Easy Easter Brunch

Baked Ham Pinwheels

2 Puff Pastry sheets, thawed 

⅛ oz. thinly sliced ham 

8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

4 oz. cream cheese, softened 

2 Tbsp. dijon mustard

2 Tbsp. fresh parsley or spinach, finely chopped

1 large egg, beaten (for egg wash) 

In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, Dijon mustard and chopped fresh parsley. Mix well until everything is smoothly incorporated and the mixture is creamy. 

For pinwheel assembly, lightly flour a clean work surface. Unfold one sheet of thawed puff pastry onto the floured surface. Gently roll it out slightly to even it out and make it a bit thinner, about 12 x 12 inches. Be careful not to roll it too thin, and even thickness ensures even baking. Using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, evenly spread half of the cream cheese mixture over the entire surface of the puff pastry sheet, leaving a small border at the edges. Again, a thin, even layer is best. Arrange half of the thinly sliced ham evenly over the cream cheese layer, covering the entire surface. Then, sprinkle half of the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the ham. Make sure the ham and cheese are distributed evenly to ensure every pinwheel is packed with flavor.

Starting from one edge, tightly roll up the puff pastry sheet into a log, like a jelly roll. Roll it up as tightly as possible to create neat and compact pinwheels and prevent loss of filling. Repeat steps 2–5 with the second sheet of puff pastry, the remaining cream cheese mixture, ham and cheddar cheese to create a second log. Wrap each puff pastry log tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour to ensure the pinwheel maintains its shape during baking. 

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Remove the chilled logs from the refrigerator. Using a sharp, serrated knife, slice each log into ½-inch thick pinwheels and place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Place the pinwheels cut-side up on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between each pinwheel to allow for even baking and browning (12–15 per log). Brush the tops of each pinwheel with the beaten egg wash to create a golden color and a slight sheen. Bake 18–20 minutes or until golden brown and the puff pastry appears flaky. Watch closely towards the end of baking to prevent over browning. Cool and serve.

Lemon Blueberry Bunny Bundt

2 ¾ cups flour

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

3 Tbsp. lemon juice, about 2 large lemons

2 Tbsp. lemon zest, about 2 large lemons

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup sour cream

3 cup blueberries mixed with 2 Tbsp. flour

NOTE: you can use frozen but skip mixing frozen berries with flour

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Beat the butter and sugar on medium high for about 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Continue beating, adding a bit of the flour mixture to the egg mixture in intervals, a bit at a time. Add the lemon juice, zest, vanilla and sour cream. Gently stir these into the batter with a spatula or wooden spoon. Gently fold in the blueberries. Spread the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 60–70 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. (If the top is brown but the center isn’t cooked, cover the top with aluminum foil to keep from burning)

For the Icing

1 ½ Tbsp. butter, melted

2 cups powdered sugar

⅓ cups lemon juice

Pinch salt

1 tablespoon lemon zest

Beat the powdered sugar, lemon juice, salt and zest together. Slowly beat the melted butter into the sugar and lemon combo. Beat until combined well. Let cool a bit until the desired consistency for pouring. Pour over your cake and allow for cooling.