On this Mother’s Day, make it a breakfast to remember for mom and others by preparing one of these southern-style recipes from chefs around the region.

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

Courtesy of Chef David Guas, Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery in Arlington, Va.



Yields: 10 biscuits (2 1/2 inch) biscuits

Ingredients

2 1/4 c.  White Lily flour (not the self-rising)

2 T   baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, plus 2 tablespoons, melted

1 c. buttermilk

Procedure

Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Place 2 cups of the flour, the baking powder, and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the cold butter pieces and process for ten 1-second pulses (there shouldn’t be any pieces of butter bigger than a small pea). Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and begin adding 3/4 cup of the buttermilk, incorporating it into the dry ingredients by moving your hand around in circles. Stop adding buttermilk when a dough just barely forms.

Dust your work surface with the remaining 1/4 cup of flour and place the dough on top. Roll the dough to a 1-inch thickness. Using a round biscuit cutter 2 1/2 inches in diameter, punch out as many biscuits as you can and place them on the parchment paper. Gently bring the dough scraps together into a block and press to a 1-inch thickness. Punch out a few more biscuits, place them on the baking sheet, and discard any remaining scraps.

Brush the tops of the biscuits with the remaining buttermilk and bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush with the melted butter. Place regular cream cheese in a shallow dish or on a small wood block. Spoon the pepper jelly over the top and serve with the warm biscuits.

Sweet Potato Pancakes

courtesy of Richard Arizmendez, Banquet Chef, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort , Florida

Ingredients

2 medium sweet potatoes           1 c. coconut milk

1 c. milk                                     2 cloves garlic

3 eggs                                        ½ c. red bell peppers

½ c. chopped onion                  1 c. all-purpose flour

1 tbs. Baking Powder               4 oz. butter

¼ c. chopped parsley                salt & pepper to taste

1 c. Manchego cheese

Procedure

Dice the potato and place in a pot with the coconut milk, garlic and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and cook till tender. Strain and puree the potatoes.

Sauté the onion and peppers until lightly caramelized. Mix the remainder of the ingredients together with the potatoes and onion mixture to make a batter.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray.

Pour about ¼ cup of batter into the hot skillet, about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake.

Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles appear on the sides and center of each pancake. Flip and cook until golden, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Rice Pudding

courtesy of Brett Gauthier, Executive Pastry Chef, Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group, New Orleans



Yields: 14 servings

Ingredients

3/4 c. Louisiana jasmine rice

3/4 c. sugar

1 1/2 each cinnamon stick

1 each vanilla bean

3 3/4 c. milk

3 3/4 c. water

3 each egg yolks

1/2 tbs. salt

Procedure

In a heavy bottom pot place all ingredients except egg yolks. Cook rice over medium low heat for approximately 1 hour 15 minutes. Stir frequently to avoid burning. If Rice Pudding appears dry more milk should be added.

When rice is fully cooked with a creamy consistency, take pot off heat and stir in tempered egg yolks.

Remove vanilla and cinnamon. Cool Rice Pudding for 3 hours before serving.

Note: At Red Fish Grill, Rice Pudding is served with Red Bean Ice Cream and Honey Butter Glazed Cornbread.

Cinnamon Pecan Waffles

Courtesy of Chef Yann Chupin, Executive Chef, The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds

Plantation, Greensboro, Ga.



Serves Two

Ingredients for the Waffle Batter

2 c. all-purpose flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. brown sugar

1 egg

1 ½ c. milk

3 T melted butter

Preheat waffle maker. In a large bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Add in remaining wet

ingredients and stir to combine. Do not over mix the batter.

Ingredients for the Pecans

1 c. shelled raw pecans

1/3 c. maple syrup

¼ c. brown sugar

1 T melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss all ingredients together and spread evenly on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes then remove and let cool down before removing with a spatula.

