Lemon Lavender Easter Egg Truffles

 

Lemon Lavender Easter Egg Truffles consist of a lemon lavender cake and buttercream mixture that is coated in white chocolate. They're very similar to cake pops but 100 times easier. Cake pops are actually a tricky to make. They're a pain to roll and dip, and they can easily crack and fall apart if you aren't careful. 

I use a silicone egg mold (this is the exact one I have) to form the cake mixture into an egg shape, and I also use the mold to evenly coat the truffles in white chocolate. The back of the truffles aren't coated in chocolate, but I don't think that takes away from their appearance or taste. 

I choose a lemon lavender flavor combination for the truffles—one of my favorites, and it's perfect for spring. There are a few ways to incorporate lavender flavoring in baked goods. My favorite way to infuse cakes and buttercream with lavender flavor is to steep dried lavender buds in the milk and cream that are necessary for the recipe. I think this tastes the most natural, and you don't run the risk of overdoing the lavender flavor, which can happen with lavender extract. There are two types of dried lavender buds you can buy: English and French. English lavender is for eating; French is for fragrance. So make sure you use English lavender. Steep the lavender buds in the dairy for at least 30 minutes. I personally like a stronger lavender flavor, so I steep mine for several hours and sometimes overnight.

If I was baking a layered cake, I would not use a cake mix. I usually don't like the texture, and I don't think it requires that much more effort to bake from scratch. But in this case, we're crumbling the cake into crumbs, so the texture doesn't matter. That's why I used a cake mix. I used a combination of lemon zest and lemon extract for the lemon flavor. Use less extract if you prefer less lemon flavor. As this recipe stands, I don't think the lemon flavor is super strong.

Here are some potential questions that may arise as you make this recipe:

Q: What is the best cake to frosting ratio?

A: I prefer a 2:1 cake to frosting ratio by weight

Q: What chocolate is best?

A: You could certainly spend a lot of money and use a high-quality chocolate like Ghirardelli, but I prefer to use melting wafers. They are specifically designed for melting and coating.

Q: How do I color chocolate?

A: You CANNOT use liquid to color chocolate. You must use either oil or gel-based color or powder. Liquid will cause the chocolate to seize.

Q:  Can I flavor chocolate?

A: Yes, but you CANNOT use liquid extracts to flavor chocolate. You must use either oil-based flavorings or powder. Liquid will cause the chocolate to seize.

Lemon Lavender Easter Egg Truffles

Yield: Makes about 16 servings depending on size of mold

Time: About 2 hours

Ingredients

For the lavender cream

• 1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon heavy whipping cream
• 1 Tablespoon dried culinary lavender

For the lavender milk

• 1 cup milk + 3 Tablespoons
• 3 Tablespoons dried culinary lavender

For the lemon lavender buttercream frosting

• 1/2 cup Challenge unsalted butter, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 3 Tablespoons lavender cream
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the truffles

• 1 box white cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup Challenge unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup lavender milk
• 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons lemon extract
• About 12 - 18 ounces white chocolate candy melts 

Directions

For the lavender cream

1. Add cream to small saucepan over low heat. Once cream starts to simmer, remove from heat and stir in lavender.
2. Cover and steep for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
3. Strain through fine-mesh sieve set over bowl. Discard lavender. 
4. Set aside.

For the lavender milk

1. Add milk to small saucepan over low heat. Once milk starts to simmer, remove from heat and stir in lavender.
2. Cover and steep for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
3. Strain through fine-mesh sieve set over bowl. Discard lavender. 
4. Set aside.

For the lemon lavender buttercream

1. Cream softened butter on medium speed for about 3 minutes. 
2. Slowly add powdered sugar in several additions. Scrape bowl after each addition.
3. Add lavender cream, lemon extract, and salt and mix thoroughly. If frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it's too thick, add more cream (1 teaspoon). If frosting is too sweet, add more salt (1/4 teaspoon). Set aside.

