This year I decided to host a birthday brunch at my house. Spending time with my friends and family is the best present I could have wished for!
About a week before the party, I scoured Pinterest for recipes that would be delicious and easy to make. I found a few delicious recipes that are perfect for a group of around 20 people, that you can either make in advance or do some prep work the day before. I’ll share links to my Pinterest board and all the recipes at the end.
The first thing I made was the Lemon Raspberry scones from Aberdeen’s Kitchen. I made one batch of these with gluten-free flour, and oddly enough those came out looking the best (I over kneaded the dough with the regular flour batches.) Either serve the scones warm with the glaze or with clotted cream and jam. If you follow the recipe, you’re going to end up with eight giant scones, or you could make 16 smaller ones.
The second thing I made was Confetti Bacon Hash Brown Casserole from The Girl Who Ate Everything. There are a few shortcuts you can take to save time and energy on this recipe. Buy hash browns instead of making them. Shred the cheese and chop up the veggies the night before. It’s easy to throw this all together in the morning and slide it into the oven. Also, you can substitute bacon for sausage or make the dish vegetarian.
There are a few things I’d change about the recipe. Cook the hash browns until they are crispy and put them on the bottom of the pan like a crust. I wasn’t crazy about the texture that the cottage cheese added to the recipe, but I would just add some plain greek yogurt instead. If you like spice, add some black and cayenne pepper to the egg mixture before baking it. It really was easy to make, and I think these little changes would make this recipe even more delicious!
I was going to make this lemon curd cake, but after making 3 batches of scones, I was done for the day. However, if you’re interested I’m still sharing the recipe. One of our friends made this for her epiphany party, and it was amazing. Not only was it one of the prettiest things I’ve seen, but it was also so scrumptious. Honestly, I would make the lemon curd and put it on the scones.Â
 After not making the cake, my dad saved the day by running to Nothing Bundt Cakes. I love Nothing Bundt Cake’s gluten-free bundtlets because they don’t taste like they are gluten-free, the portion size is perfect (eat half during the party and the other half for a bedtime snack.) We also got a lemon cake for the lucky people who can tolerate gluten.Â
Besides all the good food, there were a couple of different raspberry drinks to go with the scones and cake. We had everything from raspberry iced tea, to mimosas, to cran-raspberry La Croix.
We even had a beautiful bouquet for the table! My grandmother couldn’t make it to the party, but she sent a beautiful flower arrangement from Glenn’s flowers. My grandmother has beautiful flowers on her table all the time. Here’s a tip–if you are sending flowers to someone who lives in another city, use a florist in their area. Usually, it’s cheaper, the flowers will be fresher, and the flowers can get delivered sooner.
The family, friends, and food came together for a wonderful birthday. Eighteen was wonderful, and I have a feeling that nineteen will be wonderful too!
Don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest and Instagram!
The Recipes:
Lemon Raspberry Scones from Aberdeen’s Kitchen. Get the recipe here.
Confetti Bacon Hash Brown Casserole from The Girl Who Ate Everything. Get the recipe for here.
Edna Lewis’s Lemon Cheese Layer Cake from The NYT Cooking. Get the recipe here.
Are you going to make any of these lovely recipes? Let me know, I’d love to know how they turned out for you!
With Love from the East Coast,
Elaine
