Deviled Eggs

 

Deviled eggs are a classic appetizer and you should not have a gathering with out them. Or at least attempt to. In my house there is an invisible thief and somehow the filling miraculously disappears if you turn your back to the counter.  Hmmmmm... Sister, why are you licking your lips??

There are oh so many devilish recipes but this is the one my family has always used. I am actually a huge fan of "basic recipes" that serve as a good starting point and can usually be tweaked several ways to create many varieties or to end up with something totally different. Take the sugar cookie for example - add chocolate chips - totally different cookie. Similarly the deviled egg can have a sweeter flavor by using relish in the filling or spicier flavor if you choose to add a dash of Tabasco sauce.  The possibilities are limitless and that's exciting. For your next party you could create a deviled egg sampler.. fun!

Deviled Eggs

(makes 24)

12 Eggs

1/4 cup yellow mustard

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup parsley

3 mini kosher dill pickles

paprika and parsley for garnish

Boil the eggs. See below for how-tos and tips.

After carefully peeling the eggs cut in half length wise. Rinse to make sure you do not have any little pieces of shell still stuck to the egg. Scoop out the egg yolks. Theses should pop out pretty easily but you can use a spoon if needed. Set the whites on a plate and the yolks in a separate bowl.

In a blender or food processor chop the pickles until you achieve minced pieces (about the size of bacon bits). You can add a little pickle juice too if you'd like (a tablespoon or so).

Add the egg yolks to the pickles. I have a tiny food processor so it was easier to do this in two separate batches (just add half the ingredients at a time).  Add mustard, sour cream, and parsley. Process until creamy.

I like to pipe my deviled eggs. Its fancier. But you can spoon the mixture into the egg whites. Caution: the pickle pieces might clog a very small piping attachment so try something with a wider tip. If you don't have such fancy kitchen accessories put the filling in a plastic sandwich bag and snip the corner.

Sprinkle the little devils with some paprika (or cayenne pepper) and top off with a piece of parsley and you've got a very impressive dish of deviled eggs. :)

Here are some other filling recipes you can try.

Tips for perfect hard boiled eggs:

Boiling eggs would seem like a no brainier but there are a few tricks that will make the peeling process a bit less frustrating.

1. Fresh eggs might be harder to peel so this is a great way to use eggs that have been in your fridge for a few days. (Note: this is rule is NOT applicable to baking. To bake always use the freshest eggs you have!)
2. Try to find a pot in which the eggs fit comfortably beside each other. Not too much wiggle room but don't stack them. 
3. Always place eggs in cool water at the beginning of the cooking process. (put eggs in the pot and cover completely with cool water. Place on the burner and then turn on the heat.) The gradual exposure to heat won't shock the egg. This way you will avoid rubbery textures and it will also make peeling easier.
4. Bring the water to a boil. After achieving a rolling boil turn off the burner and cover the pot.  Let the eggs sit for 15 minutes. This will result in perfectly yellow yolks. No green or gray. Yay!
5. Drain the hot water and fill the pot with ice cold water. After the eggs have completely cooked drain again and place in the fridge until ready for use.
   

Nutritional Facts: (makes 24)

Calories 89, Fat 6.3g,  Carbs 1.9g,  Protein 6.5g,

Vitamin A 5%, Calcium 5%, Iron 6%