Savory Spring Egg Cups

These breakfast treats remind me of the Italian Easter meat pie (pizza rustica) that my family would devour every spring. That hearty dish (best consumed cold) combines hard boiled eggs, mozzarella, prosciutto and ricotta cheese in a flaky double pie crust.

I still hope to make one of those savory pies before summer hits, but today's sweet little recipe satisfied my craving.  Better yet – my boys liked it. I served these egg cups for dinner and the leftovers held up great the next day. Lunch for me; hearty after-school snack for them.

You can use your favorite breakfast meat, like sausage or ham. I used bacon because it imparts a taste similar to the prosciutto used in my family's traditional Easter morning meal.

These would make a great addition to an Easter brunch menu, especially if you have extra eggs in the fridge. Or they might be a good way to use that leftover holiday ham.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Savory Spring Egg Cups
Inspired by a video from HomemadeHooplah.com

2 sheets puff pastry dough, thawed
Small container ricotta cheese
6 slices precooked bacon, chopped
1 dozen eggs
Garlic salt
Fresh ground pepper

**Cut recipe in half if you don't need 12 egg cups.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray a large 12-tin muffin pan with cooking spray. If you like, line each tin with paper or parchment muffin liners.

Place 1 sheet of thawed puff pastry on lightly floured surface and use a rolling pin to flatten into a square shape. Repeat with second pastry sheet.

Cut each pastry sheet into 6 squarish rectangles. Push 1 square of pastry into each prepared muffin tin. Flute edges of pastry so they stand up slightly. Spray pastry with cooking spray.

Fill each muffin cup with 1 or 2 tablespoons of ricotta cheese. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Push down gently with back of a spoon.

Crack one egg into each muffin cup. Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper.

Place in preheated oven and cook for 20-25 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Cook a few minutes less if you prefer a less solid yolk. (You can test the yolk with a toothpick.)

Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Tastes great served warm or cold. Fresh berries make a nice side dish. Perfect for any meal!

Easter Round-Up

Happy Easter, dear readers! Today I'm sharing a round-up of recipes that would be perfect for your holiday table. Whether you're celebrating with breakfast, lunch, or dinner, we've got you covered.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Let's get our day started with Herbed Egg Bake. The fresh herbs hint at the Spring garden goodness that's heading our way.

Make these Carrot Coconut Muffins the night before and serve them with a schmear of butter. The Easter bunny will appreciate a few carrots, don't you think?

Use up any leftovers from your Easter egg hunt to make this Deviled Egg Sampler. Are you a traditionalist or will you add a pinch of curry to your deviled eggs?

Easter begs for ham, and this Apricot Mustard Glazed Ham is my very favorite. Bonus: It's as simple to prepare as it is delicious to eat.

Asparagus is so fresh and tender this time of year. And since it's seasonal, it'll probably be on sale this weekend. Roasted Asparagus with Lemon is my favorite way to serve this springtime veggie.

Lemon Buttermilk Cake is a refreshing and delicious dessert. I recommend piling it high with berries and freshly whipped cream.

Lime Cream Trifle

I can't really take credit for this recipe, which comes from Food Network Chef Marcela Valladolid, but it is so good I had to share it.

This trifle is pretty in green and white and makes the perfect Easter or spring time dessert. The taste combo of lime and cream is refreshing and light.

We enjoyed this treat on Sunday, upon my husband's return from a week of work travel. He and I loved it. My boys ate all of their servings and I heard them whisper to each other that it was pretty good. When I asked Sam how he liked it, he said this: "It's OK, but what I really want is a cookie."

The recipe comes from a recent issue of People magazine shared by a friend. Much thanks, Molly!

The trifle tastes better the longer you can let it set-up in the fridge. We let ours chill for about 3 hours before digging in. When I took the serving-size photo the next morning (and then proceeded to eat most of it for my breakfast) everything held together better and the flavors had blended even more wonderfully.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Lime Cream Trifle

1 12 ounce pound cake, store bought
2 cups heavy whipping cream (you might want a little bit more whipped cream for topping, so go ahead and use 2 1/2 cups if you like)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 12 ounce can evaporated milk
4 limes, zested and juiced
For garnish: crushed graham crackers and very thin slices of lime

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut pound cake into small cubes. Spread pound cake cubes in a single layer on a large cookie sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes or until cake is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.

Beat whipping cream and powered sugar at high speed until stiff peaks form. Place in refrigerator until ready to build trifle.

Place 1/2 cup lime juice, condensed milk and evaporated milk into a blender. Process until smooth. If needed, stop blender and scrape sides with a rubber spatula to incorporate everything, then process again.

Using a large glass trifle dish, spoon 1 cup of the lime mixture into the bottom. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of lime zest over the lime cream. Spread 2 cups of cake cubes on top in a single layer. Add 1 cup of whipped cream to the center of the cake cubes and spread it toward the sides of the trifle dish. (Don't worry if it doesn't spread evenly or cover everything.

Repeat the layers 2 more times.

Top the trifle with any remaining lime cream mixture and another 1 teaspoon of lime zest. Add remaining whipped cream to the center.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2 to 12 hours.

Garnish with crushed graham cracker crumbs and lime slices before serving.

Strawberry Shortcake

My daughters and I have an Easter tradition. Lucy and Penny can pick any dessert and I will make it. They chose crème brûlée last year -- giving me the excuse to buy a kitchen torch and ramekins -- and raspberry tart the year before that and cheesecake the year before that.

This year, I asked them to pretty please pick something quick and easy and that didn't require crazy equipment or hard-to-find ingredients as we'd be spending the holiday at my parents' house. At one point, one of them mentioned strawberry shortcake. Perfect!