For the truffles

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line bottoms of two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray. Set aside,
3. Mix cake mix with eggs, butter, lavender milk. lemon zest, and lemon extract.
4. Divide batter between cake pans. 
5. Bake for about 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and top bounces back when pressed lightly. Allow to cool for about 25 minutes on wire rack before removing from cake pan.
6. Once cake cools, crumble cake in bowl. Add frosting and mix thoroughly.
7. Measure about 1 Tablespoon of cake mixture and press into each egg-shaped cavities in mold.
8. Place mold in freezer for about 10 minutes.
9. Remove mold from freezer and remove solid cake mixture from cavities.
10. Thoroughly clean mold.
11. Heat candy melts in separate bowl. Start with 1 minute and stir. Continue to heat in 15-second intervals until it's smooth. Color candy melts with oil-based coloring or powder if desired.
12. Add about 1 Tablespoon of candy melts to each egg cavity in mold.
13. Press solid cake mixture back into egg cavities (on top of candy melts). Candy melts should come up sides of cake mixture.
14. Place molds in refrigerator for about 15 minutes or until candy melts solidify.
15. Remove truffles from mold. Decorate if desired and serve.
16. Place leftovers in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Strawberry cheesecake-filled bunnies

I filled hollow chocolate bunnies with delicious strawberry cheesecake. I used both fresh and freeze-dried strawberries for maximum flavor. Everything goes in the blender which makes it super easy. You can fill the bunnies by cutting off the ears or by making a small hole on its underside. I like cutting the ears so guests can see the filling. 

Strawberry cheesecake-filled bunnies

Yield: Makes enough filling for 7 (3.5 ounce) chocolate bunnies

Time: 10 minutes active, 3 hours waiting

Ingredients

• Hollow chocolate bunnies
• 0.5 pounds strawberries, hulled
• 60 grams (1/2 cup) confectioners' sugar
• 0.5 ounces freeze-dried strawberries
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 ounces coconut cream
• 4 ounces sour cream
• 3.5 grams (1/2 packet) unflavored gelatin
• 2 Tablespoons cold water

Directions

1. Heat sharp paring knife under warm water. Cut off bunnies' ears as close to top as possible.
2. Add strawberries to blender and puree until smooth. Pour puree into another bowl and set aside.
3. Blend confectioners' sugar and freeze-dried strawberries. Add cream cheese and blend until smooth, scraping sides as needed.
4. Add coconut cream and blend several minutes on high speed until fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add sour cream. Return strawberry puree to blender and mix just until combined.
5. Sprinkle gelatin over water and bloom for 5 minutes, or until gelatin has absorbed all water.
6. Microwave gelatin for 30 seconds, stirring every 10 seconds. It should look like clear liquid. Slowly add into blender mixture on low speed.
7. Use funnel to pour cheesecake mixture into cavity of hollow chocolate bunnies.
8. Transfer bunnies to refrigerator in upright position. Allow cheesecake mixture to set for several hours before serving.

Carrot cake monkey bread (homemade and store-bought dough versions)

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

Carrot cake is a classic Easter dessert. In fact, I’ve made several variations for the holiday in years past. This year I’m putting an entirely new spin on it by making carrot cake monkey bread.

Most people make traditional carrot cake with carrots and a combination of warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. I also like to make my carrot cake with pineapple and pecans. This monkey bread encompasses those flavors but in a unique form.

So what is monkey bread? Monkey bread is a cake formed from pieces of dough coated in cinnamon and sugar, covered with a sugary sauce, and baked in a bundt pan. You eat it with your hands, just like a monkey. Most people serve it as a sweet breakfast treat or as a dessert.

I’ve made several variations of monkey bread in the past, including a blueberry lemon monkey bread and a pineapple upside down cake monkey bread, using store-bought biscuit dough. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that! But with this variation, I really wanted the carrot cake flavors to stand out in the individual pieces, so I made the dough from scratch. But don't worry! I still included a recipe with store-bought dough.

There are a few differences between the version with the homemade dough and the version with the store-bought dough. The homemade dough is an enriched dough meaning it has fat and sugar. It is important to add the butter after the structure is established, otherwise the gluten network may not properly develop.

In the store-bought version, I can't incorporate the carrots into the dough, so instead, I scattered the carrots across the dough in the bundt pan with the crushed pineapple and pecan filling. Another difference: the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves are mixed in with the orange zest/sugar coating in the store-bought version.

