EASTER SUNDAY falls on the third day after Good Friday. It’s the day which marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is also the end of the 40-day period of fasting and abstinence.
Just like Santa Claus is not a Biblical term similarly, there is no mention of Easter eggs in the Bible. The significance of the preparation of Easter eggs is that it symbolizes NEW LIFE and that’s the one REASON for the celebration.
The death of Lord Jesus (on Good Friday) followed by his resurrection exactly three days after (on Easter Sunday) is the base of Catholic belief. In it’s true sense, Easter is as important a celebration as Christmas.
The Easter eggs are commonly prepared in the Catholic households and definitely are a BIG part of the celebrations. Usually, made out of marzipan (either cashew-nut or almond) and sometimes out of chocolate.
In the olden times, the activity of hiding Easter eggs was a way to get children involved in the festivities. The children were asked to find them and keep them as their gifts. It was quite a fun way of celebrating Easter. The marzipan eggs are beautifully decorated with royal icing. They look so cute and pretty. The children eagerly look forward for these gifts.
As a child I remember collecting as many Easter eggs as I could. Some received as gifts and some grabbed from the table where they used to be neatly lined-up for giving away.
On this day, the families come together to wish each other and celebrate the festival. There is a feast laid at the table with lots of Easter goodies and sumptuous food.
Here is the traditional Easter Egg recipe made out cashew-nut marzipan.
Marzipan is a confection made out of almonds or cashew-nuts. I do prefer these Easter eggs as opposed to the chocolate ones. They taste so much better. Especially the homemade ones are extremely tasty and FUN to make.
HOW TO MAKE THE MARZIPAN ?
You will need finely ground cashewnuts, powdered sugar, egg whites, almond essence, a few drops of different colors, rose water.
And a lot of love
All these ingredients are mixed together and kept on a low flame to simmer. The mixture will be sticky hence stirring continuously is a MUST, otherwise it can burn. Stir till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. It is time consuming and needs arm strength. It could take anywhere between 30 to 45 minutes.
How to know if the marzipan is ready ?
Take a teaspoon of the mixture let it cool slightly and try to shape it into a ball. It should not stick to the hands. If it does then the mixture needs to be cooked some more.
Once cooked, take out the marzipan on a clean flat surface. Let it cool and then knead it to form a ball. If mixture is too dry add some rose water. Once the ball is formed, divide the dough into as many equal parts as you wish. Depending on the variety of colours you are using. Then add edible colour of your choice . Make sure the colour blends-in well by rubbing it in till it gives an even tone.
Now the marzipans are ready to be moulded into desired shapes. Once all the shapes are formed, decorate the eggs with royal icing. Let the icing dry, it will take a few hours. As the royal icing dries it will harden. These are then ready to be packed. Wrap them in gelatin papers and tie bows around them.
How long does marzipan last ?
These can last upto two weeks in room temperature and much longer in the refrigerator.
EASTER EGGS (Marzipan)
Ingredients :
- 700 g powdered sugar
- 4 Egg Whites
- 45 ml Rose Water
- 500 g Cashewnuts finely ground
- 10 ml Almond Essence
- Food colour of your choice.
Method :
- Mix all of these ingredients together and simmer over a low flame stirring continuously till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan it will take roughly 30 to 40 minutes.
- Take about a tsp of the mixture and cool slightly then form a ball of this mixture. The ball should form easily without sticking to the hands. This indicates the marzipan is ready to be moulded. Divide the marzipan into parts. Depending on the variety of colours you are using. Put the food colour into each part and knead the mixture lightly till the colour is incorporated evenly.
- Now with the help of moulds shape the marzipan. Leave them to dry for an hour or so.
- Once the shapes have dried, use royal icing to decorate them.
ROYAL ICING
Ingredients for royal icing :
- Royal Icing
- 1 Egg White
- 100 g
- Few drops of vanilla essence
Method :
- Blend with a electronic beater the egg white and sugar. Till it reaches a soft peak consistency.
- Add vanilla essence and mix again.
- Pipe into a cone and decorate the Easter eggs
