How are you preparing for Easter? I personally think that any holiday, especially on a Sunday, are a great excuse to put together a brunch table. So I prepared a list of great baking ideas to inspire you. Some are easy and perfect if you need a last-minute addition to your menu. There are both sweet and savory recipes, many that are not in the image below. So read on!
This post is updated every year with more relevant content.
Every year I gather with family, sometimes old friend, and celebrate around a nice brunch table for Easter. It's always special and there's always too much food, as pertains to those of us brought up with any type of Italian heritage.
Setting the table: take the time to think what color palette you want that go with your food. Easter and Spring are all about light and sunshine (hopefully) so make sure your plates and linens match the spirit you want for the brunch.
And before you think I'm not into the full Spring spirit because of the decoration colors, let me tell you that we are opposites here, so fall has arrived. Yup, it's all cooler days here in Buenos Aires.
The recipes
The great thing about baking is that most recipes are good to eat year round. We are not as eager to bake in the scorching summer, but spring and fall are perfect occasions. And a holiday is the perfect excuse.
These are, hands-down, my favorites for Easter.
Savory
I have to confess that savory baking is one of my favorite things. And eating the results is a big part of why I love it, lol.
- Pizza Rustica: this is a savory ricotta pie with cheeses and cold meats. A fantastic Italian recipe.
- Mushroom Leek Quiche: probably my favorite ever, it can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator for a day or frozen.
- Baked Ricotta: if you never tried this recipe I encourage you to, asap! It comes together in no time and can be topped with whatever you have around.
- Tomato Galette: an easy free-form tart, it has simple flavors but is very tasty.
- Tomato and Cheese Muffins: a twist on the traditional sweet ones, I love this for brunch because they're a crowd pleaser and don't require plates and forks.
- Crustless Quiche: the perfect option if you don't want to make a pie crust! And, the filling can be customized to what you have. All the info in the post.
Bread & Cookies
There are some traditional recipes below that I love to include in a holiday table. All brunches should have some type of bread and cookies, of course!
- Hot Cross Buns: my favorite bread for Easter, these are traditional, simple yet delicious.
- Easter Braid: a lightly sweet dough that is braided and glazed after baked. Easy-to-make and the post has a video tutorial.
- Almond Bread: a gorgeous holiday braid, with a crunchy almond crust and a soft, fluffy crumb. Make it plain or with add-ins such as chocolate chips.
- Lemon Crinkles: a crowd-pleaser, these are fantastic and easy to make.
- Amaretti: chewy and airy, these are gluten-free almond cookies made with few ingredients. It's a great way to use those leftover egg whites.
- White Chocolate Almond cookies: soft and delicious, these are sweet with a caramel tone and lots of crunchiness from the sliced almonds.
Pies and Desserts
Some traditional pies and some wonderful desserts that will be approved by your pickiest eaters.
- Lemon Ricotta Pie: I consider this the best one I ever made and it never fails to make an appearance at this time of year.
- Chocolate Coconut Brownies: the only recipe I added with chocolate, it can more than stand alone on its own. Fudgy and so delicious!
- Lattice Fig Tart: made with my mother's fig jam, this is an Italian recipe that never disappoints.
- Easiest Cherry Custard Tart: I can't emphasize enough how easy and sophisticated at the same time this tart is. The dough requires no refrigeration or cold ingredients!
- Raspberry Apple Pie: also known as crostata, this has a unique filling that is gorgeous both in color and flavor.
- Blueberry Cobbler: an easy dessert to make with your favorite fresh or frozen berries. It comes together in no time and is a crowd-pleaser.
Cakes
I narrowed down my favorite cake recipes for this time of year which was not easy. I hope you find them amazing like I surely do.
- Carrot Pineapple Cake: the minute I tasted this cake, a new favorite was born! So moist and flavorful, I have to say it's my favorite carrot cake today.
- Hummingbird Cake: beautiful layers flavored with banana, pineapple, cinnamon, and walnuts are combined with sweet cream cheese frosting. A fantastic classic cake that keeps well and can be frozen.
- Lemon Blueberry Layer Cake: this cake is a stunner. Lemon layers are filled and frosted with a blueberry cream cheese frosting with a hint of citrus zest.
- Ricotta Cheesecake: this is one of the most popular recipes in this blog, and with good reason, it's so easy to make and such a crowd-pleaser!
- Lemon Coconut Sheet cake: the wonderful synergy of coconut and lemon in a spongy, flavorful and easy-to-make sheet cake. And topped with our favorite lemon cream cheese frosting.
- Lemon Almond Bundt: I'm crazy about this cake. The combination of flavors is divine and the cake is moist and unique.
- Simple Carrot Sheet Cake: a beautiful and easy-to-make carrot cake that is very straightforward, versatile with ingredients, can be adapted to different pans and spice mixes and has a zingy ginger frosting.
- Lemon Olive Oil Bundt: if you never baked with olive oil, make room for this cake recipe because you'll want to make it often! It's moist, full of lemon flavor, and keeps well.
A bonus recipe that is more an idea, because it doesn't have a post, only the image below.
We took our favorite sour cream sugar cookie dough and made egg and bunny cookies decorated with chocolate candies in pastel colors. Look for those that are meant to be baked without losing color or form.
Cookie decoration was never easier! These were made by my friend Juliana over at Horneando Algo.
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Have a wonderful Easter holiday weekend everyone!
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