Eggs, pancakes and waffles: 10 of the best brunch recipes 

Ease into the weekend with these fabulous brunch ideas

Make your mum feel special with a delicious Mother's Day brunch. 

Mary Jo's waffles

recipe by:Darina Allen

Mary Jo McMillan worked with us at the Cookery School on several occasions and she was a passionate and perceptive cook. This is her recipe for waffles which I enjoy much more than mine

Servings

6

Cooking Time

 20 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 175g plain flour

• 15g sugar

• a pinch of salt

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 50g butter, melted

• 350g milk, slightly warmed

• 2 eggs, free-range and organic if possible, separated

Method

1. Preheat waffle iron. Sieve all the dry ingredients into a deep bowl. Make a well in the centre. Mix the warm milk, melted butter and whisk in the egg yolks.

2. Pour the milk and egg yolk mixture into the well in the dry ingredients. Stir together to form a batter. Whip the eggs whites stifly and gently fold into the batter. Heat the waffle iron. Pour a 75g (scant ½ cup) ladle of batter onto the iron. Allow to cook for 3-4 minutes until crisp and golden on the outside.

3. Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve hot in a variety of ways both sweet and savoury.

Cinnamon buns

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

These spiced, delicate rolls are perfect for dipping in coffee or hot chocolate. You can make them the night before and refrigerate them overnight in a well-sealed tin, just make sure to bring them to room temperature before baking.

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 2 hours 0 mins

Cooking Time

 25 mins

Total Time

 2 hours 25 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• For the dough:

• 200ml milk, warmed

• 100g butter, melted

• 150g plain flour

• 100g wholemeal flour

• 250g strong white flour

• 1½ tsp fast acting yeast

• 4 tsp golden caster sugar

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

• dash of sunflower oil

• For the filling:

• 75g butter

• 30g golden caster sugar

• 30g muscovado sugar

• 100g pecan nuts, finely chopped

• For the glaze:

• 60g icing sugar

• 1 tbsp cream cheese, softened

• ½ tbsp butter, softened

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Stir the melted butter into the warm milk and set aside.

2. Stir the flours, yeast and caster sugar together until combined. Make a well in the centre and add in the eggs and milk mixture. Bring the dry ingredients into the well and stir everything until combined and a sticky dough has formed.

3. Lightly oil a clean surface. Tip your dough onto the oiled surface and knead until the dough becomes less sticky and smooth.

4. Place into an oiled bowl and cover the top. Keep in a warm place for about an hour until it doubles in size.

5. While your dough is rising you can make the filling by mixing all of the ingredients together. Grease a baking tin or dish with deep sides.

6. Knock back or roughly knead the dough to take out the largest of the bubbles and then gently shape it into a flat rectangle. Spread the filling on top. With the longest edge closest to you, roll the dough into a cylinder. Cut cylinder into about 12 even slices.

7. Fit the slices into the greased tin and cover with a damp tea towel. Set aside to allow them to rise again for about half an hour. Preheat your oven to 200°C.

8. Bake for about 25 minutes until the buns have risen and are golden on top.

9. Beat together the ingredients for the glaze and spread over the buns while still warm.

Avocado toast

Creamy, delicious and super satisfying, top with crumbled feta cheese for a salty kick

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Total Time

 5 mins

Course

 Side

Ingredients

• 2 slices sourdough bread

• 1 clove garlic

• 1 avocado

• Juice of ½ lime

• Salt 

• Chilli flakes

Method

1. Toast your sourdough and slice the garlic in half. When the toast is still hot, rub the cut side of the garlic clove across the surface of the toast. 

2. With a fork, mash one half of the avocado onto each slice of toast. Spritz with lime juice, salt and chilli flakes and serve. 
   Note: For extra deliciousness, top with an egg, goat's cheese or crumbled feta and hot sauce. 

