Brunch

"I'm hoping to get the recipe for a terrific appetizer I tried at Hamiltons' at First & Main in Charlottesville, Virginia," says Sue Carter of Murieta, California. "The seafood fritters came with lettuce leaves (to wrap around the fritters) and a spicy sauce."

Along with croissants and pains au chocolat, these buns are ubiquitous in the morning bread basket that arrives after you order your express or café crème in Paris. It's the pastry cream that makes them unique. We used our favorite brioche recipe (by Sally Darr, a former gourmet editor) as the base.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

You might be tempted to bake 2 sheets of bars at a time in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Don't give in to this urge—they must go in the middle of the oven to cook through and brown evenly.

The streusel here is both a filling and a topping — for twice the crunch and flavor.

Coffee cakes rank among the most popular of comfort foods, welcomed at breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, and as the name indicates, coffee breaks. A coffee cake batter is generally more liquid than a quick bread one and contains a bit more sugar, and as a result, the final product is lighter and moister. On the other hand, coffee cakes tend to be less sweet than butter cakes. There are many versions of kuchen, this streusel-topped sour cream type being a very popular one. It is commonly served at the meal following Yom Kippur, or Shavuot, and on Sabbath afternoons or the melaveh malcha ("accompanying the queen") party following the Sabbath. For the later occasion, spices are added to the batter and topping, reflecting those used during the havdallah ceremony signaling the end of the Sabbath.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are reprinted from Andreas Viestad's book Kitchen of Light: New Scandinavian Cooking. _Viestad also shared some helpful tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. Traditional gravlaks is made from two whole salmon fillets and flavored only with salt, sugar, dill, and pepper. If the fish is good, there is nothing better. The gravlaks found in American markets is normally very mild, sometimes slightly scented, often with dried dill. Fresh dill has a taste that is discreet and subtle; it flavors the salmon nicely without competing with the fish's own flavors. Some cookbooks suggest freezing the salmon before you prepare it, to get rid of harmful microorganisms; with modern hygienic treatment of fish, this should not be a big issue. If you do freeze it, do it after it has been cured. Some of the proteins that may be damaged when freezing fresh fish will have broken down in the cured fish, so gravlaks can stand up to freezing better than fresh salmon can. The gravlaks will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator. Gravlaks is normally served as one of many cold dishes in a buffet or smorgasbord. Serve with Sweet Mustard Sauce and scrambled eggs and dark rye bread for open-faced sandwiches, or with pickles and capers.

You’ll enjoy this dish here, there, and everywhere.

Crusty, chewy, and actually easy. No lye or barley syrup needed.

Big pieces of croissant get baked in a savory custard alongside ham and plenty of cheese for the ultimate breakfast casserole.

This breakfast-for-a-crowd crams everything good about babka into a hearty casserole: sweet custard, cinnamon, chocolate, and tender slices of bread.

Cinnamon bun fans, our time has come.

Classic crumb cake meets bouncy pumpkin mochi cake for this season's dessert mashup.

Give your favorite breakfast sausage a makeover with ground chicken. A blend of spices (fennel, smoked paprika) and some maple syrup makes these patties shine.

Not your grandma’s bran muffins, these fiber-rich baked goods are loaded with dates, almonds, and slivers of dark chocolate.

Silky Japanese eggplant and fiery serrano chile unite in this no-fuss frittata that’s brunch-ready, dinner-worthy, and wildly good.

A nourishing, cozy breakfast you can throw together with fresh or frozen berries.