Mother’s Day is an idea we can get fully behind. It’s a nice way to acknowledge the moms and grandmothers who have held such sway in our lives and, if you’re a mother too, for your kids to take some time to appreciate you! We have special menus with every type of mom in mind—from those who want to enjoy the day outside to others who like knowing that their kids are taking care of the cooking. We like to dive right into the day with this casual spring brunch menu. Featuring a lemon curd-infused French toast, pineapple and grapefruit cocktails and homemade apple and sausage patties, this late morning meal is special enough for a celebration and (bonus!) can be made ahead (so you can all wake up late on mom’s special day!) Chocolate ganache filled macarons add a sweet finish to the meal and do double duty as a thoughtful gift when nicely packaged and presented with a card. And if your mother is too far away to come and sit at your table? A prescheduled zoom call or facetime connection is the modern solution. Cook from the same menu, seat your phone mom at the head of the table, and enjoy the meal together.
Lemon Curd French Toast with Strawberry Compote
This O-T-T French toast recipe features layers of brioche toast infused with homemade lemon curd. Although it may take a bit longer to prepare than average French toast, the extra effort results in an extraordinary dish (as well as a party favor for Mom if you double the curd recipe and set aside half in a pretty jar for her to take home). Plus, all can be made a day ahead and refrigerated; bring the French toast and compote to room temperature, then bake the toast and rewarm the compote just before serving. Also, don’t be shy about swapping ingredients for what you have on hand. English toasting white or any white bread can be used in place of the brioche and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract can be used instead of the vanilla bean.
Pineapple Greyhound Cocktail
Your mother may prefer a Mom-osa on her special day or even a cup of herbal tea, but if she’s the fruity drink kind of gal she will likely appreciate this Pineapple Greyhound Cocktail.
Apple Sausage Patties
When plain old pork sausage just won’t do, the simple addition of grated apple to bulk pork sausage is the antidote to artisanal breakfast meat. Get the kids in on the action by enlisting their help in grating the apple and shaping the patties before you cook.
Vanilla Meringues with Dark Chocolate Ganache
Hear the words “chocolate ganache” and you know these little sweets are going to be good. Sandwiched between featherlight vanilla meringues, everyone’s favorite filling gets star treatment. Make the cookies in advance and set aside some for mom to take home.
