My husband Lt. Dan is social, to put it mildly. Always on the phone, making plans, inviting people over. Rewind… Inviting people over on short notice. After the initial annoyance died off, I’ve decided this is actually a good thing for me. Prone to being a bit of a hermit, if I hadn’t married someone so people oriented, I might very well have ended up in a mountain cabin somewhere huddled away in a flannel nightgown. Dan brings out my friendly side. Being a planner, I’ve set up some ground rules for his habitual inviting, in order to keep myself sane. Ground Rule #1 – The dog hair must be swept up before guests enter my house. Big hairy dog, hardwood floors. Enough said. Ground Rule #2 – There must be pre-existing food in the fridge or pantry. The thought of loading the kids in the car and making a mad dash to the grocery store gives me hives. Clearly, these two stipulations are reasonable, aren’t they? We have friends over for dinner often, and almost as often I find myself serving brunch. I decided some time ago it would be wise to stay prepared for this. Nowadays, I always have bacon in the freezer as well as frozen southern-style hash browns, for quickie casseroles, scrambles, and hash. Eggs, butter, cheese, and all dried baking ingredients are must haves to be prepared for the impromptu breakfast or brunch. As long as the kitchen is continually stocked with these items, Dan can invite ’til his heart’s content, and we both enjoy our guests. “Quick bread” items like biscuits, muffins, and scones are a nice touch for a brunch. They look like they take more time and effort than they really do. When guests think you’ve “fussed” over them, they tend to feel extra special. There are two distinct varieties of scones. The first being the original English scone. Biscuit-like, slightly sweet, light and flaky. These scones are meant to be eaten leisurely slathered with jam, clotted cheese, or curd. American scones however, are meant to be eaten dry… As one races out of the coffeehouse door, loaded down with laptop, cellphone, and a grande triple-shot soy latte. American scones are much heavier and sweeter than their predecessors, with a cake-like texture and added ingredients for flavor. When I make scones, I like to combine the best of both. Biscuit-like and slightly sweet, but with the added flavor of the American variety. These homemade cherry walnut scones are definitely the perfect combo of both styles! Another pantry item you might want to consider keeping around for the spontaneous brunch is lemon curd. It’s not terribly hard to make, but not something I want to mess with on short notice. Personally, I could eat a jar of lemon curd with a spoon. But here I’ve served it with warm, flaky warm Walnut Cherry Scones. Incredible!
Looking for More Brunch Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:
Savory Breakfast Scones Cinnamon Drop Biscuits Banana Coconut Bread Orange Cranberry Bread Cheese Danish Recipe
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