For Easter, we generally do orange rolls for breakfast. Then lunchtime, we have Easter Egg Salad sandwiches. There’s a funny story about how I ended up with this recipe. I have four kids, so several years ago when they were all young and coloring eggs, they each had to have soooo many. I think we probably dyed three dozen eggs that year! And the kids were young, so they cracked a lot of the eggs during the dyeing process. After all the excitement on Easter morning, I was staring at these mounds of eggs trying to figure out what I was going to do with them all. So, I made egg salad. And since the majority of the eggs were cracked, the whites of the eggs were beautifully colored pastels and a few brighter colors. Thus, Easter Egg Salad was born, and thrives to this day! Try the recipe for yourself. I also make Ham Spread that we start snacking on the Saturday before Easter.

For Easter dinner, I usually make the same Ham recipe I do at Thanksgiving and Christmas (see previous editions for that recipe). I serve carrots (slight nod to the Easter Bunny), fried radishes sometimes (I’m pretty sure you can find that recipe in a previous edition as well!)…and…well, I just wing it every year. Still don’t know what I’m doing this year for Quarantine Easter yet.

Easter desserts are all fabulous, but I like something that’s non-chocolately usually. And my family loves cream puffs. Now, I know I said non-chocolately, but I think garnishing a plate of Cream Puff Cake with a few Cadbury Mini Eggs, or a drizzle of chocolate syrup might not be too bad!

Recipes wanted! Submitted recipes will be accepted at [email protected], or you can stop by the Albion office and drop a copy off up front. If you don’t have a recipe to submit right now, but there is a recipe you’re desperately seeking, feel free to email or drop off a note for a “Recipe Request.” I’m still requesting recipes for your favorite apple pie recipes!

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Easter Egg Salad

Ingredients:

12 eggs (raw)

Egg dye kit

1/2C mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip)

1/4C sour cream

1/2 large onion, diced small

1/4 C yellow bell pepper, minced/diced small; optional

1 TBSP yellow mustard

1 TBSP parsley

1 tsp dry mustard

Salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Add eggs to a saucepan, fill with cold water to just above eggs. Bring water to a boil, then turn off heat. Cover and let stand approximately 10 minutes. Remove from stovetop, let stand an additional 10 minutes.

Run cold water over the eggs until cool. Gently crack eggshells to create intricate cracks all over, but do not remove the eggshell. Dye the eggs in various colors according to package directions on egg dye kit, and let dry. Refrigerate until cold.

Peel eggs. They should be colorful and marbleized on the outside. Chop the eggs and add to a large bowl. Add mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, dried mustard, parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Add diced vegetables, stirring until well mixed. Chill before serving.

Note: If you didn’t get a lot of good color on your eggs, you could separate the eggs into bowls full of cold water and 1 TBSP white vineagar before chopping (or after chopping, just remove the yolks to chop separately) and add a drop or two of food coloring to each bowl to make your colored egg whites. Turn to coat and remove to a paper towel layered over newspaper to dry before continuing with recipe.

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Bunny’s Best Carrots

Ingredients:

2-lbs. baby carrots

4 TBSP butter

2-1/2 tsp dried dill (or 2 TBSP fresh dill, chopped), to taste

1-2 tsp dried minced onion

salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Steam carrots approximately 8 minutes. Add butter, dill, onion, salt and pepper, stirring until well coated. Add more dill if desired.

Note: You can add 1-2 TBSP honey instead of the dill and onion.

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Cream Puff Cake

Ingredients:

1C water

1/2C unsalted butter

1C flour

Pinch of salt

4 eggs

2 packages (8-oz.) cream cheese, softened

3 packages (3.4-oz.) instant vanilla pudding

4C milk

3C Whipped cream, 1-2 tsp vanilla extract*, 1-2 TBSP sugar, or you can use 12-oz. Cool Whip

Cadbury Mini Eggs to garnish; optional

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13-in. baking pan with baking spray and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the butter and bring to a boil again. Remove from heat and stir in the flour and salt until it is just combined and forms a ball.

Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add one egg at a time, mixing thoroughly between each addition. After the final egg addition, continue to mix on high for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is smooth.

Add the dough to the prepared baking dish. Spray your fingertips with some baking spray and then gently press the dough into an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. The dough will rise, especially up the sides of the pan. Cool completely.

In a large bowl, whisk together the instant pudding and milk. Set aside. In the bowl of stand mixer, beat the cream cheese 3-4 minutes until it is smooth. Then mix in the prepared pudding mix. Beat 3-4 minutes until smooth.

Spread the cream cheese and pudding mixture into an even layer on the cooled crust.

If using whipped cream: In a large bowl, add whipping cream, vanilla extract and sugar. Using a hand mixer, start on low for the first minute, then increase the speed gradually until reaching high speed. Continue mixing until soft peaks form. Taste, and adjust vanilla and/or sugar as needed. Do not overmix until stiff peaks form.

Top the assembled cream puff cake with a layer of whipped cream or whipped topping. Chill overnight or for 2-3 hours before serving.

Top with Easter-themed nonpareils or sprinkles, or Cadbury Mini Eggs.

*Please use vanilla extract, not flavoring.

Note: You could add a layer of chocolate if you choose, under the pudding layer. You could halve the vanilla pudding mixture and make half chocolate and put that layer on first, then the vanilla layer, then the whipped cream or topping layer. Or, you could make a chocolate ganache to layer underneath the pudding. Experiment!

 ***Recipe courtesy of Michael, of “Inspired by Charm” blog.***

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Easter Ham Spread

Ingredients:

1 6-oz. can deviled ham* (I use Underwood brand)

1 package (8-oz.) cream cheese, softened

4-6 TBSP green onions, minced (fresh)

1/8 tsp onion powder, optional

Dash of salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate. Serve with various crackers (I like Ritz) or bread rounds. Also goes well with potato chips.

*you just have to look for it. It’s usually near the canned chicken. It’s a small can with a paper wrapped around it.

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