Spring into Easter with 3 of the Most Scrumptious, Holiday-Oriented Recipes

By Meghen Jones

After getting your resolutions in order for New Year’s, celebrating the romance of Valentine’s Day, and living your best green life during St. Paddy’s Day, it’s time to transition into the next major holiday. With Easter rapidly approaching, it’s impossible not to notice all of the chocolate bunnies and plastic eggs filling up the shelves at every store you encounter. It almost makes you long for the days when Mom would prepare the perfect Easter basket, stuffed with every candy your little heart desired.

But, you’re not so little anymore, and it’s time for you to put in some elbow grease when it comes to the annual holiday get-together. This year, you’ve volunteered to make a dish, perhaps—because that’s easier than the cleaning duties, right? Now, you find yourself in a panic because you haven’t even started planning what you’ll make—much less preparing your list of ingredients to shop for this week. Fortunately, uCribs knows your last-minute, always-on-the-edge student lifestyle all too well, which is why we’ve decided to fork over 3 of our favorite Easter recipes that will save you valuable time and please everyone at the dinner table.

Creamy Deviled Eggs

When you think of Easter, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Eggs, right? Easter egg hunting, chocolate egg candies, dying eggs all sorts of colors with your family—there’s so much seasonal egg-tivity to sink your teeth into! So, how could you possibly skip out on deliciously creamy Deviled Eggs? This recipe requires only a few simple ingredients, including egg yolk, mayonnaise, and Dijon mustard—not to mention, it is inexpensive in cost. If you’re not quite sure how to master an egg-cellent dozen of this holiday favorite, look no further than our simple, highly-favorable recipe.

Ingredients

6 large eggs

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Paprika, for garnish

Directions

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low (or off) to ensure that the water is no longer boiling, then increase the heat back to high and set a timer for 14 minutes.
2. While the eggs are boiling, prepare an ice water bath and set aside.
3. After 14 minutes, remove the eggs from the water and place them in the ice water bath.
4. Once the eggs have cooled completely, peel them and slice in half lengthwise. Remove the yolk from each half and place into a small bowl with a fork. Arrange the egg whites on a plate.
5. Mash the yolks with a fork and add the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Stir everything together.
6. Use a spoon to add a portion of the deviled egg mixture back into the hole of each egg white. Sprinkle with paprika for garnish.

Easter Sweet Bread

Recognized as a Greek and Italian tradition, Easter Sweet Bread is an Easter holiday favorite, cherished by those around the globe. Symbolizing “the bread of life,” Easter Sweet Bread is typically associated with the religious practices surrounding the holiday. Made of simple ingredients, like yeast, sugar, and milk, it’s a sweet, yet savory treat that will pair perfectly with your Easter dinner – or make a delicious snack on its own! And even though you may not be a pro when it comes to pastry decorating, all you need are sprinkles and dyed eggs to transform this beautiful loaf of braided bread into the Easter classic that it is.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided

1/4 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

2/3 cup milk

2 tablespoons butter

2 eggs

5 whole eggs, dyed if desired

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of flour, sugar, salt and yeast; stir well. Combine milk and butter in a small saucepan, then heat until milk is warm and butter is softened, not melted.
2. Gradually add the milk and butter to the flour mixture, stirring constantly. Add two eggs and a 1/2 cup of flour, then beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic— about 8 minutes.
3. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for about an hour or until doubled in volume.
4. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal size rounds, then cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each round into a long roll about 36-inches long and 1 ½-inches thick. Using the two long pieces of dough, form a loosely braided ring, leaving spaces for the five colored eggs. Seal the ends of the ring together and use your fingers to slide the eggs between the braids of dough.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place loaf on a buttered baking sheet and cover loosely with a damp towel. Place loaf in a warm place and let rise until doubled in bulk—about 45 minutes. Brush risen loaf with melted butter.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown or about 30 minutes.

Toasted Easter Peeps Milkshakes

Easter dinner would not be complete without a scrumptious dessert, and what says Easter more than those well-known, sugar-coated marshmallow Peeps? Whether you care to admit it or not, they are the cutest candy that you’ll hop across during the Easter season. That’s why you absolutely must try a Toasted Peeps Milkshake. Filled with creamy vanilla ice cream and whole milk, then topped with fluffy whipped cream, colorful sprinkles, and Peeps marshmallow fluff, this tasty treat is no “yoke!”

Ingredients

5 scoops vanilla ice cream

2 tablespoons whole milk

10 Peeps, plus more for garnish

Food coloring in the same color as your Peeps

Whipped cream, for topping

Marshmallow fluff, for garnish

Sprinkles, for garnish

Directions

1. Using a small spatula, spread a thin, even layer of marshmallow fluff around the rim of your glass. Add sprinkles on top of the fluff. Set glass aside.
2. On a foil-lined baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray, toast peeps under the broiler setting of your oven until slightly golden brown. Keep a close eye on them as they can burn rather quickly.
3. Just as the marshmallows are finishing up, put ice cream and milk in the blender. Combine briefly, then add toasted Peeps and blend until incorporated. Add in a few drops of matching food coloring and blend again.

Pour shake into a glass and top with whipped cream. Garnish with Peeps.

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