Lemon meringue pie!

Do you have a Trader Joe’s? They sell wonderful meringue cookies that I've used to make individual pavlovas, assembled on site - someone could help with that.. Works for gluten free but not for vegan. I vote for something nonchocolate- seems more Springy and Eastery.

I vote for an Ice cream cake with an Easter theme if you don't have to travel too far. I think DQ would have them as well as most grocery stores but you might have to order one to be sure. Easy peasy!

Anything involving lemons and/or berries would be nice. My mom's strawberry pie is something I make almost every Easter, along with something lemon. Very often a lemon tart.

Speaking of meringue cookies, I baked them few years ago with chocolate chips and almond slices for decoration. Just before putting them in the oven, I pressed a mini chocolate ball on the top center then pressed 5 slices of almond around the chocolate dot to make flower petals. After baking, the almond petals were brushed with light golden brown color. Looked too good to eat, but so tasty, people ate them all.

I made this for Christmas last year. It was very good, and light. Stained Glass Jello.

We always have an angel food cake (which you could buy) split into 3 layers with lemon curd (which you can also buy) between the layers. Frosted with whipped cream at the last minute. Nice and light tasting.

Do you have a trifle bowl? Lemon pound cake (store bought is fine) cubed, layered with fresh strawberries and stabilized whipped cream. I usually mix whipped cream with crème fraîche for this sort of dessert, but I've listed other methods below. Even powdered sugar will work if it has corn starch in it. You could drizzle the pound cake cubes with Chambord if alcohol is acceptable. You can assemble it in the bowl right before you leave. It will hold up for two hours, longer if you can refrigerate upon arrival.

Copied from the Internet:

There are a few methods for stabilizing regular whipped cream; which you choose is a matter of personal preference. Some methods will better suit certain desserts over others. Experiment and find which works best for you.

1. Cornstarch: Cooks commonly use cornstarch to thicken stews and sauces, but it works just as well in delicate, airy whipped cream. To offset the graininess of the cornstarch, dissolve it in a bit of cream first: Whisk together a tablespoon of cornstarch with powdered sugar, then whisk it into half a cup of the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat, just until warmed. Let cool. Beat the remaining cream as normal until soft peaks form, then drizzle in the cornstarch mixture until fully incorporated.
2. Cream of tartar: Cream of tartar works like cornstarch to strengthen the bonds between protein molecules, water, and air bubbles, without feeling grainy or imparting flavor. Use a quarter teaspoon of cream of tartar for every one cup of cream for a whipped cream frosting with a texture like buttercream.
3. Crème fraîche or cream cheese: For a stabilizer that enhances flavor as well as structure, look no further than crème fraîche, French cultured cream. The extra butterfat in crème fraîche helps trap air, and the tangy topnote adds balance to sweet dishes like cupcakes and layer cakes. Depending on how much you use, whipped cream stabilized with crème fraîche can take on the texture of a very light mousse.
4. Gelatin: Unflavored gelatin is the stabilizer of choice for many pastry cooks. Bloom the gelatin in cold water in a microwave-safe bowl, then microwave it a few seconds at a time until the gelatin becomes liquid; set aside. Stream the gelatin mixture into softly whipped cream. Finish beating the cream on medium speed until stiff peaks form.
5. Milk powder: Some stabilized whipped cream recipes call for the same powdered milk product found in instant pudding mix. Sift together with confectioner’s sugar and add to cold cream before whipping.

THIS RECIPE is a different take, but would work equally well.

Lemon bars are the perpetual request of my family any time we have any family gathering. But depending on who else will be attending, I might also make an English trifle or a berry filled Pavlova. No chocolate, no pumpkin (!!) and nothing too heavy - light and fresh to match the season.

Just an aside, are raspberries ever NOT in season?? Raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and strawberries are available 365 days a year here, most imported from Mexico (if not the local season).

