Christmas breakfast doesn’t really get its credit. Honestly, we’re focused on the presents as soon as we wake up, right? Plus, we’ve spent hours planning and preparing for Christmas dinner instead, so breakfast kind of gets skipped over.
However, that’s not the case in many parts of the world. Germany has a breakfast of bread, cold cuts, various cheeses and possibly fish. The French go for a variety of pastries. In the United States, gingerbread pancakes or cinnamon rolls might be called for. In Finland, you’d see a bowl of rice and milk porridge topped with cinnamon, milk, or butter, and a hidden almond placed inside someone’s bowl “wins”.
So, why don’t we have a Christmas breakfast tradition in Bermuda?
Some might argue that the codfish breakfast already serves that role as, after all, the egg, tomatoes and avocados encompass the traditional festive colours. You could even have cassava pie reflecting the plethora of cultures that make us unique. However, not a single person I’ve talked to could say that we have a traditional Bermudian Christmas breakfast.
Thus, here’s an opportunity! You can make your own Bermudian breakfast Christmas tradition that involves the whole family to get them excited about the morning in another fashion. Picking a local ingredient and pairing it with a cultural element of your choosing is one idea. Here are three suggestions to get you rolling:
Popovers
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ cups whole milk
- 1½ cups flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1½ tbsp butter, melted
- 2 tbsp butter, soft
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 450F. Generously coat the inside of a popover tin with butter using a paper towel with a dab of butter on it to grease the tin – a great task for little hands!
- Combine eggs and milk in a medium bowl and beat well.
- Add flour and salt to the wet mixture and whisk together until smooth. Stir in melted butter.
- Ladle batter into tin, filling each cup about three-quarters full.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 450F, then reduce heat (without opening oven) to 375F and bake for another 15 minutes until golden-brown.
- Enjoy warm with Bermuda flair such as loquat jam, citrus jam, or even prickly pear spread.
If you’re not that handy in the kitchen, here’s an easy recipe to try while still making it festive!
Christmas tree pancake stack
- 3 cups Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake Mix
- 2 cups cold water
- Green food dye
Instructions:
- Heat pancake griddle to 375F (medium heat). Lightly grease griddle.
- Measure pancake mix by lightly spooning into measuring cup and levelling it off.
- In medium bowl, combine pancake mix and water until just combined. Add in green food dye until it reaches desired colour. Do not over-mix.
- Pour 1 cup batter onto griddle and cook for 2 minutes per side, turning only once.
- Pour ⅔ cup batter onto griddle and cook for 1½ minutes as above.
- Pour ½ cup batter onto griddle and cook for 1½ minutes as above.
- Pour heaping ¼ cup batter onto griddle and cook 1-1½ minutes as above.
- Pour ¼ cup batter onto griddle and cook 1-1½ minutes as above.
- Stack the pancakes largest to smallest on plate and serve. You can even put a whole strawberry on top like a Santa hat and sprinkle with powdered sugar to make it festive. Enjoy!
To really make it local, make a totally Bermudian festive tea to start your day off right.
Doreen Williams-James, of Wild Herbs and Plants of Bermuda, shares a simple recipe: In a pot, throw together some allspice, lemongrass, cherry leaves, and apple slices to make a truly Bermudian festive treat. Sweeten as desired. You can start your day off with this tea to prepare for the larger meal later in the day!
Sources for this article included www.peteandgerrys.com and www.krusteaz.com.
