Hi Reader,

It's already 9:30 on a Monday morning, and you haven't checked your email.
​
That's the whole idea.
​
Labor Day is one of the few mornings a year that lets you ignore the clock without guilt. No conference calls. No school drop-off. The coffee is on its second pour, and you're still in whatever you slept in.
​
The kitchen can wait a little.
​
Pancakes are more interesting when you're on a second cup of coffee. A cinnamon bun tastes better when nobody at the table is hurrying you to finish it. Newspapers, or tablets, sit open next to the plates and get read a paragraph at a time between forkfuls.
​
The best conversations happen after everyone claims they're finished eating.
​
Cook something worth lingering over.

Brunch, Unhurried

• Choose one dish that carries the meal. A strata, coffee cake, or pan of morning buns lets you spend more time with your guests than with the timer.
• Always serve something fresh. Seasonal fruit, sliced tomatoes, or a simple salad balances the richer fare and reminds you it's still August.
• Coffee isn't an afterthought. Brew a full extra pot. The best brunches always include a second, and sometimes a third, cup.
• Mix sweet and savory. Pancakes and bacon-cheese scones. Crêpes and fruit. French toast alongside an egg dish. Everyone gets exactly what they're craving.
• Let the morning unfold, and don't rush the table. Choose a centerpiece from the brunch dishes waiting below, put the coffee on, and take the morning slow.

WHAT'S INSIDE...

• ​Best Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes​
• ​French Toast | Pain Perdu​
• ​Asparagus, Egg, & Cheese Strata​
• ​Morning Buns​
• ​Hungarian Coffee Cake​
• ​Bacon & Cheese Scones​
• ​Basic Crepes​
• ​Schnecken ~ Pecan Cinnamon Buns​

​Best Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes​

These light and fluffy buttermilk pancakes are easy to make and only require a handful of ingredients. What are you waiting for?

​☞ ​Try this recipe​

​French Toast | Pain Perdu​

This French toast is the real French deal. (Pain perdu translates to “lost bread,” referring to how this approach beautifully transforms day-old bread into something you’ll want time and again). It leisurely soaks stale bread in a sweet vanilla custard (no cinnamon allowed!) and then cooks it in butter until crisp on the outside and creamy inside.

​☞ ​Try this recipe​

​Asparagus, Egg, & Cheese Strata​

This asparagus, egg, and cheese strata, made with Fontina, asparagus, and prosciutto, can be put together ahead of time or last minute. A great breakfast or simple dinner.

​☞ ​Try this recipe​

​Morning Buns​

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.74 from 23 votes

These buns are (of course) inspired by the famous morning buns created at Tartine. On her only visit to San Francisco, Sarah Keiffer was able to try one of these perfect buns—orange and cinnamon and sugar and butter all wrapped up in a flaky dough. The orange and cinnamon scents that waft from the oven as they bake will fill your whole home with cheer.

​☞ ​Try this recipe​

​Hungarian Coffee Cake​

This Hungarian coffee cake, made with cinnamon sugar and a yeasted bread dough and a rich, buttery cinnamon streusel, is essentially a cross between bread and pastry and cake. What could be better?

​☞ ​Try this recipe​

​Bacon & Cheese Scones​

Bacon and cheese scones are buttery and flakey and made with flour, butter, baking powder, and all the usual pantry staples you have on hand for any biscuits. Perfect morning, noon, or night.

​☞ ​Try this recipe​

​Basic Crepes​

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.94 from 29 votes

These buttery basic crepes are easy to make with just milk, eggs, flour, salt, and butter, and can be served sweet or savory. And with this, you can forget what you've heard about crêpes being difficult or tricky.

​☞ ​Try this recipe​

​Schnecken ~ Pecan Cinnamon Buns​

These schnecken, or pecan cinnamon buns or sticky buns, are ooey and gooey with caramel and chopped pecans. They've been in my family for years and I still make them to this day.

​☞ ​Try this recipe​