Beautiful Make-ahead Easter Brunch

Sunset Magazine

A delicious, make-ahead feast for Easter, or even a lazy Sunday with friends.

Easter brunch menu
Easter brunch menu


Easter brunch menu


Asparagus and morel quiche, ham with sticky Meyer lemon-spice glaze, and citrus salad make up this elegant spring feast. And best of all, most of the preparation can be done the day before.

Get started the day before:
Quiche: Bake and chill.
Ham: Trim and score ham (step 1 of recipe); make glaze and chill (step 2).
Buns: Bake, but don't add icing.
Citrus salad: Prepare and chill.
Watercress salad: Stem watercress and make dressing; chill them separately.

Finish up in the morning:
2½ hours before: Start baking ham.
½ hour before: Put quiche and buns into oven with ham (tent both with foil). Make fresh o.j. and orange slices for drinks.
15 minutes before: Remove buns from oven and ice them. Set out ham and salads; dress the watercress.

Baked Ham with Sticky Meyer Lemon-Spice Glaze
Baked Ham with Sticky Meyer Lemon-Spice Glaze


Baked Ham with Sticky Meyer Lemon-Spice Glaze


Be sure to buy a ham without added glaze; it would mute the flavor of our extra-citrusy one.

Ingredients
1 cooked, bone-in half-ham from the shank or butt (6 to 7 lbs.)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
Finely shredded zest and juice of 5 medium Meyer lemons
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Cut off tough, leatherlike skin from ham (if it has it) and score fat and meat in a crosshatch pattern. Put ham, fat side up, in a large roasting pan and tent loosely with foil. Bake until a thermometer in thickest part of meat reaches 120°, about 1 1/2 hours.
2. Meanwhile, make glaze: In a bowl, whisk sugar, zest, juice, and ginger until smooth.
3. Uncover ham and pour glaze over it into pan. Bake ham, uncovered, basting ham and stirring glaze every 10 minutes, until glaze is a thickened, shiny syrup and thermometer in meat reaches 135° to 140°, 15 to 30 minutes total.
4. Let ham rest 5 minutes, then brush with glaze and transfer to a cutting board. Scrape remaining glaze into a small bowl. Carve ham and spoon more glaze on top.

Asparagus and Morel Quiche
Asparagus and Morel Quiche


Asparagus and Morel Quiche

For the neatest slices, make quiche a day ahead; let it cool, loosen it from pan edges, and chill. Cut into wedges, then reheat.
> Get the recipe

Orange Hot Cross Buns
Orange Hot Cross Buns



Orange Hot Cross Buns


You'll need to plan ahead to find or make candied orange peel (try our recipe for Candied Citrus Peel or buy from gourmet food stores or Market Hall Foods)―it's worth it.

Or use orange marmalade in its place: Heat 18 oz. thick-cut marmalade until bubbling, strain well, and substitute 1/4 cup of the syrup for the granulated sugar in step 1 and 1/2 cup orange pieces for the candied orange in step 2; add 1/4 cup extra flour in step 3.
> Get the recipe

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Related: 9 delicious ways to celebrate Easter