A Little Bit Spoiled

This past weekend, I got to be on the receiving end of a very fun (and delicious!) brunch. The chairs of Restoration Runway wanted to have a time to pamper all of the committee chairs and thank us for all our hard work. Let me tell you...they surely did! We were promptly all requesting recipes, and I wouldn't dare keep them to myself!

These little muffins were so scrumptious!

Lemon Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 lemon, zested and juiced

3/4 cup sour cream

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp lemon extract

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1) Whisk the dry ingredients, including the lemon zest, together in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients, including the lemon juice.

2) Pour the wet ingredients over the dry. Gently but quickly stir everything together. Don't worry if you have a few lumps-they're better than an overmixed batter.

3) Spoon batter into muffin tin. Bake 18-20 minutes (time varies depending on size of muffin tin; if smaller, cooking time is less) at 350 or until muffins are golden. Cool 5 minutes before unmolding.

It's no wonder the other muffins are delic...they're a Pioneer Woman recipe! Can't go wrong!

Cappuccino Muffins

The other favorite thing we had (besides the mound of whipped cream that is on my plate) was a tasty bread pudding! Apparently, it's not just for dessert!

Check out how sundried tomatoes and fresh mozzarella make this bread pudding into your next favorite brunch menu item!

Recipe: Savory bread pudding with dried tomatoes and mozzarella

Mark Bittman

Ingredients

• 3 cups milk
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus butter for the pan
• 1 cup chopped dried tomatoes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 thick slices day-old good quality white or semolina bread, crusts removed if very thick
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup pitted and chopped black olives
• Boiling water as needed

Preparation

Heat the oven to 350° F. Warm the milk, butter, dried tomatoes, and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper in a small saucepan over low heat just until the butter melts. Meanwhile, butter a 1 1/2-quart or 8-inch square baking dish (glass is nice) and cut or tear the bread into bite-sized pieces — not too small.

Put the bread in the baking dish and pour the warm milk over it. Let it sit for a few minutes, occasionally submerging any pieces of bread that rise to the top. Beat the eggs briefly and stir them into the bread mixture along with the cheese, basil, and olives. Set the baking dish in a larger baking pan and pour boiling water into the pan to within about an inch of the top of the dish.

Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted in the center comes out clean or nearly so; the center should be just a little wobbly. Run under the broiler for about 30 seconds if you like to brown the top a bit. Serve hot or store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Cover with foil and reheat in a 325° F oven for about 15 minutes; remove the foil and heat for another 5 minutes or so for a crisper crust.

Time: About 1 hour, largely unattended Serving Size 6 to 8 servings

This was definitely a simple pleasure of mine this week!