Egg-stra Special: Mom's Easter Treat

In my little world, there are several reasons to look forward to the Easter season. The baseball season is on the horizon (and the Knicks season is mercifully drawing to a close), another birthday is about to rear its ugly head, and then there's the actual Easter dinner, which is always delicious. While the ham, sweet potatoes, green beans with almond slivers and the like are all very fine, the one thing I really go nuts for is a pastry that we call "Egg in a Basket" (pictured, but I think this one was the "runt" of the bunch so it doesn't do it justice). For as long as I can remember my Mom has been making this wonderful treat, which is not quite cookie nor cake. This "Egg in a Basket" is actually called "Pupa Cu L'ova," and as best as I can tell is a traditional Italian pastry that is symbolic of the Easter season. My Mom recalls learning the recipe from her Aunt Mary, my Dad's aunt, sometime in the early 1960's. The treat is made from scratch using cookie dough rolled out, with strips placed across a hard-boiled egg in a cross shape and then baked. After the baskets are removed from the oven, icing (also made from scratch) and sprinkles are added on top at just the right moment. Mom makes them perfectly, which to me is having the dough still be doughy and chewy. I always try to scam a few extras but I have to fight with my two sisters, a brother and my four nieces and a nephew for them, not to mention my Dad, so this usually results in my coming home with just two. I may give this a try when I get the recipe from Mom but I'm sure it won't be half as good as hers. So I think next year I'll ask my Mom to make me a few extras in exchange for some Dior or L'Occitane products. Whaddya say, Mom? Do we have a deal?

Attack Of The Purple Dough Balls

Perhaps the most eye-catching treat recently, Entenmann's Pop'ems has released a grape-flavored donut ball. A circular donut hole (much like Dunkin' Donuts's Munchkins) with grape-tinged bright purple sprinkles, this dessert is quite the attention getter. At checkout at D'Agostino's, the cashier said, "Oh what's that? That looks ... interesting." Translation:"Are you really going to eat those?" Truth is that I had seen them in a couple of stores only to pass them by and then go back a few days later to find them gone. Someone's eating them, most likely college kids who might have an attack of the munchies. These Pop'ems would feel right at home with your lava lamp, black light poster and disco ball. Perhaps Entenmann's is trying to appeal to both the 16-20 and 60-80 years-old markets. There's also absolutely no info on this product on the Entenmann's site, making me assume this is a "limited edition" donut. Or perhaps they don't want to take credit for this strange item. If you really want to try them which I think is well worth it, check any supermarket or deli nearby a high school or university. In New York City, I found mine at D'Agostino's on Greenwich and Bethune Streets.