Hop Into Easter

A few years ago, a cousin emailed me pictures of a cake she'd made for Easter.  The cake was so cute, I knew I wanted to make it for Easter, but I didn't know when.  My family was disappointed the year before when I replaced our traditional bunny cake with a carrot cake.  I knew I couldn't replace the bunny cake two years in a row, so I filed the idea away until one Easter when we were having enough company I needed two desserts.

The cake isn't a recipe, but a method.  Start by making a two layer cake, either from scratch or a mix.  Fill and frost the layers with white icing such as buttercream or cream cheese.

I think the cake would also look pretty with pastel pink or yellow icing. Although chocolate icing would be tasty, I don't think the decorations would stand out as well as they do on a lighter color icing.

When the cake is frosted, decorate the sides with marshmallow peep bunnies.  The year I made the cake, the hardest part was finding all the different colored bunnies!  I found pink and blue at Kroger, purple at CVS and green at Rite Aid.  The bunnies aren't quite tall enough to cover both layers.

You can decorate the sides with just the bunnies, or add some pastel color M&M's above or below the bunnies.  I found it easier and faster to put the candy above the bunnies.

The top is decorated with more pastel M&M's.  My cousin piled the candy all over the top, but I used it sparingly.  I also like to turn the candies over so the "m" doesn't show.

This cake is easy to make, quick to assemble and a festive ending to an Easter meal.  Easter is less than a week away, but there's still time to find the bunnies before they hop out of the store.

© Margaret's Morsels

Hamming it Up

I always serve ham at Easter and this year is no exception.  However, I'm not preparing a shank portion like I normally do.  I'm only cooking for five people so I don't need that much ham.  Due to a time constraint of one of the guests, I need to have supper on the table at 5:30.  This is going to be challenging since I won't start cooking the ham until we get home from church.  I could cook the ham the day before and reheat it when we're ready to eat, but I don't like that idea.  Buying an already cooked spiral ham isn't an option because my family doesn't like them.  Fortunately, there's another choice.  This year, I'll be serving a canned ham for Easter.

Canned ham is exactly what it sounds like:  ham that is sold in a can.

The ham is either from a boneless piece of meat, or pieces that have been combined and are held together with a gelatin mixture.  The brand I buy comes in three and five pound sizes, but the larger size is sometimes hard for me to find.  Canned hams are fully cooked and, as such, don't require additional cooking.  However, the flavor is greatly improved by heating. 

There are two varieties of canned hams:  shelf stable and refrigerated. Shelf stable canned hams have been processed at high temperatures which allow them to be stored at room temperature.  This processing, which gives the ham a long shelf life, also makes the product less flavorful than its counterpart.  I avoid shelf stable canned hams and only purchase those that are refrigerated.  The taste and texture of a refrigerated canned ham are a little different from traditional ham, but that's a small price to pay for the convenience.  Unlike a shank or butt portion that can take hours to cook, a canned ham is ready in an hour.  It can also be cooked in a crock-pot which frees up the oven for side dishes and rolls.

Just because it's a canned ham doesn't mean it has to be served plain.  I serve it that way because that's how my family likes ham.  Canned hams -- like regular hams -- can be dressed up with the addition of fruit, liquid smoke or glazes.  A search on the Internet will yield lots of recipes and ideas for using canned hams.

Although I may take a shortcut with the ham this year, the rest of our Easter dinner will be the same as every year:  macaroni and cheese, green bean bundles, deviled eggs, cranberry orange relish, homemade rolls, an Easter bunny cake and, to wash it all down, a refreshing pitcher of fruit tea.

Canned ham might not be the first thing you think of serving for Easter, but it is an easy and tasty alternative when time is short, you don't need to feed a large crowd and you still want to ham it up!

Baked Canned Ham
6 to 8 Servings

1 (3 lb.) canned ham

1/2 cup water

To Bake in the Oven:  Remove ham from can and place in baking pan. Add 1/2 cup water to pan.  Cover pan with foil and bake at 325° for 1 hour, or until meat thermometer inserted in center reads 135°.

To Cook in a Crock-Pot:  Pour 1/2 cup water in bottom of crock-pot.  Wrap ham in foil; place in crock-pot.  Cover and cook on high 1 hour.  Reduce heat to low and cook 6 to 7 hours, or until ham is heated through.

© Margaret's Morsels

Ways to Use Leftover Ham

Not sure what to do with leftover Easter ham?  Here's two recipes that will make you forget you're eating leftovers!