Once your dough is ready, the process moves quickly. I like to set up an assembly line with my bowl of dough, melted butter, sugar coating, and bundt pan. Just dip the dough in the melted butter, then the sugar, and then place it in the bundt pan. Repeat the process with half the dough. Then add the pineapple and pecan mixture, and continue the assembly line with the rest of the dough.

Before baking the dough, I made a simple sauce by combining melted butter, brown sugar, and juice from the can of crushed pineapple. I poured it all over the top of the dough which will allow it to seep through to the bottom and coat each piece as it bakes.

Carrot cake isn't complete without cream cheese frosting! I used Challenge cream cheese for this recipe because I know they use hormone-free milk from local dairies, resulting in all-natural and high-quality products. 

Carrot cake monkey bread with homemade dough

Yield: 10 servings

Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the dough

• 1 cup (240 grams) whole milk, lukewarm
• 2 eggs (100 grams), beaten, room temperature
• 4 1/2 cups (540 grams) bread flour
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 grams) instant yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (9 grams) salt 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup (115 grams) Challenge unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature
• 1 1/2 c (200 grams) carrots, grated

For the coating

• 1/2 cup (115 grams) Challenge unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 orange, zested

For the filling

• 8 ounces crushed pineapple, drained but juice reserved for sauce and frosting
• 1/2 cup (65 grams) pecans, chopped

For the sauce

• 1/4 cup (57 grams) Challenge unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup reserved juice from can of crushed pineapple
• 1 cup (213 grams) brown sugar

For the frosting

• 4 ounces Challenge cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (57 grams) confectioner's sugar
• 2 Tablespoons reserved juice from can of crushed pineapple
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

For the dough

1. Combine milk and eggs in large mixing bowl. Add bread flour, sugar, yeast, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
2. Knead everything together, using a mixer or by hand, to form a smooth ball of dough. Mix on first speed for 5 minutes to combine the ingredients, increase to second speed until dough develops and pulls away from sides of bowl. This may take up to 10 minutes. Dough will be sticky, but it should pull away from sides of bowl. If it doesn't, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
3. Add half of butter on first speed and mix 2-3 minutes or until fully incorporated. Add remaining butter and mix on second speed 4-5 minutes until fully incorporated and dough “sheets” when window is pulled.
4. Add carrots and mix until evenly distributed throughout dough.
5. Place dough in oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let double in volume at room temperature, around 90 minutes to 2 hours. 
6. De-gas dough and transfer onto pastry mat or lightly floured surface. 

For the coating and the filling

1. Prepare bundt pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
2. Mix sugar and orange zest.
3. Create assembly line with melted butter, sugar mixture, and bundt pan.
4. Divide dough in half. Starting with first half, cut off small sections about 25 grams in size and shape into balls.
5. Dip 1 ball in butter, then sugar mixture, then place in bundt pan. Repeat with remaining pieces from first half of dough.
6. Mix pineapple and pecans and spread evenly over dough in bundt pan.
7. Repeat dough assembly line with second half of dough until there is no more dough.
8. Cover top of bundt pan with plastic wrap and rest for 20 minutes.

For the sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Heat butter, pineapple juice and brown sugar until mixture comes to boil.
3. Remove plastic wrap from bundt pan and pour sauce over dough.
4. Transfer bundt pan into oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Or until golden brown on top. If top browns too quickly, cover with aluminum foil. Double check to see if dough is cooked through by testing with thermometer. Inside should register between 190 and 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto serving platter.

For the frosting

1. Beat together cream cheese with sugar, pineapple juice, and salt until smooth.
2. Once monkey bread is cool, pipe frosting down sides of monkey bread.
3. Serve monkey bread with any extra frosting for dipping.

Carrot cake monkey bread with store-bought dough

Yield: 10 servings

Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the rolls

• 24 frozen dinner rolls, thawed, or 2 (16 ounce) cans refrigerated biscuit dough
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 orange, zested
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup (115 grams) Challenge unsalted butter, melted

For the filling

• 1 1/2 c (200 grams) carrots, grated
• 8 ounces crushed pineapple, drained but juice reserved for sauce and frosting
• 1/2 cup (65 grams) pecans, chopped

For the sauce

• 1/4 cup (57 grams) Challenge unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup reserved juice from can of crushed pineapple
• 1 cup (213 grams) brown sugar

For the frosting

• 4 ounces Challenge cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (57 grams) confectioner's sugar
• 2 Tablespoons reserved juice from can of crushed pineapple
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

For the rolls

1. Prepare bundt pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
2. Cut each roll or biscuit into 4 pieces and shape into ball.
3. Mix sugar, orange zest, and spices.
4. Create assembly line with melted butter, sugar mixture, and bundt pan.
5. Dip 1 dough ball in butter, then sugar mixture, then place in bundt pan. Repeat with half of dough balls.

