I made this Easter brunch a while back and it somehow disappeared from my website, so I’m sharing it again! Just in time for Easter on Sunday. I made it to be completely make ahead so that you all you have to do is heat up the quiche, set the fruit and sweet rolls out and enjoy. Almost effortless entertaining is the only way to go. I know I appreciate make ahead items when I’m having people over. It makes for a sweeter party when the hostess can relax and enjoy herself.
The items in the brunch line up are super easy to make. The fruit is a matter of slicing and mixing some lime juice and sugar together. The quiche is super simple. Also a matter of mixing a few things together and pouring them into a prepared pie crust. When you read the Carrot Cake Cinnamon Roll recipe, don’t be intimidated. I promise the “hardest” part of the recipe is waiting on the frozen bread dough to thaw and rise. It’s really super simple, just follow the directions and make sure you give yourself ample time for the dough to thaw. Let me just say, these cinnamon rolls are to. die. for. They are so ooey gooey and full of flavor. The recipe serves a crowd, and pray you have some left over to enjoy with your coffee on Monday morning.
The other great thing is that this cinnamon roll recipe could be adapted into many different flavors. You could make the Blueberry Lemon Breakfast Rolls from back in the early blog days (recipe here) or get creative and make some seasonal sweet rolls such as strawberry or peach. With all the great spring and summer produce coming into season, you’ve got loads of options.
Also, this entire spread would double as a wonderful Mother’s Day brunch, so be sure to bookmark it and keep it for Mom’s special day coming up.
I hope everyone has a beautiful Easter Sunday!
Easy Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing
SERVES PrintDownloadIngredients
- 2 loaves of frozen bread dough, thawed (found in the frozen food section and comes 3 to a bag)
- 1 stick of butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cup of brown sugar
- 2 1/2 Tbsp of ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp of vanilla
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts
- 2/3 cup shredded carrots
- 2/3 cup golden raisins
- 1/2 cup dried pineapple, optional
- 4 oz of cream cheese, room temperature
- 3 Tbsp of butter, room temperature
- 1-2 cups of powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp of milk
- 1/2 tsp of vanilla
Instructions
- Thaw two of the frozen bread dough loaves in the refrigerator or on the kitchen counter. Allow the thawed dough to rise for 1-2 hours in a warm area, covered with a damp cloth.
- In a medium sized bowl, beat together the cinnamon, sugar, vanilla and butter until it's well combined. Mix in the toasted walnuts, carrots, raisins and chopped dried pineapple if you're using it.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out each loaf into a rectangle.
- Divide the filling mixture between the two rolled out loaves and spread over each loaf.
- Roll up the loaves and cut each into 6 rolls for a total of 12. Place the rolls into a baking dish.
- Cover with a warm damp towel and let them rise for 1-2 hours in a warm area. When the rolls have doubled in size, bake them in a 350 degree oven for about 15-18 minutes until they are lightly browned. Cool slightly before icing.
- **If you're making them ahead to bake right before you eat, cover and keep them in the refrigerator. Take them out 1-2 hours before baking, cover with a damp towel and allow them to rise. Proceed with baking as directed above.
- Cream Cheese Icing: Beat together the butter and cream cheese. Add the vanilla. Beat in half cup of the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until you get a thick, but spreadable icing. If it's too thick, add more milk. If it's too thin, add more sugar. Spread over the warm rolls and serve.
Ham, Cheese and Spinach Quiche
SERVES serves 8 PrintDownloadIngredients
- 1 ready made pie crust
- 1 cup of diced, smoked ham
- 1 cup of shredded swiss or gruyere cheese
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 1 cup of frozen spinach, thawed and drained of all the liquid
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup of milk, preferably whole
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 tsp of dry mustard
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat up the olive oil in a medium size skillet to medium high heat. Add the chopped onion, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and cook for about 7-10 minutes.
- Allow the onion to cool a little while you prepare the crust and filling.
- Roll out the crust and fit it into a pie plate.
- In a medium size bowl, beat together the eggs and milk. Add in the smoked ham, spinach, onions, mustard 3/4 cup of the cheese and about 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper.
- Mix everything together well and pour into the pie shell. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese and bake for about 30 minutes until the quiche is set.
- **To reheat the quiche, bring it to room temperature for about 45 minutes. Heat in a 350 oven for about 10-15 minutes, covered with foil.
Minted Fruit Salad
SERVES serves 8 PrintDownloadIngredients
- 1 container of strawberries, quartered
- 4 kiwis, peeled and sliced
- 1 container of blackberries
- 1 container of blueberries
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
- 2 heaping Tbsp of chopped fresh mint leaves
- 3 Tbsp of sugar
Instructions
- Add the prepared fruit to a medium size bowl.
- In another small bowl, mix together the lime juice, sugar and mint together.
- Pour over the fruit just before serving, toss to combine.
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