Dear reader, the spooky tales I’ve heard from Miss Daphne Bridgerton’s Halloween Brunch are sure to mark it as the fête of the season…Yours truly, Lady Whistledown
I had my fifth annual Halloween brunch today, and it was so fun!
This year I used recipes from food bloggers I love rather than trying to create my own, but I included my trusty pumpkin pancake recipe as always!
I have been in my surgery rotation, which starts at 5 AM for 12-13 hour days 6 days a week (and then I work at Pure Barre half the day on my day off, so I have really only had half a whole day off each week), so I haven't had much time for recipe development. It was a fun chance to try some new recipes!
If you didn’t guess from my caption and picture, I was Daphne Bridgerton! I really loved the show and I had all the parts for the costume already, so it worked out great! I also spoke in a British accent for extra fun.
Keep reading to see what I made for the brunch!
I made “apple tomb-scones” using the apple scone recipe from Vegan Richa, and drizzled them with tahini.
For savory options, I made roasted "bloody" balsamic Brussels sprouts and a baked vegan pumpkin “mac-n-screams” using From My Bowl's baked mac and cheese recipe. I added mushrooms, rainbow carrots, and spinach to the mac and cheese. The mushrooms and rainbow carrots were from the frozen section at Trader Joe's so no chopping or seasoning needed!
Here's how to make the Brussels sprouts:
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Trim the ends off of the sprouts (I used two whole bags from Trader Joe's to make enough for a group) and slice them in half lengthwise, removing any outer leaves that come off.
Toss the sprouts in a bowl with 3-4 tbsp olive oil and 4-5 tbsp balsamic vinegar - it's not necessary to measure the exact amount, I just added a bit more vinegar than olive oil, as well as a dash of salt, pepper, and garlic.
Spread the sprouts on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, until they are crispy. I like to check on it halfway through and flip them so that both sides get crispy!
The next menu item is one of my classic Halloween brunch recipes: "paranormal” pumpkin pancakes! This year, I tried to make them in the shape of pumpkins as well, for extra festivity.
Here's how to make the pumpkin pancakes (the same recipe can also be used for waffles):
Ingredients (makes 10-15)
1 cup flour (I used whole wheat)
⅓ cup pumpkin purée
1 cup oat milk
1 tsp pumpkin spice
2 tsp baking powder
Dash of salt
1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax mixed with 3 tbsp water, and refrigerated for at least 5 minutes) *can sub regular egg if not vegan
1 tbsp vanilla extract
About 3 tbsp honey or maple syrup
Dash of cinnamon
Dash of turmeric (optional but makes the pancakes more orange)
Steps
1. Prepare your flax egg. While it is setting in the refrigerator, assemble the rest of your ingredients.
2. Mix all ingredients together.
3. Lightly oil a pan on the stovetop and set to medium heat, then spoon the batter into pumpkin shapes and cook for until the edges start to bubble and look solid (about 3-5 minutes). Flip to cook both sides.
4. Let cool and enjoy! I love to put peanut butter on these.
The last recipe on the menu is chocolate cinnamon “souls” using Make It Dairy Free's chocolate cinnamon roll recipe (they have so many great vegan cinnamon roll recipes with a variety of flavors!). I added a matcha glaze following the glaze in this recipe from Sweet Potato Soul, and some chocolate chips on top.
Lastly, we had a “pumpkin spice potion” to drink, which I sadly forgot to take a photo of. I based it off of Jessica in the Kitchen's pumpkin spice golden milk recipe that I love, and just added some pumpkin purée!
Happy Halloween, and I hope you get to enjoy some festive brunch recipes as part of your celebration!