Bacon AND EGG BREAKFAST CASSAROLE:
Ingredients
Original recipe makes 12 servings
1 pound bacon
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
8 eggs
2 cups milk
1 (16 ounce) package frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 7×11 inch casserole dish.
Fry the bacon in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Crumble.
In a large bowl beat together eggs and milk. Mix in cheese, bacon, onion and green pepper. Stir in the thawed hash browns. Pour mixture into prepared casserole.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 30 minutes until eggs have set.
BRAIDED EASTER EGG BRAID:
Ingredients
Original recipe makes 1 – 1 pound loaf
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
5 whole eggs, dyed if desired
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Directions
In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, salt and yeast; stir well. Combine milk and butter in a small saucepan; heat until milk is warm and butter is softened but not melted.
Gradually add the milk and butter to the flour mixture; stirring constantly. Add two eggs and 1/2 cup flour; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal size rounds; cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each round into a long roll about 36 inches long and 1 1/2 inches thick. Using the two long pieces of dough, form a loosely braided ring, leaving spaces for the five colored eggs. Seal the ends of the ring together and use your fingers to slide the eggs between the braids of dough.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place loaf on a buttered baking sheet and cover loosely with a damp towel. Place loaf in a warm place and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Brush risen loaf with melted butter.
Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until golden.
⦁ PREP 45 mins
⦁ COOK 55 mins
⦁ READY IN 3 hrs25 mins
EASTER MEAT PIE:
Ingredients
Original recipe makes 2 – 9 inch pies
4 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts
2 pounds ricotta cheese
6 eggs
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
1 pound cooked ham, chopped
1/2 pound Genoa salami, chopped
1/4 pound prosciutto, chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Place ricotta in a large mixing bowl and add eggs one at a time while mixing on low speed. Stir in mozzarella, ham, salami, and prosciutto until all ingredients are well combined. Line two 9 inch pans with pastry. Spoon half of mixture into each pan. Sprinkle half of the Parmesan cheese over each pie, then cover with top pastry. Crimp edges and cut steam vents in tops.
Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, until crust is golden brown. Cool on racks.
HONEY GLAZED HAM:
Ingredients
Original recipe makes 15 servings
1 (5 pound) ready-to-eat ham
1/4 cup whole cloves
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
2 cups honey
2/3 cup butter
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Score ham, and stud with the whole cloves. Place ham in foil lined pan.
In the top half of a double boiler, heat the corn syrup, honey and butter. Keep glaze warm while baking ham.
Brush glaze over ham, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Baste ham every 10 to 15 minutes with the honey glaze. During the last 4 to 5 minutes of baking, turn on broiler to caramelize the glaze. Remove from oven, and let sit a few minutes before serving.
ITALIAN CREAMCHEESE AND RICOTTA CAKE:
INGREDIENTS:
Original recipe makes 1 cheesecake.
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (16 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 pint sour cream
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a springform pan.
Mix the cream cheese and ricotta cheese together in a mixing bowl until well combined. Stir in the sugar, eggs, lemon juice, vanilla, cornstarch, flour, and butter. Add the sour cream last and stir. Pour the mixture into the prepared springform pan.
Bake in the preheated oven 1 hour; turn oven off and leave in oven 1 hour more. Allow to cool completely in refrigerator before serving
JELLY BEAN BARK:
INGREDIENTS:
Original recipe makes 2 pounds
1 pound white confectioners’ coating
1 pound jellybeans
Directions
Line a jelly roll pan with waxed paper and set aside.
Melt the white confectioners’ coating in the top of a double boiler over just-barely simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching. Spread the melted white confectioners’ coating onto the prepared pan. Sprinkle the jellybeans over the top.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm. Break into pieces to serve.
LAMB CAKE:
INGREDIENTS:
Original recipe makes 1 lamb mold.
2 1/4 cups cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg whites
Directions
First, prepare your mold. Coat with vegetable oil, let sit for a few minutes then wipe clean with a paper towel. Then grease and flour your mold, making sure to get all the little areas.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Sift the cake flour, then sift again with the baking powder and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk. Stir the batter until smooth after each addition. Add the vanilla.
In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it, then quickly fold in the remaining whites.
Fill the face side of the mold with batter. Move a wooden spoon through the batter GENTLY, to remove any air pockets. Make sure not to disturb the greased and floured surface of the mold. Put the lid on the mold, making sure it locks or ties together securely so that the steam and rising batter do not force the two sections apart.
Put the mold on a cookie sheet in a preheated oven for about 1 hour. Test for doneness by inserting a skewer or wooden toothpick through a steam vent. Put the cake, still in the mold, on a rack for about 15 minutes. CAREFULLY, remove the top of the mold. Before you separate the cake from the bottom let it cool for about 5 more minutes so that all the steam can escape and the cake can firm up some more. After removing the rest of the mold, let the cake cool on the rack completely. DO NOT sit the cake upright until completely cooled. Frost with Seven Minute Icing or any other white icing of your choice and decorate to look like a lamb.
ROAST LEG OF LAMB:
A delicious leg of lamb with garlic, lemon, rosemary, thyme, and other seasonings. Serve this tasty leg of lamb with mashed potatoes and fresh cooked green beans or steamed broccoli.
Ingredients:
⦁ 1 leg of lamb, about 5 pounds
⦁ juice of 1 lemon, about 2 tablespoons
⦁ 1 to 2 cloves garlic, cut in several slivers
⦁ 1 clove garlic, minced
⦁ 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons dried crumbled rosemary
⦁ 1 teaspoon dried thyme
⦁ 1 teaspoon salt
⦁ 1/4 teaspoon pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Rinse lamb with cold water; pat dry with a clean cloth or paper towels. With a small knife, make several tiny slits evenly over the lamb roast and insert slivers of the garlic. Rub lamb with lemon juice, then combine the minced garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper. Rub the garlic-herb mixture over the lamb. Place leg, fat side up, on rack in roasting pan. Insert thermometer in the thickest part of the meat, not touching fat or bone. Roast in a preheated 325° oven for about 25 to 30 minutes per pound, or until meat thermometer registers 145° to 165°, depending on how well you like it done. Serves 4 to 6.
STAINED GLASS CANDY:
Ingredients
Original recipe makes 1 pound
1/2 cup butter
1 (12 ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce) package flaked coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 (10.5 ounce) package rainbow colored miniature marshmallows
Directions
Melt butter and chocolate chips in a pan over low heat. Let the mixture cool slightly before stirring in walnuts and marshmallows. Let cool.
Spread coconut on waxed paper. Divide the cooled dough into two even portions. Form each portion into a long roll. Coat the rolls with the coconut. Wrap the rolls in waxed paper then again in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight or longer. Cut into 1/2 inch slices to serve.
STRAWBERRY AND SPINACH SALAD:
Ingredients
Original recipe makes 8 servings
2 bunches spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces
4 cups sliced strawberries
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Directions
In a large bowl, toss together the spinach and strawberries.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, sugar, paprika, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds. Pour over the spinach and strawberries, and toss to coat.