For the filling

1. Mix carrots, pineapple and pecans and spread evenly over dough in bundt pan.
2. Repeat dough assembly line with second half of dough balls. 

For the sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Heat butter, pineapple juice and brown sugar until mixture comes to boil.
3. Pour sauce over dough in bundt pan.
4. Transfer bundt pan into oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Or until golden brown on top. If top browns too quickly, cover with aluminum foil. Double check to see if dough is cooked through by testing with thermometer. Inside should register between 190 and 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto serving platter.

For the frosting

1. Beat together cream cheese with sugar, pineapple juice, and salt until smooth.
2. Once monkey bread is cool, pipe frosting down sides of monkey bread.
3. Serve monkey bread with any extra frosting for dipping.

Hot Cross Cinnabunnies

 

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible.

I've always wanted to make hot cross buns—it's one of my favorite Easter treats. I love the combination of warm spices and dried fruits. I'm currently taking a yeast breads class at school, so I was feeling extra motivated to make them this year.

I decided to do a mashup of a hot cross bun and a cinnamon roll. And to make them extra festive, I made bunny ears. I'm calling my creation "Hot Cross Cinnabunnies."

The trick is to not cover the entire rectangle of dough in the filling. Leave a 4-inch border at the top. After you roll it up and cut your rolls, just unravel the part of the dough without the filling and cut it in half lengthwise. Then bend the two cut pieces so they resemble bunny ears.

I like to coat the cinnamon rolls in an apricot glaze after they come out of the oven because it looks shiny and it contributes to the fruity taste of hot cross buns. If you prefer, you can brush the rolls in egg wash before they go in the oven so they're shiny when they come out.

If you don't have time to make homemade cinnamon rolls but still want to try this recipe, there are a few shortcuts you can take. First, you can use frozen (and thawed) sweet dough (I like Rhodes), puff pastry, or crescent sheet dough. If you try this, skip ahead to the "for the filling" section of directions.

Alternatively, you can just buy jumbo cinnamon rolls, mix some dried fruit with a little all spice and orange zest, and stuff the dried fruit in the swirls of the rolls.

 

I used Challenge unsalted butter and Challenge cream cheese for this recipe. Challenge uses the freshest, purest cream in their products for superior flavor. You can smell the difference immediately upon opening their products.

I've learned a lot about baking breads since I started the class. As you can imagine, there's a lot of science involved! For example, one tip I learned is that when adding sugar to bread dough with a high percentage of sugar, only add half of the sugar at the beginning. Wait to add the other half until the dough appears to be mostly developed.

The reason is sugar is hydroscopic, meaning it attracts moisture. But hydration is required for gluten development and yeast fermentation. If you hold back some sugar and wait to add it until the dough is mostly developed, you don't have to worry about it stealing all the moisture.

Another thing I want to point out is I used instant yeast in this recipe. I like instant yeast better than active dry yeast because it doesn't require proofing. However, it is more difficult to find. (I purchased my instant yeast at Gordon Food Service) If you use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, multiply the yeast amount by 1.33. This goes for any recipe in which you encounter this situation. And then, of course, you'll need to proof the yeast before moving forward with the recipe.

