Bunnies, chicks, and spring flowers are images of not just spring but of Easter. Cloverfields Farm & Kitchen's Janine Washle is in he spirit of the season. She's showing us how to decorate eggs with a sprinkle surprise. She also has a Peep petal cake and marshmallow petal cupcake to offer up as dessert.
Egg coloring, egg hunts, egg trees, plastic eggs, chocolate eggs, malted eggs, they are everywhere! We will explore baked goods made with eggs, blown eggs, chocolate eggs, egg trees, and living easter baskets to carry around your colored eggs. Eggs are everywhere and in everything it seems this Easter season.
Even though spring signifies renewal and rebirth, the plastics in the easter baskets, grass, and containers are not landfill-friendly. The candies are made of unpronounceable ingredients that when thought about doesn't seem so fresh and new after all.
Not to worry, reuseable easter baskets planted with greenery that can be repurposed in the landscape beds are an alternative that will delight everyone. Candies that are easy to make with common pantry ingredients are sure to put a smile on young and old faces.
These fresh ideas are easy on the wallet and not a lot of time involvement either. Use what you have and make a beautiful tasty Easter. It's easier than you think!
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Krispies Eggs
Ingredients:
2-1/4 cups crunchy peanut butter
1-1/4 sticks (10 TB) unsalted butter
4-1/4 cups powdered sugar
5 cups rice crispy cereal (2 cups for crumbs)
3-4 cups chocolate-flavored candy coating for dipping (less if you "crumb and drizzle")
Preparation:
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
Combine peanut butter, butter, and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Add cereal and blend well with a wooden spoon. Press mixture into baking sheet. It will be ¼" to ½" thick. Place in freezer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt coating in a double boiler. Remove mixture from freezer. Using an egg-shaped cookie cutter, cut as many eggs as possible. Scraps can be re-formed, froze, and cut until all is used.
To coat: put an egg in coating mixture. Turn to coat, using a fork remove slide bottom on edge of double boiler to remove excess chocolate. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
To crumb and drizzle: Pulse 2 cups of cereal in a food processor to make fine crumbs. Put crumbs in a shallow dish (pie plate). Put an egg in crumbs and turn to coat all sides. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a fork, dip into candy coating and wave over top of eggs to drizzle chocolate over.
Chill in refrigerator to set chocolate. Wrap eggs in candy foil (find online at Amazon.com)to give as gifts, or store in airtight container.
TIP: Don't limit these to Easter. These can be cut into 2" x 2" squares or any shape you desire for year round enjoyment.
Sour Cream Chocolate Cake
Makes 2 6" layers
Ingredients:
1-2/3 cups unsifted cake flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
¾ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cups sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 6" pans with non-stick baking spray. Set aside.
Sift together flour, cocoa, leaveners, and salt. Set aside.
Beat butter and sugars in a stand mixer until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Scrape bowl 1-2 times.
Add dry ingredients and sour cream beginning with and ending with dry scraping down sides 2 -3 times.
After all ingredients are added, beat for 1 additional minute. The batter will be a pale cocoa color.
Divide batter between pans. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until sides pull away from pan, edges have a darker appearance, and a very chocolate-y aroma is present. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from pans, completely cool on a cooling rack. Wrap, date, and refrigerate until ready to frost.
Chocolate Ganache Frosting
Ingredients:
16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (I use a 12 oz bag of dark chocolate chips and 4 squares of Baker's)
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp flavoring of choice (I use vanilla or orange)
In a double boiler warm cream until small bubbles are around outer edges. Add chocolate. Stir constantly (may take several minutes) until chocolate melts and incorporates into cream.
Once ganache is shiny, add flavoring and stir to combine. Remove from heat. Pour into a heatproof bowl. Cool at room temperature for several hours until ganache is frosting consistency. Can use like this or whip in mixer to make a fluffy frosting.
To make Peeps Petal Cake: Frost cake using above recipes. Using a large round pastry tip, use about a cup of the frosting to make a "flower center" in the middle of the cake coming leaving a 2" rim around the edge to add the peeps. Remove peeps from packaging (about 3 packs). Place beaks pointing out around edges to form petals.
FREE EASTER RECIPE BOOKLET: @
Cloverfields Farm and Kitchen also has a special Easter Recipe Booklet available by email. It includes recipes featured on WDRB in the Morning, "how to" information, and a complete Easter menu suggestion (with those recipes too). To ask for a complimentary copy, just email Janine Washle at cloverfields.farm.ky@gmail.com
To find Cloverfields Farm & Kitchen on Facebook: click here.
CloverFields Farm & Kitchen
3720 Mt. Olive Rd.
Hardin Springs Area
Big Clifty, KY 42712
270-862-3762
Janine Washle and her family live at the Cloverfields Farm and Kitchen in Big Clifty, Kentucky in Hardin County. CloverFields Farm & Kitchen, part of a century old farmstead, is our home and business. The McGuffin house, the original farmhouse, is a registered state landmark. CloverFields Farm has a prosperous farming history. They are continuing this rural story in their own unique way by the addition of CloverFields Kitchen a place to explore the past through food and merge it with our modern lifestyles.
CloverFields Farm is dedicated to the preservation of southern, especially Kentucky, food traditions. The kitchen is commercially-outfitted compliant with Health Department standards. In this kitchen I develop new recipes based on original ideas, inspirations from my culinary research, and most often according to what is in season.
On the farm, they make many gifts and specialty items. She is currently working on her first cookbook, but she also has a long resume developing recipes for several companies. She has also won several contests and cook-offs with her original recipes.
