(Family Features) It’s hard to top a brunch feast spent snacking on sweet treats in the sunshine with loved ones. At the center of your celebration can be a springtime tradition with nearly endless possibilities: eggs.

Lean into the season with creative recipes like Prosciutto and Parmesan Egg Cups or Eggy Lemon Sandwich Cookies to take brunch to the next level. As a natural source of vitamins and minerals, eggs are a delicious protein powerhouse with just 70 calories per large egg. Boiled, scrambled, poached, baked and any other way you like them, they’re a kitchen superhero.

This spring, add eggs to your menu and explore fresh ways to celebrate the season at incredibleegg.org.

Prosciutto and Parmesan Egg Cups

Recipe courtesy of the American Egg Board and "Joy the Baker"
Total time: 34-36 minutes
Yield: 6 cups

• 12 pieces thinly sliced prosciutto
• 6 slices tomato
• 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 6 large eggs
• fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup finely chopped chives

1. Place rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 350 F.
2. Line muffin pan with six cupcake liners. Drape two slices prosciutto in each cup over liner, ensuring there are no holes for egg to sneak through.
3. Place one tomato slice in each cup. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon Parmesan atop each tomato. Crack one egg into each cup. Sprinkle each with fresh cracked black pepper, to taste.
4. Bake 14-16 minutes, or until eggs are cooked as desired. Top with chives.
5. Cool 5 minutes before serving warm.

Eggy Lemon Sandwich Cookies

Recipe courtesy of the American Egg Board and "Joy the Baker"
Total time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Yield: 16-18 cookies

Dough:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Lemon Curd:

• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Buttercream:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1-2 tablespoons warm milk
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds

1. To make dough: In medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
2. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together shortening and butter until well combined. Scrape down sides of bowl, add sugar and beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 3-5 minutes.
3. Add egg, milk and vanilla extract; beat until combined. Add dry ingredients and beat on low until dough forms. Scrape down sides of bowl to ensure no dry pockets at bottom. Wrap and refrigerate dough 30 minutes.
4. Place rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 350 F.
5. Roll half of dough on lightly floured counter to 1/4-1/2-inch thickness. Cut with 2-3-inch egg cookie cutter and place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Use 1-inch round or egg-shaped cookie cutter to cut yolk holes out of half the cookies. Bake 8-10 minutes until just golden around edges. Cool completely before filling.
6. To make lemon curd: In 2-quart heavy saucepan, whisk juice, zest, sugar and eggs. Stir in butter and cook over low heat, whisking frequently, until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk and bubbles appear on surface, about 6 minutes.
7. Transfer lemon curd to bowl and chill, covered with plastic wrap, until cold, at least 1 hour.
8. To make buttercream: In medium bowl using electric hand mixer, beat butter until well softened. Add powdered sugar, salt and lemon zest; beat on low. Add milk and whip to combine. Beat in poppy seeds. Transfer frosting to zip-top bag with corner cut off or piping bag with medium round tip. Leave buttercream at room temperature until ready to pipe.
9. To assemble cookies: Flip each whole egg cookie so bottoms are facing up. Pipe buttercream frosting around edges. Spoon 2-3 teaspoons lemon curd into centers of cookies. Top each with one cookie with hole; press gently and spoon 1 teaspoon lemon curd into cookie hole.

Source: American Egg Board

(Family Features) Dancing leprechauns, pots of gold, corned beef and cabbage, green beer, parades, and the wearing of the green are all synonymous with St. Patrick's Day. But perhaps the most iconic symbol of all is the shamrock, the ubiquitous three-leafed plant that makes an appearance in a myriad of ways - it's said to bring good luck.

In honor of the day and to start a new tradition to be enjoyed after the corned beef and green beer, the Wilton Test Kitchen created a Lucky Giant Shamrock Cookie that's easy to bake and decorate. It's the perfect way to add fun, color and sweetness to a St. Paddy's party; there's plenty to serve a crowd. Plus, kids and adults alike will enjoy this colorful cookie.

The delicious butter cookie dough with a hint of almond is baked in a shamrock-shaped pan. To decorate, start with white ready-to-use decorator icing in a can (no special skills required). Use part of it to ice the background and sides of the shamrock. Tint a portion green and ice the shamrock shape on top of the cookie, then add green candy-coated chocolates to outline the edges. The message is written with the remaining white icing.

