Sunny Cups

{lindsay tarquinio}

I don't always eat breakfast in the morning (not good, I know), but I absolutely love breakfast food. I was the kind of kid who wanted to have pancakes during snack time and Eggs Benedict for dinner on a school night. I suppose growing up Filipino, the traditional American breakfast always appealed to be because traditional Filipino breakfasts are not so different from any other meal of the day; mostly savory with a hefty portion of meat or fish and sautéed veggies over steamed white rice, sometimes with a fried egg on top for good measure. So anyhoo, I'm always on the lookout for quick, easy and healthy breakfast options and found these baked egg cups on The Simple Delights. I think they look like sunshine in a breakfast cup, don't you?

Baked Egg Cups

Ingredients

12 large organic eggs

12 thin round slices of deli ham

1/2 cup of your favorite cheese (this recipe called for Parmesan)

1/2 cup diced scallions

Fresh cracked Sea Salt and Pepper

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400.  Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.  Lay a piece of ham in each hole creating a little ham cup.  Crack one egg into each hole and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake the eggs for about 12 minutes, until the white is firm and the yolk is still nice and runny.

Carefully remove each egg from the muffin tin and top with grated cheese and scallions.  Serve hot.  Yield: 12

Bonus points, these baked egg cups are only 100 calories a cup and have 17.6 grams of protein each. Get yourself in the kitchen asap! I promise this is a good one.

Scotchies

My momma's birthday is in less than a week, and I'm whipping up some sweet treats for the fam. In addition to a traditional strawberry shortcake, I'm going to make these cookies that my dear friend Meredith spotted on Lauren's Latest and totally rocked out in her newlywed kitchen. They're loaded with peanut butter chips and shredded coconut on top of the oatmeal and butterscotch. Initiating sugar high.

Peanut Butter Coconut Oatmeal Scotchies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 6 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 10 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons oats
• 1/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut
• 1/4 cup peanut butter chips
• 1/4 cup butterscotch chips

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with silicone mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugars together. Stir in egg and vanilla. 
3. Sift baking soda, salt and flour and stir in until just incorporated. Pour in remaining ingredients and stir.
4. Scoop onto prepared pan and bake 8-10 minutes, rotating the pan half way through.
5. Cool 3 minutes on the pan and remove to cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

These cookies are out of control addictive. If you're like me, oatmeal cookies belong in the breakfast category to justify your insatiable sweet tooth first thing in the morning. Good luck trying to eat just one.

Breakfast

{michael bullock}

I spotted this amazing treat on Camille Styles yesterday and knew I had to have it for breakfast this morning. If oatmeal and crème brûlée had a love-child, this would be it.

Brûlée Oatmeal with Almonds and Berries

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 1 cup steel-cut oats
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• raspberries and chopped almonds (or whatever fruit and nuts you like!)

Preparation

1. In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil; stir in oatmeal and salt. Cook over low heat partially covered, simmering and stirring often, until almost all liquid has been absorbed and oats are al dente, about 45 minutes. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon.
2. Transfer oatmeal to 4 ovenproof ramekins or mason jars. Preheat broiler.
3. Stir together sugars, and sprinkle evenly over tops of oatmeal. Place ramekins on baking sheet, and broil until sugar melts and forms a crust, about 2 minutes. Top with berries and nuts.

 If that can't get you going in the morning, I don't know what will. Enjoy, dears!