Barely Buttery Baked Eggs

Directions

1. 1
   Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. 2
   Cut the butter into 16 tiny cubes. Use your fingers to smear 1 cube of butter on the inside of each of 8 small ramekins. Set aside the remaining butter.
3. 3
   Put the ramekins in a baking pan and fill the pan with enough water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Crack an egg into each ramekin and season with a sprinkle of salt and a few turns of the pepper grinder.
4. 4
   Put the eggs into the center of the oven and bake until the whites are just set and the yolks still soft, about 16 minutes (give or take a minute). Be aware that the eggs will continue to cook a bit even after they're out of the oven.
5. 5
   Very carefully remove the baking pan and lift out the ramekins using a pair of tongs or dish towel.
6. 6
   Top each egg with one of the remaining 8 little cubes of butter. Serve immediately.