04 April

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April 1, 2013

Chick-in-Eggs

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Chick-in-Eggs

Chick-in-Eggs

April: Easter Week

We dress up deviled eggs as little devils after Halloween, on November 2, National Deviled Eggs Day. But around the Easter season, we make special spring chicks because they look so cute cracking out of their shells.

Eggs are festive food this time of the year as they are symbolic of transformations. The dead of winter is reborn into the hope of spring; the rising of Jesus from the dead represents new life; yolks turn into yummy appetizers.

Do deviled eggs differently during Easter Week and decorate them as spring chicks! Blessings to all our blog readers on Easter!

Recipe

Ingredients

  • 4 hard boiled eggs, cooled and shelled
  • 2-3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder (or to taste)
  • carrot sliver
  • black food gel tube

Directions

Boil, cool and shell the eggs. Slice a little piece off the bottom of an egg so it could stand on its own. Slice the egg 1/3 from the top, making the bottom 2/3 larger.

Chick-in-Eggs

Remove the yolks to a mixing bowl. Use a sharp paring knife to cut triangular “cracks” from the top and bottom of the egg whites. Set aside. Add mayonnaise and curry powder to the egg yolks and mash with a fork until smooth.

Chick-in-Eggs

Generously fill the bottom of the egg whites with a mound of the yolk mixture (we used a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip). Cap off with the top egg whites. Peel a small part of a carrot. Cut out into tiny triangles for the beaks. Position them on the egg yolks. Lightly touch the tip of the black tube frosting to make the eyes. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Chick-in-Eggs

Notes

  • Thanks to Lisa L. for the idea of decorating our deviled eggs into spring chicks.
  • Knead the black tube icing and squeeze out the excess liquid on a napkin before decorating the chick-in-eggs to avoid runny smears on the yolk filling.
  • Search our blog for other Easter and egg recipes.
 

April 28, 2012

Blueberry Pie Pockets

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Blueberry Pie Pockets

Blueberry Pie Pockets

April 28: National Blueberry Pie Day

We posted a recipe for cherry pie pockets for National Cherry Pie Day. Now we are blogging about blueberry pie pockets for National Blueberry Pie Day. The portable, petite pies seem to follow the mini-treats trend. Islander used her $10 toy, a lattice pocket pie mold, that Highlander got for her from the Williams-Sonoma store. The mold makes it quick and easy to prepare the pies. The blueberry filling may be substituted for any other favorite flavor (fresh fruits or canned pie filling) and the lattice crust may be made from scratch or rolled out from refrigerated pie dough. For a sweet snack, prepare something “as easy as pie” and bake blueberry pie pockets for National Blueberry Pie Day.

Recipe

(Inspired by Williams-Sonoma)

  • 1 package refrigerated pie dough, thawed
  • 1 can blueberry pie filling, partially drained (see Notes)
  • 1 egg, beaten with a tablespoon of water
  • sanding or turbinado sugar (we used Wilton brand white sparkling sugar) 

Directions

Unroll the pie dough on a slightly floured surface. Press out pairs of solid pieces and the lattice tops using the Williams-Sonoma mold. Partially drain the blueberry filling (optional).

Blueberry Pie Pockets

Put the solid side of the dough on the pie press. Place about two heaping tablespoons of the blueberry pie filling in the middle of the dough.  Brush the edges with egg wash. Top with the lattice side of the dough. Press the mold down to seal.

Blueberry Pie Pockets

Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough and blueberry pie filling. Freeze all pocket pies for at least an hour. Remove from the freezer and transfer to a lightly greased, foil-lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of the lattice with egg wash. Sprinkle sugar on top. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until the filling bubbles slightly and the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the blueberry pie pockets cool completely on a wire rack.

Blueberry Pie Pockets

Notes

  • Drain half of the liquid syrup from the can of blueberries so the filling is not so runny.
  • If not using the Williams-Sonoma mini lattice pie press, use a large cookie cutter to cut shapes in the dough. Pair them up, place filling in the middle, seal the edges by pressing down with the tines of a fork and brush the sides and tops with egg wash. Cut a few slits on the top as vents. Freeze until firm. Bake as directed above.
  • Do not deep fry the lattice pie pockets. They may be deep fried if both sides of the dough are solid pieces.
  • Re-roll out the pie dough to make more solid pieces and lattice tops.
  • July is National Blueberry Month. Search our blog for more recipes containing blueberries. 

 

 

April 26, 2012

Chocolate Pretzel Cookies

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Chocolate Pretzel Cookies

Chocolate Pretzel Cookies

April 26: National Pretzel Day

We tend to associate pretzels with plane food. But the airlines are getting so stingy nowadays that sometimes only beverages are served, if at all! That is okay as we can do without the salty snacks. A homemade alternative, such as chocolate pretzel cookies, would suffice! They are perfect for passengers on long flights. They look just like the hard pretzel snacks but with a sweet twist—literally—in that the salt is actually sugar on the surface! Try these treats for traveling and prepare chocolate pretzel cookies for National Pretzel Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso or coffee powder (we used Muvaldi brand instant Kona coffee)
  • 3 tablespoons boiling water
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ teaspoon coarse salt (we used Hawaiian sea salt)
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon water
  • sanding sugar (we used Wilton brand white sparkling sugar)

Directions

Combine the cocoa and espresso/coffee powders with the boiling water in a small bowl. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugar. Add the vanilla and coarse salt.

Chocolate Pretzel Cookies

Beat in the egg. Stir in the cocoa-coffee mixture. Gradually add the flour until a smooth dough is formed. Place on a plastic wrap and flatten out into a disc. Cover and refrigerate for half an hour. Pinch out 24 balls from the dough.

Chocolate Pretzel Cookies

Roll out a ball into a foot-long rope. Turn it up into a “U” shape. Twist down and overlap into a pretzel shape.

Chocolate Pretzel Cookies

Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Continue making the rest of the cookies, spacing them about an inch apart. Brush each pretzel cookie with egg wash. Sprinkle sanding sugar. Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees F for 30 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through cooking time. Remove from the oven and let cool on the sheets for about 10 minutes. Peel the cookies from the parchment paper and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Pretzel Cookies

Notes

  • Danke (thanks) to Lisa L. for the delicate white embroidered apron from Germany on which the chocolate pretzel cookies are displayed in the final food photo above.
  • Prepare these pretzels for a party—German style! These chocolate pretzel cookies make a delicious Deutsch-inspired dessert for Oktoberfest.
 

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