A virtual visit to Elgin Youth Cafe was eggsactly what was needed for Liz Ashworth as she enjoyed some Easter fund.
Earlier this month I joined members of Elgin Youth Cafe via a Zoom call, for an early Easter escapade!
Easter eggs symbolise new birth and a new start.
The first ones were mostly hens’ eggs and during Lent, no one ate eggs, but that didn’t stop the hens from laying them.
What to do with those extra eggs?
Decorate and celebrate!
At the youth cafe, we used natural dyes to colour the eggs.
For yellow eggs use gorse flowers or two tablespoons of turmeric; for gold, use onion skins; beetroot for pink shells, and red cabbage for blue shells.
Hard boil the eggs for 15 minutes, with the colouring ingredient of our choice.
Or you could try dying them using the cold method.
Cold method
For that you first need to make some dye.
Use 1 cup of the colouring ingredient of your choice and 1 cup of water.
Simmer together for 30 minutes; cool and strain into a container.
Add 1 tbsp of white vinegar per cup of dye.
Once the dye is made, hard boil some eggs.
Once they are cooked, allowed them to cool to drop to room temperature.
Tie elastic bands round them to make a pattern.
Place in a dish in a single layer, cover with the dye and chill in the fridge until they take on the colour.
Dry, rub with vegetable oil, polish with a paper towel and chill until you go rolling.
Rolling eggs is something the whole family can enjoy.
My sister and I used to name our eggs Eggwin and Eggbert before rolling them down a hill.
Members of the Youth Café climb Elgin’s Ladyhill, which is crowned with daffodils, to have an egg race.
One year the seagulls beat them to eat the smashed eggs, so beware!
Once the thrill of egg racing is over, enjoy afternoon tea.
After concocting, tasting and debating, the teenage cafe cooks hit on these easy-to-make treats.
Elgin Youth Cafe’s activities follow current government Covid guidelines. For further information email youthwork@elginyouthcafe.org or go to the Facebook page.
Easter bunny carrot cake cookies
(Makes 18)
Ingredients
- 45g butter
- 30g caster sugar
- 115g grated carrot
- 85g self-raising flour
- 85g rolled oats
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 large egg
Method
- Heat the oven to 190 °C/170 °C Fan/375 °F/Gas Mark 5.
- Oil two baking trays.
- Cream the butter and sugar then beat in the other ingredients.
- Using two teaspoons, scoop a spoonful using the back of the second spoon to push the dough on to a baking tray.
- Repeat, leaving room for the biscuits to spread.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes till risen and firm.
- Cool on a wire rack.
- Store in an airtight container.
Hot cross muffins
(Makes 10)
Ingredients
- 225g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 60g currants
- 45g mixed peel
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 30g caster sugar
- 1 ripe banana, mashed
- 60ml sunflower or similar oil
- 1 egg
- 120ml milk
Method
- Heat the oven to 190 °C/170 °C Fan/375 °F/ Gas Mark 5.
- Put 10 muffin cases into a muffin or baking tray.
- Put the dry ingredients into a bowl.
- Mix the banana, oil, egg and milk together and pour this into the bowl with the dry ingredients.
- Stir till roughly mixed, then spoon evenly into the muffin cases. Bake for 20 minutes or till risen and firm.
- Cool on a wire tray then decorate with an icing sugar cross.
Wee egg nests
(Makes 8-10)
Ingredients
- 175g chocolate
- 4 Shredded Wheat, crushed
- Mini eggs or chocolate-dipped grapes or blueberries
Method
- Place 8-10 paper cake cases on a baking tray.
- Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water or in the microwave.
- Stir in the crushed Shredded Wheat then spoon into each case using the back of a teaspoon to make a hollow in the middle so it looks like a bird’s nest.
- Cool to set. Fill with mini eggs.
More in this series…
Kids’ Kitchen: Boys bake a whole book and try out recipes for your young chefs