Homemade Chocolate Eggs (Peanutbutter, too!)

A few years ago, I signed up to receive a few different About.com e-mail newsletters. Jen Hubley is the About.com:Today author and in today's e-mail, she offers two links for recipes on making chocolate eggs.

The recipes are compliments of Elizabeth LaBau of the About.com Candy Guide. Elizabeth is a pastry chef and confectioner and you can read all about her, here. And if you enjoy making sweet confections, check out her candy blog, where you can find a few other chocolate egg recipes.



Double Chocolate Easter Eggs
These beautiful flowered Easter eggs have a chocolate-walnut filling and a deep, dark chocolate coating. The marshmallow flowers are optional but add a beautiful finishing touch.
Prep Time: 20 minutes


Ingredients:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 package (5.25 oz) chocolate pudding mix, not instant
1/2 cup milk
1 lb powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate (can substitute bittersweet)
1 tbsp shortening
34 miniature marshmallows (optional; see note below)
colored sugar or sprinkles (optional; see note below)
Preparation:

1. Place the butter in a medium saucepan and heat it over medium until the butter is melted. Pour in the pudding mix and stir until smooth and well-combined.

2. Slowly pour in the milk and continue to stir until mixture is smooth. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture is very thick and pulls from the sides of the pan.

3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Stir in the walnuts and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

4. Form the mixture into about 20 egg shapes and place on foil-lined baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.

5. While candy is setting, melt the unsweetened chocolate and shortening together in the microwave. Allow it to cool, but not set. If it begins to harden before candy is ready to be dipped, re-warm it in the microwave briefly.

6. Dip the eggs in the melted chocolate using two forks or dipping tools. Place them back on the baking sheet. If you are decorating with the optional marshmallow flowers (see below), place them on the eggs while the chocolate is still wet. Place the eggs back in the refrigerator to set completely.

To Make Decorative Marshmallow Flowers: Using a sharp knife, cut the mini marshmallows in thirds. Dip one cut end of each marshmallow segment in colored sugar. Arrange five segments in a flower shape on the wet chocolate eggs.



Chocolate-Peanut Butter Easter Eggs
Chocolate and peanut butter are a natural flavor combination that shines in this festive recipe for Chocolate-Peanut Butter Easter Eggs. If you want to increase the peanut flavor you can substitute more peanut butter for some or all of the cream cheese. If desired, you can use regular chocolate instead of the chocolate coating the recipe calls for. The coating is easier because it will remain hard at room temperature, while regular chocolate gets soft and sticky when warm. This recipe yields about 2 dozen eggs.
Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1.5-2 cups powdered sugar
3 ounces (about 1/2 cup) chocolate chips, melted
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp hot water
3 tbsp peanut butter
1/8 tsp salt
1 lb chocolate candy coating
1/4 cup peanut butter chips (to decorate, optional)
Preparation:

1. Place the melted chocolate chips, cream cheese, vanilla, hot water, peanut butter, salt, and 1 cup of powdered sugar in the bowl of a large electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix the ingredients until the candy is well-mixed and homogenous.

2. Stop the mixer and add an additional 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. Mix the candy on low, stopping to scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl, until it is entirely mixed and smooth. Check the texture of the candy: you want it to be firm enough to easily be shaped into an egg, but not too dry and stiff. If necessary, add more powdered sugar to get the right texture.

3. Using a spoon, scoop up a small amount of candy and roll it between your hands until it is an oblong egg shape. Place it on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and repeat with remaining candy until you have approximately two dozen eggs.

4. Put the eggs in the refrigerator to stay firm while you melt the chocolate candy coating. Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in one-minute increments until melted, stirring after every minute to prevent overheating.

5. Once the chocolate is melted, dip the eggs in the chocolate and replace them on the foil-covered sheet.

6. If you want to add decorative peanut butter stripes, place the peanut butter chips in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until melted, stirring after every 30 seconds to prevent overheating. Pour the melted chips into a ziploc bag, and cut a tiny hole in the corner. Pipe stripes, polka dots, or other designs of your choice on the eggs.

