Bunny brunch: Easy recipes for your Easter celebration
From fluffy waffles to themed cocktails, this Easter is all about the art of brunch. Reviving old favorites and introducing new ones, your table isn’t complete without a little something extra to make up for the last 40 days of fasting. And whether you are hosting the family get-together or just having a laid-back day at home, these recipes from Aimee Broussard, author of inRegister’s monthly “Aimee’s Pretty Palate” column and food blogger extraordinaire, are sure to please. Click the recipe titles below for more Easter ideas.
Bunny Tail Bellinis (above)
2 1/2 oz. peach schnapps
4 oz. Champagne
1 1/2 oz. vodka
8 oz. frozen sliced peaches
1 cup ice
In a blender, combine peach schnapps, Champagne and vodka. Drop frozen peaches into blender with ice. Close lid and blend on high for about 30 seconds or until smooth. Pour into glasses.
Easily create bunny “tails” for your bellinis by adding white pompoms or cotton balls to the bottom of the glasses with a bit of hot glue. Don’t worry about ruining your glasses. The hot glue isn’t permanent and will easily peel off at the end of the day.
Chicken & Pecan Waffle Bites with Homemade Honey Butter
Pecan waffles:
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
3 tsp. baking powder
1⁄4 tsp. salt
3⁄4 cup pecans, chopped
2 eggs, separated
1 1⁄2 cups milk
6 Tbsp. butter, melted
Sift together first 3 ingredients, then add pecans. Beat egg yolks until light and fluffy; combine with milk and butter, then add to dry ingredients, mixing just until smooth. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into batter. Cook in a hot waffle iron. Keep warm in a 200-degree oven until ready to serve.
Chicken:
1 lb. chicken tenderloins, cut into bite-size pieces
2 Tbsp. Creole seasoning
1 egg
1⁄4 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1⁄4 tsp. pepper
1⁄4 tsp. dry mustard
Vegetable oil
Toss cut-up chicken pieces in Creole seasoning. Set aside. Whisk egg and milk together in a shallow bowl; set aside. Combine flour, pepper and mustard in another shallow bowl. Working in batches, dip seasoned chicken into egg, then into flour mixture. Place chicken on a cooling rack lined with paper towels and allow to rest before frying.
Heat about 1 inch vegetable oil in a deep fryer (I have a mini Fry Daddy that I use just for this purpose) to 340 degrees. Fry chicken pieces until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Drain.
Honey butter:
1⁄2 cup butter, softened
1⁄4 cup honey
1⁄4 tsp. cinnamon
Place all ingredients in a bowl and whip with an electric hand mixer until mixture is light and fluffy. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To assemble:
Cut each waffle into 4 squares. Top 1 waffle square with a piece of chicken, followed by a dollop of honey butter, then a second waffle square. Hold together with a skewer or toothpick. Serve with warm maple syrup. Makes 6-8 servings.
Very Berry Cheesecake Yogurt Parfaits
1⁄4 cup maple syrup
1⁄3 cup packed brown sugar
1⁄4 cup orange juice
1⁄2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1⁄2 cup chopped salted almonds
1⁄4 tsp. fine sea salt
1 cup dried cranberries
1 qt. plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
6 Tbsp. whipped cream cheese
4 oz. each fruit of choice, chopped
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. In a small saucepan, stir maple syrup, brown sugar and orange juice over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves completely. Remove from heat. In a medium-size bowl, combine cinnamon, oats, almonds, sea salt and cranberries. Pour maple mixture over oat mixture and stir until combined. Spread mixture onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and toss the granola. Return to oven for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until mixture begins to brown. Cool completely.
Mix yogurt and whipped cream cheese in a medium-size bowl until well combined. To assemble parfaits, add approximately 2 Tbsp. granola to each 8-ounce Mason jar, add a layer of yogurt, and top with fresh fruit. Makes 6 servings.
Note: Granola not used for parfaits can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.
Bacon, Egg & Cheese Toast Cups
6 slices bacon, cut to size
3 slices bread
3 Tbsp. shredded cheddar cheese
6 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Chives/green onions, chopped (optional)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a pan of 6 regular-size muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.
Cook bacon in a nonstick skillet over medium heat for about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Cooking time will vary depending on thickness of bacon and desired crispiness. If you want bacon cups to be crispy once baked, you’ll need to cook as long as you can in skillet but not let bacon get so crispy that you won’t be able to bend and form it inside muffin tin.
Line each muffin cup with bacon.
Use a cutter to cut out circular pieces of toast to fit inside muffin cups. Nestle toast inside bacon. Sprinkle cheddar cheese evenly among cups. Crack an egg into each cup and add salt and pepper.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Garnish with chives or green onions, if desired. Serve warm.
Makes 6 cups.
Find more of Broussard’s recipes in her cookbooks, which can be purchased here, as well as online at aimeebroussard.com.
