Santa’s Little Helper: Plan An Easy Holiday Brunch, No Pillsbury Required

Come Christmas morning or perhaps that last day of Hanukkah, there will be a lot going on.

Kids will be running around way earlier than they normally would, gift wrap will be everywhere, and before you know it all the presents are opened and everyone is famished. Perhaps you have been tinkering with recipes to serve on the big day between shopping with toddlers or tweens, but unless you’ve had a staff of 12 helping to put together your holiday, food preparations came sometimes be further down the list than presents.

So after you’ve stayed up all night wrapping alternatives to this season’s hottest toy, consider cutting some corners with your holiday breakfast. What I mean is prepare all necessities the evening before so you won’t have to do much more than reheat, fry, or pop in the oven come daylight.

Consider recipes like these pancakes, in which the batter can be prepared and refrigerated over night. Check with your cookbooks about dough for biscuits being kept cold for four to six hours prior to baking. Make brunch sweets like scones and cakes the night before so that you won’t have to keep your eye on the timer during the big unveiling of gifts.

And in case you have decided to go for something big come feasting time, recognize your limits and don’t feel that you have to pair your baked from scratch coffee cake with artisanal pork sausages. Stretching yourself too thin between screaming children and picking up wrapping paper bows can result in burned biscuits, dilapidated omelets, and cakes of questionable textures.

Plan ahead and go easy on yourself, ladies.

(photo: Shutterstock)