Easter Brunch

Happy Easter! I hope that you’re having a great one. The two of us are having a nice and quiet Easter Sunday, and it’s particularly special because it’s the first one we’ve spent together just the two of us, as a new family! Usually we would go see Jason’s family for Easter, but this year it was so close to exams that we just couldn’t do it. So I decided to combine our two family traditions to make ourselves a new one this year!

In Jason’s family, every year they have a big party at his parents’ house and the whole family comes over to celebrate over a nice big meal. In my family, we go to church in the morning and then go out to a restaurant to eat a nice brunch. So for our holiday, we combined the two and went to church in the morning before coming home and relaxing with a nice homemade Easter brunch!

Easter Brunch for Two

• Morning Glory Muffins with Cream Cheese Icing
• Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus and Goat Cheese
• Baked Shrimp and Grits
• Berry Salad
• Baked Maple Glazed Ham
• Sparkling Punch

Here we are all dressed up and ready for church!

Service was great and the weather was beautiful!

And in giving thanks for the Easter miracle I was also giving thanks for all of the miracles that have happened in our lives during this past year. We have been so incredibly blessed, and I know how important it is that we don’t take that for granted.

When we came home I got to work finishing up brunch (I had already done most of it in the early morning before we left). I didn’t take step by step pictures for each recipe, that would have taken me forever! But I did snap some shots as I was cooking.

Let’s get to the goods already!

This menu and the recipes are inspired by this Southern living feature that I found online. I changed some things up and put my own spin on the recipes.

Morning Glory Muffins

• 1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. cinnamon
• dash of nutmeg
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 c. shredded carrots
• 1 extra large egg
• 1/3 c. canola oil
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1/2 c. raisins
• 3/4 c. demerara sugar
• 2/3 c. crushed pineapple (include its juices that are in the can)
• 1/4 c. toasted pecans

-Mix the flours, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg in a bowl.

-In a seperate bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, oil, vanilla, carrots, and pineapple.

-Gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry until mostly combined. Add in the pecans and raisins and stir until well combined.

-Pour batter into lightly greased muffin pan using a 1/2 c. measurer to fill each cup 3/4 of the way. This should make 12 even cups.

-Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

-Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

Cream Cheese Icing

• 1 package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3 T. butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 t. vanilla extract
• 1 c. powdered sugar

-Cream butter and cream cheese with you mixer until very smooth. Stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla with a spatula until mostly combined then continue to mix on high for 3 minutes. The icing should be light and creamy.

-Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.

Sparkling Punch

• 1 can frozen concentrated pink lemonade
• 1 c. cranberry-grape juice
• 2 1/2 c. water
• seltzer water, chilled
• mint sprigs for garnish

-In a pitcher, combine the pink lemonade concentrate, water, and juice with a large spoon until the concentrate is dissolved. Refrigerate mixture at least 2 hours.

-When ready to serve, fill glass halfway with lemonade mix and halfway with chilled seltzer. Garnish with mint if desired.

Asparagus and Goat Cheese wrapped with Prosciutto

• bunch of fresh asparagus
• 1 T. soft goat cheese
• 1/4 lb. sliced prosciutto
• 1 T. olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

-Wash the asparagus and snap off the pale ends.

-In a baking dish, toss the asparagus in olive oil and salt and pepper.

-Roast at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until tender.

-Remove from oven and let cool. Wrap each stalk in a slice of prosciutto, crumbling the goat cheese onto the meat halfway into each roll to secure it inside.

Baked Maple Glazed Ham

• 1 precooked ham of desired size
• 1/2 c. pure Grade A maple syrup

-Cook the ham according to package directions, adding a little of the maple syrup and basting every 15 minutes until the syrup is gone.

-Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before slicing.

Baked Shrimp and Grits

• 6 large shrimp
• 1 T. butter
• 2 c. water
• 1/2 c. old fashioned grits
• 1/2 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 T. chopped chives
• salt and pepper to taste

-Heat water in a small saucepan over medium heat until boiling. Add a dash of salt and the grits to the boiling water, stirring slowly. Lower heat to low and cover. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring every few.

-While the grits cook, heat the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter is hot, add the shrimp and sautee until just pink (no need to cook them through completely, they’ll finish in the oven).

-Add a generous amount of salt and pepper to the shrimp.

-When the grits are done cooking, stir in the chives and shrimp. Once combined, add in the cheese and stir a little.

-Pour grits into 2 ramekins. Top with additional cheese if desired.

-Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden.

-Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes before serving.

This was my FAVORITE part of brunch!

PHEW, this was a big meal! Well worth all the work, though. It was wonderful to enjoy it with the sun coming through the windows.

Now it’s time to get back to studying, my first exam is in two days!

Thanks for reading and happy Easter!

-Lauren