egg

Spring is here! …And with it, all the pollen. It might be the new neighborhood that we moved to, but the allergies are out of control. Tissue boxes are everywhere and I had my first dose of non-drowsy allergy medicine that made me foggy headed all day. So I’m soldiering on, no pills, just eye drops and nasal spray to keep the itching away.

As much as I am suffering, springtime also brings fresher produce and we can finally move on from the comforting and hearty roasts and stews that kept our bodies and bellies warm over this winter. Asparagus is a welcome change and it stays crisp and fresh if you blanch it! (Blanch = quick cook in boiling water). It’s also super cheap this time of the year, and as I am a sucker for deals, I tend to over buy good looking, affordable produce. So what to do with all the asparagus? Make asparagus toast!

We happened to have some roasted garlic hummus in the fridge from our attempt to have healthier snacks, (dieting is going terribly btw) and it made the perfect canvas for the asparagus and the soft boiled egg. Then it’s topped with Hollandaise sauce which is made in the microwave (I know, I didn’t know it could be done either), and is the perfect velvety, rich and tangy touch to the healthy toast. Spring is served.

Asparagus Smashed Egg Toast
Makes 2 toasts

Ingredients:
2 slices of bread, toasted (I used Ezekiel Bread)
garlic hummus (whichever brand or hummus you like)
8-10 stalks of asparagus, pending on thickness
extra virgin olive oil
2 large eggs
quick microwave hollandaise sauce (recipe below)
parsley, for garnish
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Fill a medium bowl with ice water and set it aside.
Trim your asparagus about 1-2 inches from the bottom, removing the tough ends.
Boil a pot of water and bring it to a simmer, add your asparagus for about 1-2 minutes until crisp-tender.
Remove asparagus and place into the ice water until cool.
Rub extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of salt on the asparagus and set aside.
Bring the same pot of water to boil and once it does, lower the heat to a bare simmer and submerge your eggs carefully into the water with a spoon.
Cook the eggs for 7 minutes and move into an ice bath.
Once cool enough to handle, crack and peel eggs.
On your toasted bread, spread garlic hummus. Remember to spread it to the edges.
Neatly arrange your cooked asparagus in a diagonal, giving it a push to secure it to the hummus.
Place an egg on each toast, and smash it with a fork.
Drizzle on the hollandaise sauce.
Sprinkle on salt and pepper, if desired and garnish with parsley

Quick Microwave Hollandaise

Ingredients

½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
2 egg yolks (from a large egg)
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp. milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Whisk egg yolks, lemon juice (start with 1 tablespoon and add more later if needed), milk and a pinch of salt and pepper together in a microwave safe bowl.
Drizzle in the melted butter while whisking the egg yolk mixture until smooth.
Microwave the sauce in 15 second intervals for one minute, whisking in between every interval until the sauce is hot and thick.
Taste and add more lemon juice if desired.

Two years ago, I bought a Jello egg mold with grand hopes that it will mold and form beautiful rainbow-striped Jello eggs. After mixing endless bowls of different flavored Jello, the project flopped terribly. The eggs didn’t set properly and I ended up with shattered Jello eggs that wouldn’t hold their shape. I called it a lost cause and put the mold away thinking I would never use it again.

Chocolate Tiramisu Egg 3

Fast forward two years and I unearthed the egg mold while digging through my cake pans. Since Easter is around the corner, I called it fate and contemplated a way to use it. It didn’t come easy, but in the end I finally thought of an original idea. An idea that was original until this moment when I googled it and saw that 7 hours ago someone beat me to the punch!! NOOOO! Le sigh.

Well original or not, these eggs look so much like the real thing at first glance it’s a little weird to eat them. But you need to, because encased in the chocolate egg is the most heavenly bite of tiramisu. It’s adorable and let’s be honest, it’s a little fun freaking out people.

White Chocolate Tiramisu Eggs

You will need:

1 Batch of Lady Fingers (Recipe Below)
1 Batch of Mascarpone Cream (Recipe Below)
1 Cup of Strong Coffee
1/2 Package of White Chocolate Melts
1 Jello Egg Mold*
Approximately 10 Pieces of Yellow Chocolate Melts
Cocoa Powder (Optional)

Assembly:

Place white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl/cup with a spout.
Melt the white chocolate melts in the microwave in 15 second intervals until completely melted.
Thoroughly spray the inside of your egg mold with a non-stick cooking spray.
Use the spout of your bowl/cup to pour white chocolate into the egg about ¼ of the way.
Start rotating your egg mold (left, right, and upside down) until it starts to set.** (When flipping the egg mold upside down, do so above your melted chocolate so the excess can drip back into the bowl.)
Once set, repeat steps 4 and 5 two more times to ensure through covering and place in freezer to completely set. (4-5 minutes)
While the eggs are setting,
1. Punch out ½ -⅔ in circles of the prepared lady fingers.
2. Place Mascarpone cream into a piping bag fitted with a ¼ in. plain piping tip.
Take the eggs out of the freezer and carefully unmold the chocolate. It may stick a little. Just wiggle it around and it should come out in one piece.
Run a serrated knife in hot tap water and wipe off excess water. While the knife is hot, cut the top ¼ -⅙ of the egg. (After every egg, make sure to reheat your knife for easier cutting.)
Place the eggs back into the bottom half of the egg mold, and put about a teaspoon of the mascarpone cream inside.
Layer one piece of the lady finger and with a small pastry brush, brush coffee onto the lady finger to soak it. Place a second piece of lady finger on top and brush coffee again.
Layer another teaspoon of mascarpone cream, and repeat step 11.
Layer the final teaspoon of mascarpone cream and let set in freezer.
Melt the yellow chocolate melts and put into a squeeze bottle for easy use.***
Take the chocolate out of the freezer and squeeze a dollop of yellow chocolate melts to imitate the yolk.
Optional: Pinch a little cocoa powder between your fingers and (over the sink) flick specks of cocoa onto the white chocolate. Rotate the egg and repeat until completely speckled. (This resembles the cocoa that is usually dusted on top of traditional tiramisu.)

Lady Fingers

Ingredients:
2 eggs, separated
6 tbsp. sugar, divided
⅓ c. flour, sifted
½ tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
In a stand mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, whip egg whites until foamy.
Slowly add in 2 tablespoons of sugar and continue whisking until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Empty the egg whites in a separate bowl.
Place 2 egg yolks and 4 tablespoons sugar into the mixer bowl and mix until pale and very thick.
Add the vanilla extract and fold in sifted flour. (It will be very thick.)
Mix in 1/3 of the reserved whipped egg whites to the flour mixture
Fold in the remaining whipped egg whites 1/3 at a time.
Spread the batter onto prepared sheet pan to about ¼ inch thick.
Bake about 8 minutes, rotating the pan halfway until golden brown
Let cool.

Mascarpone Cream

Ingredients:
1 c. heavy cream
¼ c. powdered sugar
4 oz. mascarpone cheese

Instructions:

In a cold stand mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form.
Sift in the powdered sugar and mix until just incorporated.
Add the mascarpone cheese and mix until stiff peaks form.

* If you do not own a Jello egg mold, you can always take a shortcut and order pre-made hollow chocolate eggs from Amazon. If you do this, start from step 7.
** This process is messy. Don’t let that get you down!
*** If you do not have a squeeze bottle, you can always just spoon on the chocolate.