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Plan the Perfect Easter Brunch - Recipes & More on bethenny!

by on ‎04-02-2014 12:17 PM

Hello, foodies…


Easter is right around the corner. I’m sure lots of you have a menu already prepared. And maybe some of you already have the grocery shopping done! But, if you’re still undecided on a side, dessert, or a few parts of the meal, perhaps I could recommend a few tried-and-true Easter favorites. Served together, they'd make for a delicious Eater brunch! Or, incorporate one or two recipes into your traditional dinner. I’ll get to those in just a minute.


First, does your house look spring-like and ready for Easter? I don’t do a whole lot of decorating (I leave that to my dear friend Jill Bauer!) except when it comes to food. Food gives you an opportunity to bring functional seasonality into your home. For example, you could use my Deviled Egg Chicks to make an Easter centerpiece!


 


Deviled Egg Chicks


 


Deviled Egg Chicks


Ingredients:



  • 12 eggs, hard boiled and peeled

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise

  • 2 tsp yellow mustard

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

  • 1 carrot, peeled and julienned (for the beaks)

  • 3 black olives, diced small (for the eyes)


Preparation:



  1. Cut a 1/2'' slice off the top and bottom of each egg (or enough to expose the yolk). Save the tops for later use.

  2. Carefully remove the yolks, being careful not to tear the whites. (This will take a bit of patience.) Collect all of the yolks into a small mixing bowl and add the mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and vinegar. Mix until smooth.

  3. Fill a pastry bag with the yolk mixture and fit the bag with a small tip. Pipe the yolk mixture back into the hollowed hard-boiled eggs until they're slightly over-filled and you have a small mound.

  4. Place the top of the egg white (you sliced off earlier) on the yolk at an angle. Then, take two pieces of olive and create eyes, followed by a julienned carrot to make a nose. Refrigerate until ready to serve.


Imagine these resting on a cake plate in the center of your table. They look fantastic just as they are. Or, if you have time, try resting them atop a bed of  my Cabbage, Kale, & Broccoli Slaw—think Easter grass!


Then, alongside that cake plate, why not have a glass pitcher with my Ginger-Mint Lemonade inside.


 


Ginger-Mint Lemonade


 


Ginger Mint Lemonade


Ingredients:



  • 2 cups water

  • 1-1/2 cups sugar

  • 3 Tbsp fresh ginger, chopped

  • 26 fresh mint leaves

  • 4 cups club soda

  • 1 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice

  • 6 cups ice

  • 1 lemon, thinly sliced


Preparation:



  1. Combine the water, sugar, and ginger in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and simmer until the sugar has melted.

  2. Remove the pan from the heat, add 16 mint leaves, cover, and let the leaves steep for 10 minutes. Using a fine strainer, strain the mixture into a glass container and refrigerate until well-chilled.

  3. Add the ice, sugar mixture, lemon juice, remaining mint leaves, and lemon slices into a large pitcher. Stir to combine, then pour the lemonade into glasses.


Sliced lemons and sprigs of mint, as shown, bring springtime life and color to the table. Don't forget to garnish each glass with a lemon wedge.


Then, for dessert, can you imagine your friends and loved ones faces when you bring in a dessert tower with these Salted Caramel Chocolate Nests?


Salted Caramel Chocolate Nests


 


Ingredients:



  • 12 oz vanilla caramels, chopped

  • 1/4 tsp salt

  • 3 Tbsp milk

  • 6.5 oz potato sticks

  • 8 oz semisweet chocolate chips


 Preparation:



  1. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and lightly spray the paper with cooking spray. Set aside.

  2. Place the chopped vanilla caramels, salt, and milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals and stir after each interval until the caramels are completely melted and the mixture is smooth. (This may take up to 2-1/2 minutes.) Let the mixture cool for 30 seconds.

  3. Carefully stir the potato sticks into the caramel mixture until completely coated. Rub your hands with oil and form 6-8 uneven circles and place them onto the prepared baking pan. Use one or two fingers and press the middles down, creating a nest-like shape.

  4. Refrigerate the nests for 35-40 minutes, or until the caramel has hardened. While the nests are in the refrigerator, melt the chocolate chips on top of a double boiler. Dip the bottoms of the nests into the melted chocolate, and then place the nests back onto the prepared baking pan.

  5. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until the chocolate has hardened.


If your table is large enough, you could use the nests as your centerpiece (instead of the Easter Egg Chicks.) Or, if you like to use a beverage table--which I often do, these adorable desserts would decorate that table nicely, and you wouldn’t need a floral centerpiece or any other decorative accents.


For an appetizer, you could serve up my Strawberry and Basil Tea Sandwiches. Remove the crusts with flower-shaped cookie cutters (or a pairing knife!) to make these look decorative. And don’t forget my Eggcellent Easter Quiche…also known as Quiche Lorraine. It’s a classic recipe you can prepare ahead of time to save you time on Easter Sunday or whenever you decide to serve it.


Happy Easter, everyone. I'll be sharing all of these recipes today on bethenny! Check your local listings to see when the show airs...here in the Philadelphia area, it's on at 11am ET on Fox 29.


Keep it flavorful!
—David