Three No-Bake Easter Treats

Holidays are all about getting together with family and friends, making memories and eating good food. The oven is jam packed with roasting hams and tasty casseroles. It’s nice to get a few things done before the big day as well as give the oven a much needed break.

Make sure to keep your meals simple so you can truly enjoy this Easter holiday. Nothing is more disappointing then working so hard that you’re not able to enjoy the holiday itself.

These recipes will help to make your lives a little easier and keep the kids busy while you make some last minute preparations in the kitchen. They are simple, quick and best of all, tasty. Freeing you up to do more important tasks and having one less thing to make the day stressful.

I made these Chocolate Dipped Rice Krispie Eggs for the first time last year when I went back to spend Easter with my family. It was my Mom’s brilliant idea and they were such a big hit (especially with the kiddos) that I knew I had to share them with you. They can be packaged into colorful egg cartons to give away as gifts or serve them in egg cups for an extra special breakfast treat (I won’t tell).

These ones were made with the leftover Strawberry Marshmallows I had stored away in the freezer. That brought them to a whole other delectable level. Chocolate dipped strawberry anything is a winner in my book!

Kids can: Dip the eggs in chocolate and sprinkles.

Chocolate Dipped Rice Krispie Eggs

Makes: 24

• 1/4 cup butter
• 40 large marshmallows (5 cups mini or 250g)
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 6 cups rice krispies
• 6 oz. baking chocolate
• sprinkles

1. Melt butter and marshmallows over low heat. Stir in vanilla. Remove from heat and add rice krispies. Stir until equally incorporated.
2. Using a greased 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop out some of the mixture and form into an egg. Set aside and repeat until all of the mixture has been used up.
3. Melt chocolate. Dip the tops into chocolate, then into sprinkles.
4. Store covered at room temperature for up to two days. Freeze for longer storage.

* If you don’t want to go through the work of making the eggs. You could put the mixture into a greased 9×13 pan. Once it has set up, cut into bars and dip away. Still festive, less work.

* Dampen your hands with water before forming to stop the mixture from sticking to them.

My mom made these Un-Baked Cookies often when I was growing up, so they hold a certain youthful charm that puts me in the Easter mood. The idea to make them into nests came from an entry in a Taste of Home competition last year. I thought it was such a cute idea that I just had to adapt it with my mothers recipe.

Kids can:  Fill the nests with coconut and eggs.

Un-Baked Cookie Nests

Makes: 12 large

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 4 Tbsp. cocoa powder
• pinch salt
• 1 cup coconut
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• mini chocolate eggs and coconut, for decorating.

1. Bring sugar,  milk and butter to a boil in a saucepan. Simmer 3 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients until well incorporated.
3. Spoon into lightly greased muffin cups (or use un-greased silicone muffin cups for easier removal). Using the back of a spoon press the mixture down in the middle and up along the sides, forming a nest. Allow to harden.
4. Using a knife, loosen the edges and gently pop out the nests.
5. Store covered at room temperature for up to two days. Freeze for longer storage.
6. To decorate: sprinkle with coconut and fill with mini eggs.

* For a super cute alternative you could form these in mini muffin cups.

* If you would like to tint the coconut a certain color simply place it in a resealable plastic bag along with a few drops of food coloring. Massage and shake until evening distributed.

* You could use jelly beans or chocolate covered almonds for a different variety of eggs.

* To make the regular cookies simply drop the mixture by spoonfuls onto wax paper and allow to firm up.

Lemon sings of spring and sunshine, reminding me of the new life around the corner and making it the perfect Easter accompaniment. These lemony truffles are a cinch to make and have such a wonderful velvety texture. Packaging them into pretty boxes turns them into the perfect hostess gift.

Kids can: roll into balls and coat in icing sugar.

White Chocolate Lemon Truffles

Makes: 24

• 1 cup white chocolate
• 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 3 Tbsp. heavy cream
• pinch salt
• 1 tsp. lemon extract
• icing sugar, for dusting

1. Melt chocolate, butter and cream over a double boiler or in a microwave. Stir until smooth.
2. Stir in salt and extract. Allow to cool slightly before covering with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm enough to handle.
3. With a melon baller or small spoon scoop out mixture and form into 1 inch balls. Toss with icing sugar to coat.
4. Store covered in the fridge for up to one week. Freeze for longer storage.

* Using unsalted butter allows you to control the salty flavour of these truffles. The pinch of salt helps to cut through the sweetness of the white chocolate. If you decide to use salted butter make sure to omit the pinch of salt called for in the recipe or they will be far too salty.

* If you want to amp up the yellow color, stir in some yellow food coloring along with the extract and salt.

What simple recipes do you include in your Easter menu to help de-stress the day?