More dinner party pictures...

As mentioned on Monday, I held my very first dinner party on Easter Sunday. It was a complete success, so I wanted to share some more photos from the evening. I've also posted photos of the party favors I made. Basically, I used craft glue and added paper shred to muffin cups and then filled them with easter treats. I thought they looked like little bird nests. I then packaged them up in baggies, added some ribbon and made my own little note cards. Enjoy!

Getting the table ready:




Party favors (which I forgot to hand out when the first few guests departed!):




Table setting after dark:

The New York Times: No-Fear Phyllo Torte

The New York Times is featuring a great article on a phyllo torte, which is basically a feta cheese torte. The main ingredients are sheep’s milk feta, nutmeg and dill. You can see the whole article here, and although this torte is a Greek Orthodox Easter delicacy, I'm sure it would taste mighty fine any time of the year.

Recipe of the Day - Jelly Bean Fudge

Carl at the Candy Dish Blog, the official candy blog of the National Confectioners Association, wrote up a terrific blog post today about what to do with those left over Easter jelly beans.

So for those of you out there that are faced with a mountain of Easter treats without any idea on how to consolidate and get rid of some of the Easter cheer, try out this recipe from About.com author Elizabeth LaBau.


"The Easter Bunny Has Expired" Jelly Bean Fudge Recipe

Equipment:
8-inch square cake pan
Aluminum foil
Microwave-safe bowl
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons

Ingredients:
2 cups (12 oz) white chocolate chips
2 cups jelly beans
1 (16 oz) can vanilla frosting
1 tsp rum extract
1 tsp coconut extract

Prepare an 8-inch square cake pan by lining it with aluminum foil.

Place the white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 40-second increments until melted, stirring in between.

Stir in the extracts and the vanilla frosting, and mix until well-combined. Allow to sit and cool for several minutes.

Reserve 1/4 cup of jelly beans. Stir the rest into the fudge, and spread the fudge in the prepared pan, smoothing the top.

Sprinkle the reserved beans on top of the fudge, pressing them lightly into the top.

Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.

My very first dinner party with Rote Grütze

I woke up this morning feeling hungry, which normally isn't unusual, but considering that I ate an Easter feast big enough to feed an entire village of carnivores just 10 hours earlier, I was a bit weirded out by my stomach pains.

I threw my first dinner party last night, and when I say dinner party, I mean dinner party - long table with white table cloth, decorative candles for ambient lighting, homemade napkin rings (and you better believe I mean cloth napkins), and a perfect mix of music that kept the conversation going for three hours. Nine friends attended and at the end of the night, everyone was stuffed off of honey-glazed ham, mixed vegetables, polenta, crescent rolls, and of course, dessert.


My friend Heidi made a delicious German dessert called Rote Grütze, which is a type of berry pudding. I had never tasted Rote Grütze before, but the best way to describe it would be this: If you could siphon the Summer season into a goblet and serve with whipped cream, it would be Rote Grütze.

I did a bit of research this morning into this German delicacy, and found some interesting information from a 1991 New York Times article. Rote Grütze ("red grits") originates from northern Germany where an array of berries make their delectable appearance in Summer. Basically, red currants, raspberries, cherries, as well as the occasional blackberry or black currant, are cooked with sugar and cornstarch (and in some recipes, German wine) and served with a simple topping.


According to the New York Times:

In the old days Rote Grütze was not a dessert at all but a light summer supper, served with cold milk or cream. Today it is most often served with vanilla sauce, and since the 1970's, when it was suddenly pronounced chic, Rote Grütze can be found at the toniest restaurants and cafes, as well as at Great Aunt Emma's place out in the country.

Depending on whose great-aunt's recipe is being followed, Rote Grutze may contain such optional additions as strawberries, blueberries, rhubarb, a glass of red wine or even a jigger of brandy. What is required in one recipe is disregarded in another. Some profess that the only proper Rote Grutze contains two-thirds red currants; others insist that any amount of any red berries will do. Some swear that the addition of water is anathema, others that a small glass of water is absolutely essential. Purists generally agree, however, that the dessert is never overly sweet, and they draw the line at the addition of gelatin, warning the uninitiated that its addition will produce a stiff aspic.

