Apple to the Core

 Easter Recipes and Tips

For more fun for kids, check out our Kids Page, with recipes and ideas for kids of all ages.

Bird's Nest Cookies

  • 1-1/3 cups flaked coconut

  • 2 sticks butter or margarine, softened

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 large egg

  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 3/4 tsp salt

  • 1¾ cups M&M's speckled eggs for Easter (or any peanut M&M's will work)

Preheat oven to 300º. Spread coconut of non-greased cookie sheet. Toast in oven, stirring occasionally, until it turned light golden, about 25 minutes. Remove coconut from cookie sheet and set aside. Increase oven temperature to 350º. In large bowl, add butter and sugar and whip until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. In medium bowl, combine flour and salt. Blend into creamed mixture. Form dough into 1¼ inch balls. Roll heavily into toasted coconut. Place coconut cookies 2 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. Make indentation with thumb in center of cookies. Bake 12-14 minutes of until golden brown. Remove cookies and cool completely. Fill indentations with peanut M&M's.

Stacked Tiramisu Pancakes

  • 1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

  • 1 pkg (8 oz) mascarpone cheese

  • 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar

  • 1 tsp instant coffee

  • 2 tbl water

  • 12 (4") pancakes - use homemade or pre-made pancakes

  • unsweetened cocoa

In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, mascarpone cheese and confectioners' sugar. In a small bowl, dissolve coffee granules in the water. Add to the cheese mixture; mix well. Place four warm pancakes on separate plates. Dollop each pancake with cheese mixture. Sprinkle with cocoa and serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Harvest Cheddar Breakfast Pizza

  • 1 pkg (15 oz) refrigerated pie crust

  • cooking spray

  • 6 slices bacon, cooked, drained, crumbled

  • 1¼ cups apple pie filling

  • 2 tbl brown sugar

  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

  • 3/4 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped

  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 425º. Allow crust to stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Unfold crust and place on a 12 inch ve3nted pizza pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Pre-bake 5 minutes. Once cooled, spread ricotta cheese over the crust. Sprinkle bacon over ricotta. Spoon pie filling over bacon and spread evenly. In a bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Reserve 3 tablespoons. Top pizza with cheddar  and mozzarella. Sprinkle with remaining 3 tablespoons of brown sugar mixture. Bake 8-10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Let pizza cool slightly before cutting. Make 9 servings

Ham and Apple Brunch Strata

  • 2 lbs boneless, cooked ham

  • 3 slices 7-grain bread

  • 12 oz shredded cheddar cheese

  • 4 to 5 apples, quartered, cored, sliced (about 5 cups)

  • 1/2 cup sugar

  • 1/4 cup flour

  • 1 tbl cinnamon

  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg

  • 6 eggs

  • 2 cups milk

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 325º. Cut ham into small chunks; set aside. Slice crusts from bread; cut bread into cubes and place in a 13x9" baking dish. On top of bread, layer half of the ham and half of the cheese. In a large bowl, combine apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg; spread on top of ham and cheese.  In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk and brown sugar; pour over apples. Layer remaining ham and cheese on top. Bake, uncovered for about 60 or until eggs are cooked and strata is puffy in center. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.  (This recipe can be made in advance)  Make 12 servings.

Pastel Cake

  • 1 pkg (2 layer size) yellow cake mix

  • 1 pkg (4 serving size) Jell-O Lime Flavor Gelatin

  • 1 pkg (4 serving size) Jello-O Lemon Flavor Gelatin

  • 2 tubs (8 oz each) Cool Whip 

Heat oven to 350º. Prepare cake mix as directed on package. Divide batter between 2 bowls. Add lime gelatin to one bowl and lemon gelatin to the other bowl. Mix Well. Pour into separate greased and floured 9" round cake pans.  Bake 28 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pans. Cool on wire racks. Place lime cake layer on serving plate; spread with 1/2 tub of the whipped topping. Top with lemon cake layer. Frost cake with remaining whipped topping. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Makes 12 servings. Garnish with a few different colored jelly beans or pastel colored sprinkles.

 

Egg Decorating Techniques

Spongeware - Moisten a small household sponge and squeeze out as much water as possible. Cut into 1" and 1½: pieces. Pour acrylic paint into a margarine tub or lid. Dip sponge into paint. Dab onto newspaper to remove most of the paint, then dab onto egg. Use one or two colors of paint, letting dry between each colors

Rubber Band Tie-Dye - Use narrow or medium-wide rubber bands. Wind a band around the egg, twist, change direction and wind around again. Continue until band is snug. For more wraps, repeat with a second or third band. Dye egg and let dry. Carefully remove rubber bands.