7.Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set the chocolate and peanut butter chips. Chocolate-Peanut Butter Easter Eggs can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week. They are best served at room temperature.

A Lovely Day of Thanks

We had such a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with our neighbors, yesterday. The turkey came out perfectly!


Our menu consisted of herb roasted turkey, spiral-cut smoked ham, cranberry orange salad (sister-in-law Debra's recipe), my mom's recipes for broccoli waldorf salad and peas with mushrooms, onions, and bacon, my mother-in-law's recipe for sweet potato casserole, and my recipe for garlic and fresh basil smashed potatoes.

Husband, Erv, made me a piece of salmon, since I do not eat meat. It was awesome! He marinated it in olive oil and spices, then gilled it. Oh, was it good! Our neighbor, Todd, made a delicious cabbage dish from his Cajun background that I've never heard of, and it was the perfect addition. Since we've deemed him "King of the Roux", he made our turkey gravy. We also tried frozen rolls for the first time, by a local entrepreneur: Sister Schubert's Clover Leaf style dinner rolls, and they were as good as homemade. My mom makes rolls similar to these, that was my grandmother's recipe (I really should try to make them one day!).

The broccoli waldorf salad never made it out of the refrigerator. There always seems to be something that doesn't make it to the table, each year. It's a flavorful salad made with broccoli florets, diced apple, raisins, pecans, and a dressing made from canola oil, balsamic vinegar, and sugar. I usually give it a quick swirl of olive oil, too, for a bit of extra flavor.

Dessert consisted of my grandmother's recipe for homemade pumpkin pie (I made 2 on Wednesday night), and a pecan pie, and an apple pie. We topped it all off with French roast coffee and Frangelico.

Hope you had a lovely day, too!

Soup Weather . . . or not?

I can't believe it's November 1 and we haven't had our first snow fall in Colorado. It's been in the 60's/70's over the past week and I've been on this soup-making kick . . . that is, if you think making it twice in one week is considered a "kick". This is the last one I made: Minestrone. It's one of those packaged versions with dried beans and a seasoning pack. This one called for a small can of crushed tomatoes. I added one, plus a can of diced tomatoes. It also called for 3/4 cup of pasta. I was pre-occupied as I was making the pasta portion of the soup and accidentally poured the entire pound of pasta in (talking on the phone or something). What do you do at that point? Pull out what you weren't supposed to put in? Nope. Just go with it. I think it looked prettier than it would have with the little bit they said to use. The bread is a multi-grain and went perfectly.

The first soup I made days earlier was a Northwest Lumberjack green pea. That called for carrots, celery, and onion sauteed in margarine. I sauteed it in Smart Balance, then added it to the rest of the soup that had already been cooking. It was so delicious. No picture this time. I'm trying to be a better blogger and am receiving great Blogging Coach lessons from my friend Dana at Old Red Barn Co. Thanks, Dana! ;)

Making Basic Italian Tomato Sauce

Do you ever get a craving for a good tomato sauce?

I do . . . and I'm craving it now.  This shows the tomato portion of my sauce.  The rest is a combination of a couple of recipes I've acquired from friends: my girlfriend's mom's recipe and another girlfriend's recipe.  I add olive oil, fresh garlic, celery, carrots, fresh and/or dry basil, garlic powder, and purified water to dilute the paste.  Sometimes fresh onion, too.  That's it!  I sometimes like to take a soup spoon and dip into a cold pan of this stuff the next day, right from the fridge.  Yum!  And it is always better after the first day.  Always.  If you have time constraints but would like a delicious dinner, boil some frozen ravioli and make your favorite oil & balsamic dressing and pour over baby salad greens.  Very easy, delicious, and it looks like you spent all day making it.