Visit www.wilton.com for additional ideas for St. Patrick's Day, and for celebrations of all kinds.

Lucky Giant Shamrock Cookie

Makes about 15 servings

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cans (16 ounces each) White Ready-To-Use Decorator Icing
• Kelly Green Icing Color
• Light corn syrup
• Green candy-coated chocolates

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy; beat in egg and extracts. Add flour mixture to butter mixture 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Do not chill dough. Press into bottom of ungreased Shamrock Pan.
3. Bake 20-25 minutes or until edges of cookie are lightly browned. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely. Place cooled cookie on foil-wrapped cake board or large serving platter.
4. Tint 2 cups icing green; thin with corn syrup. Reserve 1/4 cup white icing; thin remaining white icing with corn syrup. Use spatula to ice sides and background areas with thinned white icing. Spatula ice shamrock on top of cookie with green icing. Position candy on edges of shamrock. Using Tip 4, print message with reserved 1/4 cup white icing.

Convenience Tip: Substitute 2 packages (18 ounces each) refrigerated cookie dough for cookie recipe above.

Source: Wilton Enterprises

Try this healthy spin on a classic cookie treat.  For more recipes go to culinary.net.

Watch video to see how to make this delicious recipe!

Gingerbread Cookie Shake

• 1 1/2 cups vanilla protein shake
• 1 tbsp. molasses
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 tbsp. chia seeds
• 1/2 cup ice

1. Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Serve.  

Source: Culinary.net

(Family Features) Parents know raising healthy and successful children means more than encouraging learning and praising positive behavior. It also means instilling smart habits from the earliest years to create lifelong practices that promote overall health and good nutrition.

If getting your kids on board seems like a daunting challenge, try these tips from the fresh produce experts at ALDI for bringing more fruit, veggies and other healthy foods to your family’s table without busting your budget:

One smart cookie. For “cookies” you can feel good about giving your kids, cut an apple to create round slices then slather the slices with their favorite nut butter (peanut, almond or cashew) and top with raisins, yogurt bites or chocolate chips.

Fresh and fruity. Swap sugary drinks for fresh, fruit-infused water. Let kids pick their favorite flavor combinations each evening and refrigerate water to infuse overnight so it’s ready to enjoy the following day.

Icy sweet treats. Make your own frozen pops using ingredients like fresh fruit, yogurt or milk. Use store-bought molds or substitute small paper cups covered with plastic wrap. Just poke sticks through the plastic to hold them in place until the mixture freezes.

Hands-on helpers. Getting kids in on the action is a great way to encourage healthier eating habits. After all, if they helped make it, it has to be good. Once all the ingredients have been sliced and diced, a recipe like these Grilled Balsamic Vegetable Pops is easy for kids to assemble. Just ask them to thread the skewers in their favorite color and flavor combinations.

It takes a village. Learning about the benefits of healthy eating can be fun, especially when you take advantage of programs in your community, such as those offered by libraries, community centers and schools. Through partnerships like the one ALDI has with Action for Healthy Kids, families and schools have increased access to nutrition education and physical activity tools that make living and eating healthy fun.

Find more tips to encourage the little eaters in your family to enjoy the nutritious bounties of summer at aldi.us.

Grilled Balsamic Vegetable Pops

Recipe courtesy of Chef Alyssa, ALDI Test Kitchen

• 4 wooden skewers
• 1 zucchini, cut into rounds
• 1 yellow pepper, chopped
• 4 mushrooms, halved
• 4 cherry tomatoes
• 1 ear sweet corn, cut into rounds
• 2 tablespoons Carlini Pure Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Stonemill Iodized Salt
• 1 teaspoon Stonemill Ground Black Pepper
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1. Soak wooden skewers in water for 10 minutes before grilling. Heat grill to medium-high (400-425 F.)
2. Pierce vegetables with skewers and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place on hot grill.
3. Turn frequently to prevent burning. Vegetables should be golden and tender after 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Source: ALDI

(Family Features) Treat your holiday guests to something special this Christmas. From mouth-watering spritz cookie recipes that will outshine the rest, to delicious hot cocoa boosted with salted caramel and an edible candy spoon on the side, you’ll be the host with the most in no time at all.

