"easter" news and stories

Easter Bunnies Unwrapped

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Sep 1st 2009 @ 4:31PM

We lopped the ears off a few dozen hippity-hoppers so you and your kids will know just what's under the wrapping.

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Easter Bunnies Unwrapped

We admit we're a li'l funny when it comes to chocolate bunnies. They're awfully cute in an Easter basket, but so often they collapse into shards upon the first munch. Or, even worse, they're chock full of mystery goo or taste just plain nasty. We lopped the ears off a few dozen hippity-hoppers so you and your kids will know just what's under the wrapping.

Follow our bunny trail from most to least expensive chocolate treats, or use the menu feature to hop all around.

Rachel Been, AOL

Getty Images North America

Easter Bunnies Unwrapped

Palmer
Bunny Buddy with Double Crisp Bunny Pop 27 oz

We're usually not so big on the hollow chocs, but this buddy comes bearing gifts! He may be empty inside, but the charming lolly fills the void.

Bun for the buck: Good, but only because of the extra treat
Contents: Hollow, with a solid, crispy chocolate lollipop
Price: $9.99

Easter Bunnies Unwrapped

Lake Champlain
Milk Chocolate 4 oz

It's cartoon cute, but tastefully so, and boasts some truly delicious chocolate to boot.

Bun for the buck: A very solid bet
Contents: Solid milk chocolate
Price: $9.99

Easter Bunnies Unwrapped

Lake Champlain
White Chocolate 4.5 oz

Not everyone's a white chocolate fan, but if you've got one on your bunny trail, this elegant, creamy cottontail is definitely the one to snare.

Bun for the buck: One really regal rabbit
Contents: Solid white chocolate
Price: $9.99

Easter Bunnies Unwrapped

Ferrero Rocher
Plastic Box 5.7 oz

The box isn't chocolate, but it's crammed chock full of some of our favorite little nibbles. We won't quibble.

Bun for the buck: So good, it's kinda nutty
Contents: 13 Hazelnut-filled chocolates
Price: $7.99

Easter Bunnies Unwrapped

Palmer
Diva Da' Bunny 14 oz

What's not to love about a bunny who brings her own bling? She may not be the most delicious, but she's certainly the most diva-licious.

Bun for the buck: Top of the hop, design-wise
Contents: Hollow milk chocolate with candy necklace
Price: $7.49

Easter Bunnies Unwrapped

Godiva
Milk chocolate 2.25 oz

If you've got a Godiva freak on your must-give list, this is your cheapest way out. It's cute (oh, that bow!) and silky-smooth, to be sure, but would it have killed 'em to make him solid?

Bun for the buck: Pricey for the size - you're mostly paying for the Godiva name
Contents: Hollow, foil-wrapped
Price: $6.50

Easter Bunnies Unwrapped

Frankford Impressions
Jackrabbit 5 oz

We held off from cutting into this one until the very end because it was sooooo cute, and even after, there were scuffles to see who'd take him home. Think of it as décor rather then dessert.

Bun for the buck: Not much choc for the dollar, but that's not why you're buying this one
Contents: Hollow multi-chocolate
Price: $5.99

Easter Bunnies Unwrapped

Belfine
Belgian Chocolate 2.65 oz

Often when design gets this fussy, the chocolate flavor suffers. Not so for this multi-colored cottontail. Bonus points for the fancy li'l bag.

Bun for the buck: Beaucoup
Contents: Hollow chocolate
Price: $5.99

Easter Bunnies Unwrapped

Russell Stover
Milk Chocolate 12 oz

This one's a classic for a reason. It may not be life-changing chocolate, but it'll keep 'em smiling 'til 'round about Flag Day.

Bun for the buck: Big time
Contents: Solid milk chocolate
Price: $5.99

Easter Bunnies Unwrapped

Filed under: Edible Gifts, Taste Test, Holidays

Crazy for Casseroles - Green Eggs and Ham

COMMENTS 4

by Emily Farris, Posted May 13th 2009 @ 4:00PM

They're cheesy, cheap and classic. What are talking about? Casseroles, of course! In this brand-new series food writer and blogger Emily Farris, author of "Casserole Crazy: Hot Stuff for Your Oven" crafts tasty new casseroles exclusively for Slashfood readers. Green Eggs and Ham is her premier dish -- just in time for Easter.

As a kid, I never understood why Easter dinner was called "dinner" if it happened at noon. Luckily, one of the great things about being an adult is that we can make our own rules and name our own meals. And because I still can't bring myself to call a meal that happens that early "dinner," this year I'm hosting Easter brunch.

Am I making a 10-pound ham and scrambling three-dozen eggs while my guests drink free-flowing mimosas? Nope, this thing is happening potluck style. Like most people I know, I can't afford to host lavish brunches (not to mention dinners!), but wanted my meal to incorporate the different elements of Easter and, well, be a little brunch-y. So green eggs and ham it was, with eggs, ham, spinach, biscuits and my favorite thing in the world: cheese.