Mascarpone and lemon pancakes with blueberry compote

recipe by:Colm O'Gorman

The key to making light and fluffy buttermilk pancakes is to fold well-whisked egg whites into the batter just before you make your pancakes

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 350g plain flour

• 2 tsp caster sugar

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp grated nutmeg

• 4 eggs

• 375ml buttermilk

• 1tsp vanilla extract

• 2 lemons

• 250g mascarpone cheese

• A little butter to cook the pancakes

• 250g fresh blueberries

• 50g caster sugar

• To serve:

• Crème fraiche

• Maple syrup

• Some toasted flaked almonds

Method

1. Combine the flour, two teaspoons of caster sugar, baking powder and grated nutmeg in a large mixing bowl. Separate the eggs. Lightly beat the egg yolks and add the buttermilk, mascarpone, vanilla, and the zest of both lemons. Whisk to combine everything well. You can do this by hand. Do not use an electric whisk or mixer as you just want to combine everything, not whip it.

2. In a separate bowl, this time using an electric whisk or food mixer, whisk the egg whites until they are fluffy and form stiff peaks. Now combine the dry ingredients and your buttermilk mixture. Stir it well to ensure you remove any lumps and have a smooth batter. 

3. Time now to fold in your egg whites. This is how you will incorporate all the air in the egg whites into the batter and make it really light and airy. Use a flexible spatula with a wide base to add one-third of your whisked egg whites to the batter, just place it in on top of the batter. Do this in a big mixing bowl, you need a bit of room to do it properly. Get the spatula in under the batter and scoop some up, folding it in over the egg whites. Repeat this until the egg whites are well combined, using slow folding motions. Take your time and do not stir the batter or you will knock the air out of the egg whites. Once the first third of egg white is folded in, repeat twice more with the second and final third. A little patience is required, but this will only take five minutes or so overall and doing it properly makes the world of difference.

4. Now, to make the blueberry compote. Wash the blueberries and pop most of them into a small saucepan. Keep about fifty grams of them to one side for now. Add the sugar and the juice of one of the lemons to the pan. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let that cook for about ten minutes until the blueberries break down a little and you begin to get a nice syrupy texture. I like to keep some shape to the fruit for this compote, so do not over stir it or crush the berries while it is cooking. After about ten to twelve minutes, take it off the heat and add in the remaining blueberries. Just stir them in gently to coat the fresh berries and set the compote aside off the heat.

5. Toast some flaked almonds in a dry pan until they are lightly browned a few handfuls are plenty. When they are ready, just set them aside in a bowl until you are ready to serve. Add a few tablespoons of maple syrup to the crème fraiche and set that aside now too.

6. Warm a heavy-based frying pan over a high heat, throw on a knob of butter and let it melt until the butter foams. Turn the heat down to medium and spoon on some pancake batter. You want each pancake to be about eight to ten centimetres in diameter. I usually cook them in batches of three as that is a perfect portion for one, but that will depend upon the size of your frying pan.

7. As soon as you see the surface of the pancake bubble, flip them over. The underneath should be toasted and golden. Cook the other side for about three minutes. If you can’t wait to try them, taste one of the first batch - you can say you are just checking to make sure it’s fully cooked! 

8. Serve a stack of three pancakes per person, with a dollop of maple crème fraiche on top, lots of the warm blueberry compote and finish the dish off with some toasted flaked almonds.

Shakshuka

recipe by:Colm O'Gorman

This is my favourite one-pot brunch recipe, perfect for lazy weekend breakfasts

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 35 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• A good splash of olive oil

• 1 medium white onion,

• 2-3 bell peppers

• 1 aubergine

• 6 garlic cloves

• 2 tsp sweet paprika

• ½ tsp cumin seeds

• 2 tins of chopped tomatoes

• 3 tsp sugar

• Juice of half a lemon

• 8 eggs

• A small bunch of coriander or parsley

Method

1. Peel and thinly slice the onion, chop the peppers and the aubergine into about three centimetre chunks. Heat the oil in a large lidded heavy frying pan over a medium heat and add the onion. Cook until soft and a little golden, then add the peppers and the aubergine. Fry until the vegetables are soft, then add the chopped or grated garlic and the spices. Stir everything together and cook for about two to three minutes.

