Sarah Kebea
Staff Writer
Have a sweet ‘Egg’scape from reality with these easy Easter recipes.
Italian Easter Bread:
Some Italian Easter breads are sweet, and some are savory. This particular recipe is sweet.
Ingredients-
• 1 package Rapid Rise yeast
• 1.25 cups scalded milk, cooled to room temperature
• Pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3.5 cups flour
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon of water
• 6 dyed Easter eggs
• Sprinkles (optional, just adds some color)
Preparation-
1. In a large mixer, combine the first six ingredients. Add half of flour and beat until smooth. Slowly add the remaining flour to form a stiff dough, keep adding more until the dough is not sticky anymore. Knead dough until smooth. Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place for one hour.
2. After the dough has risen, press it down and divide into 12 pieces. Roll each piece to form a one inch thick rope. Taking two pieces, twist, then pinch the ends and loop into a circle.
3. Place bread rings on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise for an hour until doubled. After the dough has doubled, brush each circle of dough with the beaten egg wash. Put the sprinkles on (this is an optional step, just for decoration) and in the middle of each bread ring, place an Easter egg. (The eggs cook when the bread bakes, so be careful they don’t crack!)
4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until golden. Let cool on rack. Makes six individual breads.
Orange Glaze (Covers a 4 pound ham):
Ingredients-
• 1 cup orange marmalade
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
Preparation-
1. Stir together all ingredients and pour mixture over ham (use a spoon; make sure to cover all of the ham).
2. Bake the ham at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes per lb. basting with the glaze every 30 minutes. Remove ham from oven, and let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Asparagus with almond garnish:
Ingredients-
• 2 pounds asparagus
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup of sliced almonds (adds a slight sweetness, optional)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Preparation-
1. Snap off ends of the asparagus. Cook asparagus in boiling water until the asparagus is crisp (about 3 minutes). Drain asparagus.
2. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat, add almonds and sauté until golden brown (will take 2 to 3 minutes). Add asparagus, and cook for 5 minutes. Toss in lemon juice, salt, and pepper, serve immediately.
