easter

Hatching Devilled Eggs

By in Appetizers, Easter, GF Sides 7 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

hatching devilled eggs

I’ve got one more quick bite to share with you in case you’re looking for a last minute idea to round out your Easter menu. Devilled eggs are just one of those things that coincides with Easter. All those colourful Easter eggs need to be put to good use! I decided to dress them up for Easter by slicing off the tops and giving them jagged edges to look like a hatching chick. It’s very easy to do but you do need to be gentle as the egg whites are quite fragile. So don’t try to do anything too fancy! I think it’s such a cute presentation and makes a classic just a little more special. Follow the how-to below with your favourite devilled egg recipe or use my lightened up version below.

I hope you all have a fantastic long weekend! Happy Easter!

hatching eggs how to

How to Make Hatching Devilled Eggs

If needed, cut a small slice off of the bottom of the hard boiled egg so that it will stand up straight. Turn it on it’s side and slice off the top portion of the egg. Using a small spoon, gently loosen and remove the egg yolk from both portions of the egg white. Reserve the egg yolks for the filling. With a sharp knife, carefully cut jagged edges into the top and bottom halves of the egg whites. Don’t make the cuts too deep or it will weaken the structure and the egg whites may not hold together when the filling is added. Once all the egg whites are ready, mash the filling in a medium-sized resealable bag until smooth. Snip of the end of the bag and pipe into the bottom halves of the egg whites, cover with egg white tops. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving.

Lightened Up Devilled Eggs

  • 12 hard boiled eggs, shells removed
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
  • 2-3 tablespoon fresh chives, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper

Slice eggs in half, remove yolks. Place yolks and remaining ingredients into a medium-sized resealable bag. Seal it up and mash the mixture in your hands until smooth (this part is fun for kids!). Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Snip off the end of the bag and pipe the filling into the egg whites. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to one day ahead.

Filling adapted from Food.com

Mini Dutch Baby Berry Baskets

By in Breakfast, Easter 5 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

mini dutch babies

Easter is almost upon us! It’s one of my favourite holidays, not only because of what it signifies but because it kicks off all things spring! All those baby chicks, pastel colours, baskets full of flowers and berries. It’s a bright spot at the end of a long winter.

If you’re throwing an Easter brunch, it doesn’t have to be stressful. Recipes like this mean you won’t be waking up in the wee hours of the morning to start prepping breakfast. It comes together in a flash and is almost completely hands off, meaning you’ve got a lot more time to work on other things. Or, just visit. :)

I think these mini dutch babies are just so darn cute. They’re little pancake baskets filled with a dollop of whipped cream (or dairy-free whipped cream) and sprinkling of fresh berries. The dutch babies are eggy like a crepe and the whipped cream and berries are the perfect light accompaniment. My kids could not get enough. They would have eaten the whole batch themselves if I had let them. No joke.

This is what they look like when they’re coming out of the oven. Do not panic! The centers will sink and they’ll make very cute little baskets. Promise. As per usual, I love that they’re not perfect and each has it’s own unique personality – that means it’s the real deal!

Mini Dutch Baby Berry Baskets

  • 1 cup milk
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • whipped cream (or dairy-free whipped cream), berries and maple syrup, to serve

Place milk, eggs, flour, salt and vanilla in a blender. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides to make sure all the flour is incorporated. Remove the fill cap and, with the processor running, slowly stream in the melted butter. Process until fully incorporated and mixture is smooth.

Grease one and a half regular-sized muffin tins (about 16 muffins cups), coating well with butter or oil of choice. Pour a scant 1/4 cup batter into each cup. Bake at 400ºF for 15-18 minutes until puffy and golden. Serve warm filled with whipped cream and berries, and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Makes: 14-16 servings

Adapted from Real Mom Kitchen.

 

Soft Bird’s Nest Sugar Cookies

By in Cookies & Bars, Easter, Kids, Sweets 8 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

soft birds nest sugar cookies

I love making things with Max in the kitchen, but if the project is too intricate or involved I find myself getting more stressed out then I like to be. I want us all to enjoy our time in the kitchen together, I want to foster a love for the kitchen, not memories of a stressed out mom. That’s why I love planning projects like this that are easy for him to help with, don’t make a ton of mess and look great no matter how tiny the hands are that made them.

This is the perfect project for toddlers and preschoolers because although their not quite adept enough to pipe sensical decorations onto cookies, they can decorate these cookies easily and have them turn out beautiful. They can choose the colours they like or mix and match them like Max did. They can have complete freedom and you’ll know the end product will add something special and delicious to the Easter table.

We topped our’s with candy coated chocolate covered almond eggs (wow, that’s a mouthful!) which I thought were the perfect complement to the coconut topping. When I made these I figured they would be just for looks but they were actually really delicious. This is one case where the toppings aren’t just there for show, they actually add something special to the flavour of the cookie.

