knows how to impress visitors and guests and these recipes prove it! Experience lavish brunches and buffets, gorgeous accommodations and personalized service when you choose to stay at this Wisconsin bed and breakfast.
Sticky Rolls
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/3 cup corn syrup
¼ cup melted butter or margarine
4 ounces of cream cheese
¼ cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter or
margarine
2 (10 ounce) cans of Hungry Jack
refrigerated flaky biscuits
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In
ungreased 9-by-13 inch baking dish,
combine brown sugar, nuts, syrup, and ¼ cup melted butter.
-Blend cream cheese, powdered
sugar and remaining butter until smooth.
-Separate dough into 20 biscuits
and press each into a 4-inch circle. Spoon cheese mixture into center of each
biscuit, dividing equally, about 1 tablespoon per circle. Overlap dough over
filling into a ball, pinch the seams tight.
-Place rolls, seam side down,
into 4-by-5 inch rows in prepared baking dish. Bake 25-30 minutes or until
light brown. Turn over onto serving plate immediately from oven.
(from Judy Halma, Franklin
Street Inn)
Fruity Red Smoothies
1 8-ounce carton strawberry
yogurt
½ to ¾ cup cranberry juice
1 and ½ cups frozen unsweetened
strawberries, quartered
1 cup frozen unsweetened
raspberries
1-1 and ½ teaspoons of sugar
In blender or food processor,
combine yogurt and cranberry juice. Add strawberries, raspberries, and sugar.
Cover and process until blended. Pour into glasses. Serve immediately. Yields 2
servings.
(from Judy Halma, Franklin
Street Inn)
Hash Brown Potato Breakfast
½ cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons butter
1 and ½ cups frozen hash browns
or O’Brien potatoes, thawed
I can cream of mushroom soup
2/3 cup milk
12 ounces sour cream
4 cups (1 pound) sharp cheddar
cheese, shredded
8 eggs
½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
¼ teaspoon salt
15 slices bacon, cooked and
crumbled
Microwave or sauté chopped onions
in butter until tender. Warm potatoes in 250 degree oven for one hour. Combine
all ingredients except bacon and mix well. Turn into a 3 quart glass baking
dish sprayed with nonstick pan coating. Bake 60-65 minutes at 350 degrees.
Sprinkle bacon bits over casserole for last 10 minutes of baking. Let stand 5
minutes and cut into rectangles. May be prepared in advance and refrigerated,
covered. If put in oven directly from refrigerator, uncover and bake for 70 to
75 minutes. Serves 12.
(from Judy Halma, Franklin
Street Inn)
