Easter Baking Help

18 years ago

Long time since I did any kind of kid baking, actually Meredith was never into it so I haven't done much at all.

I'm taking care of Sara for three days next week while Doug is away on business. The family Easter Dinner will be at my house so thought it may be fun for Sara and I to make some Easter treats for everyones Easter basket.

Cupcakes, cookies, chocolate treats, breads.....anyone have some ideas that may be fun for she and I to make together.....nothing with a lot of fine detail as I really want her to be able to be the star chef and me the helper.

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Comments (18)

teresa_nc7
18 years ago
What about some simple cupcakes frosted and then decorated with green-tinted coconut for grass and jelly beans for eggs, "Peeps", pastel sprinkles, etc. Cut-out cookies in egg shapes are fun to ice and decorate.

I used to get some wheat berries and grow real grass to put in a basket for a table centerpiece.

You could make an egg tree with a container (basket w/ styrofoam or pretty heavy vase), spray a tree branch white, then tie pretty eggs on (with ribbon glued onto the eggs).
annie1992
18 years ago
How about "sugar eggs"? Those panorampic things, remember those? They are just sugar and water, packed into an egg shaped mold (I use half of a plastic easter egg) and them dumped out and left to dry. After a little while use a spoon to scoop out the middle and a "window", put your decorations in the intact half and glue the halves together with royal icing. Very cool, and can be decorated with all kinds of icing stuff.

One of Makayla's favorites is "nests" made out of a cupcake sprinkled with green tined coconut, makde into a bird's nest with jelly beans for eggs or just grass with a candy bunny.

Don't forget LindaC's "bunny buns", you can even make those with the frozen bread dough.

Annie
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lindac
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Well....there are always my infamous bunny buns....but that might be more hand dexterity than she can handle now...
But there is another bunny shape you can make out of a long rope of dough....then coil one end like a snail and coil the other end the opposite way for the head....add ears and you have a bunny. Dip the coil in butter and cinnamon sugar before you curl it up you have cinnamon bunnies.
And there always are bunny cutout cookies....and I have an egg shaped cutout and make colored egg cookies often.
Well not really often...but often at Easter...LOL!
jcrowley99
18 years ago
If you want something very simple to make, you can make birds nests. If you have seen the coconut birds nests in the store you will know where the idea came from. My son hates coconut, so we always made our own nests using rice crispies. We either made rice crispie treats or melted a bag of chocolate chips and mixed in the rice crispies. Then drop a spoonful of the mixture on waxed or parchment paper and shape it into a nest with your fingers. Press 3 or 4 mini jelly beans into your nest and let them set. I haven't seen a child yet who did not like them.
TobyT
18 years ago
Another easy peasy one is to take dry chow mein noodles and combine with melted butterscotch chips and peanut butter. Form into nest shapes and put jelly beans or Cadbury mini eggs in each nest. Don't know the pb/chip ratio, but I'm sure it's readily available on the net. As an aside - I was surprised with how thrilled my 12 year-olds were with the gift of a "real chef's apron", especially when I told them that real chefs tie them in the front and tuck a handtowel under the string! Now everytime they cook or bake, it's on with the apron, tied in front with a towel tucked under the string.
Jane
glenda_al
18 years ago
{{gwi:1505185}}
1 box Betty CrockerÂ® SuperMoistÂ® carrot cake mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
Tray or cardboard, covered with foil
1 container Betty CrockerÂ® Whipped fluffy white frosting
1 cup shredded coconut
Construction paper
Jelly beans or small gumdrops
1 cup shredded coconut
Green food color

1. Heat oven to 350Â°F (325Â°F for dark or nonstick pans). Make and cool cake as directed on box for two 8-inch or 9-inch round pans.
2. Reserve 1 layer for another use or to make a second bunny. Cut 1 layer in half as shown in diagram. Put halves together with frosting to form body. Place cake upright on cut edge on tray.
3. Cut out a notch about one-third of the way up one end of body to form head (small end) as shown in diagram. Attach half of cutout piece from tail with toothpicks. Frost with remaining frosting, rounding body on sides. Sprinkle with 1 cup coconut. Cut ears from construction paper; press into notch on top. Use jelly beans for eyes and nose.
4. Shake 1 cup coconut and 3 drops food color in tightly covered jar until evenly tinted. Surround bunny with tinted coconut. Add additional jelly beans if desired. Store loosely covered.
glenda_al
18 years ago
Here's the rest:
jcrowley99
18 years ago
OMG Glenda! I swear that is the exact bunny cake we made in Home Ec in eighth grade! So cute.
craftyrn
18 years ago
How about Moniqueb's Choc Cream eggs?

Diane's Home Cookin Chapter: Candy & other confections

Easter Cream Filled Eggs
========================
1/2 cup softened butter
pinch of salt
1 can eagle Brand milk ( sweetened comdensed milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/4 lbs of icing sugar(yes)

1 pound semi-sweet choclate melted au bain-marie
Food Coloring if desired
. 1.Cream butter and salt until fluffy 2.Gradually beat in eagle Brand
vanilla..and food coloring*if using. 3.Slowly beat in icing sugar
4.Knead mixture w/hands until totally homogenous and flexible. 5.Roll
into egg shapes 6.Put on wax paper lined trays and chill until firm..
7.Resting each egg on a 2 pronged fork dip egg in melted chocolate
..Drip off excess.Place back on paper lined tray.Let rest until firm
Decorate.

* When the girls were little ..I colored a smaller portion yellow..and
wrapped the uncolored white around it..to make like the famous Laura
secord eggs..they are very similar in taste. You can also use a wood
skewer to dip the eggs..touch up the wee holes after..

You can also make peanut butter ones.. they're fun..it makes a lot..

posted by Moniqueb
User
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks ladies! Some great ideas that I think she can manage, one handed, with a bit of help from me.

Silly question......can the cake or cupcakes be frozen once iced? I'm assuming the rice crispy nests would hold for a few days in an airtight container as would the eggs.

We will be cooking Wednesday and Thursday but not serving until Easter Sunday.
annie1992
18 years ago
Oh boy, I've never tried to freeze frosting, so I have no idea....

still, you and Sara will have a wonderful time. I'm going this weekend and make "tookies" with the Queen of the Sprinkles, LOL.

Annie
jcrowley99
18 years ago
The rice crispy nests (marshmellow) will hold fine in an airtight container for a few days, they should be fine that way for up to a week if they last that long. The chocolate ones will last even longer. I have never tried freezing frosting. I would normally freeze the cake or cupcakes then frost after thawing.
chancesmom
18 years ago
Thanks Sharon! great thread. This weekend Chance and I are going to try a Cooks Illustrated lasagna we saw in a magazine and I think one of these treats!

Which one are you and Sara going to try...I am thinking rice crispie nests for sure! maybe the bunny cake next weekend.
User
Original Author
18 years ago
Janet I have emailed you a few times.....need a new addy
glenda_al
18 years ago
Making the bunny cake with my GS, when he was 3 and 4, was a big time memory maker.

Then divorce happened.

I cherish the memories!
chancesmom
18 years ago
I sent it thru garden web.....let me know if you get it.

jc
Tracey_OH
18 years ago
Here are some things I've made in the past. Nothing too diffiult as you see! (My name is not Sol :)

Tracey
maggie2094
18 years ago
I am getting some good ideas here. C&P

This is the Bunny Cake we made.

It would be cuter with coconut.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kraft

Easter Baking Help

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