Friday, April 29, 2011

Pita Bunny

Pita Bunny

Pita bread
Peanut butter
Marshmallow fluff
Red jam
Pretzles

Separate a small pita bread into two circles by inserting a butter knife between the layers from the outer edge and then carefully cutting around the circumference. Use one circle for the bunny's face and cut the other into halves for the ears.

Arrange the pieces on the plate. Spread with peanut butter and marshmallow fluff. With the butter knife, gently swirl a bit of red jam into the marshmallow to create a pink nose. Add two dollops of jam for eyes and pretzel sticks for whiskers.

Recipe and picture from FamilyFun.go.com

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Carrot Patch Cookies

Carrot Patch Cookies

Orange Mike and Ike candies
Green gummy candy (ie: Rips licorice pieces, which are flat)
Nabisco Biscos sugar wafer cookies
Chocolate frosting
Chocolate wafer cookie crumbs

To make each carrot, cut a slit in one end of a Mike and Ike candy with a sharp knife. Cut a small triangle from the green gummy candy (if needed, roll it flat), then fringe the base to form leaves. Tuck the triangle into the slit of the Mike and Ike and pinch it closed.

For each carrot planter, place a wafer cookie base on a flat surface. Form the longer walls from two whole cookies and cut a third one to fit the shorter ends. Attach the pieces with frosting.

To fill four planters, combine 2 tablespoons frosting with 2 tablespoons cookie crumbs. Fill each box with the mixture, then press three candy carrots inside. If needed, add more of the frosting mixture to hold the carrots in place.

Note: Biscos were used because they're smaller than many other brands. If you use a larger cookie, increase the amount of frosting and cookie crumbs.

Recipe and picture from FamilyFun.go.com

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Bunny Bread

Bunny Bread

2 loaves (1 pound each) frozen bread dough, thawed
2 raisins
2 sliced almonds
1 egg, lightly beaten
Lettuce leaves
Dip

Cut a fourth off of one loaf of dough; shape into a pear to form head. For body, flatten remaining portion into a 7-inch x 6-inch oval; place on a greased baking sheet. Place head above body. Make narrow cuts, about 3/4 inch deep, on each side of head for whiskers.

Cut second loaf into four equal portions. For ears, shape two portions into 16-inch ropes; fold ropes in half. Arrange ears with open ends touching head. Cut a third portion of dough in half; shape each into a 3-1/2 inch oval for back paws. Cut two 1-inch slits on top edge for toes. Positions on each side of body.

Divide the fourth portion of dough into three pieces. shape two pieces into 2-1/2 inch balls for front paws; shape the remaining piece into two 1-inch balls for cheeks and one 1/2-inch ball for nose. Place paws on each side of body; cut two 1-inch slits for toes. Place cheeks and nose on face. Add raisins for eyes and almonds for teeth.

Brush dough with egg. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30-45 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Place bread on a lettuce-lined 16-inch x 13-inch serving tray. Cut a 5-inch x 4-inch oval in center of body. Hollow out bread, leaving a 1/2-inch shell (discard removed bread or save for another use). Line with lettuce and fill with dip.

Yield: 1 loaf

Recipe and picture from TasteOfHome.com

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Bunny Treats

Bunny Treats

2/3 cup vanilla frosting
30 large marshmallows
Pink gel or paste food coloring
Red and pink heart-shaped decorating sprinkles
60 miniature marshmallows

Frost the tops of 12 large marshmallows; stack a large marshmallow on top of each. Quarter the remaining large marshmallows; set aside for ears. Tint 1/4 cup frosting pink. Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; place pink frosting in bag.

Pipe a ribbon between the stacked marshmallows for bow tie. With white frosting, attach red hearts for eyes and a pink heart for nose. Pipe pink whiskers and smile.

For ears, pipe the center of quartered marshmallows pink; attach to head with white frosting. with the remaining white frosting, attach the miniature marshmallows for legs and tail. Let stand until dry.

Yield: 1 dozen

Recipe and picture from TasteOf Home.com

Monday, April 25, 2011

Bunny Cheese Spread

Bunny Cheese Spread

3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
2 packages (2-1/2 ounces each) thinly sliced deli beef
12 pimiento-stuffed olives, chopped
2 teaspoons dill week
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 green onions
6 miniature jelly beans
1 small carrot
Fresh vegetables and/or crackers

In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, beef, olives, dill, horseradish and Worcestershire sauce. Finely chop two green onions; add to cream cheese mixture. on a large platter, form cheese mixture into a bunny shape. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Insert jelly beans for bunny's eyes, nose and buttons. Cut carrot in half lengthwise; place cut side up above head for ears. Cut green portion of remaining onion into six 2-inch long pieces; place next to nose for whiskers. Serve with vegetables and/or crackers.

Yield: 4 cups

Recipe and picture from TasteOfHome.com

Friday, April 22, 2011

Easter Lily Dessert

Easter Lily Dessert

3 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons water
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix eggs and water together. Add all dry ingredients to the egg mix, then add the vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes with an electric mixer. Grease a cookie sheet and dust with flour. Scoop 1/8 cup of batter and drop on baking sheet. Drop 4 more scoops of batter on the sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees until very light brown (about 12 minutes). Work quickly with a wide spatula to lift the lily off the pan and fold into a cone shape. As they cool, keep working them into the cone shape. When they are completely cool, fill with whipped cream.

