Carrot Patches Recipes

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat pudding mix and milk with whisk 2 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in whipped topping and 1/4 cup of the cookie crumbs.
• Spread pudding mixture evenly in bottom of 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish. Cover with remaining cookie crumbs. Refrigerate 1 hour to set.
• Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir together cookie mix, butter, flour and egg until a dough forms. Add red and yellow gel food colors; stir until dough turns a bright orange color.
• With fingers, shape dough by rounded tablespoonfuls into small carrot shapes, about 2 inches long; place on ungreased cookie sheets. Repeat with remaining dough. Use sharp knife to make a few shallow lines across top of each cookie.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheets; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely.
• Place dab of white decorating icing on back of each cooled cookie. Break off pieces of edible Easter grass; attach a few pieces to icing on back of each cookie to look like green stem of carrot from front. Carefully place cookies upright in pudding mixture (you may not be able to fit all of the cookies). Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Oil and line a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment. Whisk the oil, yogurt, eggs and vanilla in a jug. Mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg with a good pinch of salt in a bowl. Squeeze any lumps of sugar through your fingers, shaking the bowl a few times to bring the lumps to the surface.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry, along with the carrots, raisins and half the pistachios. Mix well to combine, then scrape into the tin. Bake for 1 hr 10 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. If any wet mixture clings to the skewer, return to the oven for 5 mins, then check again. Leave to cool in the tin.
• To make the icing, beat the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add half the cream cheese and beat again, then add the rest (adding it bit by bit prevents the icing from splitting). Remove the cake from the tin and spread the icing thickly on top. Scatter with some of the remaining pistachios. Dye the fondant or marzipan orange by kneading in a drop of food colouring. Roll into little carrot shapes, then use a skewer to make indentations and poke a few pistachios in to look like fronds. Top the cake with the carrots, then serve. Will keep in the fridge for up to five days (eat at room temperature).

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Arrange 6 mini loaf cases (8 x 4 x 4cm) on a baking tray. In a large bowl, mix the sugar, flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda, spices, orange zest and ¼ tsp salt. In a jug, whisk the eggs, oil, milk and carrots. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix thoroughly. Divide the mixture between the cases and bake for 30 mins until risen and cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• While the cakes are cooking, make the carrot decorations. Mix the orange food colouring into the fondant icing until evenly coloured, then divide into 6 pieces. Roll each piece into a cyclinder, about 5cm long, then roll one end a little thinner to create a carrot shape. Use a cocktail stick to make indentations along the sides. Set aside, standing them on their fattest end, to firm up for 30 mins. Now make the chocolate icing. Put the butter, cocoa, icing sugar and milk into a saucepan, and bubble for a few mins, stirring with a small whisk until smooth and shiny. Set aside to cool for 20 mins. For the green coconut 'grass', tip the coconut into a small bowl, add a little green food colouring and mix until evenly coated.
• To assemble the cakes, first cut a little hole, about 1cm, into the centre of each to 'plant' your carrot later. Stir the icing and spread over the cakes to cover the surface. Push your carrot into the centre, then scatter the green coconut around the edges. Stick a sprig of parsley into the top of each carrot and sprinkle the coconut grass with green edible glitter, if you like. Can be stored in a sealed cake tin for up to 3 days.

Steps:

• For each patch, spook about 3 tablespoons of hummus into each 3-ounce size plastic cup. (This can be done ahead of time before a party or taking as a classroom snack).
• Before serving, poke a hole in the top of each baby carrot with a toothpick and insert a sprig of parsley into each hole.
• Plant four carrots in each cup of hummus.
• Place cups in mini terra-cotta pots -- a great party favor to be taken home with a package of seeds.