Hot Cross Cinnabunnies

Yield: Makes about 14 rolls

Ingredients

For the rolls

• 1 cup (240 grams) whole milk, lukewarm
• 1/2 cup (115 grams) Challenge unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature
• 2 eggs (100 grams), beaten, room temperature
• 4 1/4 cups (510 grams) bread flour
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar, divided in half
• 1 Tablespoon (8 grams) ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons (4 grams) all spice
• 2 1/2 teaspoons (7.75 grams) instant yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (9 grams) salt 

For the filling

• 1 cup orange marmalade
• 1 teaspoon (2.5 grams) cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon (1 gram) all spice
• 1 cup (160 grams) mixed dried fruit (raisins, dried cherries, dried cranberries)

For the glaze

• 2 Tablespoon apricot jam
• 2 teaspoons water

For the cream cheese frosting

• 4 ounces Challenge cream cheese, softened
• 1/8 cup (58 grams) Challenge unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 grams) salt
• 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar

Directions

For the rolls

1. Combine milk, butter, and eggs in large mixing bowl. Add bread flour, half of the sugar, cinnamon, all spice, instant yeast, and salt.
2. Knead everything together, using a mixer or by hand, to form a smooth ball of dough. It will take around 8 to 10 minutes on second speed of stand mixer. About halfway through the kneading process, add the other half of the sugar. Dough will be sticky, but it should pull away from sides of bowl. If it doesn't add more flour, a tablespoon at a time.
3. Place dough in large, greased bowl. Tightly cover dough with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in warm, draft-free environment until it doubles in size, around 90 minutes to 2 hours. 
4. Punch dough down and transfer onto pastry mat or lightly floured surface. Roll into large rectangle, about 20 inches by 14 inches, it doesn't need to be those exact dimensions.

For the filling

1. Mix the orange marmalade with cinnamon and all spice. Spread mixture on dough, leaving 4-inch border on top. 
2. Sprinkle dried fruit on top of marmalade.
3. Tightly roll up rectangle and cut into about 14 equal pieces. Arrange pieces, cut side down, on 2 baking sheets.
4. Uncurl the 4 inches of the roll without filling and cut in half lengthwise. Bend dough strips and pinch ends to look like bunny ears. Cover rolls and let rise in warm place about 30 minutes or until dough is noticeably puffy.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake rolls about 15 to 20 minutes, or until they're light brown. If the bunny ears brown too quickly, cover baking sheet with aluminum foil.
6. Remove rolls from oven.

For the glaze

1. Place jam and water in bowl and microwave 30 seconds. Mix to combine. Brush cinnamon roll bunnies with jam mixture while warm.
2. Allow to cool.

For cream cheese frosting

1. Beat together cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
2. Transfer cream cheese frosting to plastic sandwich bag and snip about 1/4 inch from corner.
3. Pipe crosses onto cinnamon rolls to indicate hot cross buns.
4. Serve immediately or store in air-tight container at room temperature for several days.

Easter Garden Chocolate Cheesecake

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

Easter dessert may be my favorite dessert. I love incorporating spring themes like eggs, pastels, and bunnies. I also love using Easter candy! It's one of the many great things about this no-bake cheesecake.

The chocolate cheesecake acts as the canvas for your Easter garden made with Oreo "dirt," shredded coconut "grass," and chocolate "bird nests." I love the idea of getting kids involved and seeing what design they create.

Easter Garden Chocolate Cheesecake
Yield: Serves about 6 people
Ingredients

• 2 (8-ounce) blocks Challenge cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 ounces dark chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature
• 1 Oreo or chocolate graham cracker pie crust
• 12 Oreo cookies, crushed
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 3 drops green food coloring
• Other Easter candies like chocolate eggs and peeps for decoration

Directions

1. Use mixer to beat cream cheese several minutes or until smooth.
2. Add powdered sugar, sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
3. Stir in melted chocolate.
4. Add cheesecake mixture to pie crust and smooth top with spatula.
5. Sprinkle crushed Oreos on top of pie. This will be the "dirt."
6. Mix coconut with food coloring and sprinkle on top of pie. This will be the "grass."
7. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Once you're ready to serve, decorate with chocolate eggs, peeps, and other Easter candies.

Chocolate Cheesecake Easter Eggs

This is a sponsored post by Challenge Butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

I'm celebrating Easter with these cheesecake-filled chocolate Easter eggs! I initially wanted to buy chocolate eggs and cut the tops off, but I couldn't find chocolate eggs in stores. Well, I should say I couldn't find them for under $5 which is ridiculous, and you should absolutely not pay that much money for a hollow egg.

