The Ultimate Additions To Your Easter Menu!
Produits et recettesIt’s finally that time of year! The grass is growing, the flowers are blooming, the birds are chirping, and spring is in the air.
Here at Burnbrae Farms, Easter is one of our favourite holidays because we love eggs! We also love Easter because it’s about bringing family together despite the long distances and busy schedules. And this year, we’ve reached out to our extended family throughout the company to compile Easter recipes from around the office. From a traditional bread recipe, to kid-friendly desserts, to a festive snack for those on the go, these recipes will no doubt become a favourite in your family’s menu.
Happy Easter!
Ingredients for Springtime Sweet Bread
1/2 cup / 125mL vegetable shortening
1/2 cup / 125mL of butter
3 1/2 cups / 833mL milk
10 cups / 2.5L all purpose flour
1/2 tsp / 2mL salt
1 1/2 pkgs / 10.5g approx. instant yeast
2-3 lemon peels (grated)
5 Naturegg Nature's Best eggs
2 cups / 500mL sugar
Directions for Springtime Sweet Bread
1. In a large bowl combine flour, salt, yeast and grated lemon peels. Mix well.
2. In a pot on stove top using low to medium heat, combine vegetable shortening, butter and milk until melted.
3. Use blender to beat eggs until well blended. Add sugar and mix well.
4. Add milk mixture to the egg mixture and mix in blender until well blended.
5. Add milk and egg mixture to flour and knead for approximately 15-30 minutes or until dough is smooth and glossy.
6. When done kneading, pull all sides of the dough toward the centre. Cover with cloth and let stand 3 to 4 hours (or longer). The dough is ready when it has risen near the top of the bowl.
7. Grease three 8-inch spring form pans. If making individual buns, grease 4 cookie sheets instead.
8. Butter hands and separate dough into 3 equal pieces. Place the dough in the centre of each pan. For individual buns separate dough into 24 equal pieces, shape into round balls and place on cookie sheets. Cover the pans and let stand for 2 to 3 hours for the dough to rise again. The dough is ready to go in the oven when it has expanded to fill the pan completely.
9. After the bread has risen for the second time, preheat the oven for 350°. Brush the top of dough with 1 beaten egg and place pans in the oven for baking. Bake for 1 hour or until tester inserted in the centre of the bread comes out clean.
Tips
- For shorter rising times, place dough in warm areas or in very low temperature oven.
- For Hard Boiled Eggs Inside the Bread: follow recipe as stated above. After separating dough into pans, place shelled eggs into dough, pushing it into the centre of the dough. Don't worry if some of the egg is still seen! As the dough rises for the second time it will rise above the egg. After second rising, follow cook time as stated above. When you cut into the bread there will be hard boiled eggs inside for an Easter surprise!
- For Hard Boiled Eggs on Top of Bread: follow the recipe as stated above. When separating dough into pans, keep a small amount of dough to the side. Separate the rest of dough into pans. Take the dough saved and create a braid. Place the braid on top of the dough in the pans and secure shelled eggs in between the twists of the braid. Leave some of the eggs showing through the braid. Let dough rise and cook as stated above. When you pull the bread out of the oven, you will have hard boiled eggs sticking out of the top of the bread for a festive twist!
- Serve with coffee or tea for a sweet dessert!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ingredients for Festive Easter Meringues
1/2 cup / 125 mL Naturegg Simply Egg Whites , well shaken
1/2 teaspoon / 2mL cream of tartar
1 1/4 cups / 300mL superfine granulated sugar (instant dissolving sugar)
1 teaspoon / 5mL cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon / 4mL flavoured extract (optional)
Food Colouring (optional)
Directions for Festive Easter Meringues
1. Preheat the oven to 200°F (100°C) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Whip room temperature egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy in a non-reactive bowl (Stay away from plastic bowls).
3. In a separate bowl, stir the sugar with the cornstarch.
4. Beating constantly, very gradually add the sugar mixture to the egg whites a spoonful at a time until stiff, glossy peaks form.