Ingredients for the Cinnamon Sugar Glaze

4 oz. butter

8 oz. brown sugar

1 T cinnamon

½ tsp. kosher salt

2-4 oz. warm water

Ingredients for the Vanilla Glaze

6 oz. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 drop orange oil or a pinch of zest

6 oz. whole milk (cold)

In a sauté pan over medium heat, brown butter, add sugar, cinnamon and salt, remove from heat.

Whisk in warm water until butter emulsifies, do not melt sugar. Keep at room temperature

In a bowl, combine sugar, vanilla and orange oil (or zest) then whisk in the milk until desired thickness (add more for thinner glaze or less for thicker glaze). Note: glaze will set and become thicker over time even at room temp.

Procedure

Cook waffles in a waffle maker and stack them on a serving dish. Ladle the cinnamon sugar glaze over the waffles (a pastry bag or squeeze bottle will also work). Garnish with the pecans then ladle the vanilla glaze generously over the pecans. Maple syrup and butter is optional, and certainly not needed, for these decadent waffles.

Meyer Lemon Ricotta Pancakes


Courtesy of Executive Chef Chris Jakubiec, The Jefferson, Washington, D.C.

Serves Four



Ingredients Lemon Zest Syrup

3 each Meyer Lemon zest, white removed and julienned

1 1/2 c. Water

1/2 c.  Granulated sugar

Procedure

Place the zest in cold water in saucepan. Bring to a boil, strain, return to the pan with cold water to cover and repeat the process. Repeat this process three times in total. Bring the water and sugar to the boil to make a simple syrup. Add the zest to the syrup and cook for 25-30 minutes or until tender. Cool the zest in the syrup and reserve.

Ingredients for Pancakes

2 c. all-purpose flour

2 T granulated sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 T baking soda

1 dash salt

2 c. buttermilk

2 each eggs

6 tsp .  melted butter

Ingredients for Ricotta Filling

To taste Vanilla extract

1 c. Ricotta, strained

Procedure

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a whisk or large fork, mix in the buttermilk and egg until well combined and smooth. Stir in the melted butter.

Heat non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Using a 1/4 cup measure, pour pancake batter onto hot griddle. When pancake is golden brown, flip to cook other side. Keep warm in oven heated to 275 degrees.

Pain Perdu “Lost Bread” with Pecan Bananas Foster Sauce

Courtesy of Executive Chef, Brant Tesky – Acadiana, Washington, D.C.



Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients for the Pain Perdu

1 loaf French bread, stale (the harder the better)

4 whole eggs, large

1 c. cream

1 c. milk

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 T powdered sugar

Procedure

Whisk the eggs, ground cinnamon and vanilla extract together in a mixer and then add the dairy.  Whisk for 2 minutes and strain. Cut the bread on bias 2-inches thick and soak bread in the mixture. Cook in a nonstick pan until golden brown and flip until cooked through on each side for about 2 minutes and then plate.



Ingredients for the Praline Caramel

12 oz. granulated sugar

3/4 c. heavy cream

1 oz. unsalted butter, softened

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 c. praline liqueur

Procedure

In a 2-quart sauce-pot, combine sugar and just enough water to resemble wet sand. Cover with a heat-proof bowl and place on high heat. Periodically lift the bowl to check the color of the cooking sugar.  Once the sugar reaches a medium amber color, remove the pot from the heat and slowly add the cream while stirring with a whisk.  Once the sugar is completely dissolved, whisk in butter, salt, softened butter and praline liqueur.  Store at room temperature for up to 2 days; for longer storage, store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Ingredients for the Garnish and Assembly

2 whole Bananas, diced

1/2 c. Pecan pieces, toasted

For garnish Powered sugar



Assembly

Place the pain perdu on a plate and sauce with the praline caramel, diced bananas and pecan pieces.  Dust with powdered sugar.

photos: (top left) Southern Buttermilk Biscuits, Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery, photographer Scott Suchman; (bottom right)Meyer Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, The Jefferson, Washington DC.