Easy and Elegant Spring Brunch
Published February 20, 2021
Love and joy are abundant in the Easter season, and so is the work put into making it memorable. I am excited to share with you some tips, tricks and recipes to put together an easy and elegant Spring brunch. And as you might have guessed it, my theme and color is pink!
Photos by Kate Jadney Ranaldi.
Toasting Drink
Cotton Tails Cocktail
From the moment my guests walk through my door, I want them to feel warmed, welcomed and celebrated. I love creating a toasting drink to serve once all my guests arrive to kick off the gathering. For this brunch, I'm serving an adorable and simple two-ingredient drink: sparkling rosé topped with cotton candy, which can be easily found online at Amazon. For those that don't drink or that are not of age, I'll serve a similar colored Raspberry Gingerale. Cheers!
Brunch
All the recipes below can be prepared a day in advance, which allows for easy serving the day of and time for you to enjoy with your friends and loved ones.
I enjoy serving a variety of food, not only because I like to try new recipes, but also because I have a lot of picky eaters in my family. I want to be sure there is something for everyone at my table. Plus, the leftovers never go to waste. They are either wrapped up and sent home with guests or enjoyed the next day.
Zucchini Blueberry Bread
My grandmother would always have a variety of homemade tea breads ready in the freezer every time I came to visit. She'd thaw one out carefully in the microwave and serve it with a cream cheese spread and tea with honey. Zucchini bread, along with just about anything else she made, was my favorite. Using smaller loaf pans for tea breads allows for the option to send home a loaf with guests. Be sure to take the time to cut parchment paper to size and line and grease each pan before baking for easy release of each loaf after baking.
Ingredients:
3 cups Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
1 Tbl Cinnamon
3 Eggs
1 cup Vegetable Oil
3 tsp Vanilla
2 ¼ cups Sugar
2 cups Shredded Zucchini
1 pint Fresh Blueberries
Preheat oven 350°. Grease 4 mini loaf pans. Line with parchment paper to size and grease again. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, oil vanilla and sugar. Stir in flour mixture until well blended. Fold in zucchini well, then gently fold in blueberries. Pour batter into prepared mini loaf pans and put on a baking sheet for more stability. Bake 45 min or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes on cooling rack, then remove and cool completely before wrapping and storing.
Egg Muffins
These easy-to-make delicious morning treats can be altered to your liking. Leave some plain with egg or egg and cheese for those picky eaters, and add sautéed onions, zucchini, mushrooms, or peppers for those that prefer more flavor. My favorite is Mediterranean style with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and a dash of homemade pesto. If you plan on prepping these a day in advance, be sure not to season the eggs with salt until right before baking. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge.
Ingredients:
12 Ham Slices, thin-med
12 Eggs
Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
6 Cherry Tomatoes, halved
Pesto
Preheat oven 350°. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Drape a slice of ham over one of the cups. Carefully push the ham into the cup to create a muffin liner. Trim any extra ham leaving about ¼ to ½ inch above the tin surface. Fill the ham liner with a whole egg (not beaten) and garnish with cheese, a tomato half, and dollop of pesto (or fillings of your liking). Continue with remaining cups. Season with salt and pepper. Bake 15-18 minutes or until desired doneness.
Egg Casserole
A perfect dish that can be served from Christmas morning throughout the year and either on it’s own or alongside a maple glazed ham or French toast to compliment the maple pork sausage and maple bacon in this indulgent feast. This casserole is prepared the night before to allow the egg mixture to absorb into the bread that creates the structure to this dish. This, too, can be altered to your liking and made with sautéed vegetables served with or without the bacon. If you can’t find maple sausage, add a couple tablespoons of maple syrup to the pan as you brown the meat.
