The Easter baskets are unwrapped the eggs all found (we hope!) and what do you do with all those chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, Peeps and colorful hard boiled eggs after the hunt?

Well we thought long and hard and have come up with some fun ideas. Peep & Jelly-Bean Rice Crispy Tweeps are oooh so cute garnished with tiny peep heads – they are the perfect thing to whip up with post-holiday candy.

Headless Peeps! Oh my!

Melting the Peeps into gooey goodness!

And for the adults, steal a few of the kids chocolate bunnies when they are all in a sugar coma and stir yourself up some Bunny’Licious Chocolate Mocha Fondue using a splash of your favorite liquor (kid-friendly without the liquor too – but hey they have already had their treats!). Serve with an assortment of fruits for dipping or some of those Peeps. And one of my most fav’s is the Oatmeal Jelly-Bean Cookies. Inspired by cookies my Mom used to make when I was little with cut up gumdrops … they are d’lish!

Peep & Jelly-Bean Rice Crispy Tweeps hopping around the plate!

Now on to all those hard boiled eggs…..
The eggs have been boiled, decorated, dyed, hid, found… now what to do with the plethora of eggs? Well of course there is egg salad sandwiches – but I’ve added a little curry twist with my Springtime Curried Egg Salad Sandwiches – and a tasty garnish of thin sliced radish and cucumber – very springy!

Some of the tie-dye eggs that I found while egg hunting!

Now on to deviled eggs, the other go-to for using up your eggs. Bloody Mary Deviled Eggs – inspired with horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, and a “garnishy ” topping made of minced tomato, celery, stuffed green olives, and a splash of vodka. Wow! They just may be the perfect breakfast… or dinner starter for your Spring holiday feast.

So I hope you enjoy my “use up the Easter booty” recipes and cook up some springtime fun!
– Kathy

Peep & Jelly-Bean Rice Crispy Tweeps
Makes 30 treats

3 Tbsp. butter
6  packages yellow Peeps®  – 30 peeps(you can use bunnies too for pink treats)
6 cups Rice Krispies® cereal
1 cup small jellybeans

Pull 30 of the peeps heads off and set aside for garnish.

In a large sauce pan heat butter over low heat melt the butter until melted. Then add peeps and stir over low heat until melted. Then stir in rice crispies and jelly beans. Stir until cereal is well coated and jellybeans are distributed.

Place mixture in a pan sprayed 8”x8” baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and press down to compact the crispy treats. Let set for at least 15 minutes before serving. To serve cut (5×6) into 30 squares. 

Recipe © 2010 Kathy Casey Food Studios® 

Bunny’licious Chocolate Mocha Fondue
Makes 4 servings 

6 ounces of left-over chocolate bunnies
1/4 cup hot, strong brewed coffee
1 tablespoon liquor such as: Grand Marnier, ameretto or Frangelico  liqueur (optional)
For dipping: fresh fruit for dipping cut into chunks, such as: pineapple, strawberries, raspberries, apple wedges and oranges
Other fun things for dipping are: pound cake chunks, holiday cookies, small chocolate chip cookies, other candy such as Peeps® …

Break up or cut bunnies in small pieces (chocolate chip size)  into a  glass or ceramic bowl and pour hot coffee over them. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. If coffee is not hot enough to melt chocolate, then microwave  for 10 seconds. Stir in liqueur if desired.

Transfer mixture to a fondue pot or pretty bowl and serve warm with long forks and lots of goodies for dipping.

© 2010 Kathy Casey Food Studios®

Oatmeal Jelly-Bean Cookies
My mom has made these cookies ever since I can remember but she used cut up gumdrops in them. Jelly beans taste just as great! 

Makes 24 cookies

1/2 cup butter
6 Tbsp. brown sugar
6 Tbsp. sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cups flour
1 cup oatmeal (rolled oats)
1 cup (1/2 lb) small jelly beans
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup raisins or chopped dried cranberries

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream butter,  sugars, eggs and vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients and blend in. Mix in oatmeal, jelly beans, walnuts and raisins. Chill 30 minutes, then drop by tablespoonfuls on a greased baking sheet. Bake about 14-16 minutes or until golden.

© 2010 Kathy Casey Food Studios®

Springtime Curried Egg Salad Sandwiches
Makes 4 sandwiches 

6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled (see procedure)
2 Tbsp.very thinly sliced green onions
2 Tbsp.1/8-inch-diced red onion
2 Tbsp. 1/8-inch-diced celery
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 cup mayonnaise (regular or light)
1/2 – 3/4 tsp. Kosher salt
coarse ground black pepper
—————————————————
8 slices high-quality tender bread such as brioche, Macrina potato bread, or egg bread
butter lettuce leaves
16 very thin slices of peeled cucumber
4 red radishes, very, very thinly sliced

Chop hard-boiled eggs to nice 1/4-inch pieces, good for making the egg salad. In a bowl, mix chopped eggs with green onion, red onion, celery, and curry powder until evenly distributed. Mix in mayonnaise gently but thoroughly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.

Divide and spread the egg salad evenly among 4 slices of the bread. Layer on the lettuce and cucumber and radish slices, dividing evenly, and close the sandwiches.

© 2010 Kathy Casey Food Studios®

Bloody Mary Deviled Eggs
Use the kids eggs… but keep these for the adults!
These are also great with the addition of celery bitters in the egg mixture or finished with a  dash of celery salt too!

Makes 24 stuffed eggs 

1 dozen hard-boiled eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise or reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Topping
1/2 cup 1/4-inch-diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons minced celery
4 teaspoons minced pimiento-stuffed green olives
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1-2 teaspoon vodka

24 tiny celery-leaf sprigs (from the heart) for garnishing

Cut the eggs in half lengthwise and transfer the yolks to a bowl. Set the egg white halves on a platter, cover, and refrigerate.

With a fork or potato masher, mash the yolks to a smooth consistency. Mix in the mayonnaise, salt, horseradish, celery seed, Worcestershire, and Tabasco until smooth. (You can also do this in a mixing bowl with a whip attachment.)

Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain or large star tip, then squeeze (pipe) the mixture evenly into the egg white halves.

To make the topping, mix the tomatoes, celery, olives, lemon juice, and vodka in a small bowl. Top each egg half with about 1 teaspoon of the mixture, then garnish each with a tiny celery sprig.

Recipe adapted from Kathy Casey’s Northwest Table, Chronicle Books