Pudding Whipped Cream Dessert

(also easy and light)

1 small box instant Vanilla Pudding

1 8-oz. tub Cool Whip (thawed)

1 20-oz. can crushed pineapple

1 can mandarin oranges (drained)

1. Combine pudding mix and whipped cream in a bowl and mix well. (I use an electric mixer)

2. Add crushed pineapple, including juice. Stir to combine.

3. Add mandarin oranges. You can save some to garnish the top.

4. Chill in fridge a couple hours.

I always at least double to recipe.

If you don't want to cook it, I love the cakes from Costco...they are inexpensive, huge and delish, esp their tuxedo cake and their carrot cake which is a classic for Easter. IIRC, their tuxedo cake that would easily feed 20 was only $15...a small cake for 8 at the grocery store which was not as good started at $30 and went up from there. I'm always surprised at the quality of the food at costco...so often I read the ingredients and see real food...they also sell a lot of organic options too. Not what I'd expect from a warehouse.

Mom used to make a special dessert- pineapple torte. Crushed pineapple, sugar, eggs, and flour. She did it in a butter crust- sugar, flower, butter. Heat egg yolks, sugar, and flour like a custard is made, fold in pineapple, fold in stiff peaks whites. Bake in crust. Use a springform pan. So decadent. I don't recall the amounts off the top of my head, but I recall the process of making it. I think my sister might have done a shortbread crust and a lemon addition sometimes.

I haven't thought about stained glass jello in forever. I do like some jello though, and often make myself jello jars in the summer. Maybe I'll try to remember and knock this one out for fun. Since the milk uses unflavored gelatin, I wonder if I could do a milk tea gelatin with blackberry cubes.

And the tart. Try looking up French fruit tart , glazed fruit tart, glazed custart tart. Even if you opt not to do the glazed part, it's the easiest way to find that kind of tart and not other fruit or custard tarts. You can use different crusts, a custard base as easy store or difficult DIY as you like. Fresh fruit on top. The glaze is usually apricot jam, lemon curd, or orange jelly that's been heated up a little and thinned a bit to make it easy to spead/pour over the tart.

Thanks, everyone. You’ve given me some great ideas.

I’d forgotten about lemons and lemon maringue pie.

Annie, the Costco carrot cake sounds great. Unfortunatelt there’s no Costco nearby and I am not a member.

We go with a carrot cake with lots of yummy things like pecans, golden raisins, orange peel, and butter milk. It was actually my sisters wedding cake. A few years ago I changed to making cup cakes instead of a layered cake. That way I could send home the left overs...everyone has to hit the road pretty fast after Easter Lunch.

I ate out for lunch today and had brownie with ice cream and thought this would make a fine dessert for Easter...I love the ghiardelli double or triple chocolate brownie mix. They come out superb.

Tarts usually freeze well, so you could make ahead. This is an excellent recipe: https://www.joyofbaking.com/FrenchAppleTart.html You can substitute pastry cream, if you like. I use the crust recipe for all my tarts. It fits a 9" pan, and if rolled very thin and accurately shaped, will fit a 10". I prefer frangipane for stone fruit tarts. It's easy to make, and it does well out of the fridge, unlike custard (pastry cream). There's a good recipe for frangipane here: https://food52.com/blog/10494-how-to-make-frangipane-tarts

I don't know if this is all too fiddly or too much work for you, but you asked about tarts. You need to make the shell ahead, anyway, and the pastry cream, jam or frangipane can be made a day or so ahead, as well, so long as your container is air tight.

For a really easy bought dessert, how about French macarons in a variety of shiny Easter colors? (Also makeable, of course, but maybe not the right choice for challenges.)

pillog is right. frangipane is superior for stone fruits. I had forgotten all about it. Been a long time.

My moms mom was a baker and sweets person. She did some different cakes and other. Like little pinched crusty things with jelly in them, and soft bits with powdered sugar. Big cake shaped like a bunny with coconut and jelly beans all all that. Cool whip desserts. Gelatin desserts.

