Eggs, Eggs, Everywhere Eggs!

Eggs, Eggs, Eggs! If your kids are anything like mine, they love coloring eggs, decorating eggs, hiding eggs and collecting eggs. But once all those pretty colored  eggs are nestled in the baskets, the kids aren't so enthusiastic about eating the hard-cooked variety.  Egg Salad, Macaroni, Potato and Tuna Salads only go so far in using up those eggs, and before long the question is whether the things are still safe for human consumption.

So here is an idea I've fallen back when the cartons of hard-cooked eggs threatened to crowd everything else from the refrigerator.

Recipe: Hard-Cooked Egg Cookies

Either the dough or the baked cookies can be frozen for future use.

Feel free to stir in your own favorite chips, nuts or spices, or top with sugar or frosting.

1/2 c. butter or lard
1/2 c. raw sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1 (raw) egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
3 hard-cooked eggs, coarsely chopped
1 3/4 c. all purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat or spelt flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
(optional)
whole almonds
or
1/2 c. each coconut, chocolate chips and raisins

Combine butter or lard, sugars, raw egg and vanilla in bowl of food processor. Process until thoroughly blended, about 5 seconds. With processor running, add chopped cooked eggs through chute, process another 3 seconds.
Stop processor and add dry ingredients, then process just until blended, about 4 seconds. (At this point the dough may smell more like eggs than cookies. No worries, the egg smell disappears with baking.)
Turn dough out of machine onto waxed paper, then follow one of the options.

> Option One: wrap and chill dough at least 2 hours. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Shape walnut sized balls, pinching one end to make slightly flattened egg shapes. Arrange on ungreased cookie sheet and press an almond on each. Bake 12 - 14 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from pan and cool on rack.

> Option Two: before chilling, knead into the dough 1/2 c. each coconut, chocolate chips and golden raisins or other dried fruit. Shape dough into a smooth logs about 2 1/2" in diameter, wrap and chill at least 2 hours.
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut log in 1/4" slices, arrange on ungreased baking sheet.
Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan and cool on rack.