The Great Rub-off - Brush rubber cement onto an egg to make any simple designs you want - stripes, stars, circles, dabs, squiggles or curly Q's. Let cement dry. Dye the eggs and let dry. Use your thumb to gently rub off the rubber cement. 

The Tissue Trick - No dyes or paints needed for this technique! Simply dampen the white egg. Crumple up small pieces of bright-color tissue paper and dab on to the egg. Pigments in the tissue paper will come off, giving you a delicate, sponged look.

Stars of the Show - Dye egg first. Stick on gummed or adhesive back metallic or colored stars.

Victorian Pictorial - Dye egg first. Use tacky glue or rubber cement to glue on silhouettes of any kinds. Either cut your own from origami paper or purchase black, precut silhouettes from craft shops.

Polka-Dots - Dye egg, let dry then stick on dots. Little dots are the least expensive stickers.

Stickers Away - Star with a white egg or one dyed a light color. Apply press-on numbers, stars, dots, you name it, onto a dry egg. Dye egg to a dark shade, using a different color if it's the second dyebath. Let dry, then carefully remove the stickers.

Easy as ABC - Gently attach 1/4"or 1/2" press-on letter or number all over a white egg. (press-ons are sold at art supply stores.

Strip-Stencil - Dye egg first or use a white egg. Cut masking tape into narrow strips and use these to wrap egg in several directions. Paint the spaces with acrylic paint-use one or more colors. Let dry, then carefully peel off the tape. Your might also polka-dot the areas which were covered with tape, using a felt tip marker.

Pencil Stamping - Work on a white or pastel-dyed egg. Pour a little acrylic paint into a shallow pan or margarine tub lid. Dip the eraser end of a pencil into the paint. Press gently onto the egg, then lift straight up. Repeat to create flower clusters, stripes or other patterns. Try this process using the pencil point instead of the eraser for the finer lines and dots.

To Mark-it, to Mark-it - Work on dyed or undyed eggs. Draw squiggles, zigzags, polka dots and flowers with Sanford Uni-Posca Markers. (these are non-toxic, water base opaque markers available at MisterArt at discount prices - type in opaque markers in search box. Page down to Uni-Posca (the others are oil-base).

Easter Surprise Cupcakes

  • 2/3 cup butter, softened

  • 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar

  • 2 eggs

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 2¾ cups all-purpose flour

  • 2½ tsp baking powder

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1¼ cups milk

  • 24 unwrapped small chocolate eggs

  • Domino Flavored Confectioners Sugar to make lemon, chocolate or strawberry frosting

To make cupcakes: Heat oven to 350º. Grease 24 medium muffin tines or line with paper baking cups. Mix butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla extract in large mixing bowl until blended. Beat on high speed, scraping bowl occasionally, 5 minutes.  On low speed, beat in flour, baking powder, and salt alternately with milk. To hide surprise: Fill muffin cups 1/3 full and place an UNWRAPPED chocolate egg in center of each. Top with remaining batter, until 2/3 full. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until top springs back when touched. Cool. Decorate as desired using flavored frostings. 

Tips: Use coconut coloring with food coloring, small jelly beans and sprinkles in pastel colors for great Holiday effects. Make a handle with licorice strings for small Easter baskets.

Ham and Cheese Roulade

  • 1/3 cup margarine

  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/4 tsp salt

  • 1/8 tsp pepper

  • 2 cups milk

  • 6 eggs, separated

  • 4 oz each thinly sliced cheddar cheese and thinly sliced extra lean ham

  • 2 tbl Dijon style mustard

Heat oven to 400º. Grease 15x10" pan; line with waxed paper; grease paper; flour. Melt margarine in saucepan. Stir in flour, salt, pepper; cook, stirring 1 minute, until thickened. Whisk in milk; cook, whisking, until thickened, 4 minutes; remove from heat. Beat yolks in bowl. Whisk in a little of the milk mixture. Beat whites until stiff. Fold 1/4 of whites into yolk mixture; fold n remaining whites. Spread in prepared pan. Bake 18 minutes or until set. Cover with clean towel and larger baking sheet. Hold pan and sheet securely together; turn over, unmolding roulade onto baking sheet. Remove pan and waxed paper. Put cheese and ham on roulade; spread with mustard. Using towel as guide, roll up from shore end and slice. Makes 6 servings.