Broccoli Ham Ring

This entree may look complicated, but it's actually very easy to assemble. Refrigerated crescent rolls are wrapped around a filling made with ham and four other ingredients.  Step by step directions can be found here. 

Ham and Potato Casserole

Any form of cooked ham -- including canned, deli or packaged luncheon ham -- can be used in this layered casserole.  You can make a little or a lot, but be sure to adjust the baking time accordingly.  The recipe can be found here.  

© Margaret's Morsels

24 Carat Cake: Putting it All Together

On Tuesday, I shared a recipe for a made from scratch carrot cake. Today, I want to talk about assembling, frosting and decorating the cake.

After all the chopping, grating, sifting, measuring and mixing I do to make this cake, you'd think I'd make the frosting too, but I don't.  I think store bought frosting is just as good as what I make.  If you agree, you'll need two (14 ounce) containers of cream cheese frosting.  If you prefer homemade, you'll need to make enough to fill and frost a three layer cake.

Let me preface this by saying I am not a cake decorator.  The tips I'm sharing may not be the way professionals decorate a cake, but this is what I've found works for me.  If you've got tried and true techniques for assembling and decorating a cake, by all means continue doing it the way that works for you.

Cake decorators apply a thin layer of frosting called a crumb coat.  When this dries, it seals in the loose crumbs and keeps them out of the final layer of frosting, which makes the cake prettier.  Maybe it works for a cake decorator, but not for me.  Through trial and error, I found a way to achieve the same result, but I use a different method.

When the cakes are completely cool, I put them -- wire rack and all -- in the freezer for 30 minutes.  This isn't long enough to freeze them, but long enough to keep most of the crumbs in place.

While the cakes are in the freezer, you can line the edges of a cake plate with strips of wax paper.  This keeps the cake plate clean.  I've tried this before and nearly tore up the cake trying to remove the wax paper.  I find it easier to wipe off the plate when I'm done decorating the cake.

When I wrote about making the cake, I said the walnuts sprinkled in the cake pan before the batter was added would play a role in assembling the cake.  The walnuts make it easy to explain whether the cake layer goes upside down or right side up!

Gently remove a cake layer from the wire rack and place it on the cake plate with the walnut side up.

If the cake isn't level, use a serrated knife to slice a thin piece off the bottom.  Cover the top with the desired amount of frosting.

The easiest way to do this is with an offset spatula.  An offset spatula has a bend in the blade which makes it ideal for spreading frosting.

If you notice any crumbs on the spatula, wipe the spatula off before adding any more frosting.  This keeps the remaining frosting free of crumbs.

Place the middle layer with the walnut side down, the opposite of the bottom layer. 

Because you'll be frosting the side of the cake that rested on the wire rack, there may be some crumbs.  Since this layer is in the middle, crumbs won't be noticeable, as long as you make sure to wipe off the spatula before adding more frosting.  Cover the top with the same amount of frosting as you used on the bottom layer.

Place the top layer with the walnut side up, the opposite of the middle layer. Placing the cake layer this way makes a level surface for the top of the cake.

This time, generously cover the top and sides with the frosting.  The cake needs to sit overnight to allow the flavors to blend.  Cover it with a cake dome or store it in a plastic cake keeper so it doesn't dry out.

The cake can be served as is or you can garnish it.  The easiest way to garnish it is with chopped walnuts.  The walnuts can be sprinkled on top of the cake and pressed into the frosting all around the sides of the cake.  My husband isn't a fan of walnuts so I decorate the cake with marzipan carrots.

Marzipan is a sweet, pliable paste made of ground almonds, sugar and, sometimes, egg whites.  It can be found in the baking aisle at most grocery stores.  Marzipan is easy to color and mold into a variety of shapes.

To make carrots, tint some of the marzipan orange.  You can use liquid food coloring or, what I like to use, gel icing color.  Gel icing color is a concentrated paste sold in small jars in a variety of colors.  It produces richer, more vibrant colors and, because it's concentrated, a little dab will do!  If you've never worked with gel icing color, the most important thing to remember is to use a toothpick to remove it from the jar.  If you need to add more color, use a clean toothpick and repeat the process.  This keeps the gel from getting contaminated.  Knead the color into the marzipan adding more, if necessary, until you reach the desired shade.

Pinch off a piece of marzipan and roll it into a small ball.  Roll the ball between your palms, elongating it into the shape of a carrot.