2. Now pour in the chopped tomatoes and bring the pan to a soft, bubbly boil. Add in the sugar, turn down the heat to low and simmer for about twenty-five to thirty minutes. Add the lemon juice and stir that in well. Now taste the dish, and season with some flaky sea salt, you can also add a little cayenne pepper if you want to spice it up a little more.

3. Use a serving spoon or a ladle to make eight hollows in the sauce. Crack an egg into each hollow. Cover the pan and turn the heat down as low as possible. Cook for another five to six minutes, until the eggs are perfectly poached, you want the eggs to be just set but the yolks should be nice and runny. Sprinkle over some roughly chopped coriander or parsley, and if you fancy it some crumbled feta cheese is a delicious topping for Shakshuka.

4. Serve this with some fresh baked crusty bread or flatbreads and lots of creamy Greek yoghurt, some hummus would also be lovely on the side. My parsley flatbreads are perfect for scooping up the sauce and dipping in runny egg yolks. 

Sausage and egg muffins

No need to head to the drive-thru for this breakfast sandwich

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 2 hours 0 mins

Total Time

 2 hours 10 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 American

Ingredients

• 200g plain flour

• ½ sachet fast action yeast (4g)

• 140g milk

• 25g melted butter

• 10g caster sugar

• 3g salt

• 100g pork mince

• 50g sausage meat (removed from your favourite brand of pork sausage)

• 5g salt

• 1tsp dried rosemary

• 4 eggs

• 4 slices cheese

Method

1. Warm the milk to above hand temperature and add the dried yeast, then allow it to sit for one minute.

2. Mix the flour, sugar, salt and melted butter, then add the milk and yeast. Knead for five minutes, until a soft, sticky dough is achieved. Transfer to a greased bowl and leave in a warm place to double in size. This should take about 45 minutes.

3. Once doubled in size, turn out onto a floured bench and roll approximately. 1.5 inches thick. Use a cutter to cut into circles and place them onto a tray dusted in flour or polenta. Cover with a cloth and allow to double in size again (another 45 minutes approximately.

4. Preheat your oven to 160°C. Heat a non-stick pan over a low heat, and cook the muffins for 4 minutes on each side, with a lid on. Remove and reserve.

5. To make the patty, mix the pork mince, sausage meat (squeezed from its casing), salt and dried rosemary. Shape into thin pattys approximately two centimetres thick. Cook in a hot pan till crisp on both sides.

6. Cook the eggs in a ring cutter to retain their shape, if you have one, and once the egg white is set, flip and cook for 1 more minute on the other side.

7. Slice the muffins in two and toast them, then assemble with the pattys, cheese and egg. Serve immediately.

Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise sauce

recipe by:Darina Allen

This recipe is a combination of two, ‘forgotten skills’: poaching eggs and making Hollandaise sauce, creating the perfect lazy breakfast

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 3 mins

Total Time

 18 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 4 eggs

• 4 slices good sourdough bread or 2 English muffins or 2 bagels

• butter

• 4 slices home-cooked ham or 8 rashers good bacon, cooked

• For the Hollandaise sauce:

• 2 egg yolks

• 125g butter, diced

• 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Method

1. First, make the Hollandaise sauce and keep it warm. Put the egg yolks in a heavy, stainless-steel saucepan on a low heat or in a bowl over hot water. Add 2 teaspoons of water and whisk thoroughly. Add the butter bit by bit, whisking all the time. As soon as one piece melts, add the next piece.

2. The mixture will gradually thicken, but if it shows signs of becoming too thick or slightly scrambling, remove from the heat immediately and add a little cold water to cool it quickly. Do not leave the pan or stop whisking until the sauce is made.

