New Year’s Brunch: Savor The Season ​With One Last Celebr​atory Meal From Edib​leFeast

The New Year is a time for fresh starts, and what better way to ring in 2014 than a with seasonal, celebratory and flavorful brunch. EdibleFeast.com has a variety of fresh ideas to lift you from your holiday hangover and start the year off right.

New Year’s coverage is often packed with what cocktails to serve at midnight, but what about the morning after? See below for a variety of delicious options for feeding friends and family, and gathering around for one more special meal before the holiday season fades and everyone heads back to their daily routine. Hope you will consider inclusion of these recipes from the editors of EdibleFeast.com in any New Year’s Day coverage you are working on.

Bourbon, Stout and Sweet Potato Waffles with Ham and Maple Sauce
Credit: EdibleFeast.com Via The Great Meat Cookbook by Bruce Aidells with Anne-Marie Ramo.
Ingredients for Waffles:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt Pinch each freshly grated nutmeg, ground cardamom and ground ginger
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup Guinness or other stout or dark beer
• 2 tablespoons bourbon
• 1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Ingredients for Ham and Maple Sauce

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups 1⁄2 -inch-diced leftover ham
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup Ham Stock
• 1 cup real maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Chopped fresh chives, as garnish

Ingredients for Ham Stock

• 1 meaty ham bone or 2–3 ham hocks (about 2 pounds total)
• 1 onion, unpeeled, studded with 2 cloves
• 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into 3 pieces
• 2 celery stalks, each broken into 3 or 4 pieces
• 1 fresh thyme sprig
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns

Instructions
TO PREPARE THE WAFFLES

1. Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and spices in a large bowl.
2. In another bowl, stir together the egg yolks, milk, stout, bourbon, sweet potatoes and butter.
3. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, stirring until just combined.
4. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks.
5. Gently fold them into the batter (it’s OK if a few streaks of egg white remain).
6. Hold until you are ready to bake and serve.

TO PREPARE THE HAM AND MAPLE SAUCE

1. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add the ham and cook, stirring, until it begins to brown, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Stir in the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the cream, leftover sauce, maple syrup and mustard.
5. Simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, 5 to 8 minutes.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Keep warm.

TO SERVE

1. Bake the waffles as directed by the waffle iron manufacturer.
2. Top the waffles with the ham sauce, garnish with the chives and serve.

*Cook’s Notes:

• Alternative Cuts: Chopped ham steak; diced smoked pork chops or smoked pork loin (Canadian bacon); or slab bacon, cut into small chunks (pour off the grease before adding the cream). Cooking times may vary.
• If you don’t have stout or other dark beer, use light beer or even water.
• Maple syrup can be pricey, but the lower-grade, and often lower-priced, maple syrups are fuller in flavor. Feel free to go for the budget-friendly Grade B maple syrup for this recipe; its deeper flavor is a perfect match for the smoky ham.

TO PREPARE THE HAM STOCK
Yield: About 2 quarts
This stock provides a hearty underpinning for soup.

• Throw the ham bone or hocks into a soup pot and add everything else.
• Cover with cold water.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 21⁄2 to 3 hours, or until the broth has a nice hammy flavor or the ham hocks are tender.
• Strain and reserve any bits of ham or ham hock meat.
• Refrigerate the meat and stock separately and remove any congealed fat before using.

Flour Craft’s Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Pecan Bread
Credit: EdibleFeast.com via Flour Craft Bakery
Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup sugar, divided
• 1 orange, juice (approximately 1/4 cup) and zest
• 2 tablespoons water
• 5 tablespoons butter, cubed
• 1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup millet flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Coat one 9by 3by 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.
3. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the orange zest, orange juice, 1⁄4 cup sugar, water and butter.
4. Cook until the butter melts and the sugar is dissolved.
5. Set aside to cool.
6. In a small bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together, including the remaining 1⁄4 cup of sugar. Set aside.
7. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, milk and reserved orange mixture, until smooth.
8. Add the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Stir in the dried cranberries and the pecans.
9. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake approximately 45 minutes or until a knife or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes then un-mold onto rack to cool completely before serving.

