Ingredients: 4 oz semisweet/sweet dark chocolate, chopped 1 & ½ tablespoons whipping cream 1/8 teaspoon almond extract 20 silver or disposable plastic spoons 4 oz vanilla-flavored candy coating, melted Make Them! Combine chocolate and whipping cream in a 1-cup liquid measuring cup. Microwave at MEDIUM (50% power) 1 minute or until chocolate melts, stirring after 30 seconds. Stir in almond extract. Dip each spoon in the melted chocolate, covering bowl of spoon and ¼ inch up the handle; allow excess to drip off. Place spoons on wax paper-lined baking sheet; freeze 15 minutes or until set. Place candy coating in a heavy-duty, zip-lock plastic bag. Microwave at MEDIUM (50% power) 1 minute to melt. Snip a tiny hole in one corner of the bag, and drizzle coating over chilled spoons. Leave on wax paper, and store in refrigerator until serving. EASTER BASKETS & BUNNY CUPCAKES Makes about 33 cupcakes. Ingredients: 2 cups sugar ¾ cup cocoa 1 & ½ teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup milk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract creamy vanilla frosting softened 1 & ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 10 oz sweetened coconut, tinted 1¾ cups all-purpose flour 1 & ½ teaspoons baking soda 2 eggs ½ cup vegetable oil 1 cup boiling water 1/3 cup butter or margarine 3½ cups powdered sugar, divided ¼ cup milk Suggested garnishes: Marshmallows, licorice, Hershey's mini kisses, jelly beans. Make Them! Heat oven to 350 F. Line muffin cups (2 & ½ inches in diameter) with paper baking cups. In large bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of electric mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely. Prepare creamy vanilla frosting and frost cupcakes. Immediately press desired color tinted coconut onto each cupcake. Garnish as desired to resemble Easter basket or bunny. Creamy vanilla frosting: In medium bowl, beat 1/3 cup softened butter or margarine. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 & ½ teaspoons vanilla extract; beat well. Add 2 & ½ cups powdered sugar alternately with ¼ cup milk, beating to spreading consistency. Makes about 2 cups frosting. NOTE: To tint coconut, combine several drops desired food colouring with ¾ teaspoon water; add to 1 & ½ cups coconut. Stir until evenly tinted. Copyright 1995 Hershey Foods Corporation. EASTER EGGS Ingredients: 1 stick margarine ½ cup milk 1 package (8 serving size) cooked type vanilla pudding 1 lb confectioners sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ cup peanut butter OR coconut OR nuts Make Them! Melt margarine in medium saucepan. Add pudding and milk. Bring to a boil, and boil for 2 minutes. Add rest of ingredients. Cool. Roll into egg shapes. Dip in melted Dipping chocolate. EASTER HOT CROSS BUNS Ingredients: ¼ cup water, lukewarm ½ cup granulated sugar 1 package active dry yeast [1 tablespoon] 3 & ½ cups all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon ground cloves ¾ cup milk, warm ¼ cup butter, melted 1 egg + 1 egg yolk ½ cup currants ¼ cup mixed candied peel, chopped Glaze: 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 2 tablespoons water Icing: ½ cup confectioners sugar 2 teaspoons water Make Them! In measuring jug combine warm water with 1 tablespoon of the sugar; sprinkle yeast over top. Let stand for 10 minutes or until frothy. Meanwhile, in large bowl, blend together remaining sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cloves; make a well in center. In small bowl, whisk together milk, butter, egg and egg yolk; pour into well. Pour in yeast mixture. Using wooden spoon, stir until soft dough forms. Turn out onto lightly floured surface; knead for 8 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease all over. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Punch down; turn out onto floured surface; knead in currants and peel. Shape into 12-inch log; cut into 9 even pieces. Stretch, tuck and pinch sides of dough all around to meet underneath. Using cupped hand, roll into seamless ball. Place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 35 minutes or until impression remains when dough is poked. Bake buns in 400°F (200°C) oven for about 16 minutes or until golden brown. Glaze: In saucepan, stir sugar with water over medium heat until dissolved. Brush over buns. Let cool. Icing: Stir together icing sugar and water. Using piping bag fitted with round tip, pipe cross on top of each cooled bun. Variation: Bread Machine Hot Cross Loaf: Reduce flour to 3 & ½ cups. To baking pan, add (in order) water, milk, butter, sugar, eggs, salt, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and yeast. Choose "sweet