Matt Williamson - The Lazy Weekend Cookbook

Breakfast is where the weekend begins, and is one of the most important meals of the day. While there are certainly days that might see us flinging cereal into a bowl and hurtling out the door, the recipes in this chapter offer a diverse set of dishes to conjure up when time isnt quite so pressing. Eggs rule supreme and a pot of coffee is essential.

A fabulous alternative to maple syrup, golden syrup or jam, these flavourful pancake syrups will please your family and impress any weekend guests. Stored in the fridge, these syrups will keep for a good couple of weeks. Serve them with the , whip up your easiest pancake recipe or use to jazz up shop-bought crpes. And in a cocktail? Now youre talking.

Add other spices as you prefer, such as a couple of cardamom pods, or a pinch of ground allspice or grated nutmeg. The aroma as you drizzle this syrup over warm pancakes will send you reeling. This syrup can also be used as the basis for a warming hot lemon drink; add extra lemon juice and hot water to taste. Just the thing if you are suffering from a wintery cold.

MAKES ABOUT 300ml

125g demerara or light brown sugar

50g honey

100ml water

tsp ground cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick

Pinch of salt

1 tbsp butter

Put the sugar, honey, water, cinnamon and salt into a small pan and bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar has fully dissolved.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter.

Leave to cool slightly, then transfer to a jug for serving or a glass jar for storing.

A sprig of fresh rosemary or thyme can be added as you remove the hot syrup from the heat, to infuse as the syrup cools. Bitter Seville oranges can be substituted, when in season, adding a complex fruity sourness to this syrup.

MAKES ABOUT 300ml

200g honey

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 large orange

1 tbsp orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier, Cointreau or triple sec, or use rum (optional)

Put the honey, orange juice and a splash of water into a small pan and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally until evenly combined.

Remove from the heat and stir in the orange zest and the liqueur (if using).

Leave to cool slightly; it will thicken as it cools. Transfer to a jug for serving or a glass jar for storing.

This intensely purple syrup brings bags of flavour and colour to your breakfast table. It is also delicious rippled through thick plain Greek yogurt or spooned over ice cream.

MAKES ABOUT 500ml

unwaxed lemon (or wash a waxed lemon in warm water and scrub gently to remove wax)

250g blueberries, washed

200ml water

100g white sugar

Peel two strips of peel from the lemon, leaving as much of the white pith behind as possible, then juice the lemon.

Put the berries and water into a saucepan and use a potato masher to crush the berries in the water. Add the lemon peel, lemon juice and sugar and bring to the boil, then lower the temperature and simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly. Remove the lemon peel and pour into a blender; blend until smooth.

Ladle the mixture into a fine sieve and press with the back of a ladle or spoon to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the solids. Transfer to a jug for serving or a glass jar for storing.

These are very easy: they need little more than a mixing bowl and a frying pan to make. Devoured straight from the pan, dripping with butter and a dollop of jam, these slim crumpets or tubby pancakes will soon become a regular at your weekend breakfast table.