. . . and I didn’t even mention the maple pecan pie from the previous post

Another holiday cooking in someone else’s kitchen. I didn’t take very many pictures, but here are the highlights of the food activities:

Yes, I took the maple pecan pie, and asked everyone to start eating it on Friday, so all the goodies wouldn’t pile up on one day. I did have one little slice and it was very good, full of nuts, both chopped and whole. Everyone liked it and it was gone before Sunday.

On Friday, my granddaughter and I made “Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes” from Two Peas and Their Pod—they turned out great. I bought a batter dispenser that you squeeze and she (4 yrs old) was able to help fill the paper liners. Probably 24 were too many, though, so a lot of them ended up going to work with Mommy. I went the easy frosting-in-a-can route, and we decorated with sprinkles, bunny ears, chicks, and candy eggs. It really is a good cake recipe that you should try if you like chocolate. I ate one, even though I am not a chocolate fan. The cake was moist and light, maybe a little spongy, if that’s the right word.

We brought waaay too many chocolate rabbits. My husband returned from the local chocolate store with a cake box full of them—7 lbs, he said! For only 4 chocolate lovers (doesn’t include me). Most of the rabbits were still in the box when we left. Yes, we are the type who pile food on you and then walk away.

We colored and decorated hard-boiled eggs, naturally, so at least there was some protein for snacking.

For the ham dinner,  I had ordered a Broadbent’s dry-cured country ham from Kentucky and it was pretty terrific. I should have taken a photo, as it was definitely the star of dinner, but you can get the idea from their site. Actually, I think ours was more photogenic with the scored fat and glaze. We had biscuits, which is a must with country ham, as well as scalloped potatoes and green beans. Can’t beat country ham in a biscuit.

The only things I brought home were a few yellow marshmallow Peeps, one of my favorite, if forbidden, candies. For some reason, the ones I picked out had lopsided eyes, so I’m not sure whether they are looking at me or at something beside me. And one had the nose pinched off by a sneaky granddaughter. The Peeps are sitting around uncovered waiting to become hard and chewy—that’s when they’re the best, says this Peeps connoisseur.