3. Finally add the lemon juice to taste.

4. If the sauce is slow to thicken it may be because you are excessively cautious and the heat is too low. Increase the heat slightly and continue to whisk until the sauce thickens to coating consistency. It is important to remember that if you are making Hollandaise sauce in a saucepan directly over the heat, it should be possible to put your hand on the side of the saucepan at any stage. If the saucepan feels too hot for your hand, then it is also too hot for the sauce.

5. Another good tip if you are making Hollandaise sauce for the first time is to keep a bowl of cold water close by so you can plunge the base of the saucepan into it if becomes too hot.

6. Next poach the eggs. Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. Reduce the heat, swirl the water, crack the egg into a tiny bowl and slip the egg gently into the whirlpool in the centre, with the water temperature bubbling gently at just below boiling point. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the white is set and the yolk is still soft and runny.

7. Meanwhile, toast or chargrill the bread, muffins or bagels. Slather a little butter on the hot bread and lay a slice of ham or freshly cooked crispy bacon on the base.

8. Lift out the poached egg or eggs on a perforated spoon; drain and place on top of the toast.

9. Coat generously with the Hollandaise sauce and serve immediately.

Ricotta pancake stack with blueberries

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Enjoy these fluffy, melt in your mouth pancakes for a lazy weekend brunch with bluberries and a drizzle of honey

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 5 mins

Total Time

 15 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 1 egg, separated

• 200ml milk

• zest of 2 oranges

• zest of 1 lemon

• 1 tsp vanilla essence

• 200g plain flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• pinch of fine sea salt

• 220g Ricotta

• rapeseed or sunflower oil, for frying

• 2 large handfuls of blueberries

• honey, for drizzling

Method

1. Mix the egg yolk, milk, zest and vanilla. Whisk the egg white until stiff.

2. Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt together and make a well in the centre.

3. Add the egg yolk mixture until combined. Beat in the Ricotta. Fold in the egg white.

4. Heat the oil to hot in a heavy based frying pan. Spoon the batter into the pan and fry until golden underneath then flip the pancake around. Store between two heated plates in a very low oven until all the batter is used up.

5. Coat the pan with a thin layer of oil when required.

6. Serve with some more ricotta or natural yoghurt, blueberries and a drizzle of honey.

Breakfast burrito

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

This breakfast burrito is one of my favourite brunch recipes

Servings

3

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Mexican

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• ½ an onion, finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1 tin of mixed beans

• 1 tbsp butter

• 5 eggs, beaten

• 3 tortilla wraps

• 3 tsp spicy tomato salsa

• 75g cheddar, grated

Method

1. Preheat the grill to medium. Heat the olive oil in a medium pan over a medium heat.

2. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, until softened.

3. Stir in the beans, reduce the heat and leave to simmer while you scramble the eggs.

4. Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan and pour in the eggs. Cook on a low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently until the eggs are scrambled but still nice and moist.

5. Remove from the heat. Spoon half of the bean mixture into the middle of each tortilla wrap. Follow with equal amounts of the scrambled eggs, salsa and Cheddar.

6. Fold the sides of the wraps over the filling, then roll the wraps up from the bottom to top to enclose the filling completely. Place the wraps folded-side down on a baking tray.

7. Place under the grill and cook for 2-3 minutes, until lightly toasted.

Indian ‘French toast’

recipe by:Darina Allen

Packed with flavour and moreish in the extreme, once you taste this savoury spiced version of eggy bread you'll make it again and again

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Indian

Ingredients

• 4 thickish slices of good white bread

• 3-4 eggs

• 1 green chilli chopped

• 4 tbsp freshly chopped coriander

• 1 small onion, chopped

• salt

• pepper

Method

1. First lightly toast the bread.

2. Whisk the eggs in a flattish dish, add salt, finely chopped onion, green chilli and coriander.

3. Dip one slice of bread into the egg, turn it over to make sure it is saturated on both sides.

4. Slap it onto a hot pan with a little sizzling oil. Cook until crispy on both sides.

5. Cut in quarters, sprinkle with rock salt and serve.