Easter Dessert

Spring feasts are ripe with meaning and it’s a time for traditional spring foods such as ham, lamb, salmon, asparagus, strawberries, lemon and rhubarb—and time for spring flowers to decorate the table. And don’t forget eggs—they are usually a centerpiece food for the major holidays of spring like Easter and Passover.

I am planning a traditional Easter dinner of ham, a cheesy potato dish, asparagus, and the usual accompaniments but dessert is another matter. Dessert can be different every year and this year I have run across several I’d like to try.

Often Easter comes in March. Even though it comes in April this year, I am going to make an old-fashioned dessert called a Daffodil cake since March is the month for daffodils and the cake will look beautiful on the Easter table along with some fresh daffodils for a centerpiece. Sweetened strawberries served alongside would be perfect.

Since rhubarb and strawberries are among the first fruits to appear in the spring (rhubarb is technically a vegetable but is cooked and served sweetened as a fruit), I am throwing in a wonderful and simple dessert for fun—hey, it’s Easter, two desserts are allowed after the fasting of Lent.

Here is the great potato recipe that we use for family gatherings—easy, make ahead, delicious!

Two plus Two Potato Casserole

2 cups sour cream
1 can cream of celery soup
1 tsp. salt
Dash pepper
½ cup green onions, chopped
2 packages Simply Potatoes (brand) hash brown potatoes
½ cup butter, melted
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups crushed potato chips
¼ cup butter, melted
1 tsp. paprika

Mix sour cream, soup, salt and pepper, and green onions in medium bowl. Put hash browns, ½ cup melted butter and cheese in a 9x13” baking dish. Pour soup mixture over. Mix gently. Top with crushed potato chips and drizzle ¼ cup melted butter over. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Daffodil Cake (adapted from Betty Crocker Cookbook)

1 cup cake flour
¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar
12 egg whites (1 ½ cups)
1 ½ tsp. cream of tartar
¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup sugar
6 egg yolks
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. almond extract

Lemon glaze (below)

Preheat oven to 375. Stir together flour and ¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar; set aside. In large mixer bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt until foamy. Add remaining ¾ cup sugar, 2 Tbsp. at a time, beating on high speed until meringue holds stiff peaks. In separate mixer bowl, beat egg yolks about 5 minutes or until very thick. Gently fold flavorings into meringue. Sprinkle flour sugar mixture, ¼ at a time, over meringue, folding in gently just until no flour mixture is visible. Pour half the batter into another bowl; gently fold in egg yolks. Spoon yellow and white batters alternately into ungreased tube pan, 10x4 inches. Gently cut through batters to swirl. Bake on bottom shelf of oven about 40 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly with finger. Invert pan and let hang until completely cool. Spread with glaze.

Lemon Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
½ tsp. grated lemon peel
1 tsp. lemon juice
About 2 Tbsp milk
1 drop yellow food color

Mix all ingredients until smooth.

You can decorate this cake with candy flowers or other spring motifs.

Frozen Vacherin Torte with Rhubarb Cream and Strawberries (adapted from Bon Appetit, April 2002)

Begin preparing at least one day before you plan to serve it. Once assembled, the torte can be frozen for up to four days.
8-10 servings

Meringues

Non-stick vegetable spray
6 large egg whites
¼ tsp cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract

Rhubarb Cream

2 cups ½-inch pieces fresh rhubarb
3/4 cup halved hulled strawberries
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar
¼ cup water
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
5 large egg yolks
1 cup chilled whipping cream
½ tsp vanilla extract

Sweetened strawberries (optional)

For meringues: Position racks in top third and center of oven and preheat to 250 deg. Using 8-inch diameter bowl or plate as guide, firmly trace 2 circles onto 1 sheet of parchment paper and 1 circle onto second sheet. Place papers, marked side down on 2 baking sheets. Spray paper with nonstick spray. Using mixer beat egg whites in large bowl until frothy. Add cream of tartar and salt; beat until soft peaks form. Beat in sugar, 1 Tbsp at a time, then beat until whites are stiff and glossy. Beat in vanilla. Working in batches, spoon meringue into large pastry bag fitted with ½-inch plain tip. Starting in center of each traced circle and holding tip just above paper, pipe meringue in spirals to fill circles, forming 3 rounds. Bake meringues until firm, dry and pale golden, about 2 hours. Turn off oven; leave meringues in oven with door closed at least 4 hours or overnight.

For Rhubarb Cream: Combine rhubarb, strawberries, ½ cup sugar, water and lemon juice in saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat and simmer until rhubarb is very tender, about 15 minutes. Puree mixture in processor. Chill until cold. Whisk yolks and 1/3 cup sugar in large metal bowl to blend. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bowl to touch water). Whisk until mixture thickens and thermometer registers 140 for 3 minutes, about 7 minutes total. Chill mixture until cool, about 15 minutes. Gently fold rhubarb mixture into yolk mixture. Beat whipping cream and vanilla until stiff. Fold cream into rhubarb mixture in 2 additions. Place 1 meringue disk in 9-inch springform pan. Spread 1/3 of rhubarb cream (about 1 ½ cups) over meringue, leaving ½-inch plain border. Top with second meringue disk, then 1/3 rhubarb cream. Top with remaining meringue disk and rhubarb cream (cream will not spread to sides of pan). Freeze until cream is firm, about 6 hours. Release cake pan sides. Serve torte with sweetened strawberries, if desired.