I LOVE Easter. For many reasons... I have fond memories of family vacations in Biloxi. I remember waking up to the warm sunshine that sprung through the drapes of our condo or hotel room to find an Easter basket filled with goodies. I specifically remember how much I loved getting thin plastic headbands in every color of the rainbow.
I love seersucker suits and Easter bonnets. I have mentioned that I am a hat wearer. I wear them shamelessly. Thank goodness for Kate Middleton. I think the hat is making a royal comeback. But twice a year at the derby and at Easter mass, everyone has a chance to be a Kate Middleton and sport a gem of a hat.
I love the feeling of celebration that exists after 40 days of repentance and reflection and sacrifice. I always loved Stations of the Cross growing up. Every Friday our entire school would gather at St. Dominic Church and watch as students acted out the stations. I remember being little and having to kneel for what seemed like a lifetime (it was probably just an hour). If anyone complained, the nuns would remind us that Jesus died on a cross. We could certainly kneel without fussing. It puts our Lenten sacrifice into perpective I suppose.
And I love Easter brunch. I think brunch is my favorite meal. At brunch it's never too early to have a drink. Will it be a bloody Mary or a mimosa or a good ole fashioned brandy milk punch? The choices are endless as is the laughter at a good brunch. At a brunch you can start with dessert. You can have a banana's foster stuffed french toast or a Belgian waffle topped with whipped cream and strawberries. At brunch there are no rules. I like to believe that it was at a jazz brunch where someone first remarked, "Eat, drink, and be merry!"
This Easter Sunday, I will be having brunch at
Cookshop in NYC with my dear friends Jen and Tommy and my brother and sister-in-law Barn and Alissa. I have been dying to try Cookshop for some time, so I am anxiously awaiting our brunch. But if I was at home, I think I would be making Carrot Cake Pancakes with Cream Cheese Spread. It seems a fitting way to celebrate such a joyous day!
Ingredients
Pancakes:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Dash nutmeg
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup packed brown or granulated sugar
1 cup milk
2 cups finely grated carrots
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream cheese spread:
4 ounces cream cheese
1/4 powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 dash ground cinnamon
Directions
In a bowl, combine flour, pecans, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg.
In a separate bowl, combine egg, brown sugar, milk, carrots, and vanilla; mix well.
Stir carrot mixture into dry ingredients until moistened. Pour batter by 1/4 cupful onto a greased hot griddle. Turn when bubbles form on the top of pancake; flip and cook until golden brown.
For topping, blend cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Sprinkle with cinnamon, and serve with pancakes
EAT, DRINK, and BE MERRY!!
How will you be celebrating Easter?