Spritz Cookies with a Little Glitz

You know gingerbread and sugar cookie, but do you recall the most impressive cookie of all? Spritz cookies are fast and fun. Use a Wilton Cookie Press to make dozens of delicious, perfectly-shaped uniform cookies quickly. Add a spritz of edible silver or gold Color Mist Food Color Spray to make them shiny and bright.

Santa’s Favorite Spritz Cookie

Indulge Santa’s sweet tooth with decadent chocolate spritz cookie sandwiches filled with a layer of peppermint icing. Take a shortcut by using decorator icing that is already flavored and ready to squeeze, perfect for the time-crunched holidays.

Ho-Ho-Hot Cocoa with a Twist

There’s nothing quite as comforting as a cup of hot cocoa on a cold winter day, but add a dash of salted caramel flavor and you’re in for a real treat. Made with velvety Dark Cocoa Candy Melts candy, steamed milk and a splash of Treatology Salted Caramel flavor, this cocoa offers just the right balance of salty and sweet.

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Sugar Cookie Spoons

The delicious taste of sweet, baked Christmas cookies is captured in the Limited Edition Sugar Cookie Flavor Candy Melts candy and made into edible candy spoons with a microwaveable Spoon-Shaped Silicone Candy Mold.

For more holiday ideas and inspiration, visit wilton.com.

Metallic Spritz Cookies

Makes: 10 dozen cookies

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon Wilton Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 teaspoon Wilton Imitation Almond Extract
• Silver Color Mist Food Color Spray
• Gold Color Mist Food Color Spray
• Buttercream icing
• Wilton Silver Sugar Pearls
• Wilton Gold Sugar Pearls

1. Heat oven to 350 F.
2. In medium bowl, combine flour and baking powder.
3. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk and extracts; mix well. Gradually add flour to butter mixture, mixing to make smooth dough. Do not chill.
4. Place dough into cookie press using an 8-petal flower disk and press cookies onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Cool cookies on pan on cooling grid 2 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on grid. You will need two cookies per treat.
5. Use silver or gold Color Mist food color spray to spray cookies. Let dry, about 3-5 minutes. Turn cookies over and spray underside. Let dry, about 3-5 minutes.
6. Prepare buttercream icing or use pre-made buttercream icing. Use tip 12, cut disposable decorating bag and icing to pipe elongated beads on bottom of one cookie, following cookie shape. Sandwich two cookies together.
7. Use tip 4, cut disposable decorating bag and icing to pipe a dot in center of sandwich cookie. Top dot with either silver or gold sugar pearls.

Chocolate Peppermint Spritz Sandwich Cookies

Makes: 4 dozen sandwiches

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon Wilton Pure Vanilla Extract
• 2 eggs
• Wilton Peppermint Decorating Icing

1. Heat oven to 350 F.
2. In medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, mixing to make a smooth dough.
4. Place dough into cookie press and press cookies onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. Cool cookies on pan on cooling grid 2 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on grid.
5. Sandwich cookies together with Peppermint Decorating Icing.

Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate

Makes: 4 cups

• 4 cups milk
• 1 cup Dark Cocoa Candy Melts Candy
• 1/4 teaspoon Wilton Treatology Salted Caramel Flavor Concentrate

1. In large saucepan, cook milk on medium heat until hot; remove from heat. Whisk in candy and flavor concentrate. Continue whisking until candy is melted and mixture is smooth. Serve immediately.

Sugar Cookie Candy Spoons

Makes: 24 spoons

• Wilton Sugar Cookie Candy Melts Candy (12-ounce bag)
• Wilton Christmas Candy Spoon Mold
• Wilton 12-inch Disposable Decorating Bags

1. Break 12 candy wafers in half and place in cavities of mold. Place mold in microwave and microwave at half power or defrost setting for 1 minute. Gently jiggle and lightly tap mold to smooth melted candy. Continue to microwave and tap at 30-second intervals until smooth and completely melted.
2. Alternate melting method: Melt candy in disposable decorating bag according to candy package directions. Snip a small tip off end of bag and gently squeeze bag to fill cavities with melted candy.
3. Chill filled mold until candy spoons have hardened, about 10-15 minutes. Place mold on flat surface and gently push on bottom of cavities to release candy.

