Over the past year, I have shared a lot of stories with you.  (By stories, I mean my issues that my therapist says I need to let go.)  One of my favorite stories is about dying Easter eggs with my sisters.

Every year, my mom would hard boil a bunch of eggs, break out the Paas kit, and set us kids up at the kitchen table.  Our excitement levels would gain momentum, as Mom would divvy up the eggs between the three of us.

The first five minutes of egg dying were the best.  I’d take my little metal dipper thingy and slowly dunk my first egg into one of the dyes. ..and then another…and then another.  It was then I’d look at and realize that I just made the world’s ugliest egg.

My oldest sister, Cheryl, would emphasize this point.  It is not like she would tell me my egg was hideous (that was my middle sister’s job), she would just always make the most beautiful eggs!  Cheryl would take masking tape and a wax crayon and turn out a mosaic egg that looked like it should be in a museum.  (A weird museum filled with eggs but a museum just the same.)

It wasn’t so bad that her eggs were (and still are) perfect; it was that she made it seem effortless.   (Okay, it was a bit annoying that she would turn out Frank Lloyd Wright eggs while Mary and I made eggs that looked like they were donated by a dying chicken.)

When the eggs were put back in the fridge, there was no confusing who made which ones.  (It was also no coincidence that the “ugly” eggs were eaten first so the pretty ones would have more time to beautify the basket.)

I haven’t dyed eggs in years but I do still love to have an excuse to make an abundance of devilled eggs this time of year.  (Of course if Cheryl were making the devilled eggs, she’d pipe them in with a size M star tip and make sure each one is the exact same size…nope, I’m not bitter.)

Devilish Little Sister Eggs

I worked this out so that the “math” would be easy for people.  It is a basic recipe but I do suggest that you TASTE each filling for seasoning adjustments to fit your palate.

The important things are as follows:

Boil your eggs properly.  (My mom’s standard recipe was to place the eggs in a pot of cold water, boil for 5 minutes, remove from heat, cover and let sit for 20 minutes.  It always works for me.)

Next, SHOCK your eggs so the shell doesn’t stick.  (There are many ways to shock your eggs like going to Chuck E Cheese on a Saturday or babysitting….wait…wrong eggs get shocked there.)

Have an ice bath ready to shock the eggs when they are done.  This will make the egg white pull away from the shell and they will be easier to peel.

(I am including this picture because my ice was in one chunk and I started playing Titanic and pretended that my eggs were screaming “Ice Berg Ahead” as I was cooling them off. )

Shocking Eggs for easter

Slice all of your eggs in half (lengthwise) and place the yolks in a bowl.

Now, here is the “recipe” to make a base:

For each egg, add ½ TBSP of Mayonnaise.  (If you are watching your figure, try yogurt.)

Mix the yolks and the mayo well with a handheld blender until it is light and fluffy.  (I am not seasoning yet because I want to give you some variety.)

This is the point you need to decide if you are making a bunch of different flavors or sticking to the basic.  If you are making different flavors, separate the mixture into little bowls.

 

Here are some variations and calculations are for 1 egg (2 halves) and ½ TBSP Mayo.  (It came out to a little over a Tablespoon of base to each add in.)

Basic:  Mix in ½ tsp of Dijon mustard.  Top:  Sprinkle paprika

Curry: ½ tsp curry powder, 1 tsp green onion.  Top:  chopped green onion

Wasabi: ½ tsp wasabi powder, 1 tsp fish roe.  Top:  A little fish roe

Bacon Ranch:  ½ tsp dried ranch-dressing mix, 1 tsp chopped bacon.  Top:  Piece of bacon

Buffalo:  ½ tsp Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, 1 tsp chopped celery.  Top: Piece of Blue Cheese

Sweet Relish:  ½ tsp pickle juice, 1 tsp pickle relish.  Top:  Slice of gherkin

Horseradish:  ½ tsp fresh horseradish, 1 tsp chives.  Top: Chopped Chives

Chiptotle:  1/2 tsp chiptotle puree, 1 tsp cilantro.  Top:  Cilantro

Truffle:  ¼ tsp truffle oil, 1 tsp chopped shitake mushroom.  Top:  Chopped mushroom and drizzle of truffle oil

You are probably asking yourself “Why did Barb choose to do nine different flavors?”  And I can honestly say, it was because my plate had nine little squares and I wanted to make each one different.  It is easier to add more “spice” so taste it after you add the 1/2 tsp of spice.  You may want a little more to really punch people in the face with the flavor.  (Please don’t actually hit people, it is not nice.)

(PS my basic egg in the picture accidently got a double dose of mustard so I put too much liquid in it when I actually made it.  Make sure you pay attention to what you are doing.)

Happy Easter!