Ingredients:
1 lb Maple Pork Sausage, browned
8 Slices Maple Bacon, cooked and cut up
1 Onion, chopped and sautéed
6 Slices Hearty White Bread, crusts removed
½ Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
8 Eggs
2 Cups Whole Milk
1 tsp Dry Mustard
¼ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Pepper
Grease a casserole dish with butter. Line the bottom with the bread slices cut to size to cover the entire bottom in a single layer. Sprinkle the browned sausage, cooked bacon, sautéed onions and cheese over the bread. Whisk the eggs, milk, mustard, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Ladle the egg mixture over the toppings. Cover with plastic wrap and set in the fridge for 12 hours or overnight. Preheat oven 350°. Remove plastic wrap before placing in oven for 45-60 minutes, or until browned and cooked throughout. Be sure to keep the casserole dish on the baking sheet while baking to prevent any overflow from dripping onto the bottom of your oven.
French Toast Casserole
Covered with a praline topping, this French toast is light and soufflé like in nature with hints of vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. I prefer over browning the casserole to obtain a nice golden crisp on top of each piece of bread. Serve with maple syrup to set this dish over the top.
Casserole Ingredients:
14-16 oz Brioche Bread, sliced 1 inch thick
8 Eggs
2 Cups Half and Half
1 Cup Milk
2 Tbl Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
½ tsp Cinnamon
¼ tsp Nutmeg
Grease casserole dish with butter. Shingle slices of brioche in casserole dish. Whisk the eggs, half and half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl. Ladle the egg mixture carefully over the bread covering each slice.
Topping:
1 Stick Butter, softened
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup Pecans
2 Tbl Light Corn Syrup
½ tsp Cinnamon
½ tsp Nutmeg
Blend all ingredients well in a medium bowl using a dough cutter or fork. If mixture is too stiff to spread, microwave at 10 second intervals until softened. Spread mixture evenly and carefully over the toast in the casserole. Cover with plastic wrap and set on a baking sheet in the fridge 12 hours or overnight. Preheat oven 350°. Remove plastic wrap before placing in oven for 45-60 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked throughout. Be sure to keep the casserole dish on the baking sheet while baking to prevent any overflow from dripping onto the bottom of your oven.
Fruit Salad Dip
Nothing goes better with ham than some pineapple, and this dip is sure to fit the bill. It's delicious enough to eat on its own, but makes a great side to serve alongside your favorite fruit.
Ingredients:
¾ Cup Milk
½ Cup Sour Cream
1 (3.4 oz) Package Vanilla Instant Pudding
1 8oz Can Crushed Pineapple with Juice
½ Cup Sweetened Flaked Coconut, toasted
1 tsp Lime Zest
1 tsp Lime Juice
Combine milk, sour cream and pudding mix in a medium bowl. Mix well. Stir in pineapple with juice, lime zest and lime juice. Add 1/3 cup of the toasted coconut. Cover and set-in fridge at least 30 minutes before serving. Top with remaining toasted coconut.
Chocolate Bird's Nests
An easy three ingredient dessert that is fun to make with kids and enjoyed by both kids and adults alike. You can alter the nest "eggs" to match your color theme, pink, blue, yellow or white.
Ingredients:
8 oz Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate, chopped
2 Cups Potato Sticks
Cadbury Mini Chocolate Eggs
Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with baking spray. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler on the stove top until smooth. Remove from heat. Add potato sticks and mix well until coated. Carefully scoop the chocolate mixture into the muffin cups to form a nest, leaving an indentation in the middle of each. Add 3 eggs to middle of each nest and let set in fridge until set (about 3 hours). Carefully remove nests with a fork or knife from tin and serve. Store in an airtight container.
Carrot Cake Jelly Roll
Don’t let the sophisticated look of a Jelly Roll Cake intimidate you. They are easy to make, can be prepared a day or two in advance and make a fun and beautiful conversation piece for dessert. I tinted the shredded coconut pink in this recipe by mixing in a couple drops of red food coloring in a ziplock bag with the coconut and used a 10x15 inch jelly roll pan instead of the 13x18 inch. Be sure to cut the roll using a finely serrated bread knife to flawlessly expose the inside swirl.
I hope I've inspired you to create a fun, beautiful and easy Spring Brunch.
Enjoy!
Renée Meuse Lovley