Mama Gibson's Buttercream Eggs

Every Easter, for as long as I've lived, my Mom has made my Great Grandmother, Mama Gibson's Buttercream Eggs. They are sooo rich, as children we were only allowed a sliver at a time. These days, I can polish off two before Easter sunset and looming Diet Monday...

1/2 lb. butter

2 lb. Confectioner's Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
2 tablespoons milk

Mix together by hand...

Additional ingredients may now be incorporated to make different flavors such as peanut butter...

And, my personal fav, cherry. Since this recipe has been handed down through four generations, exact measurements are mostly stored in memories. Unfortunately, my Mother's memory is currently sailing around the Virgin Islands and could not be tapped...

But, I do recall that you must add some of the Maraschino cherry juice to give the cherry eggs their pink hue. Other flavors that have graced our baskets over the years include coconut, pecan and chocolate...

*My mother arrived back in the country late last night and has been frantically calling to tell me you do NOT add cherry juice to the buttercream mixture. In fact, the cherries must be blotted with a paper towel to remove excess liquid. The pink hue will occur naturally once the cherries are added.

After experimenting with the flavors mixology, shape into eggs and refrigerate for 1-2 days. So, you'll want to start these as early as today and no later than Good Friday...

After your mandatory refrigeration period:

1/2 lb. unsweetened chocolate

2 inches of wax

Melt together in a double boiler...

Dip, or ladle as my sister is shown doing, to cover eggs in chocolate wax mixture...

Place on a wax lined cookie sheet and garnish so you'll know what flavor lies beneath. Place back in the frige til chocolate hardens. Individually wrap each egg in Saran and keep refrigerated...

Last year my sister Genevieve made the eggs and, since we have outgrown Easter baskets, my Mom distributed them in pretty, tissue lined boxes from Williams-Sonoma...

Although, I am a huuuge fan of the topiary baskets from Cliff Finch's Zoo...

I had the bunny one for years and 'twas indeed a show stopper. Great for buttercream eggs, jelly beans and Hermès bangles but, I kinda outgrew mine when I started asking the Easter Bunny for Benz wagons and Goyard totes...

Kindness of my sister Genevieve for providing all the pics of last year's egg making. And, as I requested yesterday, cherry for moi and plain for my other one Babe please...XXOO