Friday Recipes: Easter Goodies

This week I decided to browse our archives for some tasty recipes. I found quite a treasure trove of goodies too! Easter is coming so it's time to start planning what we'll serve for dinner, snacks, desserts and appetizers. This week we'll share some fun and tasty treats:

GAYLA'S FAVORITE EASTER COOKIES
Easter Sugar Cookies
From Gayla, OFL Moderator

4 cups all purpose flour
3 1/4 sticks butter cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (I use 2 cups)
2 egg yolks plus 1 egg white
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
Icing:
1 lb powdered sugar
3 tbsp. powdered egg whites
6 to 9 tbsp. water
assorted liquid food colors

Mix all sugar cookie ingredients in food processor or mixer until dough forms. Divide in half and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. (I have made this dough ahead and refrigerated it for 2 weeks) Roll out dough about 1/8" thick and cut out with cookie cutters. Bake 400 for 8 to 10 minutes (I bake longer because I like crisper cookie) Cool on wire racks. Prepare icing by mixing all ingredients and divide into separate bowls and add food coloring. Decorate cookies when they are completely cooled.

This recipe is good to use with cookie cutters because it holds it's shape during baking. You can make those thick decorated sugar cookies like you get at the bakery. ~Gayla

CINDY'S AWARD WINNING LEMON BARS
I won Grand Champion at our county fair with this recipe!

Tangy Lemon Bars

Crust:
2 c. flour
3/4 c. margarine
3/4 c. sugar

Filling:
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp lemon peel
1/4 c flour
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 TBL lemon juice
1 tbsp. margarine 1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine crust ingredients. Pour into ungreased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees F.oven for 20 minutes. Combine eggs, sugar, lemon peel salt and lemon juice. Blend 2 minutes with mixer. Add flour and baking powder, blend well. Pour filling onto crust and bake 25 minutes. Combine glaze and spread on cooled bars.

EASY EASTER CANDY FUN

From Laura Kaye
Bunny Kisses

Put some Hershey Kisses or Hugs in a plastic baggie (or use chocolate chips- they look like mini kisses) and attach the following poem:

This cute little bunny has hopped all day
Been delivering baskets for the holiday.
His paws are so tired and his little nose itches.
He left you something special-something to fill all your wishes.
These cute little hugs and Easter kisses

SLOVAK TRADITIONS
I am Slovak and would like to share my Grandma's Hrudka (Easter Cheese) recipe. It's simple to make a good to eat!

Hrudka (Slovak Easter Cheese)
This is to be made the night before Easter.

1 dozen eggs
1 quart milk
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Crack eggs in a bowl and beat until smooth. Put eggs into large sauce or frying pan and stir in milk, sugar and vanilla. On medium low heat, stir mixture constantly until curds separate from whey. Pour into cheesecloth, squeeze out as much of the whey as you can and hang overnight. On Easter morning, cut into slices or cubes and serve cold.

My Grandmother taught me how to make hrudka. It is traditionally only made and eaten on Easter Sunday and served with kolbasi, ham, paska (a sweet bread with whole hardboiled eggs baked into it) and freshly grated horseradish. Everything is put on a platter and everyone eats from the same big platter. I teach cheesemaking classes and always add this recipe to my handout!

~Suzanne Nagler Harris www.goodnaturedearthling.com

We have a huge variety of Easter features, here are just a few:

• Easter Baskets for Teens
  
• Easter Egg Cake
  
• Coloring Easter Eggs Naturally
  
• Light and Festive Easter Dinner
  
• Silly Easter Bonnets
  

See all of our Easter features in our holiday section!