Make-Ahead New Year's Day Breakfast

After a long night of New Year’s Eve festivities, no one wants to get up early and prepare breakfast. But, you will want breakfast, so it would be a great idea to start thinking of the menu sooner rather than later. And if you could prepare it in advance (rather than when your head is pounding and you are looking for the hair of the dog that bit you), that menu would be heaven sent.

The Swedish Vampire is a refreshing cocktail that is a lot tamer than it sounds. Mix up a pitcher of aquavit and a combo of juices in advance and have them at the ready, awaiting a final splash of sparkling water and some ice cubes.

For an entree, you might mix up something called a Tortilla Espanola, a potato and onion fritatta popular in Spain. Prepare the dish in advance, refrigerate it overnight, and allow it to come to room temperature in the morning. 

And because no New Year’s Day (or any celebratory) breakfast is complete without something sweet and decadent: Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls. These can be mixed, rolled out and sliced the day before. All you have to do in the a.m. is pop them in the oven and bake until they are puffy and gooey. I loved http://www.bakedbyrachel.com/'s recipe for these, and I amped up the spices and added the nuts since my husband sadly did not get any Pecan Pie this Thanksgiving. I swapped out Rachel's icing for Joanne Chang's "goo" from her famous Sticky Buns, which further tamed hubby's jonesing for his pie.The gingerbready scent will waft throughout the house and rouse any sleepyhead recovering from the previous night’s celebration, making them ready to face the New Year and begin tackling that list of resolutions. 

Overnight Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls

(adapted from Flour Bakery and Baked by Rachel)

Makes 12 rolls

Dough Ingredients:

4 1/2c all purpose flour

1/4c brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 package rapid rise or instant yeast (not active dry)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

3/4c milk, warm

1/3c molasses

Filling Ingredients:

1c brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2c unsalted butter, melted

1c pecan halves, toasted and coarsely chopped

Goo Ingredients:

3/4c (1 1/2 sticks;  6 ounces) unsalted butter

1 1/2c  firmly packed light brown sugar

1/3c honey

1/3c heavy cream

1/3c water

1/4 tsp kosher salt

First, make the “Goo.” In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the brown sugar and cook, stirring, to combine (it may look separated, that's ok). Remove from the heat and whisk in the honey, cream, water, and salt. Strain to remove any undissolved lumps of brown sugar. Let cool for about 30 minutes, or until cooled to room temperature. You should have about 3 cups. (The mixture can be made up to 2 weeks in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.)

In a large bowl or stand mixer, add 2 cups of flour plus remaining dry dough ingredients. Melt butter and heat milk to 105-110 degrees, test temperature after 45 seconds and do 10-15 second intervals until you reach the correct temperature.

With the mixer on low, add molasses, melted butter and warm milk. Add remaining 2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour by spoonfuls until fully incorporated and dough is no longer sticking to the bowl.

Grease a large bowl with baking spray. Lightly grease your hands, pat dough into a smooth ball and transfer to prepared bowl. Allow to rise for 1 hour.

On a lightly-floured surface, roll out your dough to roughly a 12×20 rectangle. In a small bowl, combine dry filling ingredients and half of the chopped pecans. Brush melted butter over entire surface. Sprinkle filling mixture over entire surface. If any butter remains, drizzle over dough and filling.

Beginning at one of the short ends, roll dough as tightly as possible. Trim off about 1/8-inch from each end of the roll to make them even Slice them into 12 (approx.) equal pieces. Pour the goo into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish, covering the bottom evenly. Sprinkle the remaining pecans evenly over the surface. Arrange the rolls, evenly spaced, in the baking dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let the dough proof overnight in the refrigerator 

When ready to bake, remove prepared rolls from the refrigerator, allowing the baking dish to come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake rolls for 35-40 minutes. Let cool in the dish on a wire rack for about 20 minutes...if you can wait that long. One at a time, invert the buns onto a serving platter, and spoon any extra goo and pecans from the bottom of the dish over the top.