To give the carrots a realistic look, use the dull edge of a table knife and press two or three horizontal lines into the carrots, making sure not to cut all the way through.

To make the green tops, color some of the marzipan green.  Press the marzipan through a small sieve using the back of a spoon.  This produces thread like strands which, like the lines on the carrot, make it look realistic.

Use a knife to remove the strands and place them on the top of the carrot.

To save time, you can make the carrots a couple of days ahead of time and store them in an airtight container so they don't dry out.  I put them on top of the cake the day I serve it.  If you put them around the top of the cake, you can sprinkle the center with chopped walnuts.

This cake takes time to make, but it's worth the effort.  You may not want to make it very often, but save it for special occasions like Easter.  Maybe it will become a cherished Easter tradition at your house just like the bunny cake is at mine!

24 Carat Cake

The last two years, I've shared pictures and directions for making a bunny cake.  This cake is a cherished Easter tradition at my house.  This year, I thought I'd share the recipe for the Easter cake I made before I had kids. Just like the bunny cake, this recipe also came from a high school home ec class.  Unlike the bunny cake which starts with a cake mix, this cake is made from scratch.

If you haven't already guessed, the blog title is a play on words for the best carrot cake I've ever eaten.  It's different from most carrot cake recipes I've seen.  One, it doesn't use pineapple.  Two, it uses brown sugar instead of white.  Three, instead of being flavored only with cinnamon, it also uses nutmeg and cloves.  Speaking of spices, check your spices ahead of time to make sure they're good.  If they have little or no aroma, throw them out and buy new ones.  If you can't smell them, you won't be able to taste them either.

Before you start mixing anything, do the chopping, grating, sifting and measuring.  Once you've done all this, making the cake is, well, a piece of cake!

Finely chop some of the walnuts and coarsely chop the rest.

Grate the carrots.  This is fast and easy to do if you have a food processor. If you're like me and don't have one, grate the carrots by hand, making sure you don't grate them into long strips.

Sift some flour and then measure out three cups.  Sift the flour again with the baking powder and salt.  Sifting removes any lumps, helps blend ingredients and incorporates air which makes the ingredients lighter.

Measure the remaining ingredients.  Unlike white sugar which is spooned into a measuring cup and leveled off, brown sugar needs to be packed into the measuring cup.  When it's removed, the brown sugar will retain the shape of the cup.

Once all the prep work is done, it only takes a few minutes to mix up the cake batter.  Use a mixer to combine the brown sugar, eggs, oil and spices. Add the flour mixture and milk alternately, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.  Stir in the carrots and coarsely chopped walnuts.

Grease three 9-inch round cake pans.  Instead of flouring the pans, divide the finely chopped walnuts between the three pans.  The walnuts take the place of the flour and add some texture to the layers.  It will also play a role when it comes time to assemble and frost the cake.

Divide the batter evenly between the three pans.  I use a large cookie scoop to put equal amounts of batter in each pan.

Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until done.  If you bake all three pans at the same time, rotate them once to ensure even baking.  Take the pans out of the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack.  Remove the cakes from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

Since this post is so long, I'm going to split it up into two parts.  Check back later this week for directions on assembling, frosting and decorating this 24 carat cake.

Carrot Cake

10 to 12 Servings

1 1/2 cups walnuts, divided

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 cups brown sugar, packed

4 eggs

1 cup vegetable or canola oil

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. cloves

3 Tbsp. milk

3 cups grated carrots

Coarsely chop 1 cup walnuts; set aside.  Finely chop the remaining walnuts.  Grease 3 (9-inch) round cake pans.  Coat each pan with approximately 2 1/2 tablespoons of the finely chopped walnuts.

Combine the brown sugar, eggs, oil and spices in a large bowl; beat with a mixer until combined.  Resift the flour with baking powder and salt.  Add half the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, beating until combined.  Add the milk all at once, beating until combined.  Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until combined.  Stir in the carrots and remaining walnuts.

Divide the batter evenly between the three pans.  Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until done.  Cool pans on wire racks 10 minutes.  Remove cakes from the pans and cool completely on wire racks.

© Margaret's Morsels

A Different Way to Dye Easter Eggs

Last year, I posted a blog about an easy way to dye Easter eggs using Wilton gel icing color.  Since Easter's next Sunday, I wanted to share the information again.  Here's the link in case you missed it last year.  In the meantime, I'm working on two new Easter blogs that I'll post later this week.