So I made the chocolate egg all by myself using a balloon because I'm an I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T woman. It is incredibly easy to do, all you need is a water balloon and melted chocolate. But before you move onto the recipe I have a very important tip! And if you're tired of my rambling and you've already move onto the recipe PLEASE COME BACK! What I'm about to say is very important for the well-being of the state of your kitchen, your clothes, and your sanity. You absolutely must wait for the chocolate to cool completely before you dip these balloons! If you don't wait, the balloons will pop causing the melted chocolate to fly everywhere. Each time you heat up the chocolate, you should wait until the bowl is not warm to the touch, or about 10 minutes. You may only get a few dips out of it before it starts to harden again, so you'll need to reheat it and wait until it cools again. But that's okay. Do what I do while I'm waiting and "rest your eyes."

Also, if you don't like the way one of your bowls turned out, you can always remelt it and try again. There will be no wasted chocolate in the making of these Easter eggs!

Another tip: If you find that the water balloon is sticking to the inside of the chocolate egg, it's because you didn't let it cool off long enough. Refrigerate your eggs a little longer and try again.



Chocolate Cheesecake Easter Eggs
Yield: Makes about 6 chocolate eggs
Ingredients

• 8 ounces chocolate, melted and cooled
• 8 ounces Challenge cream cheese
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• About 1/2 cup lemon curd or lemon pie filling, just enough to make yolks
• Also: Water balloons

Directions

1. Dip balloons in chocolate so bottom portion and part of sides are completely covered. Set on baking sheet covered in wax paper and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make cheesecake filling by beating together cream cheese, powdered sugar, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla.
3. Pull balloons out of refrigerator and pop balloons. Peel balloon away from inside of egg.
4. Fill eggs with cheesecake filling. I recommend putting the filling in a large plastic bag, cutting off one corner, and piping it in.
5. Add a dollop of the lemon curd to look like a yolk. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Bacon, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Bombs

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

Do you ever think about how much time you spend worrying about what other people think? I hate to admit it, but it consumes my thoughts for hours every single week.

For example, this week I'm doing a segment on FOX59 about Easter breakfast. I changed my mind about what I was going to make probably 10 times because I was so worried about other people's reactions to it. My parents can attest to this because I'm sure I annoyed the heck out of them asking for their opinion. "Is this unoriginal?" "Do enough people like this?" "Is this festive enough?" "Does this sound good to you?"

I want every recipe I share on my blog to do well, of course. But sometimes this leads me to worry too much about other people's reactions. I forget that the reason people started visiting my blog is to read about my ideas and my opinions.

I'm not going to pretend that I have the magic secret to stop worrying about what other's think, however, I hope this post helps you become more aware of when and why you do it. That's the first step in stopping.



All that being said, I really am excited to share this recipe with you that will be perfect for breakfast or brunch on Easter. I didn't want to make anything sweet because if you're like me you've already eaten at least 2 Reese's Peanut Butter Cup eggs and a handful of jellybeans by the time brunch rolls around.

So I made Bacon, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Bombs! I love this dish because it's unlike anything else I've ever made for breakfast. Family members of all ages will enjoy biting into one of the breakfast bombs. Also, you can easily prep this dish the night before so all you have to do on Easter morning is brush it with Challenge butter and stick it in the oven.

When I make this for Easter, I plan to make it more festive by inserting cupcake toppers into the buns. I also thought about using some Challenge cream cheese to pipe crosses onto the buns so they look like hot cross buns.

Let me know if you try this and what you think about it!



Bacon, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Bombs
Yield: Makes 16 servings
Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 Tablespoon Challenge butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tubes refrigerated biscuit dough (16.3 ounce)
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
• 6 slices cooked bacon, cut into small pieces
• 1 jalapeno, finely sliced (optional)
• 4 Tablespoons Challenge butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

Directions

1. Beat eggs and milk together in large bowl until well-blended.
2. Heat butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until melted and add eggs to skillet.
3. As soon as the edges begin to set, pull the eggs across the pan with a spatula. Continue until no liquid egg remains.
4. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare 9 inch pie pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
6. Remove biscuit dough from tube and flatten and stretch each biscuit until it's about 3 inches in diameter.
7. Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon cheese, 1 Tablespoon scrambled eggs, 1 Tablespoon bacon, and 1 jalapeno slice over biscuit dough.
8. Pull the edges of the dough together and seal with your fingers. Place into prepared pie pan.
9. Repeat process until all dough is in pie pan.
10. Combine butter, garlic powder, and parsley. Brush butter mixture over dough with pastry brush.
11. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

