KIM DAVIS: Easter is a time for families to gather today, and having young children around makes the day even more special. When my granddaughters were young, I acquired quite the collection of cookie cutters, including mini ones to use on fondant to decorate both cookies and cakes, and we had a lot of decorating sessions, over the years. I started them young starting with basic sprinkles, then graduating to fondant decorations!
My youngest granddaughter (18 months) always had to have a cookie in one hand to nibble on while working, lol!
Here she is (12 years), decorating Easter cookies with fondant. She often invited friends to join our cookie decorating projects too!
Of course cookies are their favorite base for decorating but I thought it would be fun to take the same principles for decorating cookies with fondant (or just playing around with PlayDoh) and do the same thing with a cheese appetizer for Easter. It would work for any holiday or occasion as well. Starting with melted Velveeta Queso Blanco, silicone molds, and some food coloring, this fun-to-make appetizer couldn't be simpler!
Queso Blanco Easter Egg Appetizer
This
is a fun Easter “cooking” project perfect for letting young children take part
in! It’s as easy as playing with Play-Doh!
1 16- to 32-ounce package Velveeta Queso Blanco, depending on the size of your Easter egg mold(s) and how many you’d like to make*
Pink, green, purple, blue, yellow, and orange gel food coloring, or whatever colors you desire
Easter egg mold(s)**
Rolling pin
Food-safe paintbrushes (fine tip and medium tip)
Fondant and/or small cookie cutters (or you can free-form decorations)
Cut 8 to 12 ounces (or the amount needed for the size of your mold(s)*) of the Velveeta queso blanco into small chunks. Place in a microwave-safe dish and melt in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir and repeat in 30-second increments until the cheese is fully melted.
Carefully pour the melted cheese into the egg mold(s) and immediately tap the mold on the counter several times to release air bubbles. Place the filled egg mold(s) in the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours.
While the cheese eggs are chilling, place 1 ounce of queso blanco per color you plan on using for decorations in small microwave-safe bowls. Working with one bowl at a time, heat for 15 seconds, then stir. If not entirely melted, heat for an additional 5 seconds.
Add 1 drop of the desired gel food coloring to the melted cheese and stir. Add additional food coloring until the desired color is reached.
I totally forgot to take a photo of this step - sorry!
Place the tinted cheese onto parchment paper. Top with another piece of parchment paper and roll over the melted cheese until it becomes a thin layer, about 1/8-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining colors and cheese.
Keeping the cheese layered between the parchment paper, stack on a baking sheet and refrigerate until 20 minutes before ready to decorate, then freeze the tinted cheese for 20 minutes. The cheese should firm up but remain flexible.
Remove the egg mold(s) from the refrigerator. Turn the cheese egg(s) out onto a serving platter and refrigerate until ready to decorate. If the cheese egg doesn’t release easily from the mold, dip the back of the mold in hot water for several seconds, then try again.**
Working with one color at a time, remove the tinted cheese from the freezer and, using small Easter-themed cookie and fondant cutters, cut out decorations. If you prefer, you may also make free-form decorations, working with the tinted, pliable cheese, such as you’d do with Play-Doh. Press the cut-outs onto the cheese eggs. If the cheese softens and becomes difficult to work with, return it to the freezer for a few minutes before proceeding. Repeat with the remaining colors.
If desired, you can use a food-safe fine-tip paintbrush with gel food coloring to add accents to the egg(s) and cut-out decorations.
Refrigerate until ready to serve alongside your favorite crackers.
Notes
*To determine how much cheese you will
need, fill the egg mold(s) with water, then pour the water into a measuring
cup. For example, I made three cheese eggs which required 13 ounces of melted
cheese, plus an extra 6 ounces for the tinted cheese for decorations.
**Egg molds: Silicone molds are preferable for easy release of the formed cheese. If you use a metal mold, liberally grease the cavity with vegetable shortening before filling. After removing the mold from the refrigerator, use a flexible utensil to loosen the sides of the cheese egg(s) before inverting onto a serving platter.
If your silicone mold(s) are flimsy, place a sturdy tray beneath the mold(s) before filling with melted cheese.
Keep chilled until just before serving and refrigerate any leftovers covered with plastic wrap for up to 5 days.
This technique also works well for any holiday molds and celebrations!
Books available at most online retailers
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Cupcake Catering Mysteries * Essentials of Murder
About the Author:
Kim Davis writes the Aromatherapy Apothecary cozy mystery series, and the award-winning Cupcake Catering cozy mystery series. She has also written several children’s nature articles published in a variety of magazines. Kim Davis is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
She lives in Southern California with her husband and rambunctious mini Goldendoodle, Missy, who has become an inspiration for several plotlines. When she’s not spending time with her granddaughters or chasing Missy around, she can be found either writing on her next book, working on blogs, or in the kitchen baking up yummy treats to share.
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Readers, do you have a particular Easter dish that you make for the holiday?
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