HI Cookery is 3!

April 11: HI Cookery Blog Anniversary

What a difference a year makes! As we, Highlander and Islander, continue to cook our way through the calendar, we pause to post not a recipe but our reflections.

In the past year, Islander has returned to school recently to learn basic web design (perhaps she can re-design this blog someday?). She says that homework assignments are taking up her cooking and blogging time! Highlander travels constantly for business, especially with current corporate restructuring (hopefully we do not have to be relocated to another state again). So he has not been able to help her as much with the food photography.

Although we are posting recipes less frequently than before, it is also because we are closer to our goal of cooking something ethnic or eclectic for each day of the calendar year. We know it takes a lot of work to maintain a food blog. Some of those we follow have discontinued or have become less regular in their postings. We admire those whose food blogs are still going strong. They are an inspiration for us to finish what we have started three years ago on April 11, 2010.

We are thankful to Catholic Cuisine for including our feast day recipes on its blog this year. We are especially grateful to all our blog subscribers and readers who “like” or “pin” our posts. We are appreciative of our family, friends and co-workers (the guinea pigs) who continue to show their support by giving us recipe ideas and/or taste-testing our cooking. God willing, everyone’s encouragement will help us reach another blog-o-versary next year!

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.

Chocolate Bunny Butts

Chocolate Bunny Butts

March 31, 2013: Easter

As a reward for surviving Lent (and giving up chocolate for 40 days), Islander gets a chocolate bunny from Highlander as an Easter gift. Whether it is a hollow or solid candy bunny (she likes the latter better!), Islander can indulge in all that chocolate goodness after sacrificing sweets for a few weeks.

As an alternative to chocolate bunnies, Chocolate Bunny Butts are a differently delicious dessert made with deviled food cookies, miniature marshmallows and melted chocolate.  They look especially cute with colorful candy eggs—and they are quick and easy to make.

Eat an Easter fun food and have a Chocolate Bunny Butt. Hoppy Happy Easter from HI Cookery!

Recipe

(Inspired by Hungry Happenings)

Ingredients

Directions

Place the bunny head pattern on a cookie sheet. Lay waxed paper over it. Melt the chocolate according to the package directions. Cool slightly.

Chocolate Bunny Butts

Flatten a miniature marshmallow. Dip one flat side in the melted chocolate. Attach it to the cookie. Fill with melted chocolate a pastry bag outfitted with a round decorating tip (or fill a plastic bag and snip off a small hole in the corner). Carefully trace the bunny head pattern with the melted chocolate leaving a small tab at the end.

Chocolate Bunny Butts

Place in the refrigerator to cool and harden the chocolate. Carefully peel off the bunny heads from the waxed paper. Use the remaining melted chocolate to attach the cookie to the head. Refrigerate to set the chocolate. Arrange the dessert on a platter and serve.

Chocolate Bunny Butts

Notes

  • Download a PDF of our bunny head pattern here.
  • Search our blog for other Easter or egg recipes.