With Easter right around the corner, I want to share a few fun ideas for your celebration.  I’m strictly sticking with dessert, cocktail, and snack options here.  You don’t need me telling you what to bake for brunch or cook for dinner (or where to go out to eat if you prefer) 😊 My family has the same conversation every year about what we’re going to eat…and we always go with the exact same thing as the previous year.  It’s tradition, we know what to expect, and everyone looks forward to the meal.  I think the same applies to a lot of families out there.  So, that’s why I like to focus on the “sides” if you will.  It’s themed food that’s delicious, easy to make, and adds to the celebration in a way that doesn’t break tradition yet lets us enjoy something new.  So please enjoy the “treats” I’m sharing with you today and hopefully you consider adding 1 or 2 to your menu this year!

Here are the recipes I want to share with you:

 

Fluffy Spring Dip is a festive appetizer or dessert that is creamy, fruity, sweet, and delicious.  What I love about this recipe is it comes together quickly, makes a decent amount, and can be customized.  You essentially combine cream cheese, fruit, and colored candy melts, refrigerate, and serve with different dippers of your choice.  It reminds me of a marshmallow dessert my grandma used to make – kind of nostalgic and only served on a holiday.  Do you have any of those in your family?  Either way, the kids will love this!

The recipe can be found here.

Start by draining the pineapple, cherries, and oranges.  If you can only find cherries with stems, make sure to remove the stems.  Chop the pineapple and cherries and set aside.  You don’t need to chop the oranges.

Add the cream cheese, sour cream, and powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer.  Beat until smooth and well combined.

Add the pineapple and cherries and beat until well combined.  Add the oranges and beat until well combined.

Add the candy melts to a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth.  Let cool slightly (about 1-2 minutes) then pour into the bowl with the other ingredients and beat on low spend until combined.  This is where the bright pink color of the dip comes from.  I used pink candy melts, but you could substitute purple, blue, yellow, green, etc. to achieve the desired color.  This is a great way to re-make this recipe for other holidays!

Transfer the dip to a serving bowl.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving, so you can make this ahead of time if needed.  Once ready to serve, top with sprinkles and serve with Nilla wafers on the side for dipping.  Enjoy!

The recipe can be found here.

You can also use crackers, graham crackers, cookies, etc. for dipping.  I decorate the serving platter with edible grass for a festive look.  I’ll be honest, the grass doesn’t taste great, but it sure looks nice!

No Churn Cadbury Cream Ice Cream is an incredible Easter treat!  It only requires 3 ingredients, and you don’t need some fancy ice cream maker to prepare it – even better!  It’s sweet and savory, creamy, and tastes just like the candy version of Cadbury Cream Eggs.  It takes about 10 minutes of active cook time, then you freeze until firm, and enjoy.  This is a recipe you will want to prepare ahead of time.

The recipe can be found here.

Start by adding the condensed milk and 2 Cadbury cream eggs to a small saucepan.  Heat over medium-low heat until the chocolate has melted and is smooth, stirring frequently so it doesn’t burn.  Remove from the heat and let cool.

Add the heavy cream to the bowl of a stand mixer and whip until soft peaks form.  You don’t want to over whip and have stiff peaks, it should still be a little soft.  Set this aside.

Chop the remaining Cadbury cream eggs and set aside.

Once the chocolate mixture is cool, add it to the whipped cream along with the chopped Cadbury eggs.  Fold until well combined.  You can use the stand mixer to combine the ingredients but keep it on the lowest speed.

Pour the mixture into a freezer safe container, cover, and freeze overnight or until completely set.  Once ready, scoop, serve, and enjoy!

The recipe can be found here.

I love how soft this ice cream is.  You don’t have to struggle to scoop it after being in the freezer for the night.  It’s rich and creamy and will go fast!

The Chocolate Bunny Espresso Cocktail is something we had a lot of fun making.  And it’s for the adults only.  You take a hollow chocolate bunny (I’m sure you’ve seen them in the store this time of year), cut off the ears, fill with the cocktail, and enjoy!  You not only get a delicious cocktail, but you get to snack on the ears while you drink and then eat the rest of the bunny afterward (or after another cocktail or 2).  It’s super fun and festive, and you could find a nonalcoholic beverage to serve the kids or anyone that doesn’t consume alcohol so they can also participate.

Reminder, this recipe DOES contain alcohol and can be found here.

Start by unwrapping the chocolate bunny (or leave it wrapped if you prefer the decoration).  Use a sharp knife to CAREFULLY slice off the ears.  You can eat the ears, toss them, or save for later.

Add ice to a cocktail shaker.  Add vodka, espresso liqueur, espresso, and cinnamon.  Shake vigorously for 30 seconds then pour into a measuring cup.  You want to use cup that has a lip for pouring.  Please note, you want to use prepared espresso.  I made a small cup of instant espresso, and it worked well.  And adjust the quantities as needed.  I love the taste of coffee and espresso but don’t care for the taste of vodka, so I used more liqueur and less vodka in mine.  Play around with the quantities and flavor.

Carefully pour into the hollow bunny.  Add a straw and any garnishes of your choosing – mint, edible flowers, a peep, etc.  Serve and enjoy!

The recipe can be found here and is for ONE cocktail.

The cocktail is strong but perfect for brunch!

Mini Jell-O Easter Eggs are something my mom used to make for easter every year while we were kids.  I can’t say we ate a ton of Jell-O, but it was always something to look forward to during the holiday.  She had this fun mold that was eventually passed down to me.  It’s fun, doesn’t take long to make, and adds the perfect touch of nostalgia to the day.

I believe the mold did originally come with directions, but I don’t know where those are 😊 so I simply followed the instructions on a small box of Jell-O, and it worked just fine.  It was fun to make and eat Jell-O again.  If you can find one of these molds online, I would recommend getting it!  The kiddos will love to eat the eggs and it will remind the older generations of previous holidays with grandparents or great grandparents.

Happy Easter and Happy Cooking!

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