© Margaret's Morsels

2012 Easter Bunny Cake

This is the cake I made for Easter.  I tinted coconut pink for the ears, instead of decorating them with pink jelly beans.  I like the way it turned out, but next year I'll use two drops of red food coloring instead of four. The tie, as usual, was decorated with frosting and jelly beans since my son doesn't like coconut.  Maybe next year I'll use licorice for the whiskers instead of jelly beans.

© Margaret's Morsels

Easter Ham Redux

I heard a disc jockey describe the day after Easter as egg salad Monday. If you've got leftover Easter ham, today doesn't have to be ham sandwich Wednesday.

I always cook a ham for Easter and freeze what isn't eaten, keeping out just enough to make a broccoli ham ring.  This year, I'm using some of the leftover ham to make a ham and potato casserole.

Three family members shared this recipe with me, but each one had their own version.  Since the process and ingredients are similar to scalloped potatoes, I used that recipe as a guide to create my own version of this layered casserole.  One layer consists of three ingredients:  potatoes, ham and cheese.

The first layer

You can use any form of cooked ham including canned, thinly sliced deli ham or even packaged luncheon ham.  You can also make as little or as much as you want by increasing or decreasing the ingredients.  I use a 2-quart dish to make a three layer casserole.  A couple of family members use a large roasting pan and bake several layers.

All three recipes started out the same.  Grease a baking dish and alternate layers of thinly sliced potatoes, diced ham and shredded cheese, sprinkling each layer with a little salt and pepper.  When you've got all the layers you want, pour a mixture of eggs, milk and flour over the top.  This mixture binds the ingredients together.  It's also where the recipes differed.

The eggs, half and half, milk and flour

The recipes called for four, six and even 12 eggs!  Of course, the number you need depends on what size casserole you're making.  A good rule of thumb is to use one egg for each layer.  Since I had three layers, I used three eggs.

One recipe called for milk, another used half and half and the last used a combination of the two.  We only drink 1% milk so I knew half and half would be too rich.  However, half and half would make the casserole creamier than milk.  I ended up using equal parts milk and half and half.

The recipes differed again when it came to flour.  Two versions used it while the third did not.  I added two tablespoons of flour since it helps thicken the casserole. 

The egg mixture poured on three layers

The casserole took 1 hour 15 minutes to bake, but the total baking time depends on two things:  the number of layers and the thickness of the potatoes.  If the top gets too brown before the potatoes are done, cover the pan with foil.  If you're baking a lot of layers, cover the pan with foil, removing it the last 30 minutes to brown the top.

I bet the casserole would be delicious substituting cooked bacon for the ham.  The next time I make it, I'm going to perform the experiment.  In the meantime, I've got leftover ham I need to use and I don't want ham sandwiches.

Ham and Potato Casserole

4 to 6 Servings

3 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

ham, cooked and diced

1 (8 oz.) pkg. Cheddar cheese, grated

salt and pepper to taste

3 eggs

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup half and half

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

In a greased 2-quart casserole dish, alternate layers of potatoes, ham and cheese three times.  Sprinkle salt and pepper over the cheese.  Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the top.  Bake at 350° for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.  If the top gets too brown, cover the pan with foil.

© Margaret's Morsels

Eggs to Dye For

My son stopped hunting Easter eggs years ago, but I still dye a dozen every year.  It's a tradition just like the bunny shaped cake I make for dessert.  I've always used an egg dyeing kit, but not anymore.

A couple of weeks ago, I saw something on the Wilton website about using gel icing color to dye eggs.  I thought this was a great idea -- I could create the exact shades I wanted -- so I decided to give it a try.  I'm glad I did because these are the prettiest eggs I've ever dyed!

Gel icing color is a concentrated paste sold in small jars in a variety of colors.  It produces richer, more vibrant colors and, because it's concentrated, a little dab will do!

These are the colors I used

If you've never worked with gel icing color, the most important thing to remember is to use a toothpick to remove the gel from the jar.

If you need more color, use another toothpick and repeat the process. This keeps the gel from getting contaminated which is important when you're dipping the toothpick into frosting.  In this case, it keeps the gel from getting diluted with water.

Unlike kits that use lemon juice or vinegar to dissolve tablets, the gel is dissolved in very hot water.  If you're like me and don't have an instant hot water dispenser, turn the hot water on and let it run until the faucet feels hot to the touch.  Pour 3/4 cup water into a container -- I use clear plastic disposable cups -- and add the desired amount of gel.

Stir until the gel is dissolved.

