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Jelly Bean Nests
"Crunchy Chinese noodles and melted marshmallows make the cutest little nests for your jelly beans. Great as place markers at Easter dinner."Yields 12 nests.
Prep Time: 25 Minutes
Cook Time: 5 Minutes
Ready In: 30 Minutes
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1/4 cup butter
4 cups chow mein noodles
Butter a 12 cup muffin tin.
Combine marshmallows and butter over medium heat in a saucepan; stir until the butter and marshmallows have melted. Stir in the chow mein noodles, coat well. Butter fingers and press the mixture into the bottom and sides of the prepared muffin tin. Refrigerate until firm.
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Peanut Butter Easter Eggs
chocolate-dipped peanut butter eggs -names on them in frosting and decorate with bunnies and flowers.
Yields 2 large eggs.
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Ready In: 15 Minutes
1 (16 ozs) package confectioners' sugar; 1 cup creamy peanut butter;
1/4 cup butter; 1 tablespoon milk .
8 (1 oz) squares semi-sweet chocolate; 1tblspn shortening .
In a mixing bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, peanut butter,
butter and milk (if needed for moisture) until blended.
Shape mixture into two 1/2 pound eggs or make a bunch
of smaller eggs. Freeze eggs for 1 hour.
While the eggs are freezing, cut semi-sweet chocolate into
small pieces and place in top of double boiler with shortening.
Melt over medium heat, stirring frequently until smooth.
Stick a long-tined fork in top of each peanut butter egg,
dip it in melted chocolate to cover then drain on waxed paper.
When the eggs are cooled and set, decorate the eggs to suit
your fancy. Makes 16 servings

Chocolate Covered Easter Eggs
"This is a great recipe that you can add different ingredients
to that will make 4 different kind of eggs..
Yields 3 pounds candy.
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Ready In: 2 Hours 30 Minutes
1/2 cup butter, softened ;1 tspoon vanilla extract ;
1 (8 ozs) package cream cheese, softened ;
2 1/2 pounds confectioners sugar ;
1 cup creamy peanut butter (optional) ;
1 cup flaked coconut (optional) ;
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (optional) ;
2 cups semisweet chocolate pieces ;
2 tablespoons shortening or vegetable oil (optional) ;
In a large bowl, mix together the butter, vanilla, and
cream cheese. Stir in confectioners' sugar to make a
workable dough. For best results, use hands for mixing.
Divide the dough into four parts. Leave one of
the parts plain. To the second part, mix in peanut
butter. Mix coconut into the third part, and cocoa
powder into the last part. Roll each type of dough
into egg shapes, and place on a waxed paper lined
cookie sheet. Refrigerate until hard, at least an hour.
Melt chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl over a
pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth
. If the chocolate seems too thick for coating, stir in
some of the shortening or oil until it thins. Dip the
chilled candy eggs in chocolate, and return to the
waxed paper lined sheet to set. Refrigerate for
1/2 hour to harden. Makes 48 servings

Easter Egg Nests
"These candies are so cute and are also easy enough
for small children to help prepare. Use tiny colored
jelly beans or Easter colored candy-coated chocolate
pieces to decorate nests."
Yields 12 servings.
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 5 Minutes
Ready In: 35 Minutes
3 drops green food coloring ;1/2 tspoon milk ;
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut ;
6 ozs white confectioners' coating ;
In a small bowl, mix food coloring with milk;
add coconut and mix until evenly tinted; set aside.
Melt confectioners' coating over a double boiler
or in the microwave, stirring every 15 to 30 seconds
until smooth. Mix with coconut mixture and place by
spoonfuls on waxed paper. Shape mixture like a bird's
nest, making a slight indentation in the center of each one.
Cool completely and decorate by placing candies
in the center of each nest.

Easter Egg Nests

2 egg whites
1/2 cup Chelsea White Sugar
2 cups coconut
1/2 teaspoon Hansell’s Red Food Colouring
1/2 teaspoon Hansell’s Blue Food Colouring
1/4 teaspoon Hansell’s Yellow Food Colouring
1/4 teaspoon Hansell’s Blue Food Colouring

Using a fork, lightly beat the egg whites. The egg white is beaten enough when there are not stringy bits of egg white hanging off the fork.
Mix in the sugar and coconut. Divide the mixture into three even portions and place each portion in a bowl. Add red food colouring to one bowl and mix to combine. Add blue food colouring to the second bowl and mix to combine. Add yellow and blue food colouring to the third bowl and mix to combine.
Place 1/4 of a cup of mixture onto a baking paper covered oven tray. Using the back of a tablespoon, press the spoon into the mixture to form a hollow nest area. Bake at 180°C for 8 to 10 minutes. Fill with small Easter eggs as pictured.

Makes 8 nests.

Special thanks to Hansell's for use of their recipe

Taken from a very interesting web site:

Pysanky - Ukrainian Easter Eggs

These are a traditional craft in Ukraine, with a history of thousands of years. The method is similar to batik - patterns are drawn on the egg with wax, which then protects the covered areas from the dye that is applied. By repeating this process with different colors of dye, a multi-colored pattern is built up. Finally, the wax is removed to reveal the colors that were covered up at each stage. The symbols and colors used are rich in meaning; many pre-date the arrival of Christianity, and have had Christian interpretations layered on afterward.