The coconut topping is just shredded coconut that has been dyed with food colouring and water. I used liquid food colours but you could also use gel colours, although you may need to add a bit more water to make it the right consistency to coat the coconut. My favorite colour was definitely the purple and I’ve included the instructions below on the amounts of liquid colour I used to achieve the colour. The other colours are much more straight forward – just one or two drops from the average four-pack of liquid food colouring.

These are so tasty and so fun, I know I’ll be making them again next year. Im pretty sure we just found a new Easter tradition. :)

Soft Bird’s Nest Sugar Cookies

Just FYI, I had a lot of leftover frosting. But, I don’t think half the frosting would be quite enough. Better to have too much then too little right?

Soft Sugar Cookies
  • 1.5 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1.5 cups sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 5 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4.5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 4.5 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt

Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Beat in vanilla.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Slowly beat into butter mixture, just until combined. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Scoop 1/4 cup amounts of cookie dough, roll each into a ball and flatten slightly. Place on parchment-line baking sheets 2-3 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or just until set; do not brown. Let cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes before removing to cooling racks or paper towel to cool completely.

Frosting
  • 5 cups icing sugar (confectioners sugar), sifted
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 7 tablespoons milk

Mix together all ingredients until smooth.

To Decorate
  • 1 cup shredded coconut
  • food colouring
  • water
  • chocolate covered almond eggs, chocolate eggs or jelly beans

Place 1/4 cup coconut into four ziploc bags. In a small bowl add 1/4 teaspoon water and desired food colouring, swirl to combine. Pour into one of the bags, seal and shake until the coconut is evenly coloured. Rinse the bowl and repeat with remaining colours. (To make the purple, use 3 drops red and 2 drops blue of liquid colour.)

Top each cookie with frosting, a good sprinkling of coconut and chocolate eggs.

Store, covered, at room temperature.

Makes approximately: 2 dozen cookies

Decoration inspired by Betty Crocker. Recipe Adapted from Annie’s Eats, originally from Hostess with the Mostess.

Easter Pavlovas with Lemon Whipped Cream & Vanilla-Rhubarb Compote

By in Easter, Simple Bites, Sweets No Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

pavlova

So, when I said I hogged all the rhubarb at the store I made more then just Rhubarb-Vanilla Lemonade. I also made some sweet and refreshing Easter pavlovas (in the shape of eggs) topped with lemon whipped cream and vanilla-rhubarb compote. Are you seeing a theme here? I have become obsessed with the rhubarb-vanilla-lemon combination, it’s just so darn good together. I’m sharing the recipe and some tips on making the perfect pavlova over on Simple Bites today.

“Pavlova’s are a perfect Easter dessert for so many reasons. 1) The majority of the work can be done a couple of days before serving. 2) You can make individual servings or one large dessert. 3) You can top it with whatever variety of toppings you like – or even serve it buffet style with a variety of topping and everyone can customize their own.”

Get the recipe and tips on Simple Bites.

Cheesy Stove Top Scalloped Potatoes

By in Easter, Sides, Smithfield 3 Comments Tags: , , , ,

cheesy-scalloped-potatoes
Happy Easter! How’s everyones Easter planning coming along? Things are going to be very quiet for us again this year. In Norway everyone gets off Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. Even the grocery stores are closed so any last minute shopping will have to be done on Saturday. The whole city get’s very quiet over the weekend because many people head up to their cabins in the mountains for one last skiing holiday.

I still haven’t planned an Easter menu and I’m trying to decide if it’s worth it for just my little family or if we’ll have something a little less traditional. But, I did have fun making these scalloped potatoes and dreaming of my family back home gathered around the table with the smell of cooked ham wafting through the air. Mmmm..

“My apartment has a teeny tiny kitchen and in that kitchen is an even teenier tinier oven. It’s a good thing the apartment is small over all because cooking for a crowd is nearly impossible. That’s why on special occasions, such as Easter, I have to be very particular about the side dishes I make because if I’ve got a ham in the oven there is absolutely no room for anything else. So, pretty much anything that needs to be baked in the oven for a long period of time is out of the question.”
 
Read more and get the recipe on Smithfield.com.
These just might make it back onto our Easter menu because not only are they delicious they can be made to feed as little as four people. Meaning there won’t be excessive amounts of leftovers. Yay!

What’s on your menu this year?

Update: The post is no longer active on Smithfield. But, I don’t want you to miss out so here’s the recipe!

Cheesy Stove Top Scalloped Potatoes

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • pepper to taste
  • 1.5 cup shredded cheese, divided
  • 1.5 pounds potatoes, thinly sliced

Instructions

Melt butter in a small non-stick skillet. Add flour. Cook and stir for one minute. Slowly pour in chicken broth, mixing well after each addition. Bring to a boil. Stir in 1 cup of cheese until blended. Add potatoes. Toss to coat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until a fork inserted into the potatoes is easily removed. Top with cheese and simmer uncovered for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

Serves: 4

Tips:

* A crust will develop along the bottom of the skillet, but that’s my favorite part. It will come off easily if you are using a non-stick skillet.

