Bunnies and Brunch
Published April 20, 2024
From elegant dinner parties to casual picnics in the park, springtime entertaining is all about embracing the outdoors and enjoying the company of friends and family. Serve up bright and beautifully delicious dishes bursting with seasonal ingredients and make your spring celebration truly special. Whether you’re hosting a large gathering or enjoying an intimate meal, these brunch ideas are sure to impress.
Naturally Dyed Deviled Eggs
Elevate your spring celebration with irresistible deviled eggs. Creamy, tangy and perfectly seasoned, this classic appetizer is a must-have for your holiday spread. Enhanced with a pop of color, they are sure to bring joy and flavor to every bite.
1 dozen eggs
1 bottle 32 oz organic beet juice
1/4 cup mayo
3 tablespoons sweet relish
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Place a dozen eggs in a pot. Fill pot with enough water to cover eggs by 1 inch. Bring pot to a boil and remove from heat. Cover pot and allow to steam for 18 minutes. Drain water and place eggs in an ice bath until cool. Peel eggs and return to pot. Pour 32 oz of beet juice over eggs and let it sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Drain beet juice, pat eggs dry, and cut eggs in half. Carefully remove and reserve the egg yolks for the filling.
Mash and mix eggs yolks, relish, mustard, salt and pepper. Add more mayo if needed for a creamier consistency. Place in bakers piping bag and pipe into each egg white cavity. Serve immediately. Pink color will darken to purple as the eggs sit.
Prosciutto Asparagus Envelopes
Tender asparagus spears wrapped in savory prosciutto, creamy brie, honey, and flaky pastry puff creates the perfect mouthwatering sweet and salty combination of flavors. Simple yet sophisticated, they are perfect for spring gatherings, brunches, and cocktail parties. These irresistible bites will have everyone coming back for more. Recipe adapted from Delish.
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 bunch pencil asparagus, ends trimmed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
All-purpose flour, for dough surface
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
12 slices prosciutto
1 wheel of brie, cut into 12 pieces
1 large egg
Honey for drizzle
Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven 400˚ and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine butter, honey, and salt. In a medium bowl, toss asparagus in oil. On a lightly floured surface, working one at a time, roll out puff pastry to a 15” x 10” rectangle. Cut each into 6 squares for a total of 12. Rotate square to a diamond shape and brush with butter mixture. Top with a slice of prosciutto, folding as needed to fit inside square. Top with a few pieces of asparagus and a slice of brie. In a small bowl, mix egg and a splash of water until blended. Fold left side of pastry over filling and brush with egg wash. Fold right side of pastry over and brush top with more egg wash. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat with remaining puff pastry. Bake until golden and brie is melted, about 15 minutes. Drizzle with honey and serve warm.
Strawberry Coconut Bunny Cake
Moist coconut layers sandwiched together with luscious strawberry cream and fluffy coconut frosting; this cake is a delightful celebration of the season’s flavors. Adorned with festively flavored coconut sugar cookies, it is sure to make a statement on your dessert table. Design inspiration from Williams Sonoma’s Almond Easter Cake.
For the Coconut Cookies:
1 cup salted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp coconut extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cream together the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add vanilla and eggs and beat until combined. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and beat until combined. Divide dough into two equal portions. Shape each piece of dough into a round, flat disc and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Remove one sugar cookie dough disc from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes to soften slightly. Place sugar cookie dough on a floured surface and roll to 1/4” thickness. Use a Peeps bunny shape cookie cutter and cut out the dough, placing them 1” apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Repeat until all the dough is used. Bake in preheated oven for 7-10 minutes or until cookies are slightly puffed and set around the edges. Let sit on cookie sheet 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Set aside.
For the Coconut Cake:
Baking spray with flour
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons coconut extract
3 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup whole milk
6 large egg whites
Preheat oven 325˚F. Coat 3 (6-inch) round cake pans with baking spray, line with circular 6-inch parchment round and spray again. Set aside. Beat butter with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add vanilla and coconut extracts. Beat until just combined. Sift together cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add to butter mixture alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat on low speed until combined after each addition. Beat egg whites with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Fold about one-third of beaten egg whites into cake batter. Fold in remaining egg whites in 2 additions. Spoon batter evenly into prepared cake pans.
Bake cakes on middle rack in preheated oven until a toothpick comes out clean - 20-30 minutes. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and place directly on racks to cool. About 1 hour.
For the Coconut Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
6 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup cream of coconut
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract
Bubblegum pink food coloring or the like
Beat butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating on low speed until combines, about 1 minute. Increase mixer speed to medium-high, gradually adding the cream of coconut, vanilla and coconut extracts. Beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Transfer about 1 cup of the frosting to a small bowl. Add a drop or two of food coloring until desired color is achieved. Cover both bowls with plastic wrap and set aside while making the filling.
For the Strawberry Whipped Cream Cheese:
8 oz Cream Cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons strawberry puree, 4-5 strawberries food processed
1 teaspoon strawberry extract
1 cup heavy cream
Starting on medium speed in a stand mixer with whisk attachment mix cream increasing speed to high, until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, strawberry puree and strawberry extract. Mix until blended and smooth. Gently fold the cream into the strawberry cream cheese mixture until well combined.
For the Assembly:
Level cakes if needed using a serrated cake or bread knife. Using a piping tip, pipe bunny tails on sugar cookies using pink frosting and set aside to harden. Using a 6-inch cake board, place one layer of the coconut cake in the center and pipe white frosting around the edge, filling the inside with 3/4 - 1 cup of strawberry cream. Set in fridge to set for about 10 minutes. Repeat with layer 2. Once set add third cake layer to the top, bottom side up. Crumb coat the entire surface of the cake with white frosting and set in fridge for another 10 minutes. Cover the cake with a layer of white frosting smoothing the top and sides of the cake. Pipe pink frosting around the edge of the top of the cake and adhere the coconut cookies around the base of the cake using a squeeze of pink or white frosting. Set in refrigerator covered until 1 hour before serving.
Save any remaining strawberry filling for bagels or dip.