Recipes for Easter Week Gatherings
Happy Easter Week!
May you enjoy this week of Easter blessings! Celebrate surrounded by your friends, family, and loved ones.
Early-Riser Oven Omelet
Prep: 15 min
Bake: 35 min
Servings: 6
10 lg. egg whites
5 lg. eggs
1 C. fat-free milk
1/4 tsp. seasoned salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1-1/2 C. cubed cooked ham
1 C. chopped fresh broccoli
1 C. shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1 med. tomato, seeded and chopped
3 T. finely chopped onion
In a bowl, beat the egg whites, eggs, milk, seasoned salt and pepper. Pour into a greased 10-in. cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet. Sprinkle with the ham, broccoli, cheese, tomato and onion. Bake, uncovered, at 350° until eggs are almost set, 30-35 min. Broil 4-6 in. from the heat until the eggs are set and top is lightly browned, 1-2 min.
Hot Cross Buns
Total: 2 hr. 55 min
Prep: 30 min
Inactive: 2 hr
Cook: 25 min
Servings: 1 dozen
1/2 C. water
1/2 C. whole milk
1/2 C. sugar
4-1/2 tsp. active dry yeast (2 (1/4 oz) packages)
1/3 C. unsalted butter, melted, plus as needed
1 lg. egg yolk
1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 C. all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. fine salt
1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 C. currants, plumped in the microwave and cooled
1 egg beaten, for brushing
Icing/glaze:
2 C. confectioners’ sugar
2 T. milk
1/4 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Combine the water and milk in a medium saucepan and warm over low heat until about 100°F (but no more than 110°F). Remove from heat and sprinkle the yeast and a pinch of sugar and flour over the surface of the liquid. Set aside without stirring, until foamy and rising up the sides of the pan, about 30 min.
Whisk the butter, egg yolk and vanilla into the yeast mixture.
Whisk the flour, the remaining sugar, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and stir in the yeast mixture with a wooden spoon to make a thick, shaggy, and slightly sticky dough. Stir in currants. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until soft and elastic, about 8 minutes. Shape into a ball.
Brush the inside of a large bowl with butter. Put dough in bowl, turning to coat lightly with butter. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour 30 min. (If you have a marker, trace a circle the size of the dough on the plastic, and note the time to help you keep track.)
To form the rolls: Butter a 9 by 14-inch baking pan. Turn the dough out of the bowl and pat into a rectangle about 16 by 8 inches. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions, about 2 ounces each, with a pizza wheel or bench scraper. (If you don’t have a scale, divide the dough in half lengthwise, then in half crosswise. Cut each of those four sections into 3 equal-sized rolls.)
Tuck the edges of the dough under to make round rolls and place them seam-side down in the prepared pan, leaving a little space in between each roll. Cover the pan with buttered plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until the rolls rise almost to the rim of the pan and have more than doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F.
Remove the plastic wrap and brush the tops of the buns with beaten egg. Bake rolls until golden brown and puffy, and an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the rolls registers 190°F, about 25 min.
For the glaze: Stir together confectioners’ sugar, milk, lemon zest and vanilla until smooth. Transfer icing to a zip bag or pastry bag and make a small cut in the corner of the bag. Ice buns in a thick cross shape over the top of the warm buns.
Easter Ham Bone Soup
Cook Time: 1 hr 55 min
Prep Time: 20 min
Servings: 10
3 qts. water
1 ham bone
5 potatoes, cut into 1” cubes
4 C. chopped cabbage
2 lg. stalks celery, chopped
5 green onions, chopped
1/2 C. water
1/3 C. all-purpose flour
Bring 3 qts. water and ham bone to a boil in a large stock pot. Boil until meat from the bone comes off easily, about 1 hour. Remove bone from broth. Allow bone to cool enough to touch; remove as much meat from as possible. Transfer meat to a resealable plastic bag, seal, and refrigerate.
Pour broth into a large bowl; cover and refrigerate overnight. Skim and discard any fat from the top of the chilled broth; transfer broth to a large pot.
Bring broth to a boil; add potatoes, cabbage, celery, and reserved ham. Continue to simmer until potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes.
Whisk 1/2 C. water and flour in a bowl; whisk into potato-ham soup until thickened. Add light cream; stir.
Cheesy Country Ham Dip
Level: Easy
Total: 1 hr
Active: 30 min
Servings: 10-12
10-oz. pkg. sliced ham
Two (8-oz.) blocks cream cheese, at room temperature
1 C. shredded extra-sharp Cheddar
1 C. sour cream
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/3 C. shallot, grated
Ground black pepper
1 C. pecans, chopped
1 T. unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Butter crackers, corn tortilla chips (not too thin) and sliced celery, for serving
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Place the ham slices on a microwave-safe dish lined with paper towels. Cover the ham with a damp paper towel and microwave on low heat until the ham is slightly crisp on the edges and the fat is absorbed in the paper towels, 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove the ham from the microwave and discard the paper towels. Using two forks, shred the ham into small bite-size pieces. Place the ham into a large mixing bowl.
Add the cream cheese, Cheddar, sour cream, garlic powder, shallot and 1 tsp. black pepper to the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Spread the ham and cheese mixture into a 9-inch pie plate. Set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the pecans, butter and Worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle the seasoned pecans over the ham and cheese dip.
Bake the dip until hot and bubbly around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm with butter crackers, corn tortilla and celery.
Easter Pie
Level: Easy
Total: 1 hr 15 min
Prep: 30 min
Cook: 45 min
Servings: 8-10
3/4 C. powdered sugar, plus extra for garnish
3 lg. eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 T. orange zest
1 (15 oz.) container whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 C. cooked short-grained rice
1/3 C. toasted pine nuts
6 sheets fresh phyllo sheets or frozen, thawed
3/4 stick (3 oz.) unsalted butter, melted
Blend 3/4 C. of powdered sugar, eggs, vanilla, orange zest and ricotta in a food processor until smooth. Stir in the rice and pine nuts. Set the ricotta mixture aside.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Lightly butter a 9-inch glass pie dish. Lay 1 phyllo sheet over the bottom and up the sides of the dish, allowing the phyllo to hang over the sides. Brush the phyllo with the melted butter. Top with a second sheet of phyllo dough, laying it in the opposite direction as the first phyllo sheet. Continue layering the remaining sheets of phyllo sheets, alternating after each layer and buttering each sheet. Spoon the ricotta mixture into the dish. Fold the overhanging phyllo dough over the top of the filling to enclose it completely. Brush completely with melted butter.
Bake the pie until the phyllo is golden brown and the filling is set, about 35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool completely. Sift powdered sugar over the pie and serve.
White Velvet Cutouts
Prep: 25 min. + chilling
Bake: 10 min./batch + cooling
Servings: 5-1/2 dozen
2 C. butter, softened
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
2 C. sugar
2 lg. egg yolks, room temp
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4-1/2 C. all-purpose flour
Frosting:
3 T. butter, softened
1 T. shortening
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3-1/2 C. confectioners’ sugar
4 to 5 T. 2% milk
Food coloring, optional
In a large bowl, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Gradually beat flour into creamed mixture. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk; wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with floured 3-in. cookie cutters. Place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake until set (do not brown), 10-12 min. Cool on pans 5 min. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
For frosting, in a bowl, beat butter, shortening and vanilla until blended. Beat in confectioners’ sugar and enough milk to reach spreading consistency; beat until light and fluffy, about 3 min. If desired, beat in food coloring. Frost cookies. (Keep frosting covered with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.)
Quote of the Week:
“Despite the forecast, live like it’s spring.”
~ Lilly Pulitzer