With the accompanying light and bright colors, Easter provides a sense of joviality and optimism. Kids run amuck searching for eggs as enthusiastic parents lay out easter baskets filled with treats. As we grow up, celebrating the holiday can become less exciting and finding a good Easter treat at the last second can be a hassle, but don’t feel discouraged. These hassle-free treats provide a simple and quick way to get in on the holiday spirit.
GLUTEN-FREE, BIRD NEST CUPCAKES
These cute, little cupcakes are a NESTessity for any Easter get-together. The eggs add a pop of pastel against the vanilla backdrop that makes the sweet treat stand out. As an added bonus, when replacing the gluten-free flour with plain old flower in this recipe, the cupcakes come out exactly the same!
Serves: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 stick sweet cream butter
• ½ cup whole milk +3 tablespoons of creamer
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups of Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• A pinch of salt
For the décor:
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 stick of sweet cream butter
• 2 tablespoons vanilla creamer
• ¼ cup of chex cereal
• Cadbury mini eggs
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, butter and vanilla. As you stir, watch the mixture carefully to prevent the cupcakes from rising in a flat top. In the best-case scenario, the blend consists of no clumps, and only a few air bubbles.
- In a separate bowl, stir the dry ingredients together until well combined.
- Next, alternate adding the milk/cream combo and flour. The batter should be smooth and primarily liquid with all ingredients homogenized.
- Pour the batter into muffin tins about 2/3 of the way, and pop them into the oven. Set a timer for about 20 minutes.
- While the cupcakes cook, mix together powdered sugar, butter, and creamer. The icing’s consistency should be between than that of a cinnamon roll and average cupcake.
- Smash Chex to make the “twigs” for the bird’s nest.
- When the cupcakes are cooked thoroughly, allow them to cool for 15 minutes. Then, smooth the icing in a circle and pile on the decorations.
Pro Tip: Placing the eggs first allows the Chex to completely surround them. This mimics the appearance of an actual bird’s nest and comes out looking a lot cleaner.
Inspired by: Taming Twins
MASON JAR EASTER BASKETS
As time goes on, Easter’s events become more “play it by ear,” and celebrating might come as a surprise. This effortless last minute gift, provides the festivity of a large basket in a pint-sized form.
Materials Needed:
• 1 wide-mouth mason jar
• Easter grass
• 1 large easter egg
• M&M’s Candy Filled Easter Bunny Tube
• Hot glue gun
• Peeps
• Assorted candy
• “Filling” for egg
Directions:
- Place a handful of Easter grass in the bottom of the jar. Then, add or detract grass as desired until achieving a preferred padding level.
- Now, add “filling” to the egg. This can be anything from gift cards to candy and prizes.
- Place the filled egg in the jar, and begin decorating. Peeps and candy compliment the egg, but hiding them in the Easter grass creates a welcome surprise.
- Cut the excess plastic from the M&M’s Candy Filled Easter Bunny Tube cork. Approximately half an inch will end up in the trash. When the cork has been cut to size, hot glue it to the top of the mason jar.
- Finally, screw on the lid and pass the gift off to family members, friends, or co-workers.
Pro Tip: Peeps fit very nicely in the arrangement, but adding too many can cause the jar to appear a little cluttered. For a large jar, four peeps fit snugly, but don’t overwhelm the eye.
Inspired by: Hello Little Home
To many, being too old for Easter egg hunts and baskets excuses celebrating but it doesn’t have to. Take the day to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and the beginning of Spring.