Sisters, Nieces, Bunnies, Coffee, Brunch. These are a few of my favorite things. And on one perfect Saturday, the stars aligned and I had all of my favorite things under one roof. Under my roof, that is. It was pure lovliness.
These days, my sisters and I aren’t all under one roof very often. We all live in the same state, but we all have busy schedules that don’t seem to intersect often. However, my youngest sister is having a baby this summer. And with babies come baby showers, and the planning of said baby shower(s). So, the three of us decided to get together under the auspices of planning Candyce’s baby shower. I offered to fix brunch and introduce them to my new baby bunny and the matter was settled.
The thing is, we didn’t do much in the way of actual planning. We were extremely distracted by the cuteness of one infant (my niece Ramona) meeting one baby bunny (Lil Omar). It was too cute for words, so I will just show you a picture:
The cute fest ended when Ramona started hitting Lil Omar in the face, so we separated the two little ones and went about our brunching. We did as the Strannigan sisters are prone to do: inhaled our food, gabbed about life, drank a lot of coffee, fought over who got to hold the baby, and so forth. It was just what I needed. A simple meal, enjoyed with some of the people I love the most.
So, here’s to sisters and babies and bunnies. And to fresh eggs with bright orange yolks that are baked with cheese, herbs, and cream. And to coffee mugs with creepy kitten pictures on them. I love it all so very much.
EGGS EN COCOTTE (AKA: SHIRRED EGGS)
Serves 3
(Based off Leela Cyd’s lovely recipe on The Kitchn)
3 eggs
3 tablespoons cream
3 teaspoons minced shallots
3 grated gruyere cheese
2 teaspoons minced chives
A few sprigs of fresh thyme, minced
3 slices crusty bread or toast
Method:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly grease three small ramekins (or any other oven proof cups or bowls). Crack one egg into each ramekin or bowl, and pour one tablespoon of cream onto each egg. Sprikle the cheese, shallots, and a bit of minced time over each egg.
Bake for 7 to 10 minutes (7 for a runny yolk, 10 for a firmer yolk), until the egg is ‘set’ to your liking. Serve (and eat) as quickly as you can, as the yolk will continue to cook in the hot dish (and we don’t want overcooked eggs!).
Best enjoyed with a big cup of coffee (or tea), in your favorite kitten mug. In addition, it is great when paired with strawberries and fresh cream, your two little sisters, a baby bunny, and the cutest niece on the planet.
*Note: Being the ever-blossoming Pacific Northwest granola that I am, I made this meal the day after I’d purchased my first gallon of raw milk from a local dairy. I skimmed the cream off the top to use with the eggs, and used the rest of the cream to make whipped cream for the strawberries. It was heavenly. All other whipped cream pales in comparison.
i feel like we have arrived. rams and i both made your food blog! and the brunch was delicious.
I am so proud of your cream use! Isn’t it just divine? I have a really hard time even looking at traditional milk or cream now. I’m such an elitist :)
This sounds so yummy- I love the shallots in with the eggs and cheese! The yolk in your picture looks amazing, I wanna dip that piece of bread in there. =) Btw- the bunny and the niece together are so adorable!!!!
This post is just too cute! It’s nice to have all of your favorite things in one day. These eggs…wow….cream, cheese, shallots…..and I’m usually just happy when I don’t break the yolk! Nicely done! : )
That looks absolutely delicious! So glad I stumbled upon this blog.
I love playing pass the baby- it’s my favorite past-time at family events. I love this dish- simple and gorgeous!
Love your blog…and sweet Ramona!