Taste of Home Brunch Favorites: 201 Delicious Ideas To Start Your Day

CREAMY CARAMEL MOCHA Indulge in a sweet sensation at brunchor any time at all! With whipped cream and a butterscotch drizzle, this mocha treat will impress guests whether you serve it morning, noon or night. TASTE OF HOME TEST KITCHEN 1/2cup heavy whipping cream 1tablespoon confectioners sugar 1teaspoon vanilla extract, divided 1/4cup Dutch-processed cocoa 1 1/2cups half-and-half cream 4cups hot strong brewed coffee 1/2cup caramel flavoring syrup Butterscotch-caramel ice cream topping In a small bowl, beat whipping cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; beat until stiff peaks form. In a large saucepan over medium heat, whisk cocoa and half-and-half cream until smooth. Heat until bubbles form around sides of the pan.

Whisk in coffee, caramel syrup and the remaining vanilla. Top each serving with whipped cream; drizzle with the butterscotch topping. NOTE This recipe was tested with Torani brand flavoring syrup. Look for it in the coffee section. EASY ESPRESSO Capture the classic taste of espresso without the hassle of expensive brewing equipment! For best flavor, serve espresso immediately. Pour any leftover espresso into ice cube trays and freeze to use later in cold drinks.

TASTE OF HOME TEST KITCHEN

1/2cup ground coffee (French or other dark roast) 1 1/2cups cold water Lemon twists, optional Place ground coffee in the filter of a drip coffeemaker. Add water; brew according to manufacturers instructions. Serve immediately in espresso cups. If desired, serve with lemon twists. FESTIVE MIMOSA Add a splash of color to your brunch table with this rosy Mimosa. FESTIVE MIMOSA Add a splash of color to your brunch table with this rosy Mimosa.

It has a fantastic sweet-tart taste. JESSIE SARRAZIN LIVINGSTON, MT

1tablespoon red coarse sugar 1/2ounce raspberry liqueur 2ounces ruby red grapefruit juice 2ounces champagne Grapefruit twist Sprinkle sugar on a plate. Moisten the rim of a champagne flute with water; hold glass upside down and dip the rim into sugar. Pour the raspberry liqueur and grapefruit juice into the glass; top with the champagne. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.

MIMOSA FOR A CROWD To make a batch of Mimosas (12 servings), slowly pour one bottle (750 milliliters) of chilled champagne into a pitcher. Stir in 3 cups cranberry juice and 3/4 cup raspberry liqueur.

MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE This delicious, not-too-sweet hot chocolate is richly flavored with cocoa and delicately seasoned with spices. The cinnamon and chocolate flavors blend wonderfully! KATHY YOUNG WEATHERFORD, TX 1/4cup baking cocoa 2tablespoons brown sugar 1cup boiling water 1/4teaspoon ground cinnamon Dash ground cloves or nutmeg 3cups milk 1teaspoon vanilla extract Whipped cream Whole cinnamon sticks In a small saucepan, mix cocoa and sugar; stir in water. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the cinnamon and cloves; stir in milk. Simmer 5 minutes (do not boil). Whisk in vanilla. Pour hot chocolate into mugs; top with whipped cream. CUCUMBER PUNCH I first tried this wonderfully unique beverage at a ladies luncheon, and have since served it many times. CUCUMBER PUNCH I first tried this wonderfully unique beverage at a ladies luncheon, and have since served it many times.

Folks usually request copies of the recipe. RENEE OLSON KENDRICK, ID

2medium cucumbers 3cups water 1can (12 ounces) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed 2liters diet ginger ale, chilled 4 1/2cups diet grapefruit or citrus soda, chilled With a zester or fork, score cucumbers lengthwise; cut widthwise into thin slices. In a large pitcher, combine the water and lemonade concentrate; add cucumbers. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, transfer cucumber mixture to a punch bowl; stir in ginger ale and grapefruit soda.

SPICED APPLE TEA I love to try new recipes for my husband and our friends. This spiced tea is one of our favorites. I like to serve it warm, but its also nice served chilled over ice. SHARON DELANEY-CHRONIS SOUTH MILWAUKEE, WI

2cups unsweetened apple juice 6whole cloves 1cinnamon stick (3 inches) 3cups water 5individual tea bags Additional cinnamon sticks (3 inches), optional In a small saucepan, bring the first three ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Remove from heat; add tea bags. Cover and steep 5 minutes. Discard tea bags. Strain juice mixture, discarding cloves and cinnamon. Stir into tea.

Serve warm, with additional cinnamon sticks if desired. REMOVING TEA & COFFEE STAINS FROM CUPS Do you have ring around the cup from tea and coffee? Its easy to remove those stains. Sprinkle some baking soda in the cup, add enough water to make a paste, then rub with a cloth until the stain is removed. Rinse, wash and dry, and the cup will sparkle like new. ICED COFFEE LATTE This is a refreshing alternative to regular hot coffee and is much more economical than store-bought coffee drinks. Sweetened condensed milk and a hint of chocolate lend a special touch.

HEATHER NANDELL JOHNSTON, IA

1/2cup instant coffee granules 1/2cup boiling water 4cups chocolate milk 2cups cold water 1can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk Ice cubes In a large bowl, dissolve coffee in boiling water. Stir in chocolate milk, cold water and condensed milk. Serve over ice. VANILLA ALMOND HOT COCOA Treat family and friends to this rich homemade cocoa. It will warm even the coldest winters chill! VICKI HOLLOWAY JOELTON, TN 1cup sugar 2/3cup baking cocoa 1/4teaspoon salt 8cups 2% milk 2/3cup water 2teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2teaspoon almond extract Miniature marshmallows, optional In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cocoa and salt. Stir in milk and water. Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through. Remove from heat; stir in extracts. If desired, top each serving with marshmallows. HOT COCOA TOPPERS Marshmallows are the go-to topping for hot cocoa.