Brownie 'Easter Eggs'

Want an alternative to Chocolate Easter Eggs this year? Try these 'Brownie Easter Eggs' --recipe adapted from  Kraft Recipes. You can always use your favorite brownie recipe or a mix. Whatever works for you! Happy Easter!

EASTER EGG BROWNIES

Ingredients
4 ounces unsweetened Chocolate  (or very dark chocolate and reduce the sugar)
3/4 cup unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup chopped Walnuts
assorted decorating gels
assorted candies

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F.
Line 13 x 9-inch pan with foil, with ends extending over sides. Grease foil; set aside. Melt chocolate and butter in saucepan over another saucepan over simmering water. Stir until chocolate is completely melted (but don't burn).
Add sugar; mix well. Blend in eggs and vanilla.
Stir in flour and nuts until well blended; spread into prepared pan.
Bake 30 to 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.)
Cool completely.
Use foil handles to lift brownies from pan. Cut into egg shapes with 3-inch oval cookie cutter.
Decorate with decorating gels and candies to resemble Easter eggs (as in photo or get creative!) 

Serve in an Easter basket! How fun!

HOMEMADE CADBURY EGGS: Easter!

Do you love Cadbury Eggs? Are they a part of your Easter tradition? Here's how to make your own!

Instructables has a great recipe for Homemade Cadbury Creme Eggs. I think they're really good. They're easy to make, although a bit time consuming. Even if they don't come out egg shaped, or the shell breaks, they're yummy! And, you can use good quality dark chocolate for even better flavor!

HOMEMADE CADBURY CREME EGGS

Ingredients
1/2 cup Lyle’s golden syrup or light corn syrup
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pure vanilla
3 cup powdered sugar
yellow food coloring
12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (or a bag of bittersweet chocolate chips)

The Filling:
Cream together corn syrup, butter, and vanilla. Sift in confectioner's powdered sugar and beat until incorporated. Separate filling into whites and yolks! Take out about third of filling and stir in some yellow food coloring. Put the two bowls in fridge to set up a little.

Shaping the Yolks:
This step is sticky! Keep your hands clean and cold. Make little yolk balls out of yellow mixture. Place them on parchment. Put them back in the fridge or freezer to firm up.
When yolks are set up, start embedding them in whites. Scoop an amount of white filling out and flatten it into circle. Place yolk ball inside, and wrap white around it. Put them in fridge.

Hint from Instructables: 
If you decide to use egg molds instead of dipping method, pipe whites and yolks into chocolate molds with  pastry bag. This would save a LOT of time. 

Filling the Molds 
Melt chocolate in double boiler or short bursts in the microwave. Fill molds with  chocolate and swirl to coat  sides. Once molds are set, put filling ball into half of each mold. Using more melted chocolate, join two halves of egg together. Let set and unmold. Use freezer to help set this up.

Alternative Method: If you aren't using molds, try this:
Melt chocolate + 2 teaspoons of butter in microwave in short bursts until just melted. Either dip fillings into chocolate with fork and let set on parchment, or skewer fillings and dip them --kind of like cake pops! Once chocolate is set, dip them again for a thick chocolate shell!

Want to see another recipe -- similar...always good to have two to compare! Check out Ashley Rodriguez's (Not Without Salt) adaptation of this recipe on Food52.

Or if you can get to the market or order online in time, buy some Cadbury Creme Eggs for Easter!

BROWNIE 'EASTER EGGS'

So you're Sheltered-in-Place this Easter, and you don't have any Chocolate Eggs for your fellow inmates. Here's a great way to make "Easter Eggs" with Brownies. This recipe is adapted from  Kraft Recipes. You can always use your favorite brownie recipe or a mix. Whatever works for you.

EASTER EGG BROWNIES

Ingredients
4 ounces unsweetened Chocolate  (or very dark chocolate and reduce the sugar)
3/4 cup unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp Madagascar vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup chopped Walnuts
assorted decorating gels
assorted candies

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F.
Line 13 x 9-inch pan with foil, with ends extending over sides. Grease foil; set aside. Melt chocolate and butter in saucepan over another saucepan over simmering water. Stir until chocolate is completely melted (but don't burn).
Add sugar; mix well. Blend in eggs and vanilla.
Stir in flour and nuts until well blended; spread into prepared pan.
Bake 30 to 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.)
Cool completely.
Use foil handles to lift brownies from pan. Cut into egg shapes with 3-inch oval cookie cutter.
Decorate with decorating gels and candies to resemble Easter eggs (as in photo or get creative!) Serve in an Easter basket! How fun!

HOMEMADE CADBURY CREME EGGS: Easter

Do you love Cadbury Eggs? Are they a part of your Easter tradition? Can't get out to buy any because you're Sheltered-in-Place? Make Your Own!