Oh man, she made a rotten gelatin dessert. A layered salad all heck nope. And it was meant as the sweet, maybe a balanced pallete refresher? Like along with a brunch sort of thing. I'm not gonna suggest or derail, but this thread is making me think about it.

Well, when asked my opinion on desserts, I always vote for chocolate. Chocolate anything. Cake, mousse,pie, brownies, whatever. The only exception is Thanksgiving,in which case I want a pumpkin pie.

Growing up Easter dessert was the haul from our Easter baskets. Now its more likely to be a dozen dozen mixed doughnuts from Krispy Kreme.

If you have a Publix nearby, look online at their bakery offerings. They make very VERY good sweets, including the fruit tarts, cakes, pies, of all kinds. I have never been disappointed with their stuff. And it seems to be universally liked. They have carrot cakes that people seem to go crazy for. I do not like carrot cake so I would not know.....

The angel food cake suggestion from nekotish would be nice. Maybe some berries to serve with it.

And there are always bundt cakes...I find them so easy to transport, easy to serve and they serve so many. I've made chocolate, spice, apple cinnamon, lemon and a real big seller is Harvey Wallbanger.

The strawberry mousse sounds so good. Do you have a recipe?

Annie, my auntie always serves ice cream sundaes with homemade chocolate sauce for dessert. There might also be angel food cake, and of ourse cookies, but the simple elegance of a hot fudge sundae is always perfect.

So, for a Bundt, as Annie D. suggested, this is one of my favorites: http://brighteyedbaker.com/2013/02/11/confession-109-i-buy-too-much-chocolate-strawberry-bundt-cake-with-white-chocolate-ganache/ I've never made the ganache, being a Bundt purist. A glaze would go well too. It's made with a pound of fresh strawberries and if you use white flour the crumb is a beautiful pink.

Lots of good ideas above but you didn't say if this was an adult only dinner. If children are present I would take something fun for them, like Easter decorated cupcakes, brownies or cookies. I used to do 3 dimensional decorated cakes like lambs or bunnies. One time I filled the the lamb with strawberry filling to represent blood of the lamb.

This year we are celebrating Russian Orthodox Easter. I am going traditional with Pascha and Kulich as the focus of dessert. But we will also have cakes, cookies and other confections. You could feed a small village with a traditional Greek or Russian celebratory dinner. I don't go that far, but oh my, the childhood memories of all that food.

Pineapple Ricotta Pie.

My favorite Too busy to cook dessert is a cheese cake......you can make a graham cracker crust....or a pastry crust....or a ground nut crust ( butter your spring form pan really wwell, grfing up some nuts....almonds, pecans, pistachios...whatever....mix with a bit of sugar and put in the buttered pan and roll around until the pan is coated.) then mix 3 half pound bricks of cream cheese, 4 eggs, a cup of sugar a tablespoon of flour and a teaspoon oif vanilla...or some lemon zest...or almond flavoring....put it all into the blender, zap and pour into your prepared pan and bake at 325 until a knife inserted half way between the center and the edge comes clean....should still be some jiggle in it. Turn off the oven, leave the door cracked a little and leave until the oven cools.

Top with fruit or lemon curd or chocolate ganache...or whatever.

Easter is for flowers and spring so I would bake a big vanilla tray bake, and decorate the squares with a butter cream, home made hundreds and thousands and edible flowers. In season : cowslips, violets, apple blossoms.....

https://sugarspunrun.com/homemade-sprinkles/

It’s a bit of a palaver but it‘s only once a year https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/apr/10/how-to-make-simnel-cake-recipe-felicity-cloake

Or for a lighter, zesty spring dessert in chocolate and primrose yellow https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/frozen-lemon-souffle-in-a-chocolate-shell/ is one I make for special meals. It’s make ahead and freeze, so no faff on the day.