Easter Egg Lasagna

Here's a great way to use up all those hard-boiled eggs from Easter!

  • 1 can condensed cream of celery soup

  • 1¾ cups milk

  • 16 oz 1%-fat cottage cheese or reduced fat ricotta cheese

  • 1 box (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

  • 1/4 cup sliced scallions

  • 3½ oz baked ham, cut in small pieces (about 1 cup)

  • 1 box (8 oz) no-boil, oven-ready lasagna noodles (12 noodles)

  • 9 hard-boiled eggs, shelled and sliced

Heat oven to 350º. Lightly grease a 13x9" baking dish. Mix soup and milk in a 4 cup glass measure until well blended. In a medium bowl, mix cheese, spinach, 3/4 cup of the soup mixture, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, scallions and ham. Spread 1/4 cup of the remaining soup mixture in baking dish. Place 3 uncooked noodles crosswise in dish, not touching and about 1/2 inch from the sides of dish. Spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture on noodles. Top with 3 sliced eggs. Repeat twice. Top with remaining 3 noodles, then pour on rest of the soup mixture and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cover tightly. Bake 45 minutes, then uncover and bake another 10-15 minutes until top is golden brown. Remove from oven, cover loosely and let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Makes 6 servings.

Creamy Lemon Pie

  • 1¾ cups cold milk

  • 2 pkg (4 serving size) Jello vanilla flavored instant pudding and pie filling

  • 1 can (6 oz) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

  • 1 tub Cool Whip (8 oz)

  • 1 prepared graham cracker crumb crust

  • lemon slices, optional

Pour milk into a large bowl. Add pudding mixes. Beat with whisk 30 seconds. Add lemonade concentrate. Beat with wire whisk 30 seconds, Mixture will be thick. Immediately stir in whipped topping. Spoon into crust. Refrigerate 4 hours or until set. Garnish with lemon slices, if desired. Store leftover pie in refrigerator. Makes 8 servings.

 Easter Egg Hunt Ideas

Fill plastic eggs with bead to make an Easter necklace. Check craft stores for bunny, egg and carrot beads, plus pretty pastel ones. Include a leather cord for stringing them.

Create "coupons" that kids can redeem for favorite meals, desserts or special privileges (such as a little extra TV time, staying up later, etc) and put one in each egg.

Hide the pieces of a toy in different plastic eggs. Try a Lego set, jacks, marbles, a jigsaw puzzle or the parts to a game such as Scrabble.

Place coins in eggs.

Stickers or removable tattoos are always a big hit.

Hide clues to find a larger prize

If your child collects things such as stamps, etc. place those in the eggs.

If your gifts are child exclusive (such as a Matchbox car for a boy or Barbie accessories for a girl) give them a special color egg to find. If they find colors not intended for them, they must be quiet about it, and they'll think they are in on a special secret.

 

Easter Chick Nursery

What you'll need:

  • twelve 1" yellow pompoms

  • twelve 1½" yellow pompoms

  • orange felt for beaks

  • 24 tiny black beads for eyes

  • twelve 3/4"-diameter plastic Easter eggs that open

  • Tacky glue

  • Toothpicks

  • Easter grass

  • Empty 12-egg carton

Glue a small pompom to large pompom to form chick's head and body (separate some fibers to attach them more easily). Cut diamond shape from felt small enough for the little chicks' beaks. Fold in half. Using a toothpick, run glue along the inside of the fold and press together to hold beak shape. Put glue on outside of beak fold and insert between fibers on heat. Glue  beads on, above the beak for eyes. Place small amount of glue in bottom of Easter egg half, place chick on glue with head up (as if cheeping). Note: Some kids like to take the chicks out of the eggs, so the glue is optional here. Arrange chick-filled Easter eggs on plastic grass in an egg carton.

Tip: For more fun, paint and decorate the egg carton in pastel colors.

Easter Bird Nests

  • 3 cups Rice Krispies cereal

  • 1 cup shredded coconut

  • 1/3 cup light corn syrup

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar

  • 3/4 cup peanut butter

  • 1 tsp vanilla

  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips, optional

Combine cereal and coconut in a bowl. Mix corn syrup, brown sugar, peanut butter and vanilla in a large saucepan and bring to boil (if opted, also add chocolate chips). Remove from heat and stir in cereal and coconut mixture. Let it cool and shape in bird's nests of many sizes. Fill with jelly bean (for eggs). 

