Easter Story Cookies

1 cup whole pecans or walnuts
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vinegar
Zip-type bag or other secure bag
3 egg whites
Wooden spoon
Pinch of salt
Tape
Bible

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Put pecans in baggie and let children beat them with wooden spoon. Explain that after Christ was arrested, He was beaten. Read John 19:1-3. Let children smell the vinegar. Put vinegar in mixing bowl. Explain that Jesus was thirsty on the cross and 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 in each child's hand, let children taste the salt and then put a pinch in the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.

Now, add 1 cup of sugar and explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to seek Him - pray to Him and praise Him (in song and in prayer). Read Psalms 34:8 and John 3:16. Beat with mixer on high speed for about 12-15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 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 laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60. Put cookie sheet in 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 Matthew 27:65-66. Go to bed. Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' friends were so sad 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 Matthew 28:1-10. HE HAS RISEN!
 

Cottontail Cookie Pops

Cooking oil spray
1 C. butter, softened
1 C. granulated sugar
1 T. orange zest
1 egg
1 t. vanilla extract
2 C. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
3/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. cloves
1/4 t. salt
1 1/4 C. finely grated carrots
1/4 C. finely chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie mold with cooking oil spray. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add orange zest, egg and vanilla. Mix to blend. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt.

Add to butter mixture alternately with carrots; mix just until combined. Stir in optional nuts.

Press about 2 T. dough into each pan cavity. Press in stick and cover with about 1 t. dough. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are a light golden. Cool in pan on cooling rack for 15 minutes. With thin spatula, gently loosen edge and remove gently from pan. Cool cookies on rack completely before icing.

Decorate as desired, using a pastry bag or ready-to-use tubes of icing.

Makes 16-18 cookies

Easter Coconut Cream Cake

1 Cake Mix (boxed) - French Vanilla
1 Container French Vanilla frosting
1 Can Lopez cream of coconut
1 Package shredded coconut
Food Color (optional)

Prepare cake mix as directed on box.

When cake is done, remove from oven and poke holes in it with a straw.

Pour cream of coconut into holes while cake is still hot. Let cake cool to room temperature and then frost. Pour coconut over whole cake.

Food color is in case you want to color the coconut.

Blue Peeps Pie

1 cookie crumb pie crust
1 small box blue gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1 cup whole milk (or half-and-half)
3 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 tablespoons Curacao or similar blue liqueur
10 to 15 blue Peeps 
1 cup fresh blueberries for garnish

Freeze crust while you prepare the pie filling. Pour boiling water boiling water over gelatin in heatproof bowl. Stir to dissolve gelatin.

Add cold milk and liqueur. Blend well and refrigerate until gelatin has thickened, but not set firm.

Fold in thawed whipped topping to chilled gelatin mixture. Mix completely so that no streaks remain, but avoid overworking.

Spoon filling into frozen crust.

Snip apart each family of Peeps. Arrange in concentric circles atop pie filling. Use fresh blueberries to fill in gaps between Peeps.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Note: Peeps refrigerated for longer than 36 hours will begin to "weep" and ooze melted sugar.
 

Chocolate Raspberry Truffles

20 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped into small pieces
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
6 tablespoons corn syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons raspberry liqueur such as framboise (6 to 7)
Cocoa powder for dusting

Put 12 ounces of the chocolate in a bowl. Whisk together the cream and corn syrup in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Pour over the chocolate and whisk until thoroughly combined and smooth. Whisk in butter until smooth and glossy. Add the raspberry liqueur and mix well.

Pour the chocolate into a deep pan and chill. When the chocolate is firm, scoop out small truffle balls, using a melon baller or other small scoop. (Dip scoop in very hot water before each scoop, patting each time onto a towel to avoid getting water into the chocolate mixture.) Chill truffles slightly, and then perfect the circular shape by rolling quickly in palms of your hands. Store the truffles in the refrigerator until ready to finish.

To finish the truffles: Melt the remaining 8 ounces of chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. Set the bowl aside and let cool slightly, stirring occasionally, until just cooler than body temperature.

Put enough cocoa powder in a bowl to form a small pile. Wearing rubber gloves and working with 1 truffle at a time, rub some of the melted chocolate all over the truffles and roll quickly in your hands until smooth. Drop the truffles into the cocoa powder, roll to coat completely, and transfer to a platter. Store in a cool, dry place.

Yield: about 6 to 8 servings

California Fig Coconut Balls

3/4 cup California dried figs

3/4 cup shredded coconut meat

1/2 cup nut meats

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Steam figs. With scissors, clip off stems, and grind or chop fine. Grind coconut and nut meats, then combine all ingredients and work to a paste. Add more lemon juice if necessary. Shape mixture into little balls about 3/4 inch in diameter, and roll in finely chopped coconut.

Angel Food Candy

1 C. Sugar

1 C. Dark corn syrup

1 T. Vinegar

1 T. Baking soda

1 lb. Chocolate almond bark - melted

In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup and vinegar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Cook without stirring until the temperature reaches 300 (hard crack stage) on a candy thermometer. Do not overcook.

Remove from the heat and quickly stir in baking soda. Pour into a buttered 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. When cool, break into bite size pieces. Dip into melted chocolate; place on waxed paper until the chocolate is firm.

Store candy tightly covered. Yield: 1-1/2 pounds

Sugared Marshmallow Bunnies and Chicks

1/4 cup water
3 1/2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup water
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup invert sugar*
3/8 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
colored sugar

In a mixing bowl soak gelatin in 1/4 cup water. In a saucepan, combine 1/4 cup water, sugar and invert sugar. Heat but do not boil; pour hot syrup into gelatin, beating slowly. Gradually add corn syrup and vanilla, beating on medium-high speed of an electric mixer until mixture is fluffy, white and doubled in bulk.

Color and flavor marshmallow as desired. Keep mixing bowl in a larger bowl of very hot water to keep marshmallow from hardening. Butter Easter molds and spoon candy into the molds. Set aside for about 1 hour then remove from molds and roll in colored sugar. Dry candy for a few hours then pack in tightly covered containers.

Makes 12-15 molds.

* you can buy invert sugar at cake supply stores or sometimes at large supermarkets.

Jelly Bean Bark

1 Tablespoon butter (no substitutes), melted
1 1/4 pounds white candy coating
2 cups miniature jelly beans

Line a 15-in. x 10-in. pan with foil. Brush with melted butter; set aside.

Place the candy coating in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, at 70% power for 3-4 minutes; stir until smooth. Spread into prepared pan.

Sprinkle with jelly beans. Let stand until set before breaking into pieces.

Rice Krispie Easter Eggs

1 cup confectioners sugar

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

2 cups Rice Krispies

2 tablespoons oil

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

dipping chocolate

Mix together the sugar, peanut butter, rice krispies, oil and vanilla and mold into eggs. Place on cookie sheet and freeze about 2 hours. Dip in chocolate coating to which a small amount of oil or butter may be added. Cool on waxed paper.