Showing posts with label Easter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Easter. Show all posts

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Spring Tablescape

This year I hosted Easter at my house and would love to share my 'woodland' themed tablescape.

My inspiration came from a wedding that I am executing this coming year.  This event will be full of moss, bird nests, burlap, and touches of whimsy such as butterflies... a perfect theme for the season of new life.






To recreate a mossy, garden-themed table, dessert bar, or part in general, look around your house. Stick rocks or bird nests under cloches.  Group herbs or plants in old pots.  Layer neutral toned linens on top of burlap. Fill mason jars or twine wrapped bottles with wildflowers or greenery. Scatter branches randomly.  The best part is that if you need extra inspiration, just look outside.

I will share my other Easter tablescapes this weekend :)



Friday, March 30, 2012

Easter Eggs- with a Surprise

Look at my pretty little eggs I dyed.  Do they seem extra special to you?


Maybe not from that angle, but now can you see? There are brownies baked inside!!


I used the directions from la receta de la felicidad (scroll down for the English version), but tweaked them to what worked best for me. Here is how I did it...

What you need

1 Brownie recipe or box mix
12 Eggs
Corkscrew bottle opener
Piping bag
Paper towel
Muffin tin with aluminum foil or mini muffin tin
Dye kit or food coloring and vinegar

Directions
  • Dye uncooked eggs. Let dry.  (This is optional: colored eggs are not necessary)
  • Carefully poke a small hole at the bottom of each egg, using a corkscrew bottle opener.
  • Once you have poked a tiny hole, peel back the edges of the hole to expand it a bit. The holes need to be large enough to fit the tip of a piping bag inside.
  • Turn the egg upside-down and dump out the contents. (I saved the innards to use/cook with)
  • Rinse the insides of the eggs out thoroughly under the faucet.
  • Immerse eggs in saltwater for thirty minutes. Eggs need to be filled with the saltwater in order to sink.
  • Rinse the egg shells in cold water and lay the eggs hole side down in the egg carton covered in paper towel.

  • Prepare the brownie batter. I used Betty Crocker's Gluten free mix but you can use another mix or your homemade version.
  • Drizzle about 1 teaspoon of oil in each egg and turn it in your hand until the inside is completely covered. Dump out any excessive oil.
  • Load the batter into a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Make sure that the tip can fit the egg hole. If it can’t, expand the hole a little bit at a time until it fits. Fill your eggs about 1/2 to 2/3 full with batter.

This part gets tricky! If you overfill, the batter comes out of the egg (see below) but if you under fill the egg will crack.  You may want to try a 'test' batch like I did.

  • Place the prepared egg shells into a mini cupcake tin or use aluminum foil in a larger tin to help them stand upright.
  • Bake the eggs at 350ยบ F for 15-20 minutes.


Learn from my mistake below! I obviously overfilled them a bit. Although it looks ugly right after baking,  just remove the excess cake and clean the shell with a damp towel. It is important to do this when the cake is still hot, because if the egg is cold it is almost impossible to get off without the shell breaking. Or you can avoid it all together by not filling up as much :)


 

After your eggs are done baking, remove them from the oven, let cool, and eat.

I placed 2 to 3 in mini bird nests on each place setting... full tablescape coming up later!

Have a great weekend!