(Culinary.net) Appetizer-sized portions and small bites of all sorts are ideal for breakfast spreads, and these Pastry Brunch Cups are perfect for a quick morning snack. Try baking a batch and separating into appropriate serving sizes for a simple way to meal prep heading into a new week.

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Pastry Brunch Cups

Serves: 18

• 2          tablespoons butter
• 2          tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2    cups milk
• 1          cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 2          sheets puff pastry
• 18        eggs
• 2          cups diced ham
• chopped fresh green onions

1. Heat oven 375 F.
2. In small saucepan, melt butter. Whisk flour with butter. Gradually pour in milk, whisking each time. Bring to simmer, whisking until mixture starts to thicken. Remove from heat; stir in Swiss cheese. Set aside.
3. Use rolling pin to thin out puff pastries. Cut each into nine squares. Line pastry squares in muffin cups, pressing bottoms down firmly and moving pastries up sides for edges to come up just over muffin tins. Fill each cup with 1 teaspoon cheese sauce. Crack one egg into each cup and sprinkle each with diced ham.
4. Bake 10-15 minutes until eggs set. Sprinkle with chopped green onions.

You don't have to be a pastry chef to make these delicious little beauties.  With a hint of lemon, these light and fluffy puffs will be a hit at your next gathering.

Lemon Cream Puffs

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Eggs

LEMON FILLING:

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons butter, cubed
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• Powdered Sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400°. In a large saucepan, bring water and butter to a boil. Add flour all at once, stirring until a smooth ball forms. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth.
2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush water over parchment paper. Fill piping bags with pastry dough and pipe circle swirls 3 inches apart.
3. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks.
4. For filling, in a small heavy saucepan, combine beaten egg, sugar, lemon juice and butter. Slowly cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Transfer to a small bowl; refrigerate until partially set. Whisk again to make sure ingredients are mixed well.
5. In a large bowl, beat whipped cream and sugar until stiff peaks form; fold in lemon mixture.
6. Fill pastry bag with lemon filling. Split pastry puffs. Pipe lemon filling onto pastry bottoms, replace pastry tops. Dust with powdered sugar.

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home.

Source: Culinary.net

Watch video to see how to make this recipe!