By Family Features | Contributor
There’s nothing quite like a brunch gathering filled with delightful treats enjoyed under the warm sun alongside family and friends. At the heart of your festivities can be a delightful springtime staple: eggs.
Embrace the season with innovative dishes such as Prosciutto and Parmesan Egg Cups or Eggy Lemon Sandwich Cookies to elevate your brunch experience. Renowned for their rich array of vitamins and minerals, eggs stand out as a tasty source of protein, containing merely 70 calories per large egg. Whether boiled, scrambled, poached, or baked, they serve as culinary champions in the kitchen.
This spring, incorporate eggs into your culinary lineup and discover fresh ideas to embrace the season at incredibleegg.org.
Prosciutto and Parmesan Egg Cups
Recipe provided by the American Egg Board and “Joy the Baker”
Total time: 34-36 minutes
Yield: 6 cups
Ingredients:
12 slices thin prosciutto
6 tomato slices
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
6 large eggs
Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
Instructions: Preheat your oven to 350 F with the rack positioned in the upper third.
Line a muffin pan with six cupcake liners. Arrange two slices of prosciutto in each liner, ensuring they’re well draped without any gaps for the egg mixture to escape.
Add one slice of tomato into each cup and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese over each. Crack one egg into each, then season with black pepper according to your taste.
Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked to your preference. Garnish with chives.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving warm.
Eggy Lemon Sandwich Cookies
Recipe provided by the American Egg Board and “Joy the Baker”
Total time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Yield: 16-18 cookies
For the dough:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the lemon curd:
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
For the buttercream:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1-2 tablespoons warm milk
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
To prepare the dough: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt by whisking together.
In the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with a paddle attachment, cream the shortening and butter until well blended. Scrape down the sides, add the sugar, and beat on medium speed for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy.
Incorporate the egg, milk, and vanilla extract, mixing until combined. Gradually add the dry ingredients, beating on low until a dough forms, ensuring to scrape down the bowl to eliminate any dry bits. Wrap the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 F and set the rack to the upper third position.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out half the dough to a thickness of 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Use a 2-3 inch egg-shaped cookie cutter to cut out shapes, placing them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cut yolk holes in half the cookies with a 1-inch round or egg cutter. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. Let them cool completely before filling.
To make the lemon curd: In a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan, whisk together the juice, zest, sugar, and eggs. Add the butter and cook over low heat, whisking regularly, until the mixture thickens and bubbles on the surface, about 6 minutes.
Transfer the lemon curd to a bowl, covering it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.
For the buttercream: Using an electric hand mixer in a medium bowl, beat the butter until soft. Incorporate the powdered sugar, salt, and lemon zest, mixing on low. Add the milk and continue to whip until combined. Fold in the poppy seeds. Place the frosting into a zip-top bag with a cut corner or a piping bag with a medium round tip. Allow it to sit at room temperature until ready to use.
To assemble the cookies: Turn each egg cookie upside down. Pipe the frosting around the edges and fill the centers with 2-3 teaspoons of lemon curd. Top each with another cookie featuring a hole, gently pressing down and adding 1 teaspoon of lemon curd in the cutout.
