4 Tasty Breakfast Trends You Need to Know Now

The most important meal of the day - let's face it - is also potentially the most awesome. Of course that's only if you know recipes that rock ingredients in ways that range from hearty to healthy to deliciously decadent, depending on your diet, mood, and available groceries. Eight Broads in the Kitchen, eight innkeepers and cookbook authors from across the country who (between them) have served over 184,200 breakfasts in their combined 150 years, shared some of the secrets to their success by revealing four breakfast trends every foodie will want to take note of.

1) An apple a day.... Yes, fruit is an integral part of our daily requirements for optimal health, and while simply placing an assortment of oranges and bananas in bowl could do the trick, who wouldn't prefer baked apricots, broiled grapefruit, grilled nectarines, spiced peaches or stewed plums? When the heat is on, the flavor grows strong and what was once just a sweet treat can become a bountiful breakfast. Love the goodness of gazpacho? If veggies can sell cold soup, why not fruit? Chilled strawberry soup (photo below) is just one appealing option ideal for those on the go and anyone who wants to eat light (and right) during springtime, summer, and beyond.



2) Batter up with muffins, scones, and breads that break the mold on traditional pastries. Combining enticing ingredients such as applesauce and dates, lemon and ginger, pecans and cardamom, or white chocolate and cranberry (see succulent scones below) up the game on gourmet from your basic blueberry and carrot creations.



3) Guilty pleasures are what make life worth living, right? Especially when it comes to sweet treats for breakfast. The wonder of waffles, the fluff of pancakes, and the alluring flavor of French toast are succulent ways to start the day - and even more popular now that brunch has become a weekend ritual we don't want to live without. These favorites are especially great when they are made up of ingredients that you may not think mesh. Take for example blueberry sour cream pancakes with lemon sauce, where fresh fruit mixes with crisp citrus to deliver an ideal balance of tangy yet sweet. Speaking of sugar, it would be remiss not to mention a preference for true delicious indulgence, like a dreamy decadent chocolate French toast with strawberry syrup (photo below), which unites two tantalizing treats that taste great together.



4) Savory breakfasts are the best of both worlds - a feast for the senses and tantalizing for the tummy. They combine a multitude of ingredients that make for an action-packed, aromatic experience that also includes a punch of protein. Think mushroom sausage bread pudding or ham baked eggs (photo below), and you've got a meal with plenty of appeal.



Eight Broads in the Kitchen are eight dynamic innkeepers from across the United States who have become great friends over the years. All of them run small inns where preparing breakfast and desserts are part of each and every day. Their new cookbook features recipes that define them, are eclectic, practical, and just downright fun. Photographs courtesy of Christian Giannelli/Jumping Rocks.