Family Favorite EASTER goodies!

I miss all of the old, sentimental Easter traditions, don't you? When I was little, I remember all the ladies coming to church on Easter morning - and they ALL wore HATS and GLOVES! Isn't it sad that we hardly dress up at all anymore? Well, not this year! I am determined that I and my girls WILL wear Easter Bonnets this year, and I'll post pics when we do. Here are two yummy Easter recipes that we love, enjoy your holiday - and WEAR A HAT!!! "In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it, You'll be the grandest lady in the Easter parade. I'll be all in clover and when they look you over, I'll be the proudest fellow in the Easter parade. On the avenue, fifth avenue, the photographers will snap us, And you'll find that you're in the rotogravure. Oh, I could write a sonnet about your Easter bonnet, And of the girl I'm taking to the Easter parade." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HOT CROSS BUNS >>>INGREDIENTS: 3/4 cup warm water 3 Tb butter 1 Tb instant powdered milk 1/4 cup white sugar 3/8 tsp salt 1 egg 1 egg white 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 Tb active dry yeast 3/4 cup dried currants (optional) 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 egg yolk 2 tablespoons water 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoons milk >>>DIRECTIONS: 1. 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. 2. When 5 minutes of kneading are left, add currants and cinnamon. Leave in machine till double. 3. Punch down on floured surface, cover, and let rest 10 minutes. 4. 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. 5. Mix egg yolk and 2 tablespoons water. Brush on balls. 6. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 20 minutes. Remove from pan immediately and cool on wire rack. 7. To make crosses: mix together confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and milk. Brush an X on each cooled bun. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PEANUT BUTTER EGGS >>>INGREDIENTS: 2 cups creamy peanut butter 3/4 cup butter 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar 3 cups crispy rice cereal 1 (12 ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips 2 tablespoons shortening >>>DIRECTIONS: 1. In a mixing bowl, combine peanut butter and butter. Stir in confectioners' sugar and crisp rice cereal until a dough is formed. Place this mixture in the refrigerator for about an hour to allow it to cool until it is easier to work with. Shape mixture into egg shapes and freeze for 20 minutes. 2. Melt chocolate chips and shortening in a double boiler over low heat. When melted, dip egg shapes in chocolate. Place on waxed paper and allow to cool. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Here comes Peter Cottontail Hoppin' down the bunny trail Hippity hoppin', Easter's on its way Try to do the things you should Maybe if you're extra good He'll roll lots of Easter eggs your way You'll wake up on Easter mornin' And you'll know that he was there When you find those choc'late bunnies That he's hiding ev'rywhere"