Instructables has a great recipe for Homemade Cadbury Creme Eggs. I think they're really good. They're easy to make, although a bit time consuming. Even if they don't come out egg shaped, or the shell breaks, they're yummy! And, you can use good quality dark chocolate for even better flavor!

HOMEMADE CADBURY CREME EGGS

Ingredients
1/2 cup Lyle’s golden syrup or light corn syrup
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pure vanilla
3 cup powdered sugar
yellow food coloring
12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (or a bag of bittersweet chocolate chips)

The Filling:
Cream together corn syrup, butter, and vanilla. Sift in confectioner's powdered sugar and beat until incorporated. Separate filling into whites and yolks! Take out about third of filling and stir in some yellow food coloring. Put the two bowls in fridge to set up a little.

Shaping the Yolks:
This step is sticky! Keep your hands clean and cold. Make little yolk balls out of yellow mixture. Place them on parchment. Put them back in the fridge or freezer to firm up.
When yolks are set up, start embedding them in whites. Scoop an amount of white filling out and flatten it into circle. Place yolk ball inside, and wrap white around it. Put them in fridge.

Hint from Instructables: 
If you decide to use egg molds instead of dipping method, pipe whites and yolks into chocolate molds with  pastry bag. This would save a LOT of time. 

Filling the Molds 
Melt chocolate in double boiler or short bursts in the microwave. Fill molds with  chocolate and swirl to coat  sides. Once molds are set, put filling ball into half of each mold. Using more melted chocolate, join two halves of egg together. Let set and unmold. Use freezer to help set this up.

Alternative Method: If you aren't using molds, try this:
Melt chocolate + 2 teaspoons of butter in microwave in short bursts until just melted. Either dip fillings into chocolate with fork and let set on parchment, or skewer fillings and dip them --kind of like cake pops! Once chocolate is set, dip them again for a thick chocolate shell!

Want to see another recipe -- similar...always good to have two to compare! Check out Ashley Rodriguez's (Not Without Salt) adaptation of this recipe on Food52.

Or if you can get to the market or order online, buy some Cadbury Creme Eggs for Easter!

CHOCOLATE PEANUT ROLLED EASTER EGGS: Guest Post for Easter

Today I repost this recipe and article from my friend Susan Frank who has a delicious and easy recipe for Chocolate Peanut Rolled Eggs. Perfect for Easter! Thanks, Susan!

SUSAN FRANK:

Ahhh... Easter, bunnies, colored eggs, and my favorite candy, but who can afford sixteen dollars a pound and up and then feel guilty unless you eat it all. This Easter after watching all my favorite authors post delicious recipes on Facebook, I decided to experiment by making candy. My mother actually had a candy and gift shop when my twin sister and I were young. My twin sister is a great cook. I'm 2 minutes younger, so I need to be better at something! So, chocolate covered pretzels? Too easy. Strawberries? Too Easy. Peanut rolled eggs? Yep! I remember them. How hard could it be?.........not hard at all, my kind of candy!

I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of Duffy Browns book Braking for Bodies before release, so while I made the wonderful butter cream inside, I decided to read instead of doing the candy all at once. It actually made it easier, as the cooler the "buttercream" gets, the easier it is to manipulate. So find a good book and let the buttercream cool as long as you want and then play with the dipping when you're done.

P.S. If you have goldens or any kind of dog - beware they will love these, but they should not eat these--or anything with chocolate, specifically dark chocolate.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT ROLLED EGGS

Ingredients
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 10-ounce bag dark chocolate candy melts (I use the Ghiardelli ones)
2 cups chopped peanuts (I used the sea salt ones)

Directions
Whisk together milk, butter, and vanilla (make sure the butter is soft or you will have lumps).
Gradually stir in 2 1/2 of the 3 cups of powdered sugar. Coat your hands with powdered sugar and knead dough until it reaches the desired consistency. Your dough should be firm but not crumbly (sort of like pizza dough). Add more sugar if needed. Dough will be sticky. Form dough into a log and dust with powdered sugar, then roll up in parchment paper. Refrigerate for at least an hour until firm enough to handle. I actually left mine overnight. You can keep it for awhile, if you double the recipe and don't use it all.

When ready, melt chocolate in  double boiler or microwave, (if you are using Ghiardelli the directions are on the back of the back. You need to use the melting discs though as it doesn't work with the chips) stirring until smooth. Spread crushed peanuts in a dish with high sides or you'll have peanuts all over. You have to put them in a processor to make them small and fine.

While chocolate melts, get your chilled "dough" out and cut off pieces into desired size. Remember that your finished candy will be a bit larger with the candy coating and added peanuts. Form the piece of dough into an egg shape.

Dip the candy into the melted chocolate to coat on all sides. I used a fork so that the chocolate could drip off when I scooped them out of the chocolate. Lay coated candy in peanuts and roll around to coat. Let set a minute or until chocolate starts to set up, then place on parchment (so it doesn't stick).

Voila! Peanut rolled eggs that don't cost $16.00 a pound!