Kasey Wilson: Who doesn’t love a great brunch?

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Lee Murphy’s recipes span the menu in The Preservatory: Seasonally Inspired Recipes for Creating and Cooking with Artisanal Preserves, but it’s clear that brunch has a special place in her heart.

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“Nothing beats a great lazy-day brunch, best eaten at approximately 10:45 a.m. in PJs with a full pot of really good coffee or perfectly prepared tea,” she writes.

Her favourite restaurant brunches, she adds, are served at the King’s Highway diner in Palm Springs, the Breslin in New York and Little Goat in Chicago.

“Each one had the brunch trifecta down to a tee: deliciously decadent comfort food, a cosy, laid-back atmosphere and impeccable yet casual service.”

Murphy and her husband, Patrick, are the proprietors of Vista D’oro Farms & Winery in Langley. Her artisanal preserves, made from fruit grown on the farm, are sold at specialty food shops including Gourmet Warehouse in Vancouver. You can, of course, use any favourite fruit preserves in her Carrot Cake Waffles and Brie and Preserve-Stuffed French Toast.

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Carrot Cake Waffles

Lee Murphy turns one of her favourite desserts into a brunch treat in this recipe adapted from The Preservatory: Seasonally Inspired Recipes for Creating and Cooking with Artisanal Preserves.

2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour

2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder

½ tsp (2 mL) salt

¼ cup (50 mL) sugar

1 to 2 tsp (5 to 10mL) ground cinnamon

½ whole nutmeg, grated or 1 tsp (5 mL) ground nutmeg

4 eggs, separated

1/2 cup butter (125 mL), melted and cooled

1 cup (250 mL) whole milk

1 cup (250 mL) grated carrots

½ cup (125 mL) orange preserves

¼ cup chopped (50 mL) walnuts

¼ cup (50 mL) raisins

¼ cup (50 mL) unsweetened shredded coconut

Maple syrup and whipped cream for serving

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon and grated nutmeg in a large mixing bowl, and whisk to mix well. In a second bowl, whisk the egg white until stiff peaks form. In a third bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, butter and milk.

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Blend the egg yolk mixture into the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the grated carrots, preserves, walnuts, raisins and coconut. Fold in the egg whites.

Cook the batter in a waffle maker following manufacturer’s instructions. Serve with warm maple syrup, whipped cream and extra preserves.

Serves 6

Brie and Preserve-Stuffed French Toast

This over-the-top French toast is full of drippy, gooey, cheesy goodness. Adapted from The Preservatory: Seasonally Inspired Recipes for Creating and Cooking with Artisanal Preserves by Lee Murphy.

4 eggs

½ cup (125 mL) whole milk

½ cup (125 mL) whipping cream

Pinch fresh-grated nutmeg

¼ cup (50 mL) sugar

Pinch of salt

1 unsliced loaf of brioche

6- to 8-ounce (175 to 250 g) round of brie, cut into ¼-inch thick slices

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½ cup (125 mL) apple or strawberry preserves

2 tbsp (25 mL) butter

Maple syrup to serve

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a pie plate or other large, shallow dish, beat together the eggs, milk, cream, nutmeg, sugar and salt until well-blended. Set aside.

Cut bread into 1-inch slices and cut a 4-inch slit along the top crust of each slice to form a pocket.

Place a slice of brie and a good smear of preserves into each pocket. Dip both sides of the filled bread slices into the egg mixture. Place them on one of the prepared pans and let them sit for about 5 minutes to fully absorb the liquid.

Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add a pat of butter to the hot pan and fry each slice of bread until golden on both sides. Place slices on the second pan and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until puffed and golden.

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Serve with warm maple syrup and extra preserves.

Serves 4

Onion and Cranberry Marmalade

I created these piquant preserves as an accompaniment to roasted meats and poultry. They’re also excellent served warm with terrines, cold meats or breaded oysters. They keep in the refrigerator for up to a month.

2 tbsp (25 mL) unsalted butter

2 tbsp (25 mL) olive oil

8 medium onions, thinly sliced (about 3 lbs)

1 tsp (5 mL) salt

Freshly ground pepper

½ cup (125 mL) sugar

1/3 cup (75 mL) red wine vinegar

¼ cup (50 mL) grenadine syrup

1 cup (250 mL) dry red wine

1 cup (250 mL) fresh cranberries

Melt butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, salt, pepper and sugar, and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add vinegar, grenadine, and wine and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. Add cranberries and continue to cook, uncovered, until reduced and jam-like in consistency, about 15 minutes. Store, covered, in the refrigerator.

Makes 3 cups

Kitchen Hack: Is it a Jam or a Preserve?

Here’s a glossary of fruit-based spreads:

• Preserves contain whole pieces or chunks of fruit.

• Conserves contain nuts and/or dried fruit.

• Jam is made from mashed, cooked fruit.

• Jelly is made from juice alone.

• Marmalade is a jelly that contains citrus rind or peel.