Hack Your Easter Candies to Make Them More Special
Arguably the best time to have a sweet tooth, take these Easter candy recipe ideas to the next level in your kitchen today!
BY JUSTINE SANTANIELLO
The Easter Bunny will be hopping down the bunny trail to your house before you know it, so I’ve got some some adorable Easter treats from my friends at Hershey for you and your family to enjoy!
First up, some delicious brownie chickadees made with Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs.
Start with your favorite brownie recipe–boxed, or your own original–and bake according to the directions.
While the tray is baking, remove your Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs from the refrigerator where they have been chilling. Next, cut off the bottoms of your eggs so they will be able to sit flat on top of the brownies. Now for the fun part, decorate with icing and candy to create the chick.
Once the brownies have cooled, cut into squares. Pipe the tops of the brownies with green icing to look like grass. Place the chick into the green icing and add some sprinkles for a finishing touch. Trust me, these brownie chickadees couldn’t be any cuter!
Ingredients:
1 box of brownie mix
Water, vegetable oil and egg(s) called for on brownie mix box
1 container of green frosting
12 Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs (chilled)
Assorted pastel colored sprinkles and candies of your preference
Directions:
* Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan)
* Make brownies as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan
* Cool completely, about 30 minutes
* Cut into squares
* Pipe the tops of the brownies with green frosting to look like grass
* Decorate the Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs with decorating candies
* Place the decorated chicks into the green frosting
* Add sprinkles for a finishing touch
* Store in covered container until ready to serve
Next is an adorable dipped pretzel centerpiece made with new Cadbury Mini Eggs White Candy
Melt chocolate in a glass bowl at 50% power in the microwave in 30-second intervals. Be sure to stir the chocolate till melted. Once melted, add a teaspoon of vegetable oil for a smooth consistency.
Dip pretzels and tap off any excess chocolate. Decorate the pretzels using pastel colored sprinkles and place on a parchment-lined pan.
Dab some melted chocolate on the spots along the pretzel where you will place your Cadbury Mini Eggs White Candy and let set. Once finished, arrange in a vase for a festive and edible centerpiece sure to wow any guests!
Ingredients: 1 12 -ounce package of white chocolate chips
24 large pretzel rods
Assorted pastel colored sprinkles
Vegetable oil
1 bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs White Candy
Directions:
* Place the white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl
* Microwave the chips on 50% power for 30-second intervals
* Remove and stir with a rubber spatula (The chips should melt while you are stirring, but if they don't, you can continue to microwave for 15 more seconds, then stir again)
* Once melted, add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil for a smooth consistency.
* Dip one pretzel rod into the white chocolate; use a spoon or butter knife to spread the chocolate about halfway up the rod
* Twist the rod to let the excess chocolate drip off
* Hold the rod over a piece of parchment paper and shake sprinkles on all sides * Dab melted white chocolate on the spot along the pretzel where you will place the Cadbury Mini Eggs White Candy
* Place the pretzel on another piece of parchment paper to set and dry
* Repeat until you've coated all the pretzels, and let dry completely, about 24 hours
* Store in covered container until you are ready to display
There you have it! The perfect treats for a very Happy Easter!
** Disclosure: The writer partnered with Hershey in the creation of this post **
Multimedia lifestyle contributor Justine Santaniello shares her tips and top product suggestions—otherwise known as her ‘Just Haves’—regularly on The Wendy Williams Show, Good Day New York, Wake Up With Al, Yahoo!, FOX Business, PIX Morning News, Home and Family and more. As the founder and creative director of JustHaves.com, Justine is fast becoming a go-to media and consumer resource for anything and everything lifestyle related. For her latest recommendations visit her YouTube channel.
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