Isn't this how it always is when raising chickens? You're either desperately trying to use up all these eggs before they go bad or...nothing! I'm always looking for great egg recipes for those 'eggs coming out my ears' times. All my girls just finished their fall molt and went back to laying, so I'm rolling in eggs right now. This is the perfect time to bring out some of my favorite egg recipes.

I found this egg cloud recipe online last year and it's both eye catching and delicious. The first recipe I saw was ridiculously complex so I didn't try it. Then it started popping up everywhere with various levels of difficulty. I've experimented with it quite a bit to make it as simple as possible and this is what I've settled on.

Egg clouds are just whipped egg whites (as if you're making meringues) with the egg yolk gently settled inside them and baked.  There is a two step baking process for this, but I've found the one step works just as well so that's the one I use now. All you need are eggs and some cheese, or seasonings. Or both if that's how you roll!

How to make cloud eggs

Ingredients: 

8 eggs
1/3 cup finely grated cheese. I used aged white cheddar.

Preheat oven to 375° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Separate the eggs, keeping the egg yolks whole. With a mixer, beat egg whites on medium high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold in cheese carefully.

Scoop egg white mixture onto prepared baking sheet into 8 piles. Use a spoon to make a well in the center. Place an egg yolk in the well of each egg white. 

Bake for 8 minutes minimum. The yolks will be very runny (over easy style) For more well done yolks, add a few minutes to the cook time. 

A few tips:

If you don't want to use cheese the recipe will still work without it. However, the whites will be particularly bland. I'm talking "I think I just ate Styrofoam" bland! I suggest you add some herbs or other seasoning to pep it up a bit. Then again, since it has no taste and is fun to eat it might be a great idea for picky eaters.

If any of the white is sticking to the yolks, try to separate it off and discard it before you place the yolk into the clouds. Since this bit of white is not whipped at this point, it won't cook as quickly and you'll have runny white on top of your clouds. You don't have to be fanatical about it but remove as much as you can.

Don't worry if the yolks break, just go ahead and pour them in the cloud holes anyway. They'll still cook just fine they just look a little different. You could also scramble them up a bit and add some spices to them before putting them in the clouds. They'll look less sunny and bright but still taste delicious! (see pic)

I use Vermont aged white cheddar because it's a strong tasting cheese that they sell it in the refrigerated section at my local grocery stores. I grated it with the fine side of my box grater. I've also used Romano cheese which turned out very good.

If you want to use a milder cheese (Swiss would be nice) use a tablespoon or two more. If you're buying it pre-shredded make sure you get the fine shreds. 

Since I used very fresh eggs from my hens, my yolks did not nestle into the mounds of yolks looking like a flat sun. Instead they kept their shape and stood up more like a half ball. While they didn't look as pretty as some on Instagram, I'm sure they tasted better!

Still looking for a unique breakfast recipe to feed a crowd? Check out Hash Brown Breakfast Nests. Makes at least 6 servings. Enjoy!

~L

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