White Chocolate Eggs

The age-old affiliation between eggs, bunnies and the religious holiday of Easter will always baffle me. Then again, Santa doesn't make much sense either, but I still love that jolly guy in red. I believe the eggs symbolize new life, but the bunny bit still has me confused. I really can't complain though, the Easter Bunny always delivers for me on the candy front. It does seem, however, that the older I get the less generous the bunny is with candy and the more insistent he is that I get travel-size toiletries, chap stick, and socks. Can never have too much dental floss, I guess... 

Easter is just a couple weeks away and spring has finally sprung. (Well, sorta.) The arrival of sunny spring days beckon me outside and away from the kitchen. I absolutely love to bake, but after a winter like this–at least for the Northeast–the last thing I want is to be indoors. I created this dessert as the essential "I'd rather be outside" Easter dessert. It's easy to assemble and absolutely delicious. It's the perfect dessert to finish off a heavy meal, plus the fact that it looks like a giant egg is too darn cute! 

This dessert falls somewhere between a fool and lemon trifle, but since it's served in an edible white chocolate egg, it's so much more. Resting inside the white chocolate "egg" shell lies pound cake, perfectly topped with a sweet whipped cream and a spoonful of tart lemon curd. It's about the cutest thing since the Cadbury Creme Egg–but thankfully not as sweet–and about 5 times the size. Maybe calling them "Ostrich Easter eggs" would be more appropriate. Whatever you decide to call them, they're a huge crowd pleaser. Make all the elements in advance and this dessert really comes together in a pinch. That leaves you with all the time in the world for an outdoorsy egg hunt.

As you can see, there was one casualty. I got a little too excited and snipped the balloon before the chocolate had hardened completely. Patience isn't my finest quality.

White Chocolate "Eggs"

INGREDIENTS 

2 (11 oz) bags of white chocolate chips

8 balloons

DIRECTIONS 

1. In a microwavable bowl, melt the white chocolate in 30 second increments. Stir after each increment, until chocolate is smooth and melted. 

2. Inflate balloons to about 4-inch diameter, then knot. Wipe balloons with a damp paper towel to make sure they're nice and clean. Hold balloons by the knot and dip into chocolate, rotating to ensure plenty of chocolate coverage. Place balloon, knotted side up, on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining balloons to make 8 cups, then set aside to harden. 

3. Use scissors to snip a hole in each balloon. Once balloon is deflated, carefully peel away from chocolate. Set "eggs" aside until assembly. 

Lemon Curd "Yolks"

INGREDIENTS 

4 egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

DIRECTIONS 
1. In a saucepan set over medium-low heat, combine the egg yolks and sugar and whisk until incorporated.

2. Add in the lemon zest and juice, stirring constantly until thickened, or about 8 minutes.

3. Strain the mixture into a clean bowl. Then stir in the cubes of butter until completely melted. (Don't skip this step! Straining the curd is essential.)

4. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming on the top. Then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled.

The Greek yogurt thickens the whipped cream, making it rich and creamy.

Whipped Cream "Egg Whites"

INGREDIENTS 

1 pint (16 oz.) cold heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

DIRECTIONS 

1. Beat the cream and confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Start on medium so the cream doesn’t splatter, then increase the speed to high once the mixture starts to thicken. 

2. Beat until stiff peaks form, then fold in the Greek yogurt until fully incorporated. Cover and keep in the refrigerator until assembly.

Normally, I'm not one to cut corners, but store bought pound cake is just about one of the greatest inventions of all time. It saves so much time and-assuming you buy a good brand-is actually really tasty. Or, you can always bake it in advance and freeze it for later. 

To Assemble:

1. Cut a pound cake loaf into 1-inch cubes. Place 4-5 cubes in each white chocolate "egg", then top with a few generous spoonfuls of whipped cream. 

2. Place a spoonful of lemon curd on top so it resembles an egg yolk. 

Keep any leftovers refrigerated. 