dough" setting; after first kneading (see machine instructions for time), add currants and peel. Tip: To make 18 buns by hand, increase the yeast to 4 teaspoons and double the other ingredients. LEMON LIME MERINGUE NESTS Meringue 3 large egg whites ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar ¾ cup granulated sugar Filling and Garnish: 3 large egg 1 cup granulated sugar ¼ cup fresh lemon juice ¼ cup fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel 1 tablespoon grated lime peel ¾ cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces Garnishes: coloured jelly beans candied lemon strips Make Them! Preheat oven to 275º F Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Using a 3" round cookie cutter, trace 6 circles, 2" apart, on prepared baking sheet. To prepare meringue, beat together egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed until foamy. Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until stiff, but not dry, peaks form. Spoon meringue mixture into a large pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe around 1 circle tracing, then fill in completely. Pipe 2 layers of meringue around outside edges of circle, forming a wall for filling. Repeat with remaining tracings and meringue. Bake meringues until firm and dry, 45 minutes. Turn off oven; let meringues stand in oven with the door closed for 2 hours or overnight. To prepare filling, in the top of a double broiler set over simmering (not boiling) water, beat eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in lemon juice, lime juice, lemon peel, and lime peel. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens slightly, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Pour filling into a bowl. Press plastic wrap onto surface; chill 2 - 3 hours. Spoon filling evenly into meringue shells. Garnish with jelly beans and candied lemon strips. Note:Do not prepare meringues on a rainy or humid day - the moisture will make them soggy. MARSHMELLOW EASTER EGGS Makes 13 eggs (or 26 half-eggs). Ingredients: 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin 2 tablespoons cold water ½ cup boiling water 2 cups sugar ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon vanilla flour ¾ lb chocolate for dipping royal icing Make Them! Put gelatin in top of double boiler; add cold water. When gelatin softens, add boiling water and stir well. Add sugar and salt. Put over boiling water and stir until sugar dissolves completely. Pour into large bowl of electric mixer and beat at high speed until mixture is thick but not as stiff as beaten egg whites. Add vanilla. Meanwhile, spread flour 2" deep in a large pan. Push an egg (in shell) into the flour at intervals, making hollow spaces in which to mold the marshmallow mixture. Drop marshmallow mixture into the flour molds. Sprinkle flour lightly over top and put in cold place until set. Remove mixture from one mold and you have a half-egg. Trim the flat side of marshmallow half-egg to make it even. You can dip it in melted chocolate to cover and decorate with Royal Icing or you can put two halves together to make an egg, as follows: Dip the rounded part of a half-egg in melted chocolate; set aside to cool, flat (uncoated) side down. Trim flat side of second half-egg (to make it even), lift from mold and completely coat with chocolate. Quickly press its flat side against the flat side of the cooled half-egg and you have a whole egg. The chocolate will hold it together. When chocolate-coated eggs are cool, trim with Royal Icing put through cake decorator tube. Make ruffles around them to cover seam where the two halves join and to provide decoration. Write names of children on their eggs with the icing, or decorate with tiny designs pressed through fine tips of a cake decorator tube. Frosting may be left white or tinted in pastel colors. PASSOVER BANANA BREAD Ingredients: 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 eggs, beaten 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 3 tablespoons milk ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 stick melted shortening ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 bananas) Make It! Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together adding bananas and melted shortening last. Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Visit some excellent crafts sites for ideas, freebies and directions!Take a look at this! FREE or postage only arts and crafts projects and great kids activities for the holidays ahead! Recipes on this page thanks to Patrice and the JCPenney Associates Cookbook. Graphics on this page thanks to: College Graphics, Living Graphics,