To be made the evening before Easter.
You will need:
1 cup pecans, 1tsp. whole pecans, 1tsp. vinegar, 3 egg whites, pinch salt, 1cup sugar, zipper baggie, tape, wooden spoon, Bible
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested He was beaten by the Roman soldiers.
Read John 19:1-3
Then Pilate ordered that Jesus be taken away and whipped. The soldiers used some thorny branches to make a crown. They put this crown on Jesus' head and put a purple robe around Him. Then thay came to Jesus many times and said, "Hail, King of the Jews!" They hit Jesus in the face.John 19:1-3
Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink.
Read John 19:28-30
After this, Jesus knew that everything had been done. To make the scripture come true, he said,"I am thirsty." There was a jar full of vinegar there, so the soliders soaked a sponge in it. Then they put the sponge on a branch of hyssop plant and lifted it to Jesus' mouth. Jesus tasted the vinegar. Then he said, "It is finished." He bowed His head and died. John 19:28-30.
Add egg white to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.
Read John 10:10-11
"A thief comes to steal and kill and destroy. But I came to give life -- life in all its fullness. I am the good shepherd. The good shepard gives his life for the sheep." John 10:10-11
Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin.
Read Luke 23:27
A large crowd of people was following Jesus. Some of the women were sad and crying. But Jesus turned and said to them, "Women of Jerusalem, don't cry for me. Cry for yourselves and for your children too!" Luke 23:27
So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him.
Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16
Examine and see how good the Lord is. Happy is the person who trusts the Lord. Psalm 34:8
"For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son. God gave His Son so that whoever believes in Him may not be lost, but have eternal life" John 3:16
Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.
Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3
The Lord says, "Come, we will talk these things over. Your sins are red like deep red cloth. But they can be white as snow. Your sins are bright red. But you can be white like wool. Isaiah 1:18
There was a man named Nicodemus who was one of the Pharisees. He was an important Jewish leader. One night Nicodemus came to Jesus. He said, "Teacher, we know that you are a teacher sent from God. No one can do the miracles you do, unless God is with him."
Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth. Unless one is born again, he cannot be in God's kingdom." John 3:1-3
Fold in the broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.
Read Matthew 27:57-60
That evening a rich man named Joseph came to Jerusalem. He was a follower of Jesus from the town of Arimathea. Joseph went to Pilate and asked to have Jesus' body. Pilate gave orders for the soldiers to give it to Joseph. Then Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. He put Jesus' body in a new tomb that he had cut in a wall of rock. He rolled a very large stone to block the entrance of the tomb. Then Joseph went away. Matthew 27:57-60
Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven off. Give each child a piece of tape to seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed.
Read Matthew 27:65-66
Pilate said, "Take some soldiers and go guard the tomb the best way you know. So they all went to the tomb and made it safe from thieves. They did this by sealing the stone in the entrance and then putting soldiers there to guard it. Matthew 27:65-66
Go To Bed!!! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.
Read John 16:20-22
"I tell you the truth. You will cry and be sad, but the world will be happy. You will be sad, but your sadness will become joy. When a woman gives birth to a baby, she has pain, because her time has come. But when her baby is born, she forgets the pain. She forgets because she is so happy that a child has been born into the world. It is the same with you. Now you are sad. But I will see you again and you will be happy. And no one will take away your joy." John 16:20-22
On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.
Read Matthew 28:1-9
The day after the Sabbath day was the first day of the week. At dawn on the first day, Mary Magdalene and another woman named Mary went to look at the tomb. At that time there was a strong earthquake. An angel of the Lord came down from heaven. The angel went to the tomb and rolled the stone away from the entrance. Then he sat on the stone. He was shining as bright as lightning. His clothes were white as snow. The soldiers guarding the tomb were very frightened of the angel. They shook with fear and then became like dead men. The angel said to the women, "Don't be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus, the one who was killed on the cross. But he is not here. He has risen from death as He said He would. Come and see the place where His body was. And go quickly and tell His followers. Say to them: 'Jesus has risen from death. He is going into Galilee. He will be there before you. You will see Him there.'" Then the angel said, "Now I have told you." The women left the tomb quickly. They were afraid, but they were also very happy. They ran to tell Jesus' followers what h ad happened. Suddenly, Jesus met them and said, "Greetings." The women came up to Jesus, took hold of His feet, and worshiped Him.
Resurrecting Rolls
Ingredients:
3/4 cup warm water
1 large egg
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
3 Tbs. sugar
6 Tbs. butter
3 Tbs. dry milk
1-1/2 tsp. yeast
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 Tbs. cinnamon
24 marshmallows
Method:
Combine first 8 ingredients. Let rise till double. Divide into 24 balls and flatten.
Mix sugar and cinnamon together. Dip rolls in melted margarine, then into sugar mixture.
Wrap roll around a marshmallow, covering completely. Dip once more into butter, and again into sugar. Place rolls in a large greased pan and allow to rise till double. (approx. 35 min) Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes, or until done.
