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Celebrations
always need a special dessert and Easter is no exception. Easter
has two sides; the religious and the commercial. While the
religious side of Easter celebrates the resurrection of
Jesus on the third day (Easter Sunday) after his crucifixion
(Good Friday), the commercial side involves feasting,
decorating and hunting for Easter eggs, and lots of
chocolate and candy.
Easter has certain foods attached to it, but they differ
from country to country and from family to family. One tradition my family enjoys
is to have Hot
Cross Buns on Good Friday. These sweet yeast buns are
flavored with spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves) and loaded
with currants (or raisins) and candied fruit. What makes them so
distinctive looking is that the tops of the buns are marked with a cross
which symbolically represents the Cross of Christ and the
Crucifixion. If you are superstitious you will like the tale that
Hot Cross Buns baked on Good Friday never became moldy and they say that
you should save one bun as a good luck charm until the next year's buns
are made.
Since the commercial side of Easter is
primarily for children, I always liked to do something special with my
kids. When they were small I often held a neighborhood cookie decorating
party. First I would make lots of sugar cookies, made in the shapes of
Easter: bunnies, chicks, eggs, and flowers. Then I would have small bowls of
different colored royal icing and lots of colored sprinkles.
Each child would get a paper plate and a small spatula and how they
loved creating their own masterpieces. Since this is a messy process, I
found it best to cover the table with a plastic disposable tablecloth
and aprons are definitely a good idea.
Lastly, there are so many choices for Easter
desserts. Carrot Cake is one of my personal favorites, whether in cake
form or as individual Easter Baskets. The chocolate lover may be
inclined to make the Chocolate Butter Cake or the
Easter Chocolate Cake. Other ideas are the Red
Velvet Cake, Coconut Cake, or the Hummingbird Cake. If the strawberries
are good you may want to make the Meringue Cake with Strawberries and
Cream. Another great idea is the Shortbread Tarts filled with cream and topped with fresh
berries. So enjoy this time with family and friends
and have a Happy Easter.
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