I know Heidi is into ghosts and scary movies, but I'm beginning to think she might be a mind reader as well, because I can't think of a better accompaniment to my offering of the evening - a lemon tart. Served either on the side or on top, Rote Grütze was a fantastic addition to my basic lemon dessert.

Aside from the food, the event was a huge success in that everyone had a lovely time. It was great seeing some familiar faces (Heidi, John, Jessica, Erikka, Emily, Will), a face I don't get to see often enough because of geography (Mickey), and a new face (Scott). I don't think I could have asked for a better Easter dinner - great friends, great food and great conversation.

The pictures I've posted are of the table pre-food, and then of the ham (obviously). No one took photos of the desserts, which I apologize about - we were too busy stuffing our faces and about half-way into our collective food coma.

Easter dinner at my house - what dessert should I serve?

After reading the April issue of Gourmet, I felt suddenly inspired to host an Easter potluck dinner. Along with the traditional ham, I'm brainstorming desserts to make. I'd love to hear suggestions from my readers - leave them in the comments section!

Alternative to store-bought candy eggs for those homemade Easter baskets.

Sometimes, homemade gifts mean a lot more than a pre-packaged easter basket bought at a drug store. My mom and dad, for one, are an excellent holiday theme gift givers. Even though I'm now in my late 20s, they still send me a gift for every holiday, including Easter. It's funny - I always assumed everyone's parents did this sort of thing until I started working in an office. Every time a package would arrive filled with stuffed Easter bunnies, candy eggs, the obligatory box of Peeps and other little holiday tokens, inevitably, a handful of coworkers will make comments. At first, I thought they were being snotty about my parents adorable factor, but their true feelings are always revealed. The conversations typically go like this:

Coworker: "Whoa. Who sent you that present?"
Me: "My mom and dad. Aren't they awesome?"
Coworker: "Aren't you a little old for a stuffed rabbit and a chocolate chick?"
Me: "No."
Coworker: "Is that Peter Rabbit stationery in there too?"
Me: "Sure is."
Coworker: "I wish my parents would send me presents..."

:: End scene with Mary Ann revealing a smile of satisfactory and saying "Porch Parents: 1, Other Parents: 0." ::

For those of you interested in trying to make some goodies for Easter baskets this year, hop on over to Martha Stewart Living's website - they have a recipe on homemade truffle easter eggs. Let me know if you try out this recipe - I'd love to hear about your results!

Just when you thought that old springerle mold would go to waste...

Do you know what a spingerle mold is? Neither did I until I checked out this month's issue of Martha Stewart Living.

After doing some additional research, I learned that springerle is actually a type of cookie that originated in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Springerle molds are traditionally carved from wood, but most modern day versions are plastic . According to Wikipedia, springerle means "little knights," and the molds can be traced all the back to the 14th century.

So, what better way to celebrate Easter than breaking out the ol' springerle mold that's been gathering dust (Just kidding - I'm going to have to buy one houseonthehill.net) and using it for a creative topping to your Easter cupcakes.

Here's how you do it:

Tools and Materials
Cornstarch
Fondant, room temperature (available at baking-supply stores)
Springerle mold with bunny design
Round cookie cutter


Springerle Easter Bunny Cupcakes How-To
1. Dust a work surface lightly with cornstarch. Knead fondant until soft and pliable. Roll out to 1/8 inch thick.

2. Slide springerle mold, face up, under fondant. Press fondant into mold. Slide mold out from under the fondant; flip fondant over so raised image faces up.

3. Punch out a circle around image using the cookie cutter.

Then, just lay the fondant circles on top of the cupcakes you've made using your favorite recipe. Bingo! Awesome Easter treats!

Tips: If you don't have a cookie cutter, you can use a juice glass. Fondant circles can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

It's a great day when...

...my newest issue of Martha Stewart Living shows up in the mail! I never thought I would utter that sentence, but man...that woman has turned me into a craftin', bakin', domesticatin' woman. All I ask is that if I start wearing chinos and button-up, pastel shirts on a regular basis, please stage an intervention.

Moving on, this month's Living has some great Easter-inspired recipes and tips for decorating cakes, etc., which I'm going to share with you all now. This way, you'll have time to practice before Peter Rabbit makes an appearance next month.

Enjoy!