The first Easter basket

Photo by D. Mutz

I grew up looking forward to getting a little basket of chocolate treats on Easter and hiding homemade Easter eggs in the yard for my sister and parents to find.  As little girls, my sister and I would hide the eggs we had dyed, camouflaging them as well as possible -- pink eggs in the blooming pink phlox, yellow eggs in the daffodills . . . you get the idea.  I think one year we hid some so well we didn't find them until they started stinking like sulfer days later! These days, my sister and I still exchange the obligatory peanut butter eggs on Easter (although this year I also got socks, which was lower calorie and quite nice).

Wyatt is just over two now, which seemed old enough to get into the idea of an Easter basket, so we gave it a try this year. His first basket included the obligatory Easter candy, but wait . . . there was more!  He got a Nerf football, toy cars, a spy glass, and stickers. Then he got an Easter basket from his friend Arlo . . . and a book from Aunt Becky and Uncle Darren. We were right, he liked it a lot.

Wyatt was primed to know something was up.  The whole week leading up to Easter included opportunities to celebrate spring with traditional egg-related activities -- plastic eggs and treats to enjoy all last week at his grandparents' house in Corvallis, a pre-Easter egg hunt at a friend's house complete with a real Easter bunny (Wy wasn't so sure about him), and an egg hunt with his buddy Arlo in our backyard after brunch on Sunday. Wyatt has gotten to be a pro at finding eggs and gobbling down the treats inside them.

Last Sunday, which was Easter, we once again gave a nod to Spring with friends and family.  Our brunch menu has become a bit of a tradition (if two years of the same makes a tradition, that is) -- a blintz souffle with blueberry sauce, an eggy-potatoey dish, and fruit, pastries, and good drinks.  I recall promising a recipe for the delicious blintz dish last year when I posted about it, but I never delivered.  A year later, I am making good on my promise.  I have procured the sought-after recipe and here it is -- a favorite dish in my brother-in-law's family.

Photo by D. Mutz

Photo by D. Mutz

Photo by D. Mutz

Blintz Souffle with Blueberry syrup
from Darren's kitchen

The batter

1/4 butter, softened
1/3 c. granulated sugar
6 eggs
1 1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 orange juice (or orange juice concentrate)
1 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder

The filling

8 ounces cream cheese, cut into pieces
1 pint small curd cottage cheese
2 egg yolks
1 Tb. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Butter a 13 x 9 baking dish and set aside.  Combine batter ingredients in a mixer and mix until well blended.  Pour half the batter into the prepared pan.

Combine the filling ingredients together in a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process until well blended.  Drop the filling by heaping spoonfuls over the batter in the pan.   Spread with a knife of offset spatula to even out the filling.

Pour remaining batter over the filling.  Bake uncovered in a preheated 350-degree oven for 50-60 minutes, or until puffed and golden.  If not baking immediately, cover and refrigerate as long as overnight.  Bring to room temperature before baking.

The blueberry syrup

30 ounces frozen blueberries
1/2 can frozen apple juice concentrate

Combine above ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat just until it begins to boil.

2 Tb. cornstarch
2 Tb. cold water

Mix cornstarch and water, then add it to blueberry mixture.  Bring back to a boil stirring constantly.  Remove from the heat and let it cool for about 10 minutes before serving.  The syrup may also be made a head and refrigerated.  Warm before serving.  Makes about 4 cups.