You mean there's more than carrot cake or coconut cake with seven minute frosting? It's all that are allowed in my family 😉

Not sure what we're having. I like coconut cake and an ambrosia fruit salad with the whipped cream, cherries pecans, coconut, pineapple, marshmallows and maybe a couple of other things.

https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/easy-pineapple-upside-down-cake/c4d3321d-fad9-41cb-8f29-8d91a4279b07

Pineapple Upside Down Cake was always a "must" as a kid. But, I haven't had it in years and

can't find my Mom's recipe....this is an easy one though.

Strawberry shortcake is our traditional easter dessert. Not so much sugar overload for the already sugar-overloaded kiddies, either!

Btw a 9” tart wouldn’t go far in my family. Maybe four people. Or six very dainty eaters with no seconds.

Sunday April 3, 2022— looking over all these great suggestions and ideas. Thank you all so much for your offerings. I should probably spend a week or two making these desserts and testing them because they all look wonderful. I think I need to get a trifle bowl (But in the meantime maybe that large gallon jar that the mustard came in would work.)

Gardengal, I think I might make some lemon bars. I was looking at Ina Garten’s page. Very lemony! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlftC_4qBM0

Oh, and I can find raspberries in the store now? That’s good. I love raspberries.

One of my favorite dessert cookbooks is a Williams-Sonoma thin cookbook and it has that fruit tart and custard or custard cream base and it looks pretty easy so I may try that. That book also has some interesting bread pudding that is delicious and different (I’ve made this several times and modified it a few times with different types of bread– – my favorite being a sort of bread with a little bit of quasi whole-grain in it). That book also has a great recipe for tiramisu that uses a sponge cake instead of the ladyfingers. I was thinking of this but I’ll have to mortgage everything to pay for all the mascarpone I’m gonna have to use. But I made this recipe shuffle times it’s really good and it has a Vanilla cake or poundcake that you making the rounds and then you slice into three different sections. But I suppose any kind of poundcake recipe would work. I was at the lady singers turn to mush. That’s ladyfingers not lady singers.

Kathsgardn, Yes you can have the recipe for the strawberry mousse gel cake. I think it’s one of those recipes that And I had to cut from a magazine back in the 70s but I think it’s really good. I’ll put that in a separate post.

I have to find out about how many people are attending because this guy goes all out and makes great Easter dinners so there’s always going to be more people that he Initially plants for. And it’s laid out usually as a Buffay. That’s a Buffay is a buffet. I have no idea what “buffay” why even means. Voice typing, mostly. I’m thinking maybe I should try to keep things simple And a bit portable.

Annie & bpath, Yeah what about banana splits with the works! That would be really fun especially if they were a bunch of little kids around. I bet homemade chocolate sauce is divine. I think this might upstage the dinner though wouldn’t it ha ha.

Wild child, your idea of making a really funny kid friendly Easter dessert is good. Even if they run 80 kids there but I think they will be. This may be the last bash before the new rendition of coronavirus hits us in the US. The dinner will have a bit of a Ukrainian touch to it because of the family backgrounds, like yours, so it will be a different teak than the usual ham or whatever. I wonder if anyone has a quick recipe for any chocolate Faberge’ eggs.🐣

Lindac, Lemon cheesecake sounds wonderful.

Islay, thanks for that fantastic sprinkles page. That would be really fun. I don’t know if I’ve got the energy to do with this year but what a great idea. You could even draw stick figure kids and bunnies and carrots or whatever. But the idea of a sheet cake with buttercream might be something I want to do.

We don’t use any pesticides or anything so we have a very natural lawn if you can color the lawn. Years ago I didn’t realize and I planted Violet somewhere and so the lawns are covered with all types of violet purple, white, and that “freckles“ variety of purple splashed violets. One year I thought about making candied violets. I wasn’t sure how long they would keep. It’s too bad none of them are up now because we’re still having cold overcast weather. But maybe I should try to candy a bunch of them in May. I also have access to things like rose petals and dandelions although I’ve noticed cottontails love to eat the dandelion flowers so they may beat me to the punch. If you can even candy dandelion flowers. I guess calendula would be a better bet. I’ll ask about this in another post sometime. But I love the look up candy flowers.

floral-uk, What a Delicious looking dessert.