After a bit of experimentation, I wound up with a sort-of upside-down quiche with a biscuit crust, and who wouldn't go crazy for that? Although it'd be a wonderful meal for Easter brunch or supper, it's also a great way to use up that leftover Easter ham. Regardless, it's the sort of thing that would make Dr. Seuss -- or the Easter Bunny -- proud.

Filed under: Ingredients, Holidays

Greek Easter Bread

COMMENTS 5

by Eric Diesel, Posted Apr 14th 2009 @ 5:00PM

We realize we may seem a little holiday-fixated around here. But one Easter has yet to come: Orthodox Easter, which falls on this coming Sunday, April 19. The use of two calendars often results in different timing in Western Easter's and Orthodox Easter's arrivals, which makes the day truly a movable feast.

Why is this worth a certain amount of hoopla? Well, look at the hunger pang-inducing bread shown above. One of the centerpieces of the Greek Orthodox Easter table, tsoureki paschalino (tsoo-REH-kee pahs-khah-lee-NO), or Greek Easter bread, is typically baked on Holy Thursday and traditionally shaped in a braid around an Easter egg. (The deep red dye symbolizes the crucifixion.) Tsoureki, a light yeast bread sometimes sweetened with a light touch of orange or almonds, has an airy, eggy texture similar to challah. A similar bread known as pinza is a mainstay on Italian Easter tables.

Within the Greek Orthodox church, Easter is considered by many to be the holiest day of the year. For many celebrants the period of Lent is one of self-discipline and self-purification during which one might refrain from treats or certain animal products. Additionally, on some days (traditionally Wednesdays and Fridays during the first weeks of Lent and every day during Holy Week) both wine and olive oil are also forbidden. The first post-Lenten meal is served after midnight Mass on Holy Saturday, where the traditional meal consists of mayeritsa (a soup made from the internal organs of the Easter lamb) and the deep maroon-dyed eggs that are part of the tsoureki.

Tsoureki is available in Greek bakeries; try this one, which ships its tsoureki.

Filed under: The History of..., Ingredients, Holidays

Cheerwine Ham

COMMENTS 5

by Kat Kinsman, Posted Apr 14th 2009 @ 4:00PM

Ever whip up a dish that's so madly yummy you wanna feed it to everyone you've ever met? This is one of those.

Yup, Easter's already hopped on by, but who says that's the only ham-appropriate occasion? We'd unexpectedly received a smoked, bone-in ten-pounder as lagniappe for being loyal grocery store shoppers, and while we were old hands at prepping its hard, salty country cousin, we'd never actually baked and glazed a city ham. We've long been inspired by Aretha Franklin's ginger ale doused Queen of Soul Ham and have heard tell of a Coca-Cola ham or two, though have never had the pleasure of sampling one.

A tad loath to leave the house and brave the holiday supermarket fray, we took stock of what was on hand. Diet drinks weren't gonna cut the mustard, husband would flip if we drained his precious Pepsi stash, tonic was a tad depressing, then lo and behold -- Cheerwine! We'd hauled back cases of the distinctive cherry soda when last we hit the Tarheel State, and had been holding out for a special occasion to dip into the stash.

Sure, it wasn't the cane sugar based Retro Cheerwine (which we can't find to save our lives!), but it kept the ham miraculously moist through the initial bake and cooked down into a luscious, fruity glaze, which balanced quite well with the ham's salt, a kiss of bourbon, a quick blaze of mustard and the deep, dark tang of pomegranate molasses.

Can't find Cheerwine in your neck of the woods? Swap in a full-sugar dark cherry soda like Stewart's Black Cherry Wishniak, Boylan's Black Cherry or Jones' Cherry. Cheers!

Get the Cheerwine Ham recipe after the jump.

Filed under: Ingredients, Holidays

Weekend Rehash

COMMENTS 4

by Kat Kinsman, Posted Apr 13th 2009 @ 9:30AM

We can only imagine it wasn't just us having a culinarily significant weekend, what with the late-breaking Seders and Easter feasting. Sure, Monday drudgery is upon us, but howzabout dishing up your biggest cooking tales of the past few days?

We'll go first. 'Round these parts, we rustled up our very first Sweet Potato Kugel (Elijah even asked for seconds), braised and glazed an Easter ham in Cheerwine cherry soda, bourbon and pomegranate molasses, and shook up a few Ramos Gin Fizzes from all the extra eggs lying about. Somehow, it all managed to coexist quite peacefully in both our hearts and digestive systems, and while we didn't get 'round to sourcing the lambs' blood for the Icelandic Slatur we've been double-dog-dared to make, there's always next weekend.

For now, we're hungry for your tales of kitchen woes and triumps. Didja best a crust that's been troubling you, or experiment with an unfamiliar veggie? Dish 'em up in the comments below.

Filed under: Leftovers, Tinfoil Swan, Drink Recipes