The nip in the air is the perfect nudge to organise brunch parties at home for friends, colleagues and family. There’s something magical about a pre-holiday brunch. It’s relaxed, sunlit, cheerful and a perfect way to gather friends before the year-end chaos truly begins. Unlike lunch and dinners, brunch parties are lighter, need lesser preparation and more conversational, especially the Sunday ones. Hosting one at home is easier than you think - and much more intimate than a restaurant meet-up.
Here’s our take on how to host the perfect pre-holiday brunch that leaves both your tummy and your heart full.
New brunch menu: Fresh fun and filling Brunch is no longer about your staple food or sandwiches. Today’s Sunday brunches are experimental global comforting and yet delightfully unexpected. The menu is more of finger foods easy to make easy to devour and combines breads desserts and drinks.
Korean Cream Cheese Garlic Buns Soft indulgent bakery-style buns stuffed with sweet or savoury cream cheese dunked in parsley and drenched in garlic butter before being baked. They look gourmet but are surprisingly easy to make with store-bought buns too.
Smashed Potato Cups Boiled potatoes are smashed shaped as cups and oven-roasted till crisp. The filling can be as imaginative as curried peas or mushroom spinach and sun-dried tomatoes topped with herbed sour cream and spring onions. Ideal as starters and kids would love them too.
Pesto and Burrata Crostini A simple yet elegant Italian appetiser made by topping crisp oven-toasted baguette slices with fragrant basil pesto creamy torn burrata and (optional) roasted cherry tomatoes. Finished with a drizzle of olive oil a touch of seasoning and fresh basil it delivers a perfect mix of crunch creaminess and bright Mediterranean flavour.
Rose Coconut Panna Cotta A silky chilled classic Italian dessert made by simmering coconut milk with a touch of cream softening it with gelatin (agar) and flavouring it delicately with rose syrup or essence. Once set it becomes a fragrant floral panna cotta with a gentle coconut sweetness - refreshing pretty and effortlessly elegant. Add a dash of rose petals to decorate.
Mixed Millet Masala Khichdi A hearty nutritious one-pot meal made with a blend of millets (foxtail little and barnyard) moong dal mixed vegetables - peas carrots broccoli and whole Indian spices. Tempered with ghee cumin ginger and green chillies this khichdi is light yet filling aromatic and packed with fibre - perfect for a wholesome brunch bow