Lemon Hand Pies

When I was a kid on road trips with my family, we'd often stop at a rest stop or gas station along the way. A family of seven makes pretty frequent stops, for obvious reasons. Sadly the food options were always pretty bleak. Throughout the years, I've noticed these rest stops (mainly along I-95) haven't really gotten much better. Why is it that all rest stops are dumpy? Is it too much to ask for a brief respite from our travels and some decent grub? Instead, we're stuck with noxious Cinnabon smells and foil wrapped burgers from Roy Rogers. Not saying I don't crave those burgers now and again, but I digress. 

One of the things my dad used to pick up at the gas station would be a Hostess Lemon Fruit Pie. In my opinion, these hand pies were the one shining star in a galaxy of bad food options. Remember these wax-paper-covered, sweet pastries?

Although my dad was the biggest fan, I also loved these little pies. Anytime I see them in the store, I contemplate buying a few. Sadly, Hostess doesn't make these pies the same way anymore. And even if I did buy a few, they wouldn't be as tasty as they were when I was a kid. So, recently I decided it was time to make a variation of them at home. And unlike the questionable "Real Fruit Filling" stated on that wax paper packaging, my pie filling is, in fact, a delicious lemon curd. I also swapped the generic pie crust for a walnut pie crust. If you're more of a traditionalist, however, feel free to omit the walnuts and stick with a basic crust. They're delicious either way.

Walnut Pie Crust
Makes enough dough for about 14 hand pies
INGREDIENTS
1 cup walnuts
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
1/3 cup ice water

DIRECTIONS
1. Use a small food processor or knife to finely chop walnuts then toss in a large bowl. Add the flour, sugar, salt and butter. Use a pastry blender or a large fork to cut the butter cubes into the dry ingredients, working quickly and incorporating all of the flour mixture until the butter pieces are the size of peas. Make sure you don't over-work the butter. Visible chunks of butter = tasty flakiness!

2. Slowly drizzle the ice water into the flour mixture. Mix until the dough just begins to pull together, drizzling more water if needed. (You might not use all of the water.) Pull dough together, divide into 2 disks and wrap each one tightly with a piece of plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least two hours or overnight. While the dough chills, make the lemon curd.

Lemon Curd
INGREDIENTS
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

DIRECTIONS
In a saucepan set over medium-low heat, combine the egg yolks and sugar and whisk until incorporated. Add in the lemon zest and juice, stirring constantly until thickened, or about 8 minutes. Strain into a clean bowl and stir in the cubes of butter until completely melted. Let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming on the top, then cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled. 

Assemble the Pies
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Remove one of the pie dough disks from the fridge and roll out to about 1/8" thickness on a floured work surface. Use a large circle cutter (Or an upside down mug) to create circles about 4" wide. Transfer to the baking sheet and repeat until you've used up all the dough.

2. Place a giant spoonful of the lemon curd into the center of half of the circles, then top with another dough circle. Crimp the edges with a fork and cut slits in the top to let them vent. 

3. Create an egg wash by mixing an egg in a small bowl with a teaspoon of water. Use a pastry brush to cover each pie with the egg wash, then sprinkle with a pinch of turbinado sugar.

4. Bake pies for 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Let them cool for a few minutes so you don't burn your mouth!

Make sure you strain the curd. It removes any little cooked egg bits and ensures you have a smooth filling.

 

Easter Egg Macarons

It might not feel like spring just yet, but the Easter bunny comes to town next Sunday! Finding the perfect Easter treat is always difficult. Whether it's a giant chocolate bunny, a marshmallow peep or even jelly beans, most Easter candies leave-even me-with a tooth ache. I must admit, I actually love the first bite of a sugar filled Cadbury Creme Egg on Easter morning. And it is my family tradition to make a bunny cake with two 9-inch cake rounds. 

