3 Steps to the Perfect Easter Brunch

By Jeff Gillis  //  Entertaining, Lifestyle, Recipes  //  1 Comment

Photo credit: Shalen Gillis

An Easter brunch is a fantastic kick-off to a special day that revolves around faith, family and…fun. Here are three quick-fix recipes that will make yours a snap to prepare.  The Spring frittata is light but bursting with flavor. The lemon brioche, served with fresh berries or slightly sweeter caramel sauce, is guaranteed to produce sighs of delight!  And for those guests who want to eat and run, there are Cinnamon Roll Pinwheels. This elegant brunch, sure to impress, is fast and easy; and best of all–each dish can be made in advance so you can get a jump start on the day’s festivities and, perhaps, even the bunny himself!

Photo credit: Shalen Gillis

Lemon Brioche
Yields 8 servings
Ingredients:
20-24 ounce loaf of brioche (or other egg-enriched bread)
2 lemons, zested and juiced
4 eggs
1/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
3 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1-1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar  (aka powdered sugar), more for dusting
Directions:
Lightly prepare a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or butter.
With a bread knife, slice bread into 1/2-inch thick slices, then cut each slice in half.  Arrange half of bread in overlapping layers in the baking dish. Sprinkle bread with half of the lemon zest.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs until creamy. Whisk in next six ingredients, ending with cloves. Add remaining  lemon zest and pour half over layered bread. Layer rest of the bread on top and pour rest of liquid over to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to bake, remove brioche from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake brioche for 30 minutes or until slightly golden on top and puffy.
Whisk lemon juice with confectioners’ sugar, then drizzle glaze over brioche while it’s still hot.  Dust top of brioche with a little confectioners’ sugar.
Cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with carmel sauce or fresh berries.

Photo credit: Shalen Gillis

Spring Frittata
Yields 8 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup (8-12 thin/small) asparagus, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup radishes, minced
1/2 cup (4-5) green onions, sliced–use white bulbs & green tops
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
8 eggs
3 tablespoons feta cheese crumbled
2 tablespoons Celebrating Home Spinach Artichoke dip mix (#05056)
Directions:
In a skillet over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté radishes for five minutes or until tender. Add asparagus and green onions, then sauté for another minute. Remove from heat, add salt and pepper.
In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs. Stir in sautéed vegetables.  Add feta cheese and CH Spinach Artichoke mix. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously prepare a cooking/baking spray either a pie plate, iron skillet or individual baking dishes.
Pour egg mixture into  baking dish, bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the eggs are set.
Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to release frittata. With a sharp knife, cut frittata into eight wedges, then  garnish with additionally crumbled feta cheese. Frittata can, instead, be turned out onto a cake stand or oval platter for a more formal presentation.

Photo credit: Shalen Gillis

Cinnamon Roll Pinwheels
Yields 16 servings
Ingredients:
1 package Celebrating Home Monkey Bread (#05047)
1 cup flour
16 lollipop sticks
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, prepare CH Monkey Bread mix according to package instructions.
Sprinkle a little flour onto clean work surface and knead dough, folding into itself about 6-8 times adding flour as needed. Dough needs to be firm.
Drizzle additional flour onto work surface and use rolling pin to work dough into a 12×16-inch rectangle. Let set.
Mix cinnamon sugar packet with the one tablespoon milk. Spread over dough, then firmly roll into a log starting with the longest side. Cut into 1/2-inch thick wheels and place on a baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove tray from refrigerator and uncover. When oven is at temp, place in oven. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly brown on top. Remove from oven and cool.
Insert a lollipop stick into each pinwheel.   When thoroughly cooled, place each lollipop into a small treat bag.  Secure with a twisty tie and embellish with ribbon.
Recipes courtesy of Jeff Gillis. http://www.celebratinghome.com/sites/52646159