Easter 2009!

This Easter I decided to make a Lemon Poke Cake (courtesy of KraftFoods), potato salad and Hot Cross Buns. I also dyed some eggs (I always have to!) and they ended up pretty nice and glittery. :o) My cake, unfortunately, got a little runny- the M&M candies got condensation and dribbled all over! I didn't have a chance to take a picture of the cake before it happened. Oh well! It's still looks kinda nice. :o) Although it might make it on the "Cake Wrecks" blog (one of my faves!) because it is kind of, sort of, well, a wreck! Recipe is below the pictures:





What You Need:
2 baked round white cake layers (9 inch), cooled
2 cups boiling water
1 pkg. (6 oz.) or 2 pkg. (3 oz. each) JELL-O Lemon Flavor Gelatin
1 cup cold milk
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Lemon Flavor Instant Pudding
3 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

PLACE cake layers, top-sides up, in 2 clean 9-inch round cake pans. Pierce cakes with large fork at 1/2-inch intervals.

ADD boiling water to gelatin mix; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Carefully pour over cake layers. Refrigerate 3 hours.

BEAT milk and pudding mix with whisk 2 min. Gently stir in COOL WHIP; set aside. Dip 1 cake pan in warm water 10 sec.; unmold onto serving plate. Spread with about 1 cup pudding mixture. Unmold second cake layer; carefully place on first cake layer. Frost top and side of cake with remaining pudding mixture. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.


I also took a picture of my hard boiled egg- with no gray ring around the edge of the yolk! I learned how to make that happen (or NOT happen!) this weekend. You boil water in a PAN with the eggs, after five minutes, pull away from heat and let sit for 15 minutes. Dunk eggs in cold water and then peel. Voila, a pretty yolk!



As for the Hot Cross Buns, I had a delicious recipe I accidentally sort of ruined. It called for adding currants (I used golden raisins) and cinnamon 5 minutes prior to the dough cycle ending the kneading, and I thought it was 5 minutes prior to the entire cycle ending. DUH ME! Anyway, I ended up adding these after I pulled the dough out and ended up mixing too much flour in while I added the cinnamon and raisins which resulted in slightly dry buns. They tasted fine, the cinnamon just needed to be a bit more well distributed... They DO look yummy though! ;o) The recipe is posted below. Follow directions well and your buns will be "super delicious"! (I love that T-Mobile commercial, don't you...?) Oh, and I ended up using some leftover cream cheese icing, which worked just as well.



INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon instant powdered milk
1/4 cup white sugar
3/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 egg white
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
3/4 cup dried currants
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons milk

DIRECTIONS
Put warm water, butter, skim milk powder, 1/4 cup sugar, salt, egg, egg white, flour, and yeast in bread maker and start on dough program.
When 5 minutes of kneading are left, add currants and cinnamon. Leave in machine till double.
Punch down on floured surface, cover, and let rest 10 minutes.
Shape into 12 balls and place in a greased 9 x 12 inch pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place till double, about 35-40 minutes.
Mix egg yolk and 2 tablespoons water. Brush on balls.
Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 20 minutes. Remove from pan immediately and cool on wire rack.
To make crosses: mix together confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and milk. Brush an X on each cooled bun.