Raspberry Huckleberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
Credit: EdibleFeast.com via Stacy Kucy of Stacy Cakes
Ingredients for Cake

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups sour cream
• 8 ounces butter
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 cups flour

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Filling

• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 3 eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch

Ingredients for Crumb Topping

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 ounces butter, chilled
• 1/2 cup raspberries
• 1/2 cup huckleberries

Instructions

1. Preheat Oven to 350°F.
2. To make cake:
3. Butter and flour two 8 inch cake pans and line with parchment.
4. In a small bowl, whisk eggs and sour cream together.
5. Set aside.
6. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, baking powder and salt on low speed until softened, about 2 to 3 minutes, Add the sugar and increase speed to medium for 3 to 4 minutes until batter is light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
7. Reduce speed to low and in three additions alternate adding the dry ingredients and wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
8. Transfer batter to prepared baking pans.
9. Spread the mixture evenly in both pans.

For cream cheese filling:

1. In the bowl of the electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently.
2. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated after each addition. Add the sugar and cornstarch and mix until ingredients are combined, about 1 minute.
3. Divide the cream cheese filling between the two cake pans spreading filling with the back of a spoon evenly over cake batter.
4. Sprinkle the raspberries and huckleberries over the cream cheese filling.

For crumb topping:

1. Combine the flour and sugar in a bowl.
2. Cut the butter into 1/4 inch pieces and drop them into the bowl of dry ingredients.
3. Using your fingers, work the butter into the flour until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. Sprinkle the crumb evenly over berries between the two pans.
4. Bake cakes until set, about 45 minutes to an hour.
5. Let cakes cool completely before unmolding.

Oaxacan Hot Chocolate—With a Kick
Credit: EdibleFeast.com via Copita Tequileria y Comida
Ingredients

• 4 cups half and half
• 1 tablespoon coffee beans, coarsely cracked
• 4 pieces orange peel (each 2 inches long), removed with a vegetable peeler, no pith
• 6 ounces excellent-quality 80% chocolate, chopped
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon chile de arbol
• 1/4 teaspoon clove
• 1/4 teaspoon ancho chile
• 1 tablespoon piloncillo
• 3/4 cup Mexican hot chocolate mix
• 1/4 cup añejo tequila

Instructions

1. Place all of the ingredients except the tequila in a saucepan and heat until the chocolate is melted and it bubbles around the edges.
2. Watch closely and do not allow this to boil.
3. Turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
4. Return the pan to the burner and heat again until bubbles form around the edges.
5. Strain and discard the orange peel and coffee beans.
6. Add the tequila.
7. Keep warm and serve immediately.

Since its creation by Ryder and Topalian in 2002, Edible Communities has grown to be the widely respected leader in the local food space, distributing an average of 1.4 million copies per issue in 80 local communities across the country. Through its distinctive licensing business model, individual entrepreneurs in discreet geographic areas lead the creation of hyper-local content celebrating the local food culture, season by season, community by community. With engaging writing, design, and photography, the brand was honored in 2011 with a James Beard Award for Publication of the Year.

Recognizing the growth potential for this unique foundation, Edible Media was created to take the brand to the next level. Thorkilsen, the creator and founding executive of both Martha Stewart Living and This Old House Ventures, the first brands in the industry to build successful multi-media platforms, led a major industry paradigm shift toward creating multiple distribution vehicles under individual brand umbrellas to deliver high quality content and products, and a compelling reach to advertisers. Utilizing this approach, Thorkilsen and team will bring the spirit of Edible Communities and its print publications to a larger potential consumer base through multi-platform exposure via a new national website, television series and more.

Edible Media’s robust new slate of media offerings is anchored by the launch of EdibleFeast.com, an online destination that will showcase Edible Communities’ award-winning content to engage a national audience in a way that hasn’t been previously available. The site will offer recipes, tips & techniques, stunning photography, unique features like “Edible Traditions” and “Farmer’s Diary.” In addition, EdibleFeast.com will feature culinary content from foodie favorites like Taunton’s Fine Cooking, Food52, Local Harvest, The Perennial Plate, Punk Domestics, Sixburnersue, Nourished Kitchen, Diary of a Locavore, Hand Picked Nation and Fairfield Green Food Guide. The company will also introduce a new, 13-episode iteration of a PBS favorite entitled, “Victory Garden Presents: edibleFEAST” (check local listings). Produced in association with WGBH, Boston, who also handles distribution for the series, the program brings a new point of view to the sustainable movement and will feature all-new segments as well as content from the original Victory Garden franchise.