Stir in one tablespoon of white vinegar and add the boiled egg.

Let the egg sit in the cup until it reaches the desired color.  Remove the egg and let dry.  I put the eggs back in the egg carton to dry and stored them in the refrigerator.

I definitely plan to dye eggs this way again next year.  In the meantime, I need to decide whether to use these for deviled eggs or egg salad sandwiches.

© Margaret's Morsels

Countdown to Easter: Part 3

When I posted my Easter menu, I didn't include a dessert.  For at least the last 12 years, I've made a bunny shaped cake like the one shown above. This year, I was going to make something different, but my plans changed.

A couple of days ago, my husband stopped at the grocery on his way home from work.  He noticed jelly beans were on sale and bought a bag. When he handed me the bag, he said he bought them for the bunny cake. This cake is such a family tradition, there's no way I could make a different dessert for Easter.

The cake is made with two 8-inch round cake pans.  To save time, I use a cake mix and store bought frosting.  Coconut is sprinkled on the frosting to mimic the bunny's fur.  Licorice, tinted coconut, jelly beans or any other small colorful candy is used to decorate the cake.  Click here to find the directions.

© Margaret's Morsels

Countdown to Easter: Part 2

Spring announces its arrival in many ways:  trees start budding; flowers burst into colorful blooms; pollen appears on surfaces; people with allergies start sneezing.  I know spring has sprung when I see asparagus, the quintessential spring vegetable, in the grocery store.

Fresh asparagus is in season from March -- in time for Easter -- until June. When choosing asparagus, look for stems that are crisp with tight tips that are green or purple.  Asparagus is best used within a day or two of purchase.

Just like cranberries, I'm a late in life asparagus lover.  I never liked asparagus but, to prove a point to my son, tried it again when it came with an entree I ordered at a restaurant.  Much to my surprise, I loved it and have started looking for asparagus recipes to add to my recipe box.

The recipes I found using fresh asparagus were either grilled -- like I had in the restaurant -- or cooked with a sauce.  Since I liked the grilled asparagus, I decided to see how I liked asparagus cooked with a sauce.

A lot of the recipes I found called for wrapping bundles of asparagus with bacon.  This reminded me of the recipe I posted for green bean bundles. I decided to adapt that recipe using fresh asparagus.  In order for the recipe to work properly, I had to alter the proportions and technique.

Rinse the asparagus in cold water and pat dry.  Bend the bottom of one piece of asparagus until it breaks.  This break is the dividing point between the tender and tough portion of the stalk.

Use this stalk as a guide to trim all the remaining asparagus to the same length.

The asparagus cooks in half the time of the green beans.  Due to the shorter cooking time, the bacon might not be fully cooked when the asparagus is done.  To solve this potential problem, I cook the bacon strips in the microwave for three minutes.  This doesn't fully cook the bacon -- it's still pliable and easy to wrap around the asparagus -- but it gives it a head start.

Bacon that was cooked for three

minutes in the microwave.

I wrap the bacon around the spears in a spiral so it covers more surface area.  You can wrap the bacon closer together if you prefer.

I had to increase the rest of the ingredients to make enough sauce. Instead of sprinkling the ingredients on the asparagus, I combine everything in a saucepan and bring it to a boil.  That way, the sauce is heated through by the time the asparagus is done.

Pour the sauce over the asparagus bundles and bake 20 to 25 minutes, basting every 10 minutes.  Don't overcook the asparagus or it will be limp. The bundles are best served as soon as they're removed from the oven. The leftovers don't do good reheated so I only prepare as many as I need for each meal.

The point I made to my son that night was to try food you don't like because tastes change over time.  Asparagus will never be my favorite vegetable, but it's definitely one I'll eat again.  Now that I've found an asparagus recipe that uses sauce, I need to find a good recipe for grilled asparagus.

Asparagus Bundles

8 Servings

1 lb. fresh asparagus, rinsed and patted dry

bacon (one slice per bundle), partially cooked

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

3/4 tsp. garlic powder

Preheat oven to 400°.  Bend the bottom of one piece of asparagus until it breaks.  Use this as a guide to trim all the remaining asparagus to the same length.  Divide the asparagus into equal bundles.  Wrap one partially cooked bacon slice around each asparagus bundle.  Set the bundles into a greased baking dish.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the remaining ingredients, stirring until well blended.  Pour the mixture over the bundles. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, basting every 10 minutes, until done.

© Margaret's Morsels