I've made this strawberry shortcake since then, whipping it up for a casual dinner party Chez George. And I am pretty sure I will be making it a few more times between now and the end of summer. 

This version reminds me of the strawberry shortcake my mom used to make, using Bisquick for the cake. At some point, I want to mix in a few basil leaves with the strawberries. My favorite Charlotte restaurant serves this amazing strawberry cake with basil gelato. Mmmmm...I'm going to be thinking about that cake for a while now.

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this delish classic.

XOXO,
Amy

Strawberry Shortcake

Adapted from AllRecipes.com

Yields 1 8-inch round cake

2-3 pounds fresh strawberries

1/3 cup white sugar

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons white sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 egg

2/3 cup milk

1 cup whipped heavy cream, sweetened to your liking

Place a metal bowl in the freezer. You will use this bowl at the end to make your whipped cream.

Trim and slice strawberries and toss them with 1/3 cup of white sugar. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, 2 tablespoons white sugar and the salt. Slice the softened butter into the dry mixture and use a pastry cutter until the mixture is crumbly. (Note: My mom and I don't have pastry cutters, so I used a potato masher, which worked just fine.)

Press batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool partially until you are ready to serve.

Prepare the whipped cream. Pour the cream into the chilled bowl, add about 2 tablespoons sugar. Set mixer to medium and whip cream for a minute or two before upping the speed. Mix until soft peaks form and it looks like the consistency of what come out of the Reddi-Wip can. (Note: Erin uses powdered sugar and vanilla extract. She also has instructions for ensuring you don't end up making butter. Click here.)

Cut cake into wedges and plate. Top with strawberries and some of their juices and the whipped cream. You can also garnish with fresh mint or basil.

Are you ready for Easter?

Easter weekend has arrived! In celebration, I'm rounding up some of my favorite springtime recipes, perfect for your Easter gathering.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Rhubarb Muffins: Rhubarb is the ruby announcement that Spring has arrived, and it absolutely shines in these lightened-up muffins.

Stuffed French Toast: Tangy cream cheese, sweet jam, and warm cinnamon make this an immediate brunch classic.

Apricot Mustard Glazed Ham: For me, Easter dinner isn't complete without ham. The apricot mustard glaze on this beauty is unbelievably simple and delicious. I made it just last week, and it's one of my all-time favorite meals.

Lamb Kabobs: If you live in a climate where it's warm enough to grill, these Mediterranean kabobs are for you.

Mom's Cheesy Potatoes: These potatoes are an essential accompaniment to ham. Salty, creamy, and crunchy, they will steal the show.

Crispy Parmesan Asparagus "Fries": Asparagus is the quintessential spring vegetable, and it's perfect for your Easter dinner table. Since these are "fries," you might even be able to convince your pickiest eater to try them.

Apricot-Mustard Glazed Ham

I've waxed eloquent about my love of pork, but one cut I don't cook frequently is ham. Since the husband and I are just a little family of two, a big ham is a bit daunting. But it is so delicious. And when it was dirt cheap around Easter time, I just couldn't pass it up.

I bought the smallest ham I could find, which was boneless and spiral-sliced. I've heard, though, that bone-in ham is more flavorful. If you're family is a bit larger, or if you can handle leftover ham for a few years, you might want to give the bone-in ham a shot. Just brush the glaze on the ham for the last hour of cooking.

Apricot-Mustard Glazed Ham
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Serves: 8? 10? A million?

3/4 cup apricot preserves
1-2 tablespoons ground mustard
3 pounds boneless, spiral-cut smoked honey ham

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together apricot preserves and 1 tablespoon ground mustard. Give it a taste. If it's mustard-y enough for you, leave it alone. If not, add more ground mustard until it tastes perfect. (I used about 1.5 tablespoons of ground mustard.) Set the glaze aside.

Line a baking dish with aluminum foil for easy clean-up. Place ham in the dish cut-side down. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until ham reaches an internal temperature of about 115 degrees. According to all the websites and cookbooks I read, this should take about 15 minutes per pound. Mine took longer, but I'm assuming that's a fluke.

At this point, increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Brush the apricot-mustard glaze all over the ham. Turn the ham on its side and brush glaze in between the slices to make sure every piece is coated.

Continue baking the ham until it reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees, basting with the glaze every 10-15 minutes. This will take about 30 minutes of cooking. Once the ham reaches 140 degrees, brush it with any remaining glaze, tent with foil, and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

A Tisket A Tasket by Lady of the House

I'm realizing, now that I'm a mother, I wear a number of hats. I haven't ever appropriately assumed my role as Easter Bunny, but this year I've decided to hop to it. (Sorry, that's the bunny ears getting to me!)

I'm loathe to see the table set Easter morning with one of those ratty, disposable baskets, so I started to wonder... Could all the lovely Easter treats be snuggled inside something that won't end up in the bin? Could the "basket" be re-thought? Could I find Easter cheer in a container that might lend itself elsewhere?

Yes! Turns out, there are endless options once you think outside the basket. (Again, it's the bunny ears talking.) Here are my favorites...

Origin Crafts is one stop shopping for pretty containers, and their wire baskets seem to channel the Easter vibe, if you were perhaps celebrating in Tuscany this year.

Upcycled and totally charming, Sewing Momma's sweet little fabric bins would be welcome year-round.

Garnet Hill's collapsible bucket is a genius design that would be darling filled with treats for the beach or garden.

And don't these bright enamel pails just scream Spring?

xoxo

{ Lady of the House }

hdhhLady@gmail.com