Deviled Easter Eggs

Easter isn’t Easter without boiled eggs, so why not have some fun and make a batch of very Easter-y and very colourful Deviled Easter Eggs!? Don’t hide these around the house and give the Easter Bunny all the credit!

DEVILED EASTER EGGS

We love Deviled Eggs, so when I was thinking about a recipe to post for Easter, it was a perfect solution.  Initially, I saw a similar post online, but the recipe used natural ingredients to get a good colour on the eggs.  Now, I’m not against that at all, so if you’d like to do something like that, it’s up to you.

I’ve always prided myself on the fact that my recipes are for the everyday family.  The recipes use ingredients that are easy to find, and not too expensive, and those recipes must be easy to make without any need for a fancy kitchen gadget.  That’s why I opted for food colouring to make these eggs rather than a natural food-based dye.

All of my food colouring products are Wilton.  I love Wilton food colouring for two reasons.  First, they have millions of colours available – well, maybe not millions, but enough by any standards.  And, the pigments are deep enough so that I can get bright, bold colours.

HOW TO DYE EGGS NATURALLY

If you’d like to opt for natural colouring, here’s how you can do it.  Follow the same steps as in the recipe below, but you’ll need to let your eggs sit overnight in the colouring water. 

For a purple colour, shred about a cup or two of red cabbage and add it to a saucepan.  Cover with water and bring to a boil.  This will release the colour.  Cool and add the prepared eggs.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  To obtain a red or pink colour, add the eggs to a bowl, cover with water, and add a peeled and roughly chopped beet.

You can get a great yellow colour by stirring a tablespoon or so of turmeric into a few cups of cold water.  Make sure the turmeric is completely dissolved before adding the egg.  You can achieve a teal or blue colour by adding a little bit of baking soda to the red cabbage solution.

Green can come from green leafy vegetables.  Roughly chop a bunch of kale and add it to a saucepan with cold water.  Bring to a boil and the green will release.  Strain and cool before placing the eggs in the liquid.

NATURAL WILL NOT BE AS BRIGHT!

Dear Reader, I want to be perfectly clear – using these natural food colouring alternatives will not result in a bright colour as you see in the photos.  The beet will give you a brighter colour, and so will the turmeric, but the rest will result in a very, very light pastel colour.

Now, I’ve gone on long enough about colour.  Let’s talk about these eggs!  Don’t you just love the deep, bright colours on these babies?  And, truthfully, there’s no gimmick or food photography trickery happening here.  There’s no special lighting either. 

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Eggs
• Mayonnaise – You can use any mayonnaise, even the fat-free stuff!
• Sweet Pickle Relish – I always have a jar of this in the fridge and a backup in the pantry, because I use it often. It adds sweetness and moisture to the ham, which allows you to cut back on the mayonnaise. But, more importantly, it adds flavour and texture.
• Mustard – Classic yellow mustard pairs well with the filling mixture, but you can use spicy or grainy mustard too if you wish.
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper
• Food Colouring

HOW TO MAKE DEVILED EASTER EGGS

Place the eggs into a pot and cover them with cold water.  Over high heat, bring the water to a rolling boil. Place a lid on the pot and turn off the heat. Allow eggs to sit on the burner for 30 minutes. In the meantime, pour three cups of water into each bowl – one bowl for each colour you are making. If you are making more than three colours, you will need more bowls of water.  Add a few drops of food colouring to each bowl.  Only one colour per bowl.  Stir well until the colouring has dissolved into the water.  Set aside.

Peel the eggs. Cut in half, lengthwise, and remove the yolk. Distribute the halved eggs into bowls of coloured water.  Cover each bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight. The longer you let the eggs sit in the water, the deeper colour you will get. The eggs in the photos were left in the water overnight.

Next, mash the yolks with a fork until no lumps remain. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, salt, pepper, and green pickle relish.  Stir well to combine. Cover and refrigerate until eggs are ready.

When ready to fill the eggs, remove them from the fridge and drain the water. It’s a good idea to work with one colour at a time to avoid the colours mixing. Gently pat dry each egg with a paper towel. Place the egg onto your serving platter. To fill, use a teaspoon and fill each cavity, otherwise, transfer all of the filling to a piping bag fitted with a large tip. Pipe the filling into each cavity. Garnish and serve immediately, or keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

EASTER ISN’T EASTER WITHOUT EGGS!

Do you and your friends or family celebrate Easter?  And, if so, do you make your own Easter eggs?  I’ve never made chocolate Easter eggs, and this is the first time I’ve ever made anything remotely Easter egg in terms of colour.  But, I had so much fun making these. 

Make no mistake about it though, I have my fair share of Easter chocolate. One of my favourites is Cadbury Cream and Mini Egg Fudge. And, my Easter Bunny Roadkill Cookies are loaded with Easter malted balls.

I had fun eating them too, which is why I won’t be making them too often.  Deviled Eggs are one of those food items that you can just pop into your mouth – the whole thing, if no one is looking!  But, they can be quite high in calories.

NO TIME FOR CALORIE COUNTING HERE!

When I bake or cook for a special occasion like Easter, I never concern myself with keeping calories or fat content low, which is why I used mayonnaise in these Deviled Easter Eggs. 

I’ve seen recipes with 0% fat sour cream and I just want to gag.  I’d rather not make them at all if I can’t use real mayo!  Special occasions are too rare to worry about such things.  I only mention the calories at all, because I ate about ten too many.  Oops!

The recipe is below – top these any way you like.  You don’t need to get all fancy; it’s about having fun in the kitchen and making something that’s pretty to look at and good to eat.  Have fun, and Happy Easter, Dear Reader!