Best Weekend Breakfast: Baked Eggs in Ramekins

Pancakes are good. French toast is good, well, great actually. A fried egg sandwich with arugula, aged cheddar cheese and bacon is really amazing. But my new favorite weekend breakfast adds a touch of class and a whole lot of deliciousness to my laid back Saturday mornings.

Eating baked eggs in individual ramekins makes me feel like I’ve gone out for a fancy weekend brunch, except I’m really sitting on my sofa in my pajamas listening to Car Talk. Making these takes the same amount of time as a good stack of pancakes, and the recipe is infinitely adaptable to whatever you’re in the mood for, or whatever you happen to have in your fridge.

Grab a ramekin, throw in some quickly sautéed onions and swiss chard, or try some diced bell peppers, mushrooms would be great, crumbled bacon would be divine. My husband would be embarrassed that I’m admitting this, but last time I actually used leftover Easy Mac as the base for my baked eggs, and it was grand. So no matter your tastes, pick something yummy for the filling, crack two eggs on top, add a dash of cream, a grating of your favorite cheese, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, then throw them in the oven.

While you’re busy making coffee, your baked eggs will take care of themselves, slowly cooking until the whites are set and the yolks are still deliciously oozy. Once they’re done, serve with toast for ultimate dip-a-bility. It’s pretty hard to add class to breakfast when you have bed head, bare feet and the cackle of the Car Talk guys from the radio in the background, but baked eggs make it almost possible.

Individual Baked Eggs in Ramekins
(4 servings)
Adapted from gourmet.com

2 cups of your favorite filling (about 1/2 cup per ramekin). Try sautéed veggies like onions, swiss chard, spinach, bell peppers, mushrooms, leeks, squash, or fresh diced tomato. Meats: crumbled bacon, diced prosciutto, cooked sausage. My favorite combo so far (and the version pictured) is sautéed onions and swiss chard.
1 T olive oil
8 eggs
¼ cup grated cheddar or parmesan cheese
4 t heavy cream (1 t per ramekin)
Salt and pepper
4 (6 or 8 oz) ramekins

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Distribute filling evenly among 4 ramekins. Crack 2 eggs into each ramekin. Spoon 1 teaspoon cream over each egg. Sprinkle grated cheese among ramekins and dot the surface with olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Put ramekins in a shallow baking pan and bake, rotating pan halfway through baking, until whites are just set but yolks are still runny, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with toast for dipping.

How could baked eggs get any better? When you have someone to share them with.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

This recipe comes from my Mom, Linda. She’s been baking for decades, so she’s tried hundreds and hundreds of desserts in her lifetime. She says these cookies are one of her all-time favorites, so I had to share.

We made these the last time I was home in Pennsylvania for her church bake sale. I tasted one fresh out of the oven before she had a chance to wrap them in cellophane and tie a bow around them, and they are definitely as good as promised!

If you’re a white chocolate fan, as my mom is, you’ll go, well, nuts. Even if white chocolate isn’t your favorite chocolate, you’ll still love these. They’re buttery, crispy, with hunks of dense macadamia nuts and creamy white chocolate. Make them for your next bake sale, or just for yourself. Thanks for the recipe, Mom!

Cookies almost ready for the oven. Flattened versions on the far left, pre-flattened on the right.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

½ c. unsalted butter, softened

¾ c. packed light brown sugar

½ c. granulated sugar

½ c. shortening

1 egg

1 ½ tsp vanilla

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 ½ c. white chocolate chips

7 oz macadamia nuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Toast nuts on a cookie sheet while oven preheats. Note from Mom: Keep an eye on them—you’ll be able to smell them when they’re done, and let them cool a little before adding them to the cookie dough.

Beat butter and shortening with a stand or hand-held mixer until soft and creamy.  Gradually add the sugars and beat well.

Add egg and vanilla and beat well.

Sift together flour, soda, and salt; gradually add to butter mix beating well after each addition. Stir in chips and nuts. My Mom is a big fan of chilling cookie dough for about 20-30 minutes before scooping. I highly recommend this—it keeps the butter cold.

Once chilled, drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. (Note: my Mom used a cookie scoop, which worked wonders!) Flatten each ball of dough slightly with the palm of your hand. Bake for 15 minutes. Let rest about 2 minutes on the cookie sheet before removing to a wire rack.

Cookies ready for the church bake sale!