Devilled Egg Chicks for Easter!

Dear Readers, for those of you have been kind enough to ask about my desperate driving adventures, I'm pleased to say that I now only have a few month's left on my P's (provisional) and the world's longest license might be coming to an end! I've become more confident with driving and although I still grip the wheel and sometimes forget to breathe when going through tunnels, I'm traversing Sydney with relative ease. Relative, I stress. Come mid year I could be on my proper driver's license. And mid year isn't that far away!

This year is progressing at an alarming rate and all my "to do" plans have become in danger of becoming expired New Year's resolutions. I still cannot believe that it is April already and Easter is upon us. Not that you wouldn't know as hot cross buns appeared in stores during January this year!

I saw this adorable Easter idea on the fantastic Mark from Javelin Warrior's Instagram and squealed with joy. Mr NQN is a boiled egg fanatic - I swear he could enter a boiled egg eating competition as he sucks back egg after egg with much savour and relish.

They're a cute idea that is really straightforward to do and come together quickly once you have the eggs boiled. I dare say that kids might turn their attention away from chocolatey treats for these little cuties, if only momentarily!

So tell me Dear Reader, are you finding that this year is moving ahead at a frightening pace? What food do you look forward to most during Easter?

Devilled Egg Chicks

• 12 eggs*
• 6-8 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons mustard (unseeded is best but all I had was seeded so my chicks looked a little like they had chicken pox)
• Tabasco sauce
• Salt and white pepper to taste
• Pinch of sugar
• 24 black peppercorns
• 1/4 carrot sliced into tiny beaks

*Tip: The older the eggs, the better as the shells slip off more easily in one piece.

Step 1 - Gently place the eggs in a saucepan of cold water and bring to a boil. Throw an unlit match in the water (a tip from Nigella Lawson to prevent any whites from billowing about in the pan) and boil for 8 minutes. Rinse under cold water and cool. When cool, peel the shells from the eggs.

Step 2 - If you use older eggs, the air sac in them gets larger with age so you won't need to chop off the bottoms to help them sit flat. Slice off the tops of the eggs about 1/3 of the way down. Scoop out the egg yolk and place in a small food processor.

Step 3 - Blend the yolks with the mayonnaise, mustard and Tabasco sauce. Add the salt, pepper and sugar to taste. Place in a piping bag and pipe the mixture into the hollowed out bottoms. Place the peppercorns as eyes and the carrot as a beak. Trim the tops - you can also make a jagged pattern on the tops and then place on top of the heads.