These recipes can be used year around, but it is the decorations which make them special for your Easter dinner.
Cream Cheese-Frosted
Shortbread Cookies
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup yellow or white cornmeal
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter,
softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
ICING:
4 ozs. cream cheese, softened
2 tbsps. unsalted butter,
softened
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 to 1 1/2 tbsps. milk
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked
coconut
Food coloring
5 oz. jelly beans
To prepare cookies, whisk flour, cornmeal, walnuts, baking powder, and salt in large bowl.
Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until blended. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture.
On a lightly floured surface, divide dough in half. Shape each half into an 8-inch log. Wrap logs in plastic wrap and chill three hours or until firm.
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
With sharp knife, cut each log into about 24 pieces. Arrange slices about 1-inch apart on sheet. Bake 8 to 9 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Place baking sheets on wire racks and let cool 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks to cool completely. They are ready to ice.
To prepare icing, beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer. Add confectioners' sugar and enough milk to reach a spreadable consistency. Spread on cooled cookies. Add a few drops of green food coloring to the coconut and mix to your desired color. Press on top of iced cookies and top with jelly beans. This makes it look like little birds' nest and this recipe eight people can eat six cookies or six people can eat eight. It makes 48 cookies. Enjoy.
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This next recipe will delight your family and guests and makes a great dessert. It is colorful, tasty, and just enough to finish off a good meal.
Easter Mini Cheesecakes
Prep time is only 20 minutes and from start to finish it takes only three hours and 20 minutes including the time in the refrigerator. Makes 18.
1 Cup graham cracker crumbs
3/4 Cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar,
3 tbsp. butter, melted
3 pkg. 8 oz. cream cheese,
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. coconut
54 speckled chocolate eggs
Heat oven to 325˚F. Mix graham cracker crumbs with 2 Tbsps. sugar and butter; press onto the bottom of 18 paper lined muffin cups.
Beat cream cheese, vanilla and remaining sugar with mixer until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low after each just until blended. Spoon over crusts.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until centers are almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Top each cheesecake with 1 Tbsp. toasted coconut shaped into nest. Fill each nest with 3 speckled chocolate eggs.
Toasting coconut is easy. Just place the coconut on a pie tin. I use this because I then can throw it away. No use in washing a plate. Set in a 350˚ oven for just a few minutes. Watch it carefully. It will turn brown quickly. DO NOT OVER COOK. Burnt coconut will not look good on your cheesecakes.
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Here are a few tips if your cheesecake (regular size) sticks to the springform pan. Grease the bottom of your springform pan with butter before pre-baking your crust. Brush the sides of the pan with butter before adding the cheesecake filling.
If surface of the cheesecake cracks. Make sure you don't over beat batter when creaming the cheese and sugar. It should look light and fluffy likes whipped cream.
If you over cook your cheesecake. Place your pan on the lower third rack of the oven when baking and remove cheesecake when an instant read thermometer inserted into the center reads 165˚F.
How about filling your Easter baskets with homemade candy?
Next week we will have recipes to make eggs, log candy, or maple candy or small mints.