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On Christmas morning, I love to prepare a big breakfast with foods that we don’t eat often because they are rich and fattening. This is one morning that we splurge on calories without a care. I make as many things in advance as I can so I don’t have to work too hard on Christmas morning. Wow your family this year with your own celebratory breakfast.

You can whip up muffins and freeze them now, then set them out on Christmas Eve to thaw. The following recipe works well for freezing. Ice them with canned whip cream and give them a dusting of nutmeg right before serving if you like. The crystalized ginger makes them extra special.

Pumpkin Ginger Muffins

INGREDIENTS:
*2 cups flour
*1 3.4 oz. package instant butterscotch pudding mix
*2 tsp. baking soda
*1/4 tsp. salt
*1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
*1/2 tsp. ground ginger
*1/2 tsp. allspice
*1/4 tsp. cloves
*1/3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
*1 cup butter, softened
*1 cup white sugar
*1 cup packed brown sugar
*4 eggs
*1 tsp. vanilla
*1 15 oz. can pumpkin

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin pan or line with muffin paper liners. Stir together in a large bowl, flour, pudding mix, baking soda, spices and crystallized ginger. Set aside. Beat butter and sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well. Beat in vanilla and pumpkin. Stir in the flour mixture until just blended. Pour into prepared pans. Bake until golden and tops spring back when pressed, about 20 minutes. Cool completely. Top with whip cream if desired. Makes 24 muffins.

We love bacon but don’t eat it often because it is so messy to cook and completely unhealthy. However, we will be having Brown Sugar Glazed Bacon on Christmas morning, a heavenly treat if ever there was one. You can prepare this Christmas Eve in about 15 minutes then pop it in the oven in the morning. There are many versions of this recipe, some calling for Dijon mustard or spices. This is my favorite.

Brown Sugar Glazed Bacon

INGREDIENTS:
*1 lb. thick cut bacon, preferably Petit Jean
*1/3 cup packed brown sugar

DIRECTIONS: Heat oven to 400. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with heavy foil. Place a rack on the sheet. Arrange bacon in a single layer and spread as evenly as possible with brown sugar. Bake until crisp and a glaze forms, about 15 to 18 minutes. DO watch bacon carefully so it doesn’t burn!

Don’t overlook scrambled eggs; they can be an art form, not just tasteless lumps. First, whip the eggs just enough to become evenly colored. Over-beat or under-beat them and you’ll have lumps, not fluffy eggs. Cook them over low heat so they will be creamy. As the eggs begin to set, draw a spatula from the edge of the pan towards the center. This creates soft lumps with a custard like texture. Just before the eggs are cooked, add a bit of cream to stop the cooking and give them a wonderful taste and texture. Sprinkle with a bit of cheese if you like.

Finally, add a bowl of fresh fruit for a bit of color. You will have a lovely breakfast that won’t require too much work but will satisfy everyone.

Merry Christmas,
Lisa