This (1996) is the third year in a row that I've done pysanky. Before that, the last time was about twenty years ago. This past year we got electric kistky and analine dyes from a little mail-order shop in Minnesota. Up till then, we had been using PAAS and RIT dyes, and artists' ink-pens heated in the flame of a candle. The PAAS dyes are far too weak, and have no black. Also, my father (who has been taking lessons from a 90-year-old Ukrainian lady - his eggs are unbelievable!) gave us some hints about carefully measuring things beforehand, and marking some guidelines with a pencil. Before that, we did everything completely free-hand. Those three changes have made a *huge* difference. I don't know what more we can do next year, aside from practice, practice, practice. :-)

Okay, 1997 and 1998 went by, and although I made a few pysanky, I didn't have enough time to make more than a few, and had no time to digitize pictures or anything. Don't worry, you didn't miss much; my eggs did not improve so much this time.

My own eggs! (and some of my friends' too)

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Here are some other links you may like:
Pysanky:

Georgia's Pysanky Page - nice description, pics, and recipes too - Yum!
How to Make Ukrainian Easter Eggs by Ann Morash - an Excellent page - my favorite!
World of Ukrainian Easter Egg - a very nice page in Japan
Carol's Ukrainian Eggs
Easter in Cyberspace: A Christian Perspective - on the meaning of Easter for Christians
Southern Arizona Folk Arts - Pysanky
Trudi LaFlair's Eggs with Flair
Helen and Bill's Pysanky - includes a cute demo (not loading - is it gone?)

Easter Story Cookies

Prep. Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 day Ingredients:

1 cup whole pecans
1 tsp. vinegar
3 egg whites
1 pinch salt
1 cup sugar
Zipper baggie
Wooden spoon
Tape
Bible

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Place pecans in zipper baggie and let the children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.

So far the ingredients are not very appetizing...

Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Ps. 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isa. 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

Fold in broken nuts.

Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper-covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was lain. Read Matt. 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF.

Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matt. 27:65-66.

GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave them in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers felt despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matt. 28:1-9

Chef's Comments
To be made the evening before Easter.

My Easter Egg Potatoes "

"Cut in half they are just like an egg

Brown on the outside .

White on the inside and

filling is yummy yellow"

no 1 . First, I Cooked up a whole heap of peeled potatoes,

cut in 1/3 's and [microwaved] and then spooned

out the potatoes gently with a melon ball scoop ,

putting aside cooked potato in bowl

with Tbsp .gherkin relish and

some chopped ham and

thinly sliced cheese and

home made garlic butter. and

mixing well ,for filling for the inside of the spuds .

no 2 . Grilling potatoes under a hot heat in pan of garlic

butter ,turning from side to side to grill evenly ;

no 3. filling is then added and grilled again .

Absolutely Blooming Beautiful .

Annie's recipe for you .

*N.B.

One LARGE potato = 3 Portions .

One portion of grilled and filled potato

and a little

cold ham + lettuce

with tomatoes

on the side makes for a large meal .

Easter Biscuits

Ingredients

175 g butter
1/2 cup Chelsea Caster Sugar
grated rind of 1 lemon
2 egg yolks
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup currants
a little egg white, lightly beaten for glaze
extra Chelsea Caster Sugar to decorate

Method

Preheat oven to 180ºC.

Cream the butter, sugar & lemon rind until light & fluffy. Work in the egg yolk, then stir in the flour and currants. Knead lightly until smooth. Leave the mixture in the fridge or a cool place for about 1 hour.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 3 mm thick. Cut into rounds with a fluted 7.5 cm cookie cutter. Brush with a little egg white, dredge with caster sugar, lift onto a baking paper lined tray & bake for 12 �?15 minutes or until just golden brown.

Lift onto a wire rack & leave to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Makes 24

Easter Bunny Iced Biscuits

Ingredients

Filling:
1 1/2 cups Chelsea Icing Sugar
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon Hansell’s Vanilla Essence
3 tablespoons boiling water
250g packet milk arrowroot biscuits

Raspberry Topping:
1 1/2 cups Chelsea Icing Sugar
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 teaspoon Hansell’s Raspberry Essence
2 drops Hansell’s red food colouring
3 tablespoons hot water

Method

Filling:
Put icing sugar into a bowl with butter, vanilla essence and water. Stir until you have a smooth icing mixture. Spread one teaspoon of icing on to one biscuit and place another plain biscuit on top. Repeat with remaining biscuits and icing before decorating with raspberry topping and piped icing bunny faces.

Raspberry Topping:
Put icing sugar into a bowl, add butter, raspberry essence, red colouring and water. Stir until you have a smooth icing mixture. Spread topping over the top of the biscuits. Decorate biscuits with Easter bunny faces in green and yellow icing.

To Decorate with Piped Icing:
Mix icing sugar and enough water together to make a pipeable icing. Mix in one to two drops of Hansells yellow or green food colouring. Place icing in a plastic bag and cut a small piece off the corner of the bag. Pipe bunny face decorations as pictured.

Special thanks to Hansell's for use of this recipe

Marzipan Animals

Ingredients

Almonds 350 gms

Sugar 2 cups

Water 1 cup

Egg whites 2

Powdered sugar for sprinkling

A large pinch of Cream of Tartar

Method:

1) Heat sugar and water in a large pan over low heat, till the sugar dissolves. Stir continuously. When the sugar has dissolved, add the cream of Tartar and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil rapidly, without stirring till the mixture reaches a soft ball stage (around 230 ^o F) on a candy thermometer. Take it off the heat.

2) Add the egg whites (lightly beaten) and Almonds, blanched and finely grounded.

3) Then return the mixture to the gas and over low heat stir, till the mixture thickens and leaves the sides of the pan.

4) Transfer the mixture onto a slab, which is sprinkled with icing sugar. Knead well till dry, but don’t add too much icing sugar or the mixture will become too dry and difficult to work on.

5) Store in an airtight container or plastic wrap. When you need to use it, you may divide it into different portions, add a few drops of colour of your choice. Knead well and make desired shapes.

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