Sunday, December 4, 2011

Eggs-cellent email (with recipes!)

I don't usually publish things from press releases, but this is worth sharing, because it includes RECIPES. See, PR people, that's good bait to dangle in front of me.

The recipes are courtesy of the American Egg Board and sent to me by the Colorado Egg Producers. I haven't tried either of them, but they seem like they ought to work.

Mini Cheddar Quiche Bites

1/4 to 1/2 cup panko or regular bread crumbs
4 eggs
1/3 cup half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 – 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese (5 ounces)

Heat oven to 350°F. Generously apray 24 mini-muffin cups with cooking spray. Pat 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crumbs in the bottom of each muffin cup. Tap muffin pan to lightly coat sides of each muffin cup.

Beat eggs, half-and-half, salt and pepper in medium bowl until blended. Add cheese; mix well.

Spoon evenly into mini-muffin cups, about 1 tablespoon each.

Bake in 350 degree oven until just set, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on rack for 5 minutes. Loosen quiches from sides of muffin cups with a thin knife. Remove from cups; serve warm.

  • Leftovers are good cold or reheated briefly in the oven or microwave. Great for snacking or a quick breakfast on the run.
  • For added flavor, add 1/3 to 1/2 cup cooked crumbled bacon, sausage or chopped ham with cheese.

Hot Chocolate Soufflé

1/2 cup sugar, divided
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs, room temperature, separated
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix 1/4 cup sugar, the cocoa powder, flour and salt in medium saucepan; gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils.

Stir in vanilla. Remove from heat.

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in mixer bowl with whisk attachment on high speed until foamy. Beating constantly, Add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating after each addition until sugar is dissolved. (Rub a bit of mixture between thumb and forefinger; it should feel completely smooth.) Continue beating until whites are glossy and stand in soft peaks.

Stir egg yolks into reserved sauce until blended. Gently but thoroughly fold yolk mixture into whites until no streaks of white remain. Carefully pour into ungreased 1-1/2 to 2-qt. soufflé dish. For a "top hat," hold metal spatula upright and make a ring in top of the soufflé mixture, 1 inch from side of dish and 1 inch deep, if desired.

Bake in 350 degree oven until soufflé is puffy, delicately browned and shakes slightly when oven rack is moved gently back and forth, 30 to 40 minutes. Serve immediately.
  • Dust soufflé with powdered sugar and serve with whipped cream.
  • Follow the age-old rule – the soufflé doesn't wait for the guests, the guests wait for the soufflé. Be ready to whisk the soufflé to the table as soon as it's out of the oven.
  • Serve by gently breaking the top crust into portions with two forks held back-to-back. Then lightly spoon soufflé onto plates, including some center and some crust in each serving.
For more stuff from the press release check here.
    Yum