(Family Features) The hottest item to give and exchange this holiday season is a cookie. That’s because each cookie shared this November and December can mean supporting Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, a non-profit that raises funds for pediatric cancer research through cookie sales.

Glad has teamed with businesswoman and mother Ivanka Trump and award-winning chef and head judge of Bravo’s “Top Chef Just Desserts” Johnny Iuzzini to help spread the word. You can help in two ways:

• Send a virtual cookie to a friend at www.Glad.com.
• Host a Cookies for Kids' Cancer Bake Sale or Cookie Exchange. Register the event at www.cookiesforkidscancer.org and share how many cookies were sold or exchanged.

Glad will donate up to $1 for each edible or virtual cookie exchanged, up to $100,000.

Cookies for Kids' Cancer inspires individuals, communities and businesses to join in the fight against pediatric cancer. Pediatric cancer is the leading cause of death by disease for children in the United States, yet approximately half of the drugs used to treat children with cancer are at least 20 years old, according to the Institute of Medicine.

“As a mom, I want to do everything I can to help our children,” said Ivanka Trump. “The Cookie Exchange reminds us that the simplest transactions can be most impactful.”

Everyone can make a difference, one cookie at a time. Here is one of Iuzzini’s original holiday cookie recipes for inspiration:

Lime Shortbread

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen 2-inch cookies

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 2 finely grated zest limes
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1. Put butter into standing mixer with the paddle, and mix on medium-low until a thick paste forms with no visible butter lumps. Add lime zest, juice and salt, and mix until well combined.
2. Meanwhile, sift flour and confectioner’s sugar together. With mixer on low, slowly add dry ingredients to butter mixture, stopping to scrape down bowl as necessary. Mix until just combined.
3. Turn dough out onto large sheet of plastic wrap and press into a rectangle about 1/2-inch thick. Wrap dough tightly in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
   Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Remove dough from refrigerator and let stand for about 10 minutes.
4. Lightly flour a sheet of parchment, unwrap dough, and set it on paper. Lightly flour top of dough and place another sheet of parchment over the top. Roll dough to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Use a 2-inch cutter to cut out cookies; transfer them to baking sheets, about 1 inch apart.
5. Re-roll dough as necessary to cut out cookies until dough is used up. Freeze cookies on pan for 10 minutes.
6. Bake cookies, rotating pans halfway through, until light golden brown on the edges, about 15 minutes. Cool on pan for 10 minutes before transferring to rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2teaspoon salt
• 3/4cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray outside of each bowl cavity of Ice Cream Cookie Bowl Pan with vegetable pan spray.
2. In large bowl, combine flour, sugars, baking powder and salt; mix well. In small bowl, whisk together melted butter, eggs and vanilla; add to dry ingredients, mixing well to form stiff dough. Mix in chocolate chips.
3. Roll out dough on generously-floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut 5-inch round circles from dough. Drape one circle over each cavity of pan, pressing to form smooth surface.
4. Bake 12-14 minutes or until cookie cups are firm and golden brown. Cool on pan on cooling rack 5 minutes. Loosen bottom edges of cookies from pan using small spatula. Carefully remove cookies from pan and cool completely. Wash and dry pan; repeat with remaining dough.
5. Fill cooled cookie bowls with ice cream, pudding or fresh fruit.

Serves

Makes 12 bowls

Source

Wilton Enterprises

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Nestlé Toll House Baking Cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 2/3 cups (10-ounce package) Nestlé Toll House Swirled Morsels, divided

Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 325°F.
2. COMBINE flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in 1 cup morsels. Drop by well-rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheets. Top with remaining morsels.
3. BAKE 11 to 13 minutes or until cookies are puffed and centers are set. Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Serves

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies

Source

Nestlé Toll House Morsels

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
• 1 cup Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Glaze (recipe follows)

Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Grease baking sheets.
2. COMBINE flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets.
3. BAKE for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Drizzle Glaze over cookies.
4. For Glaze: COMBINE 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl until smooth.

Serves

Makes 3 dozen

Source

Libby's Pumpkin