<<<< Here's a throwback photo of me and my mom giving an unsatisfactory glare to a bunny cake. "It's ok, the cake will still taste great, right?" This year, however, I wanted to create an Easter treat that was festive, yet slightly more refined than chomping off a chocolate bunny ear. Enter the french macaron. Yes, they are tricky and test even seasoned pastry buffs. Although, nothing beats that sense of pride when you first bite into a macaron you've created yourself! Piping the meringue into egg shapes and decorating the macarons give the perfect Easter Egg effect without the stink. These macarons are perfectly crunchy on the outside, while chewy and tart on the inside. Whether you make these macarons or opt for the family sized bag of jelly beans, have a very Happy Easter! 

When making the meringue for the macarons, don’t toss the yolks! Save them to make a lemon curd filling (recipe follows).

Fold in the meringue to the almond flour mixture carefully. If you overmix, the macarons will deflate.

Letting the meringues dry before baking is a crucial step! You’ll know they are ready to bake when they lose their sheen.

Macarons
Recipe adapted from FOOD & WINE

INGREDIENTS

1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup almond flour (see Note)
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 or 3 drops red, blue and yellow food coloring, plus more for decorating
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/2 cup blueberry or seedless blackberry jam
1/2 cup lemon curd, recipe follows

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400° and position racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large, wide bowl, using a large rubber spatula or a handheld electric mixer, sift the confectioners' sugar and the almond flour, then mix with 1 of the egg whites until evenly moistened. (Try not to skip the sifting step, it really helps the texture!)

3. In a small saucepan, combine the granulated sugar with the water and bring to a boil; using a moistened pastry brush, wash down any crystals on the side of the pan. Cook over high heat until the syrup reaches 240° on a candy thermometer.

4. In another large bowl, using clean, dry beaters, beat the remaining 2 egg whites at medium-high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer at high speed, carefully drizzle the hot sugar syrup over the whites and beat until firm and glossy. If you have it, mix in a pinch of cream of tartar for stability and added volume. (They're firm enough when you can hold the bowl upside down over your head and those whites won't budge.)

5. Stir one-fourth of the meringue into the almond mixture. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the remaining meringue. Separate the mix equally into three small bowls and tint with food coloring. Transfer the meringue to pastry bags fitted with a plain 1/2-inch tip; pipe onto the prepared baking sheets in 1 1/2-inch egg shaped mounds, 1 inch apart. Tap the sheets and let dry for 15 minutes.

6. Transfer the meringues to the oven and immediately turn off the heat. Bake the meringues for 5 minutes. Turn the oven on to 400° again and bake the meringues for 8 minutes, until they are puffed and the tops are firm and glossy. Transfer the baking sheets to racks and let cool completely. Peel the meringues off of the parchment paper. Decorate the meringue shells with food coloring and small tipped paint brushes. 

7. Spoon the jams and curd into separate small pastry bags fitted with 1/4-inch tips. Alternatively, use resealable sturdy plastic bags and snip off the corners. Pipe the filling onto the flat sides of half of the meringues. Top with the remaining meringues and serve.

NOTE: Almond flour (finely ground blanched almonds) is available at supermarkets.

I jump at any chance to use edible gold dust in decorating. A touch of vodka will help liquefy it, then the vodka evaporates leaving only your gilded design. Use a clean paintbrush or toothbrush to get a splatter effect.

Paint your designs on the macaron shells before sandwiching them together with filling.

While the lemon curd recipe is super-easy, seedless berry jams also work beautifully.

Incredibly Rich Lemon Curd
Recipe from FOOD & WINE
INGREDIENTS
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, strained
1/2 cup sugar
3 large egg yolks

DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the butter with the lemon juice and sugar, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved. Whisk in the egg yolks, 1 at a time, and cook over moderately high heat, whisking constantly, until the curd is very hot to the touch and the consistency of loose sour cream, about 15 minutes. Strain the curd into a bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate before serving.