Easter Recipes

Easter is just around the corner so its time to check out some delicious treats. Heres a couple  I found over on a spoonful.com
   
 Easter Cupcake Animals

What you'll need:-

• 1- 18.25 ounce box devil's food cake mix, Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker
• 1- 16 ounce tub vanilla frosting, Betty Crocker rich & creamy frosting
• yellow food coloring
• 2/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1 tube black writing icing
• red fruit leather
• 1- 16 ounce tub vanilla frosting, Betty Crocker rich & creamy frosting
• mini marshmallows
• pink decorating sugar
• 6 malted milk balls
• 12 brown mini M&M's or other mini candies
• 24 mini Tootsie Rolls

How to make it:-

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a standard muffin pan and a mini muffin pan with paper cupcake holders. Prepare the cake mix according to package instructions. Fill the muffin cups. Bake the minis for about 15 minutes and the larger cup cakes for about 25 minutes. Remove from the pans and let cool in their paper liners.
2. To decorate the chicks, tint the frosting yellow and ice the tops of 6 large cupcakes. Remove the liners from 6 minis and ice the tops and sides. Tint the coconut yellow. Roll the minis in the coconut and place on top of each large cupcake. Draw eyes with black icing. Ice the back and cover it and the top of the large cupcake with coconut. Make combs and beaks from the fruit leather.
3. To Decorate the Sheep, ice the tops of 6 large cupcakes. Cut the marshmallows in half using scissors. For ears, dip 12 marshmallow halves, cut side down, into the sugar and set aside. Arrange marshmallows on top of the cupcakes, leaving enough space in the center for a mini cupcake. Remove the paper liners from 6 minis and ice the tops and sides. Use malted milk balls for the noses, and attach the ears. Place a mini on its side on top of each large cupcake; ice the back and cover with marshmallows. Use M&M's for eyes. Place two Tootsie Rolls on each side of the cupcake for legs.

                                             ***************************************

Chocolate Easter Egg Nests

Shredded Wheat or Rice Krispies and melted chocolate make perfect nests for candy coated Easter Eggs and they are quick and easy to make.

What you'll need

• 5 large Shredded Wheat (or 2 cups spoon-size)
• 1/3 cup good quality milk chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup good quality bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter
• 3 tablespoons golden syrup, such as Lyle's
• mini candy coated chocolate eggs
• OR
• 3 cups Rice Krispies
• scant 1 cup good quality semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons golden syrup, such as Lyle's

How to make it

1. Crush the Shredded Wheat into a bowl with your fingers. Put the chocolate chips into a saucepan together with the butter and golden syrup and melt over a gentle heat.
2. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Stir the Shredded Wheat into the chocolate mixture and spoon eight mounds onto the lined cookie sheets, shaping into rounds with a dip in the center.
3. Chill in the refrigerator for several hours until set, then peel the nests carefully away from the parchment and fill with mini chocolate eggs.