Yield: 15 lilies

Recipe and picture from MakeAndTakes.com

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Peanut Butter Easter Eggs


Peanut Butter Easter Eggs

1/2 cup butter, softened
2-1/3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening
Pastel sprinkles

In a large bowl, cream butter; gradually add the confectioners' sugar, cracker crumbs, peanut butter and vanilla. Shape into 16 eggs; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.

In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip eggs in chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Decorate with sprinkles; return eggs to waxed paper. Chill until set. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Recipe and picture from TasteOfHome.com

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Easter Bonnet Cookies


Easter Bonnet Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
Decorations, such as frosting, tubes of decorating gel, sprinkles, fruit leathe

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract, then stir in the dry ingredients and combine well. Divide the dough and roll it into 2 logs, one about 10 inches long and 2 inches in diameter, and one about 10 inches by 1 inch. Wrap them in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the logs into 1/4-inch slices and bake on greased cookie sheets for 8 to 10 minutes for the large slices and 5 to 7 minutes for the small. Cool on wire racks.

Stack the small cookies on top of the large ones, gluing them in place with a dab of frosting. Frost the bonnets, then decorate them with gel icing, sprinkles, and fruit leather ribbons.

Yield: about 40 bonnets

Recipe and picture from FamilyFun.go.com

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Easter Brunch Pizza


Easter Brunch Pizza

1 (16.3 ounce) tube buttermilk biscuit dough
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1-1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
Toppings for decorations (red, yellow and green peppers, red onions, cooked breakfast sausage)

Remove the dough from the tube and separate it into biscuits. Pull apart each biscuit to make 2 thinner, even layers. Place all the dough pieces on an ungreased cookie sheet and flatten them gently, gradually molding them together to form a single egg shape.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes, then remove the crust from the oven and let it cool.

Mix together the oil, parsley, and garlic in a small bowl. Brush this mixture over the cooled crust. Cover the crust evenly with the mozzarella, then sprinkle a layer of Parmesan on top.

Add toppings to create stripes, polka dots, and other accents so that the pizza looks like a decorated egg. Return it to the oven until the cheese is melted, about 5 to 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Recipe and picture from FamilyFun.go.com

Monday, April 18, 2011

Cupcake Easter Baskets


Cupcake Easter Baskets

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
2 cups cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup buttermilk

Frosting:
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon water
4 drops green food coloring
1-1/2 cups flaked coconut
Red shoestring licorice
Jelly beans

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in the egg and orange peel. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

In a small bowl, beat butter, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar; spread over cupcakes. Combine water and food coloring in a large resealable plastic bag; add coconut. Seal bag and shake to tint. Sprinkle over cupcakes.

Using a metal or wooden skewer, poke a hole in the top on opposites sides of each cupcake. Cut licorice into 6-inch strips for handle; insert each end into a hole. Decorate with jelly beans.

*Tip: If keeping them overnight, do not put the licorice on the cupcakes until the next morning.

Yield: 1-1/2 dozen

**I have made these and they turn out super cute and are not hard to make.**

Recipe and picture from TasteOfHome.com

Friday, April 15, 2011

Fruit 'n Cheese Butterfly

Fruit 'n Cheese Butterfly

1 ounce cheddar cheese, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup whole strawberries, stems removed, quartered
1/4 cup seedless red or green grapes, cut in half

Place cheese in 1 side of resealable sandwich-size plastic bag; loosely tie pie cleaner or twist tie around middle of bag. Place fruit in other end of bag; seal bag, then twist pipe cleaner tightly to separate cheese from the fruit.

Curl ends of pipe cleaner to resemble antennae of a butterfly.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe and picture from KraftRecipes.com

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Oreo Butterfly

Oreo Butterfly

2 Oreo cookies
2 tablespoons ready-to-spread vanilla frosting, tinted yellow
3 small green gumdrops, divided
1 piece black shoestring licorice
2 ring-shaped chewy fruit snacks, halved

Split 1 of the cookies in half; cut each piece in half to form 2 "wings." Spread plain sides of wings with yellow frosting. Spread frosting on remaining whole cookie for the base. Insert wings, frosted sides up and rounded edges out, into frosting in base.

Trim thin slice off wide ends of 2 of the gumdrops; press cut ends together for the "body." Trim thin slice from body with a sharp knife and another thin slice from narrow end of remaining gumdrop for the "head;" press into the body to secure.

Cut licorice into 2 (2-inch) pieces for the "antennae." Make 2 holes in the head with toothpick; insert antennae into holes. Use additional frosting to secure wings to body. Decorate wings with thin gumdrop slices and fruit snacks as desired.


Tip: To prevent cookies from breaking, use a serrated knife to cut them in half.

Tip: Substitute yellow decorating gel for the tinted frosting.