* If you want a caramelized top you can stick it under the broiler for a couple of minutes (if the handle is oven proof).

* Feel free to cook some onion and garlic in the butter before adding the flour for added flavor. Or add you favorite herbs and spices to the sauce.

Kids in the Kitchen: Easy Lemon Sugar Cookies

By in Cookies & Bars, Easter, Kids, Sweets 9 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , ,

lemon sugar cookies

I got the sudden urge to decorate sugar cookies last week. As you can see I got as far as making the cookies. :) But that was fun in and of itself. I did make one batch of the glaze and got approximately five cookies done before Max had already decorated (read: eaten) three cookies and Alli woke up wanting some attention. So I put that idea behind me and decided to freeze the rest in case the time ever came that I was able to decorate again (I am in no way a super mom and I’m ok with that).

Kids Can:

  • knead dough
  • help roll out dough
  • cut out shapes
  • older kids can decorate with icing bags
  • younger kids can spread the glaze on the cookies and decorate with sprinkles

I’m not usually a fan of sugar cookies. But these I can actually eat on their own without icing. I’m really into tea lately and these cookies are a perfect accompaniment to that.

These are the easiest sugar cookies I have ever made. Sugar cookies aren’t all that hard to make but there’s generally a lot of waiting time for the dough to chill before rolling, then trying to roll out a stiff dough or wait for it to soften before you roll it out. Simple enough really but it’s enough to stop me from making them on a whim. These cookies on the other hand were whipped up and baked in the time it took for James and Max to go grocery shopping. They left. I got the urge to bake. They came back. Half the cookies were baked and cooling on the counter while the remainder were in the fridge awaiting their turn in the oven.

The key to these cookies being able to be made so last minute is the fact that you don’t have to soften the butter. Cold butter means there’s no chill time before rolling it out which cuts the prep time down considerably. Plus they roll out like a dream. I made the original cookies at Christmas this year and knew they would be my sugar cookie of choice from then on.

I wanted the flavours to suite Easter so I opted to add some grated lemon zest to the dough. Delish!

Tips to Perfect Sugar Cookies

I’m no expert on sugar cookies but I do know a couple tricks to get them nearly perfect every time. At least it works for me!

  1. Roll Out on Parchment Paper. Rolling the dough out on a floured piece of parchment paper means less flour is used (meaning softer cookies) and easier transportation to the baking sheet (which means less stretching and breaking).

  2. Refrigerate Before Baking. Since this recipe is not refrigerated before rolling out you want to be sure to refrigerate it once the shapes are cut. That way it keeps it’s form and doesn’t spread.

  3. Chill Before Cutting Out Delicate Pieces. If you’re wanting to make smaller cutouts in the cookie (like I did with the flowers) do so after they have chilled in the fridge, just before baking. This way you don’t have to worry about any delicate parts breaking when you transfer it to the baking sheet and it will hold it’s shape better.

The glaze for these cookies is lemony and sweet. Much sweeter then royal icing. You can’t really compare the two but it is much easier to make and decorates beautifully (just look at Amanda’s cookies). But, as I said it is very sweet so if you’re worried about that you may want to stick with royal icing.

Easy Lemon Sugar Cookies

  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup cold salted butter, cubed
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • zest of one lemon
  1. Combine flour and baking powder.
  2. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg, vanilla and zest. Mix until incorporated.
  3. Add flour in three additions, scraping down as you go. Beat until combined (will be crumbly).
  4. Divide dough in half to roll out. Knead each piece on counter top until smooth. Roll out on floured parchment paper. Cut into shapes. Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Freeze for 5 minutes (or refrigerate for 15 minutes) to firm up.
  5. Bake @ 350 for 10-12 minutes. Let sit for 2 minutes before removing to wire rack or paper towel to cool.

Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies

Lemony Sugar Cookie Glaze

  • 1 cup icing sugar
  • 1.5 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon corn syrup
  1. Sift sugar into a bowl. Mix in lemon juice and corn syrup. Spread or pipe onto cookies.

Tip: If piping onto cookies check the consistency by doing the 10 second ribbon test. Drag a knife through the glaze and lift to make a ribbon. It should smooth out in 5-10 seconds. If the icing comes together before 5 seconds add more sugar. If the glaze comes together after 10 seconds add more liquid. This will ensure that it is firm enough to pipe but still loose enough to flood the cookie.

Makes enough for approximately 1 dozen cookies.

Sugar Cookies adapted from bake at 350. Sugar Cookie Glaze adapted from i am baker.

 

1 2