Portuguese Easter Breads

  • 1 1/4 cups very warm milk                                        

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 2 envelopes active dry yeast

  • 1 tsp sugar

  • 3 eggs, well beaten

  • 5-6 cups unsifted all-purpose flour

  • 12 uncooked eggs in the shell

  • 1 egg

  • 1 tsp water

Combine 1 cup of the very warm water (it should be comfortably warm when dropped on the wrist), the 1 cup sugar, butter and salt in a large bowl. Stir until most of the butter is melted. Sprinkle yeast and the 1 tsp sugar into the remaining milk in a 1-cup measure; stir to dissolve. Let stand to proof until bubbly and doubled in volume, about 10 minutes

Stir in beaten eggs, then yeast mixture, into the butter mixture. Beat in 5 cups of the flour, 1 cup at a time, until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface. Knead 8 to 12 minutes or until smooth and elastic. (Use only enough remaining flour necessary to prevent sticking.) Place dough in a large buttered bowl, turning to bring buttered side up; cover. Let rise in a warm place, away from draft, about 1 1/2 hours or until double in volume.

Punch dough down. Turn onto lightly floured surface. Divide into 14 equal pieces. Shape 12 of the pieces into round buns about 3/4 inches thick, and place on 2 large, greased cookie sheets. Press down center of each with a tablespoon to make a hollow. Gently press an egg into each hollow.

Shape the remaining pieces of dough into tow long thing rolls about 13 inches long; cut into 12 pieces. Shape each piece into a very thin strip about 6 inches long. Cross two over each egg, tucking ends under bun. Let rise in a warm place 45 minutes to 1 hour or until double  in volume. Beat the 1 egg with the 1 tsp of water; brush dough with mixture.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Cover tops of bund loosely with a sheet of foil to prevent over browning. Bake 15 minutes longer or until golden brown and buns sound hollow when tapped with fingers. Cool on wire rack.

Babka (Polish)

  • 1 envelope active dry yeast                                   

  • 1 tsp sugar

  • 1/4 cup very warm water

  • 2/3 cup sugar

  • 3 1/4 cups unsifted all-purpose flour

  • 3/4 tsp salt

  • 1 tbl grated lemon rind

  • 5 egg yolks

  • 2 eggs

  • 1/2 cup light cream, warmed

  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

  • 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

  • 3/4 to 1 cup unsifted all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup golden raisins

  • Confectioner's Icing (recipe follows)

Sprinkle the yeast and the 1 tsp sugar into the very warm water in a 1-cup measure; stir to dissolve (it should be comfortably warm when dropped on the wrist). Let stand to proof until bubbly and doubled in volume, about 10 minutes. Combine the sugar, flo9ur, salt and lemon rind in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Beat the egg yolks and eggs in a small bowl just enough to blend. Pour eggs, yeast mixture, cram and vanilla into well.. Stir the liquid ingredients gradually into the dry ingredients until mixture is smooth. Gradually beat in the softened butter. Turn dough onto a well -floured surface. Flip and knead dough with floured hands and a meta spatula or scraper, adding the 3/4 to 1-cup flour, until it can be handled easily. Knead the dough 8 to 12 minutes or until  smooth and elastic. (Dough will be very soft).

Place dough in a large butter bowl, turning over to bring butter side up; cover. Let rise in a warm place, away from draft, 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in volume. Butter a 10-cup Turk's head or kugelhupf mold. Spring with flour, tapping out excess. Punch dough down.   Knead in the raisin. Let dough rest 5 minutes, then shape into a rope roughly 15x3 inches. Press dough evenly and very firmly into the bottom of the prepared mold, curving it around the center tube. Cover. Let rise in a warm place until the dough reaches nearly to the tope of the mold, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Bake in 350 degree oven for 50 minutes or until cake is nicely browned and sounds hollow when tapped with fingers. Turn out on to a wire rack to cool. Spoon Confectioner's Icing over slightly warm cake to cover completely. Let cake cook until icing has set.

Confectioner's Icing: Combine 2 dupes confectioner's sugar, 2 tablespoons rum, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl; stir until smooth.

