Maybe you forgot all about Easter this year, or maybe your kids are bored with the standard Easter Bunny fare and you want to give them something extra special. No matter the reason, these fast and easy recipes are something you can whip up last minute, and they’ll be sure to wow at your Easter brunch.
1. Chocolate Creme Eggs
You’ll Need:
- 6-8 hollow chocolate eggs
For the cream filling:
- 2 oz cream cheese
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 4 fl oz heavy whipping cream
For the apricot cream:
- 2 tsp orange juice
- 1 tbsp apricot jam
- 1 tbsp butter
Here’s How:
1.1 Fix the hollow chocolate eggs in place so that they won’t roll away. For example, you can place them on a roll of tape. Carefully break some of the chocolate off the top to create an opening.
1.2 To prepare the cream filling, mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until frothy. Beat the heavy whipping cream and fold it into the cream mixture. Pipe the cream filling into the chocolate egg and briefly refrigerate to let it set.
1.3 In the meantime, prepare the apricot cream by heating the orange juice, apricot jam, and butter in a pot. Stir the sauce until creamy and let it cool down before adding a dollop in a small scooped-out section of the hardened cream filling in each chocolate egg.
2. Puff Pastry Carrots
You’ll Need:
- 1 sheet of puff pastry
- 1 egg
- 6 carrots
- 6 sprigs of parsley
For the carrot cream cheese filling:
- 8 oz cream cheese
- salt
- pepper
Here’s How:
2.1 Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Cut the puff pastry into 8 equal strips and wrap the strips around the carrots in a spiral shape. Brush the puff pastry with a beaten egg, place the carrots on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, and cook for 10-15 minutes, depending on how crisp you want the puff pastry to be.
2.2 Remove the carrots from the puff pastry spirals. Grate the carrots over a bowl and stir in the cream cheese, salt, and pepper.
2.3 Spoon the carrot cream cheese filling into the puff pastry spirals and add a sprig of parsley for decoration.
3. Cheesy Bread Bunnies
You’ll Need:
For the dough:
- 9 oz pastry flour (UK: soft flour)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 egg
- 1½ tbsp melted butter
- 3 fl oz warm milk
- ½ tsp active dry yeast
For the filling:
- 3 mini Babybel cheese wheels
Here’s How:
3.1 Preheat the oven to 325°F. Prepare the dough, cover it, and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Divide the dough into 3 pieces, place a cheese wheel in the center of each dough piece, and form the dough into a ball so that the cheese is completely covered.
3.2 Use a pair of scissors to cut bunny ears and create eyes into the dough balls. Place the 3 bunnies on a sheet pan and cook for 20 minutes.
4. Chocolate Nests
You’ll Need:
- 5 cookies
- 8 oz dark chocolate chips (60%)
- 4 fl oz hot cream
- mini chocolate eggs
Here’s How:
4.1 Place the chocolate chips in a bowl and pour the hot cream on top. Stir until smooth and let cool down. Place the cookies on a plate, put the chocolate cream in a garlic press, and press it down over the cookies to make a decorative heap on top.
4.2 Create a hollow section in the middle of the chocolate cream and decorate with small chocolate eggs.
Now that you’re all ready for Easter, it can finally come… be sure to say hello to the Easter Bunny for us!