HOW TO PLAN THE PERFECT EASTER BRUNCH

As its name suggests, brunch unites the best of two culinary worlds. The combination of "breakfast" and "lunch" originated in England in the 18th century. Already then, people recognized the merits of this late morning (...or early afternoon) meal. Brunch invites us to forget the hustle and bustle of everyday life for a while. Instead, take some time for good food and conversation!

Obviously you can eat brunch any time during the year. But a particularly popular time for brunching (ar least here in Europe) is Easter Sunday. Why not organize your own brunch this year and invite your family and friends? It is certainly cheaper and more relaxing than sitting in a crowded restaurant! Yet you might ask yourself: can I enjoy brunch even if I have to organize it myself? 

Of course you can! With a little planning, you can organize a stress-free brunch for you and your guests. We will tell you the best tips:

Preparation Tips & Checklist

Good preparation is crucial to having a relaxed brunch. Send your invitation early, especially if you are planning a brunch for a large group. Ask your guests to confirm or cancel their attendance in good time. This will make planning a lot easier for you.

After confirming their attendance, your guests are likely going to ask: "What should we bring?" Don't be afraid to involve them in organizing. Your guests may already know what they would like to bring. But you can also give them suggestions. Great ideas include jams, spreads, sweet or savory muffins, and fruit or pasta salad.

As the host, you will have plenty to prepare for the brunch. Fortunately, you can do a lot in advance. To help you with the planning, we have created a handy checklist for you to print:

You can prepare many brunch treats entirely or in parts the night before. Here are a few ideas:

• Cinnamon buns: Store the ready-rolled cinnamon buns in the baking dish in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, all you have to do is bake and serve them.
• Prepare batter for pancakes, crepes or pancakes and store overnight in the refrigerator.
• Pre-cook soups
• Prepare spreads

3 Simple Recipe Ideas for Your Easter Brunch

An excellent brunch is characterized by a wide range of delicacies. In addition to sweet dishes, you should also offer some savory options. Here we have three tasty recipe ideas for you, which you can easily prepare the night before:‍

Tomato and pepper spread

‍2 jars
Ingredients:

• 75 g dried tomatoes (in oil).
• 75 g dried peppers (in oil)
• 150 g sunflower seeds
• some tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons water
• some oregano, dried
• some rosemary, dried
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch of garlic powder

Soak sunflower seeds overnight (optional). Roughly chop the dried tomatoes and peppers. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until you get a fine paste. Depending on consistency, add a little more water if necessary. Fill the spread into 2 clean jars (220 ml each). Keep in the refrigerator for about 7 days.‍

Pea and mint soup

‍4 servings
Ingredients:

• 800 g peas (frozen)
• 1 onion
• 1 liter of vegetable broth
• 10 peppermint leaves
• 3 tablespoons butter
• Salt & pepper
• Crème fraîche or oat cream (optional)

Dice the onions. Melt butter in a saucepan and sauté onions in it. Add peas, mint leaves, and vegetable broth and let simmer for 10 minutes or according to package directions. Puree soup and stir in creme fraiche or oat cream to taste. Let the soup warm up again briefly before serving.

Rhubarb Overnight Oats‍

4 servings
Ingredients:

• 200 g fine rolled oats
• 600 ml cow's or plant milk
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds (or ground flax seeds)
• 600 g rhubarb
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 0.25 tsp vanilla powder
• Toppings of your choice, e.g. hazelnuts

The night before, mix oatmeal, chia seeds, and milk in a large jar or bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight. Peel the rhubarb and cut it into small pieces. Cook rhubarb, sugar, and vanilla powder in a pan until soft, about 10 minutes.

The next morning, alternate layers of the oatmeal and rhubarb compote in small glasses and serve.

For more delicious recipe ideas, check out our new Easter special in the Bring! App.

4 Tips for Dyeing Easter Eggs

Easter eggs cannot be missing from a typical Easter celebration. Eggs have long been a symbol of fertility, new life and rebirth in many different cultures. If you want to dye your own eggs this Easter, here are a few helpful tips for you:

• Rub the eggs with vinegar before dyeing to make the dye adhere better to the eggshell.
  
  
• Brown eggs usually have a thicker shell and are therefore particularly suitable for blowing out. Choose white eggs for dyeing, as they guarantee a better color result.

• Do not quench eggs after cooking, but let them cool slowly. The sudden drop in temperature can cause the shell to crack. Bacteria can enter through the cracks and reduce the egg's shelf life.
  
  
• You can buy Easter egg paint in almost any supermarket in the weeks leading up to Easter. However, you also have several options for coloring your Easter eggs naturally. The colors may not be quite as intense, but they are chemical-free and environmentally friendly. The following natural materials, for example, are particularly suitable for egg dying:
  
  Beet (red)
  Turmeric (yellow)
  Onion skin (orange)
  Spinach (green)
  Red cabbage (light blue)
  Elderberry juice (purple)
  
  Boil about 2-3 cups of the chosen ingredient for 30 minutes in a liter of water. Now strain the flowers, leaves, or other leftover material from the color decoction and place the pre-cooked eggs in the brew for a few hours or overnight. The longer the eggs are in the brew, the more intense their color will be.
  
  Eggs that have just been hard-boiled and are still warm usually take the colors best.

Easter Brunch Shopping List

You will need to buy a lot of things for your brunch. To avoid last-minute planning hassles, make your shopping list early. Share a Bring! shopping list with everyone involved in the planning. That way, you will always stay up to date on who already got what.

We've created a handy template for you that will let you add all the ingredients for your Easter brunch to your shopping list with just one click: