"HARD BOILED" EGGS FROM THE OVEN

There is nothing tricky about boiling eggs for Easter, but there are ALWAYS those eggs that crack as they boil, or the phone rings and you forget the eggs on the stove (and they overcook and  get those green "rings" around the yolks, etc.)  Not a big deal, but it can be a hassle when you are preparing for a crowd.

This oven method, of cooking eggs in the shell, is not only fool proof, but the eggs come out absolutely perfect and you can make a ba-jillion at once!!

 

Preheat your oven to 350 and place large size eggs in a mini-muffin pan (large end down). If you don't have a mini-muffin pan, you can use a regular cupcake pan  (they they will just roll around a little more).

How long you bake the eggs depends on the size of eggs you use and how hot your oven runs. I used large grade A eggs and cooked them for 25 minutes.  If you are concerned about it, just run a "test egg" to gauge how long to cook them.

When the eggs are done, use tongs to put the eggs into a bowl of ICE water (for 10 minutes) to stop further cooking.

NOTE: After the eggs are cooked, you MIGHT find SOME eggs that have brown speckles on them, but don't freak out; these little specks will dissolve when you put the eggs into the ice water. The next photo is before and after the ice water bath.

Not only is this a great way to cook Easter eggs in bulk, but the eggs are delicious!! The yolks are bright yellow and the whites are very tender (not rubbery like boiled eggs can produce).?

Where has this cooking method been all my life!?!?

 

 

RITZ PEANUT BUTTER CHEESECAKES

If you are looking for a quick and easy (but super tasty) dessert recipe, this is it: Mini peanut butter cheesecakes, using ingredients you probably already have in the pantry. 

The easy-peezy crust is simply 2 Ritz crackers (per cheesecake) sandwiched together with a thin skim of peanut butter. The filling mixes up in seconds and two hours after they are baked, they are ready to devour!!

16 ounces regular cream cheese (room temperature)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy style)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs

Beat the room temperature cream cheese until it is smooth
and creamy (30 seconds or so).

Add the sugar, peanut butter, sour cream and vanilla and beat until well incorporated. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until everything is well mixed but don't overbeat.

Line a cupcake pan with paper liners, then sandwich two Ritz crackers together with a little peanut butter (spreading to the edges) and put it in the bottom of each paper liner.

Spoon the filling onto the cracker crust (filling about 3/4 full).
Top with a sprinkle of crushed Ritz crackers.

Bake in preheated 275� oven (recipe said 22 minutes but my electric oven took 27 minutes).

Cool to room temperature, then chill for 2 hours. Makes 20-24 depending on how full you make the paper liners.