Here Comes Peter…

Happy Easter everyone, whether you celebrate for secular or non-secular reasons it is another day on the calendar that brings families together and that’s a very good thing!

There are only three major holidays (that I can think of) that demand chocolate: Valentine’s Day; Halloween, and Easter!

We all know about the health benefits of chocolate – don’t we? It actually should be relegated to the base of the food pyramid (IMHO).

If you didn’t get your supply of Cadbury chocolate eggs this year, here is a great recipe to make your own (any time of year):

Bunny’s Favorite –

Cream-Filled Chocolate Easter Eggs

• 2 sticks (1 cup) softened unsalted butter

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 14-ounces of sweetened condensed milk

• 3 pounds powdered sugar, plus some for dusting

• Gel-style yellow food coloring

• 2 pounds chocolate morsels for melting

Combine butter, salt and vanilla using an electric mixer on medium speed. Mix until light and fluffy - approximately 2 minutes. Add condensed milk; clean off sides of bowl and continue to mix completely.

Switch to low speed and add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Mix until forming a stiff dough. Dust a clean counter or baker’s board with powdered sugar and transfer the mixed batter, kneading until smooth for 2-4 minutes.

Separate one quarter of the kneaded mixture and slowly add drops of yellow food coloring (gel-type) to the one quarter batch and knead it in well, distributing the color until the coloration mimics that of an egg yolk.

Using a teaspoon seperate the yellow-colored mixture and divide into approximately 20 small pieces. Roll each of the pieces forming approximately 20 small balls. Place the balls on a wax paper covered cookie sheet and refrigerate until totally firm.

Take the remaining (un-colored) white dough and roll into larger egg-shaped balls, the same number as the yellow-shaped pieces. Make an indentation with your thumb into the center of each plain white egg-shaped ball and then gently press one of the smaller yellow balls into it.

Continue to work the white egg-shaped ball around the smaller yellow ball – enrobing the yellow ball completely. Carefully shape each enrobed piece into an oval. Set aside on a cookie sheet and chill again.

Place the chocolate morsels in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high in short 20-second bursts, stirring between each burst, until melted and smooth.

Using tongs, dunk each egg into the chocolate to coat it completely, and then set on parchment or wax paper to set in the refrigerator until eaten.

Yield – approximately 20 eggs.

Don’t you dare ask about calories per serving or any nutritional information – on Easter morning it doesn’t matter! Just ENJOY!!!