Get Your Brunch On with Baked Eggs

Baked eggs – they're begging you to dig in.  

Baked eggs. To me there is no better brunch dish. It's all the things you love about breakfast – eggs, bacon, tomatoes... cheese, even – cozied up together in a ramekin, bathed in a little cream and gently baked. Brilliant. I especially love they're versatility. You don't need a recipe – just flavours you enjoy; or, whatever's in your fridge. You can make as many or as few as you like. Contrary to what you may think, it's ideal for a crowd because you can prep the ramekins in the morning, stick them in the fridge and bake when you're ready. The only  slightly fiddly bit is baking the ramekins in a water bath, but this is a step worth taking as it ensures the eggs cook gently, resulting in the much sought-after perfectly runny yolk. In my oven, 18 minutes is just right to get the doneness on the eggs I like. If in doubt, pull them out a minute earlier rather than later, as they'll keep cooking for bit once they're out of the oven, and you can always put them back in, but you can't undo an over-cooked egg. Here's a sort-of recipe to inspire you, but play with the cheese, herbs and other ingredients. I've even seen a recipe for eggs baked in red wine! Try 'em out for Easter brunch or have them for dinner one night when you just can't face cooking anything else. 

Prep, layer, bake and then dig in

Baked Eggs with Bacon, Gruyere & Caramelized Tomatoes

Prep Time: 15 min. | Total Time: 40 min. | Makes: 8 (1 egg each) or 4 (2 eggs each)
knob butter
1 cup sliced grape or cherry tomatoes 
1 clove garlic, finely sliced
pinch salt and pepper
1/2 tsp thyme leaves, divided 
6 to 8 slices bacon, chopped
8 eggs
1/4 cup heavy or whipping cream
3/4 cup finely grated Gruyere cheese 
pinch freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Place garlic and half the thyme in skillet. Place tomatoes slice side down in skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until softened and lightly caramelized, approx. 7 to 10 min. 

Meanwhile cook bacon in a skillet until crisp. Remove from pan and place on a paper-towel lined plate to absorb fat. 

Place 8 small or 4 large ramekins in a baking dish or shallow roasting pan. Divide bacon and tomatoes evenly between ramekins. Crack 1 to 2 eggs in each ramekin. Top with remaining thyme. Top each ramekin evenly with cream and then sprinkle with cheese. Top with freshly grated pepper or nutmeg. 

Pour freshly boiled water into baking dish or roasting pan, filling about half way up the ramekins and being careful not to get any inside the ramekins.

Bake for approx. 18 min until eggs are set but yolk is still runny. 

Get Stuffed with Savoury Pancakes

Ultimate breakfast for dinner: Maple-Bacon, Cheddar & Chive Pancakes

In my last post, I promised you chocolate. 

Never fear, chocolate is on its way. I'm just waiting for a special delivery before I can start testing. Fingers crossed for Thursday!

In the meantime, I offer you this: a savoury-sweet pancake recipe (with bacon!) that's perfect for dinner, or brunch or anywhere in between. Today is Shrove or "Pancake" Tuesday, after all. Pancake Tuesday doesn't have much of a presence in Canada, but in the U.K., everyone eats thin crepe-like pancakes smothered in sugar and lemon juice as a last hurrah before Lent, because, well, if you're going to stuff your face with something, it may as well be pancakes. (At this point, I could tell you about the time when I was a little girl and ate one of those bigger-than-your face, whipped cream and chocolate-slathered creations and was immediately sick, but why go there?) These pancakes are what the Brits would call American pancakes, although with the addition of cheddar, maple and bacon, I'd say they're decidedly Canadian. 

The bacon here is pretty special and a recipe in its own right. It's inspired by an old Gourmet recipe, which I've both simplified and doctored up. In these pancakes, the bacon is the dominant flavour note, adding salt, sweet and spice. The method also ensures it's both crisp and non-greasy. Feel free to make extra. It'll make a rocking BLT, jazz up any pasta and it's perfect for absent-minded nibbling while you're flipping pancakes.

Another key technique to these pancakes is adding the cheese and chives to the batter before cooking. I referenced several recipes that instructed you to add the cheese on top of the pancakes while they cooked – for me, this was a major stick-to-the-pan, burnt-cheese fail. After some experimentation, I discovered that mixing the cheese into the batter instead works perfectly. If you want to make your batter ahead, you can, just add the cheese and chives right before cooking. The bacon on the other hand is best added on top while the pancake is cooking so it stays crisp and makes for a prettier presentation. Another quick note: There are pancakes of a similar ilk that use green onions. I prefer the subtlety of chives, both in terms of flavour and mouthfeel (in other words, I don't like to bite on big chunks of green onion). Okay. Enough technicalities. Make these, stuff your face and be happy. By the way, I hope you're not giving chocolate up for Lent! 

Maple-Bacon, Cheddar & Chive Pancakes 
Prep Time: 10 min. | Total Time: 40 min. | Makes: 10 pancakes
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1-1/4 cups buttermilk
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
1/2 cup finely grated cheddar cheese
1 tbsp finely sliced chives
1 cup chopped, cooked Spiced Maple-Bacon (recipe below) 

In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, melted butter and egg. Whisk flour mixture into buttermilk mixture until just smooth, without over-mixing. (You can make the batter the night ahead up until this point and refrigerate; bring to room temperature before cooking.) Stir in cheese and chives. 

In a large non-stick skillet, heat a knob of butter over medium heat, until foaming (you can use canola oil or bacon fat if you prefer). Using a 1/4 cup measure, pour batter into pan, ensuring space is left between pancakes (cook in batches if necessary); sprinkle with approx. 1 tbsp bacon pieces. Cook until bubbles appear at edges and on top, approx. 2 min. Using spatula, carefully flip pancakes and cook until browned, approx. two min. more. Transfer to a platter and keep in a 200ºF oven until ready to serve. Top with remaining bacon pieces and maple syrup if desired. 

Spiced Maple-Bacon
Prep Time: 5 min. | Total Time: 30 min. | Makes: 1 cup chopped bacon
8 slices streaky bacon
1 tsp pure maple syrup
1 pinch each black pepper and cayenne pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Place a cooling rack on top of a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Layer bacon strips vertically on top of cooling rack, without overlapping. Bake bacon for 20 to 30 min. on middle rack (it should be browned and crisp but still pliable). Remove baking sheet from oven; blot bacon with paper towel. Brush bacon slices with maple syrup and sprinkle with peppers. Return bacon to oven for 2 min. more. Remove bacon and place syrup side up on a paper towel lined plate. Allow to cool slightly and cut into small pieces.