Uptown, Pineapple upside down cake is one of my favorites. I think I’ve only made it once. The last one I had was at a friends house a long time ago and she made a delicious baked haddock dinner and had pineapple upside down cake for dessert. Absolutely wonderful.

Rae, I love strawberry shortcake.

Floral UK, I was thinking just this that a 9 inch fruit tart and custard cream wouldn’t go very far, especially if I took the first survey. I think when they are sold in stores or bakeries they are often larger in diameter. I think I’ll have to make a couple of desserts but I don’t know how many people are attending or even if he knows, so I may want to check on that. There’s always a bag of bakery cookies for sale, or Oreos.

One cookbook that I have, has some really good looking recipes in it but only a few photos. One of the photos is of this large lemon cookie square (a sugar cookie) with lemon icing. The photo makes it very appealing. Maybe I’ll post it here because it just makes me want to make a bunch of these and eat them and share them with friends. I love lemon.

So I’m moving away from things like brownies or chocolate or things you can get any other time of the year and think I should focus on a Easter flowery lemony thing. I suggested to my husband that we make one of those animal Easter cakes that are in all different parts and you put them together and then put marshmallow or fluffy things on them with colors, and of course he said he thought it would be too much work. But how many times you go to an Easter dinner after two years of a damn pandemic craziness with a war added to the mix. Why not go celebratory all out, write some checks to charities while its baking.

I just did a search for Easter cakes, and the wild beautiful decorations that people do whether bakeries or home cooks is just amazing. And I’d forgotten all about these things called Easter baskets. Anybody remember those? In fact I remember May baskets for May Day.

Thanks for all your great ideas and inspiration.

My apologies for typos.

Found online cheer:

If I don’t make anything Easter fancy, I may just go to a bakery and supplement my offerings with something colorful like the above, especially if children will be joining us.

Strawberry Mousse Cake

(I suspect this recipe is from something like one of those women’s or homemaker magazines of the late 60s or 70s.)

1 Jelly Roll or Pound cake to line a 9 X12 pan
2 packages strawberry jello ( 2 - 3 oz or 1 6oz.)
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1 container Frozen strawberries 16 oz.
12 oz. Cool Whip
Slice jelly roll and line 9X12 pan with slices (bottom and all sides)
Dissolve gelatin in boiling water and let cool
Add frozen strawberries
When mold is cool enough, fold in cool whip until smooth.
Pour mixture into lined pan and refrigerate.
Top with more strawberries.

I just read that you’re steering away from brownies, but I may try this for my grands. No known allergies here.

https://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/a30875809/peanut-butter-and-candy-egg-blondies/

I haven’t tried, but looks easy and fun.

Thanks, HU-695——405!

This is a wonderful idea. Not your ho hum delicious brownies. One could decorate for many themes.

Thanks for the recipe Petalique!

IIRC, I made that penultimate bunny rabbit...just 2 cake rounds and one is cut to make the ears and the bow. Biggest issue is finding a board to lay it out on.

Another year, I made cupcakes and put some easter decorations on top....can't quite remember what it was...some kind of candy something.

This cake is so pretty. It just makes you want to eat it. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb17Sq1sCiN/?fbclid=IwAR1gjYQYKT3J_kqU7v7QOE1VnW2VXE2YMZge1F7YLbIF4BY_9GOhetg3tdo

i did not read the responses, so pardon if already said, Chocolate Mousse with whipped cream and raspberry on top!

i serve in little 'votive' type glass containers and have little spoons. Very easy to make and i have a great recipe!

My grandparents used to make paskha and kulich. Wonderful food, wonderful memories.

https://www.nytimes.com/1977/04/06/archives/russian-easter-with-paskha-and-kulich.html

This is the cake I make most often for special occasions. It is really wonderful.

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/lemon-layer-cake-with-lemon-curd-and-mascarpone-107898