Easter’s on Its Way!

With that rough wintry weather melting away into our memories, spring’s sneaking up on us more quickly than we could’ve imagined! Easter is less than two weeks away, and we know you’ve got some snuggle bunnies and sweet buddies who will require some cheerful treats on this special holiday.

You can pack up an Easter basket with any combination of candy and non-edible gifts. Fill the bottom of a colorful basket with plastic Easter grass, shredded paper or bunched-up cotton fabric. Place games, toys, books and other large items in the basket before filling in the cracks with loose and packaged edible items.

There are plenty of different types of candies that will fit right in on Easter Sunday. Jelly beans, of course, are among the traditional offerings and are small enough to fill plastic eggs. Assorted gummy sweets, including traditional gummy bears and more off-the-wall gummy fruit salad and gummy fried eggs, are also general crowd-pleasers. If chocolate and nuts are more your speed, try some pretty pastel Jordan almonds and bright gourmet chocolate mints.

You could also opt to fill your baskets with some savory treats. Supreme roasted mixed nuts are a decadent delight appropriate for any holiday. Carrot chips are a light, healthy alternative to heavier snacks.

If you don’t have time to fill your own basket, we’ve got you covered with treats that become available especially for Easter! Bunny’s Bucket of Sweets features classic goodies like chocolate-covered sunflower seeds, white chocolate cherries and Swedish fish. The Easter Sweets ‘n Treats Basket is packed with even more treats, including Swiss petite fruits, ice cream sundae malted milk balls and cappuccino cocoa cordials. These packages both contain more than enough for several people to share.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can make traditional vanilla-nut candy eggs to top off your baskets. These chocolate-covered treats are time-consuming, but are a quite special once-a-year sweet!

To make vanilla-nut candy eggs, you’ll first want to line cookie sheets with either wax paper or silicone mats. Use an electric mixer to beat two egg whites in large bowl until soft peaks form. Measure 2 ½ cups of white sugar, ½ cup of light corn syrup, ½ cup of water and ¼ tsp. of salt into a medium saucepan and place it over medium heat. Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves and it comes to a boil. Raise the heat to medium-high, clip a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan and continue cooking the mixture (without stirring) until it reaches 260 degrees Fahrenheit.

While the sugar mixture is heating, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Pour the hot mixture, along with 2 tsp. of vanilla extract, into the egg whites, beating constantly. Continue to beat the candy on high until it turns from a glossy mixture to a rough, dull mixture. Add 1 cup of white or semisweet chocolate pieces and 1 cup of chopped walnuts to the candy.

Shape the candy mixture into eggs, placing each piece onto the cookie sheet. Slide the cookie sheet into the refrigerator until the candy is firm, then dunk each egg in melted chocolate and allow it to harden.