Brunch recipes: Sticky Buns, Baked Eggs With Parmesan Creamed Spinach and Ultra-Crispy Breakfast Potatoes

Chocolate Hazelnut Sticky Buns

Makes 12 buns.

Note: Make these decadent, ultra-chocolatey sticky buns the night before and bake in the morning for an indulgent and memorable breakfast treat. From Meredith Deeds.

Rolls:

• 3 1/2 to 4 c. flour

• 1/4 c. granulated sugar

• 1 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1 pkg. instant yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)

• 1 c. lukewarm whole or low-fat milk

• 1/4 c. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for preparing bowl

• 1 egg

Caramel Hazelnut Topping:

• 1 c. packed light brown sugar

• 1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

• 1/4 c. light corn syrup

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1 1/2 c. roughly chopped toasted hazelnuts

Filling:

• 1/3 c. unsalted butter

• 4 oz. dark chocolate, chopped

• 1/3 c. powdered sugar

• 1/4 c. cocoa powder

Directions

To prepare rolls: In large mixing bowl, combine 3 cups of the flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, salt and yeast. Add warm milk, 1/4 cup butter and egg. Mix with wooden spoon or on low speed of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. Stir in just enough remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, to make a soft dough that's slightly sticky, but easy to handle.

Place dough on lightly floured surface. Knead about 5 minutes or until dough is soft and silky (or knead in the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook). Grease a large bowl with butter. Place dough in bowl, turning dough to grease all sides. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap; let rise in warm place about 90 minutes or until dough has doubled in size. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.

To prepare topping: Spray a 9- by 13-inch pan with cooking spray or grease with butter.

In a 2-quart saucepan, heat brown sugar and 1/2 cup butter to boiling, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Stir in corn syrup and salt. Pour into the pan. Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts.

To prepare filling: In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine 1/3 cup butter and chopped chocolate. Microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes, until the chocolate is just melted. Add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Stir until it forms a paste.

To assemble: Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Gently press down on dough to deflate. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 15- by 12-inch rectangle. Spread with the filling. Roll rectangle up tightly, beginning at 15-inch side. With plain dental floss or a serrated knife, cut roll into 12 slices.

Place slices in prepared pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.

To bake: Let the buns sit at room temperature for 1 hour before baking.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, rotating pan halfway through and tenting with foil if browning too quickly, until buns are golden brown, filling is bubbling and an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of buns registers 195 degrees, about 45 to 50 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Place heatproof tray or serving plate upside down onto pan; immediately turn tray and pan over. Remove pan and let rolls sit for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Baked Eggs With Parmesan Creamed Spinach and Crispy Prosciutto

Serves 6.

Note: Elegant and easy, serve these creamy baked eggs with buttered, toasted baguette slices. From Meredith Deeds.

• 2 tbsp. butter, divided, plus more for preparing ramekins

• 4 paper-thin slices prosciutto, chopped

• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped

• 10 oz. baby spinach

• 1/2 c. plus 6 tsp. heavy cream, divided

• 1/2 tsp. salt, divided

• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

• 1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese

• 1/2 tsp. lemon juice

• 6 large eggs

• Chopped chives for garnish, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and butter six (8-ounce) ramekins or ovenproof custard cups. Place the ramekins or cups on a rimmed baking sheet.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet. Add the prosciutto and cook, stirring, until crispy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer prosciutto to a plate.

To the same skillet over medium heat, add remaining 1 tablespoon butter and shallot and cook, stirring, until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spinach in batches, carefully stirring as it wilts. Keep adding more spinach when there is room in the skillet. Cook the spinach until it is all completely wilted. Add 1/2 cup cream, 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the cream is slightly thickened. Add the Parmesan cheese and cook for 1 minute more, until the cheese has melted into the cream. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste for seasoning and divide among prepared ramekins.

Crack 1 egg into each ramekin. Spoon a teaspoon of cream over each yolk and season with a little of the remaining salt. Bake until the eggs are bubbly around the edges but not quite set in the middle, 10 to 13 minutes. (For firmer eggs, bake an additional 1 minute.) Remove from the oven immediately — the eggs will continue to set. Garnish with crispy prosciutto and chives, if desired, and serve warm.

Ultra-Crispy Sheet-Pan Breakfast Potatoes

Serves 6.

Note: Precooking the potatoes briefly in baking soda water and roughing them up a bit helps to ensure a super-crisp texture. Separately roasting the onion and peppers allows each ingredient to cook perfectly. From Meredith Deeds.

• 1 large red onion, cut into 1 1/2-in. pieces

• 2 large red or yellow (or both) bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1 1/2-in. pieces

• 5 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• 1/4 tsp. salt, plus 1 tbsp. for boiling potatoes

• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

• 4 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-in. cubes

• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 c. chopped Italian parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the onion, peppers, 1 tablespoon oil and salt. Toss to coat and arrange in a single layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until vegetables are just tender. Transfer to a large plate.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt, baking soda and potatoes and stir. Return to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes.

Drain and return to the hot pot for a minute or two to allow excess moisture to evaporate. Toss the potatoes around in the pot to rough up their outside layer. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of oil and ground pepper and toss again to coat.

Transfer potatoes to a large rimmed baking sheet and spread them out evenly. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, stirring twice as they cook, until the potatoes are browned and crisp all over. Add the roasted onion and peppers to the pan and continue to bake for another 2 to 3 minutes, until hot.

Transfer to a serving bowl and add chopped parsley. Toss to coat and season with more salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.