Rolls should be completely empty when cooled...like the empty tomb.
Hot
Cross Buns
Hot Cross
Buns are traditionally served on Good Friday (the Friday before
Easter)and during the Lenten season, but they are good anytime.
This recipe will make 2 1/2 dozen buns.
2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup softened butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 1/2 to 7 cups all-purpose flour
4 eggs
1/2 cup dried currents
1/2 cup raisins
----------
2 Tablespoons water
1 egg yolk
----------
1 recipe Icing (below)
Have the water and milk at 110-115 degrees F. In a large mixing
bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the warm milk
sugar, butter, vanilla, salt, nutmeg, and 3 cups of the flour.
Beat until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating the
mixture well after each addition. Stir in the dried fruit and
enough flour to make a soft dough.
Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and
elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl and turn
over to grease the top. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap
and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
Punch the dough down and shape into 30 balls. Place on greased
baking sheets. Using a sharp knife, cut a cross (or X) on the top
of each roll. Cover again and let rise until doubled (about 30
minutes). Beat the water and egg yolk together and brush over the
rolls. Bake at 375-degrees F. for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire
racks. Drizzle icing over the top of each roll following the
lines of the cut cross.
ICING: Combine 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 4 teaspoons milk or
cream, a dash of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir
until smooth. Adjust sugar and milk to make a mixture which flows
easily.
Bird's Nests
Ingredients
1 bag Reeses peanut butter chips (10 oz. )
1 TBSP. solid shortening (Crisco)
1 large can (5oz.) LaChoy thin chow mein noodles
1 bag pastel colored M&M peanut candy
Method:
Melt entire bag of chips and 1 tbsp. of shortening slowly in microwave or in double boiler on stove top. If using microwave, heat full power in intervals of 30 seconds at a time and then less as chips begin to melt. You want the chips and shortening to be well blended and creamy and hot. DO NOT OVERCOOK!!!
Immediately pour the can of chow mien noodles into the peanut butter mixture and toss lightly to coat noodles. Avoid crunching noodles. Using a spatula can help. Do this quickly, making sure the noodles are evenly coated. Drop by spoonfuls onto WAX PAPER and gently form into the shape of a nest, leaving a hollowed area in the center in which you immediately place three M&M peanut candies for the "birds eggs".
Helps to have two people! Each batch makes approximately 14 nests.
Bunny Cake
Ingredients:
Cake mix - baked to form two circular cakes
Frosting (either homemade or store bought)
Licorice for whiskers - M&Ms for decoration
Method
You have two
circular cakes, as though each would normally be one layer of a
birthday cake. One is the head. The other is used the make ears
and a bow tie.
Cut the two ears out of either side of the circular cake, and
then the center becomes a bow tie.
Assemble the pieces, put frosting on it, and decorate it, making
a face on it, etc. We used white frosting for most of it, and
pink frosting for the center of the ears. I think we used
licorice for whiskers, and put M&Ms all over the bow tie.
World's Best Chocolate Easter Eggs.
Ingredients:
1 cup soft butter
2 tsp salt
4 tsp vanilla
1 can condensed milk (Eagle Brand)
10 cups icing sugar
1 tsp. yellow food coloring
1 lb. semisweet chocolate
Method:
Beat butter, salt and vanilla until fluffy. Add milk, beat in sugar. Blend until stiff. Dust with brown sugar. Knead til smooth.
Set aside more then 2/3 of mixture. To the remaining mixture add yellow food coloring. Blend in well. Divide yellow and white into 16 or 24 pieces. Shape yellow into ball, mould white around yellow to form an egg shape. Dry at room temperature on paper towels for 24 hours.
Melt chocolate in double boiler or in microwave until smooth. Dip eggs in chocolate. (paraffin wax may be added and melted with chocolate to prevent chocolate from melting in your hands). Once dipped cool at room temperature. Refrigerate after cool.
When sliced these eggs will have a white cream filling with a yellow filling that appears to be the yolk. They look nice sitting in an Easter basket!!
Bird Nest Cupcakes
Your favorite cupcake mix
Your favorite frosting mix
Long strand coconut
jelly beans (pastel Easter colors)
Bake your cupcakes. When cool frost with white or chocolate frosting. Decorate with coconut around the outside circle of cupcake. Place colored jelly beans in centre. Coconut can be toasted if you prefer a brown nest!
Easter Cupcakes
Want to make a hit? For holiday,birthday or any occasion you can think of, make your favorite cupcakes and then...buy any design of stickers. Cover the sticky side with colored paper or just a white piece of a page.Either cover the whole picture with Saran wrap and place directly on previously frosted cupcakes or make sure the picture has a pretty stiff back, glue or scotch tape a toothpick to the back of the picture and insert in the cupcake.
There are a multitude of stickers out there.Look around and have fun.