Spring into Easter Treats

I love this time of year.  Everything is blooming and turning green.  Temperatures have begun to warm up and all the birds and animals have returned to the yard.  Well this year isn't so green and it is still a little cold yet but I can here the birds chirping just the same. Avoiding yard work means it is a perfect time to stay in and make some goodies for Easter.

Every year my Mom would make special treats for our Easter baskets.  She really made everything so special.  We loved helping her make sugar eggs and chocolate candy molds.  So many of my favorite memories are tied to all the special things my Mom would make for every holiday and birthday.

I decided to share these memories with my son Carson and make some of our own. I convinced him and my friend Debbie to help me have a homemade Easter treat making marathon.  Here are some of the items we made.

 

Crispy Spring Pops

• Make a double recipe of Rice Crispy Treats using Fruit Pebbles
• Press into a buttered 13x9 pan to make them extra thick
• Once set, cut into desired size bars
• Push a sucker stick in the bottom
• Dip the tip in melted white chocolate and place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet and sprinkle wet chocolate with cupcake sprinkles
• Let dry or freeze for quicker drying
• Cheater Method: Buy cereal bars and cut them in half, insert stick and dip in chocolate.

Sugared Marshmallow Pops

 

• Dip large marshmallows in water
• Remove excess water with a paper towel
• Roll in desired colored sugar
• Insert sucker stick
• Dry on a parchment line cookie sheet
• I can't wait to try these on a s'more!

 

Macaroon Nest



 

Macaroon Kisses

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. almond extract 2 7-ounce packages flake coconut (5 ½ cups) 48 solid milk chocolate stars or chocolate chips chocolate candy eggs (these are Cadbury brand)

1 Preheat oven to 325. Line baking sheets with parchment and spray with cooking release spray. 2 In large bowl combine sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and almond extract. Stir in coconut. 3 Roll into 1 inch balls. Slightly flatten each ball and place a thumb print in the middle. 4 Bake for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately press chocolate star or 4-6 chocolate chips in the middle.  When chocolate becomes melted add chocolate candy eggs into the center. 5 Cool. Store at room temperature or freeze.

Yield: 4 dozen Nutter Butter Chicks   Dip Nutter Butters in melted yellow chocolate candy coating, remove with a fork and drip off excess chocolate Place on parchment lined cookie sheet  Before chocolate dries use 2 black candy pearls for the eyes and 1 orange Tic Tac for the nose Dry completely before packaging Chicks in Grass     We used a grass piping tip to make these cute cupcakes. The baking cups are from Marshalls.



I packaged everything in cello bags so it would keep and then I froze them.

I froze the cupcakes first so I could easily put them in bags without smearing the frosting. 

 

Happy Easter!

Chef Jackie