5. Gently stir in flavoured extract and food colouring to the meringue mixture.
6. To create nest meringues, place a star piping tip into the piping bag. To create chick meringues, place a round piping tip into the piping bag. Cut the end of the plastic off the piping bags to allow the end of the piping tips to come through and release meringue mixture. Using a rubber spatula, spoon the meringue mixture into piping bags, do not overfill.
7. To create chicks, pipe meringues in round circles and pull upward to create a peak on the meringues. This will create the beak for your chicks. For nest meringues, pipe meringues into a flat circle and then pipe more of the mixture on top, around the edges, creating a boarder for the nest. Note: the more meringue mixture you pipe on the edges, the deeper the nest will be.
8. Place meringues in the oven and cook for 2 hours. After 2 hours turn off the oven and let them cool completely. You will know if they are done if the meringues can be easily taken off the pan and hold their shape. WARNING: do not open the oven while the meringues are baking as it may cause them to deflate.
9. Decorate meringues as desired! We used melted chocolate to secure the head of the chicks to the body and used melted chocolate and food colouring to create faces and feet for the chicks. We also used premade chocolate icing and candy-coated chocolate eggs to decorate the nests. However, the decorating ideas are endless!
Tips
- Room temperature egg whites are easier to whip and create much more volume when whipped then egg whites that are cold.
- You will know your meringue mixture has been mixed enough when you can pull the whisk out and the mixture can not only stay on the tip but can hold straight. Another test is to flip the bowl upside-down above your head! If the mixture holds to the bowl and doesn't move or fall out, you've got stiff peaks!
- If you don’t have piping tips, don’t worry! You can still pipe the meringues without the piping tip. The piping tip only gives the meringue a certain texture (ex. the grooves of the nest), that can be done by hand as well.
- Chick meringues can be created using 1 or 2 meringues. If only using 1 meringue, pipe the face and feet on the side of the meringue, allowing for the peak of the meringue to be the top of the chicks' head.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ingredients in Darling Devilled Eggs
1/4 cup / 50 ml mayonnaise
2 tsp / 10 ml dijonnaise
4 tsp / 20 ml minced fresh basil (or 1/2 tsp (2 ml) dried basil
Dash balsamic vinegar
Pinch salt and pepper
Directions in Darling Devilled Eggs
1. Cut eggs in half widthwise. Remove yolks.
2. With fork, mash yolks; add mayonnaise, dijonnaise, basil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.
3. Refill whites with yolk mixture. Place the other half of the hard-boiled egg on top, leaving some of the yolk showing through.
4. Decorate eggs with black sesame seeds, olives or black pepper to create eyes and baby carrots cut into triangles to create beaks.
5. Serve immediately or store, covered, in refrigerator. Use within 3 days.
Tips
- For a colourful and healthier twist add ½ an avocado with a squeeze of lemon.
- For Kid Friendly “Chick” Hard Boiled Eggs: slice one hard-boiled egg in half widthwise. Cut a baby carrot into a triangle shape. Decorate using black sesame seed, olives or black pepper corn to create eyes and the carrot for a beak. These are perfect for Easter day or an Easter themed school snack!
- For Kid Friendly “Bunny” Hard Boiled Eggs: slice one hard-boiled egg lengthwise. Set aside one half to use as the bunny’s body. Take the other half and slice it half again. Set aside these two pieces as they will be the ears of the bunny. Take another hard-boiled egg and cut it in half widthwise. Cut a thin layer off the back of the one half to so that it does not roll. Set aside both pieces as this will create the bunny’s head and tail. Take the other half and slice it in half again. This will create the feet. On a plate, assemble the different pieces of the hard-boiled eggs to create the bunny. Cut a baby carrot into a circle shape. Decorate using black sesame seeds, olives or black pepper corn to create eyes and the carrot for a nose. These are perfect for Easter day or an Easter themed school snack!
- For Easter Tie Dyed Devilled Eggs: follow the instructions of the recipe above. Before refilling the whites with egg yolk, fill cups with water and add food dye to the water until it of a desired colour. Drop the egg whites into the glasses until the egg whites have been tinted with the colour. Remove the egg whites from the water and drain on paper towels. Fill with egg yolks. You now have multicoloured Easter eggs!