Recipe and picture from KraftRecipes.com

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Ritz Butterfly

Ritz Butterfly

3 slices Swiss cheese
12 ritz crackers
12 slices pepperoni
3 green onion pieces (2 inch) quartered lengthwise

Cut each cheese slice into 4 flower shapes using 1-1/2 inch flower shaped cookie cutter. Cut each flower in half; set aside. Reserve scraps for snacking or other use.

Top each cracker with 1 pepperoni slice and 2 flower halves to resemble a butterfly with its wings.

Place 1 green onion piece between each set of wings for the butterfly's body.


Tip: Substitute 12 thin plum tomato slices for the pepperoni slices.

Recipe and picture from KraftRecipes.com

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Strawberry-Orange Butterfly Biscuits

Strawberry-Orange Butterfly Biscuits

1 can (16.3 ounces) refrigerated original biscuits
3 tablespoons strawberry preserves
Grated peel of 1 medium orange (1-2 tablespoons)
1 heaping tablespoon coarse white sparkling sugar
*Regular sugar may be substituted for sparkling sugar*
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla, if desired
1-1/2 pints (3 cups) fresh strawberries, sliced

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Separate each biscuit into 2 layers; spread about 1/2 teaspoon preserves between layers, then put biscuits back together. Pinch edges together to seal. Cut biscuits in half. Place 2 halves on cookie sheet with round edges overlapping slightly to look like butterfly; press together where round edges touch. Make 7 more butterfly biscuits.

Spread remaining preserves on top of biscuits; sprinkle each with orange peel and about 1/2 teaspoon sparkling (or white) sugar.

Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Beat in 2 teaspoons sugar and the vanilla.

To serve, arrange strawberry slices on tops of butterfly biscuits for wings; pipe whipped cream to form body and antenna of each butterfly.

Recipe and picture from BettyCrocker.com

Monday, April 11, 2011

Butterfly Sandwiches

Butterfly Sandwiches

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 envelope (1 ounce) ranch salad dressing mix
3/4 cup mayonnaise
18 slices white bread
18 fresh baby carrots
36 fresh chive pieces (about 1-1/2 inches long)
36 carrot strips (about 1-1/2 inches long)
Sliced pimiento-stuffed olives

Place chicken in a large skillet; add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-14 minutes or until chicken is tender and juices run clear. Drain and cool.

Shred chicken; place in a bowl. Add onions, carrot and cheese. Combine the salad dressing mix and mayonnaise; add to the chicken mixture. Spread over half of the bread slices; top with remaining bread. Diagonally cut each sandwich in half, creating four triangles.

To form wings, arrange two triangles with points toward each other and crust facing out. For each butterfly body, place one baby carrot between triangles; insert two chives into filling for antennae. Place one carrot strip in the center of each triangle. Place olive slices on wings.

Yield: 9 servings

Recipe and picture from TasteOfHome.com

Friday, April 8, 2011

Ritz Caterpillar

Ritz Caterpillar

5 ritz crackers
2 teaspoons peanut butter
1 teaspoon grape jelly, or any other flavor
10 pieces (1 inch each) shoestring licorice
2 small round candies

Spread 3 of the crackers with peanut butter; spread the remaining 2 crackers with jelly.

Arrange crackers alternately on serving tray to resemble caterpillar, overlapping crackers slightly.

Decorate with shoestring licorice and candies for the "caterpillar's legs", "antennae" and "eyes."


Tip: Substitute cream cheese spread for the peanut butter.

Recipe and picture from KraftRecipes.com

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Caterpillar Cupcake

Caterpillar Cupcake

1 box devil's food or yellow cake mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
1 container (12 ounce) whipped fluffy white frosting
Gel-paste food colors (green, yellow, light blue, and red)
2 mini candy canes (or substitute licorice sticks or pretzel sticks)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 28 cups of standard muffin tins and 1 cup of a jumbo muffin tin with paper liners. Divide batter evenly among prepared cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until tops are firm to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

Tint frosting with green gel-paste food color and frost tops of cupcakes.

To make the head, pipe two yellow dots for the eyes on top of jumbo cupcake, then pipe tiny white dots for pupils. Using a skewer or toothpick, poke two holes above eyes, and insert mini candy canes into holes for antennae. Use red buttercream to pipe the mouth. Pipe dots all over other half of cupcake, alternating between yellow and pale-blue buttercreams. Continue to pipe yellow and blue dots all over remaining cupcakes, then pipe tiny white dots on top of each. Refrigerate 30 minutes to allow frosting to set. Cupcakes can be stored up to 1 day at room temperature in airtight containers.

Arrange 12 standard cupcakes side by side in a curving line, with the jumbo cupcake at the front. Serve remaining cupcakes as desired.

Picture and recipe adapted from MarthaStewart.com

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

The Cherry Hungry Caterpillar

The Cherry Hungry Caterpillar

Bing cherries
Cream cheese
Decorators' gel

Use dabs of cream cheese to attach six bing cherries in a curved line.

Sandwich cherry-stem antennae between the front two cherries.

For eyes, roll two small balls of cream cheese, press them flat onto the head cherry, and top with decorators' gel pupils. Be sure to warn snackers about the cherry pits.

Recipe and picture from FamilyFun.go.com