Recipe adapted from The Slow Roasted Italian

Easter Egg Cookie Dough Truffles

This is a sponsored post by Challenge Butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

Easter is my favorite holiday. I love what it represents -- the resurrection, the empty tomb and the promise of new life. Growing up I loved getting together with my cousins and going on Easter egg hunts. And I love sitting around the table for a big family dinner with ham and cheesy potatoes and plenty of desserts. Dessert was always the most important part of our family dinners!

I love making festive Easter desserts! Usually I make carrot cake, but the past two years I've decided to mix things up. Last year I made these adorable Coconut Macaroon Easter Egg Nests, and this year I made super indulgent cookie dough truffles!

I decided to make truffles mainly because I wanted to shape them into eggs and decorate them. The first time I made them, I dipped the eggs in white chocolate and then decorated them using a pastry bag with white chocolate that I had dyed with food coloring. And that was a lot of work. So the next time I made them, I dipped them into white chocolate that I had already colored with food coloring. As you can see in the pictures, I used a little bit of red coloring to turn the eggs pink. That was much easier! 

If you're not a fan of food coloring, you can keep the truffles white and decorate them with sprinkles! Or if you prefer dark or milk chocolate, go ahead and dip the eggs in that! 

Also, important reminder, the cookie dough in this recipe is not cooked, so you cannot use just any old cookie dough. As you can see below, there is no egg in the recipe. That is important because eating cookie dough with raw eggs can give you salmonella and no one wants to get sick, especially not on Easter! 

Easter Egg Cookie Dough Truffles

Yield: Makes about 12 truffles

Ingredients

For cookie dough

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) Challenge butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (156 grams)
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 grams)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

For chocolate coating

• 8 ounces white chocolate, melted

Directions

1. In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar with a mixer on medium speed until smooth or for about two minutes. Mix in the milk and vanilla. 
2. Mix in the flour and salt on low speed just until incorporated. 
3. Stir in the chocolate chips. 
4. Cover and chill dough for 10 minutes or until it’s firm enough to handle.
5. Form the dough into one-inch balls and then shape into eggs. Arrange on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Place the sheets in the refrigerator and chill for about 30 minutes or until firm enough to handle.
6. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave in 30-second intervals.
7. Stick one toothpick into a truffle and dip it into in the white chocolate until they’re completely covered. Return truffle to parchment paper. Chill until set.
8. Store chilled in an airtight container.

Coconut Macaroon Easter Egg Nests

Easter has always been my favorite holiday. I love the pastel colors. I love the candy and chocolates. I love the warmer weather of spring. I love witnessing the earth come alive again after being dead all winter. And most importantly, I love the real reason that we celebrate – Jesus. 

Jesus paid the ultimate price for each and every one of us. He was nailed to the cross and died for our salvation. But His death was not the end because he rose from the dead. And on Easter we celebrate his resurrection.

Easter is a beautiful celebration of life, and I am eternally grateful for the sacrifice that was made for me. 

This year, I will be attending Easter service at Traders Point Christian Church, and I welcome all of you to attend and celebrate the Risen Lord with me.

Coconut Macaroon Easter Egg Nests

Yield: Makes about 24 nests
Approximate 160 calories for 2 nests

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup (from 5 large) egg whites
• 10 ounces sweetened coconut flakes (I used Baker's)
• 6 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 48 mini egg-shaped candies (I chose M&Ms peanut butter eggs)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a heavy saucepan combine egg whites, coconut flakes, and sugar and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until all the ingredients combine together, about 12 minutes. The mixture will be sticky and moist.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the almond and vanilla extracts. Set aside and let it cool 10 minutes.
4. Spray a nonstick mini muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.
5. Drop heaping tablespoons of coconut mixture into tin and lightly press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the tin to make "nests.”
6. Bake 22 to 25 minutes, or until golden.
7. Let the nests cool 10 minutes in the pan, then carefully remove from the tin.
8. Top each nest with two mini eggs.

Recipe adapted from SkinnyTaste.com