 Bacardi Rum Cake

Cake:

  • 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans                                

  • 1 pkg yellow cake mix

  • 1 pkg instant vanilla pudding mix

  • 4 eggs

  • 1/2 cup cold water

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil

  • 1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum (80 proof)

Glaze:

  • 1/4 lb butter

  • 1/4 cup water

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum (80 proof)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. Sprinkle nuts over bottom of pan. Mix all cake ingredients together. Pour batter over nuts. Bake 1 hour. Cool. Invert onto serving place. Prick top. Drizzle and smooth glaze evenly over tops and sides. Allow cake to absorb glaze. Repeat until glaze is used up. 

For glaze: Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in rum.

Optional: Decorate with whole maraschino cherries and border of sugar frosting or whipped cream. Serve with seedless green grapes dusted with powdered sugar.

Luscious Lemon Poke Cake

  • 2 baked 9 inch round white cake layers, cooled                        

  • 2 cups boiling water

  • 1 (8 serving) pkg of Jell-O lemon flavored gelatin

  • 1 tub Cool Whip, thawed

Place cake layers, top sides up in 2 clean 9-inch round cake pans. Pierce with large for at 1/2" intervals. 

Stir boiling water into gelatin in medium bowl at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Carefully four 12 cup of the gelatin over 1 cake layer. Pour remaining gelatin over second cake layer. Refrigerate 3 hours.

Dip 1 cake pan in warm water 10 seconds; unmold onto serving plate. Spread with about 1 cup of the whipped topping,. Unmold second layer; carefully place on first cake layer. Frost tope and side of the cake with remaining whipped topping. Refrigerate at least one hour or until ready to serve. Decorate as desired. Store leftover cake in refrigerator. Makes 12 servings.

Ambrosia Mold

  • 1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained                        

  • 2 cups boiling water

  • 1 can (11 oz) mandarin orange segments, drained

  • 1 3/4 cups Cool Whip, thawed

  • 1 pkg (8 oz) Jell-O Orange flavored gelatin

  • 1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

  • 1/2 cup coconut flakes

Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Add cold water to juice to measure 1 cup. Stir boiling water into gelatin in large bowl 2 minutes or until complete dissolved. Stir in measured liquid. Refrigerate 1 1/4 hours or until slightly thickened. Stir in whipped topping with wire whisk until smooth. Refrigerate 10 minutes or until mixture will mound. Stir in pineapple, oranges, marshmallows and coconut. Spoon into 6 cup mold. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm. Unmold. Makes 10 servings.

To Unmold: Dip mold in hot water for about 15 seconds. Gently pull gelatin from around edges with moist fingers. Place moistened serving plat on top of mold. Invert mold and plat; holding mold and plate together, shake slightly to loosen. Gently remove mold and center gelatin on plate.

Easter Carrot Pudding

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 1 tsp cinnamon

  • 1/2 tsp cloves                                                        

  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg

  • 1 cup flour

  • 1 tsp baking soda

  • 2 tbl hot water

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 1 cup raw carrots

  • 1 cup raisins

  • 1 large apple, grated

  • 1/4 cup melted butter

Mix the salt and all the spices with the four. Add the baking soda to the hot water. Mix all the ingredients. Place in a greased mold. Steam for three hours over boiling water. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Easter Cheese

  • 1 quart milk

  • 12 eggs

  • 3 tbl sugar

  • pinch salt

  • pinch of nutmeg

Beat eggs thoroughly. Bring milk to boil; add sugar, salt and nutmeg. Pour beaten eggs into boiling milk, stirring constantly, until mixture curdles. When mixture looks like scrambled eggs and won't curdle anymore, it is done. Drain in cheesecloth; forming into a ball by twisting the cloth, allow to hang until the mixture stops dripping. Refrigerate.

Serve cold by slicing off as much as is needed. Serve with a cold platter with ham and kielbasa; hard boiled eggs and olives. 

Easter Hunt Pie

  • 1 Keebler graham cracker crust

  • 1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese, softened

  • 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)

  • 3/4 cup cold water

  • 1 (4-serving size) package instant vanilla flavor pudding

  • 1 1/2 cups Cool Whip

  • 16 miniature chocolate eggs or other holiday candies

In large mixer bowl, beat cheese until fluffy; gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add water and pudding mix; on low speed, beat until smooth; gently stir in Cool Whip. Spoon 1/2 of filling into pie crust and top with chocolate eggs; top with remaining filling. Chill 3 hours. Garnish with Coconut or Colored candies.

 

More Holiday Fun!

Christmas  |  Easter  |  July 4th  |  Halloween  |  St Patrick's Day

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