Easter is almost here; with it comes the chaos of cooking and entertaining family, friends and maybe even some unexpected guests. There’s going to sunrise service, getting out the best china and linens, hiding the eggs, and Easter baskets. It’s safe to say, one does not simply pull off Easter without a little bit chaos, but maybe the problem is we are just not seeing things in the right perspective. Maybe we need to start thinking less like humans and more like… a hobbit.

Just imagine going over the misty mountain, going across acres of green forests and valleys.  After popping in for a quick stop at the Green Dragon Pub, you finally arrive in the Shire at Bag End. Hobbits, who are known for their hospitality, good food, and comfort, would be the ultimate hosts to take a note from.  What better way to relax on a beautiful spring Easter day than to act like a hobbit and enjoy good food and great company in ease! Hold on to your second breakfast as we go on an unexpected journey in the unofficial guide to sprucing up your families’ Easter into an Easter that Tolkien would appreciate.

According to the books, our hobbit friends eat over seven meals a day. I don’t want to even imagine the dishes to clean for a seven-meal day, and I am not going to begin suggesting dishes for you to plan a seven-course meal.  So, for this article we will cover the basics of two meals (breakfast, dinner and of course drinks) for you to sneak some Lord of the Rings inspired dishes to add to your Easter celebration.

Breakfast

For some, Easter Sunday starts early with Easter services. For others, the Easter festivities happen later, but are just as busy. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, whatever your Easter schedule looks like, and it should start out right. Inspired by the books and characters, we are going to take a page from Bilbo and the elves with these Hobbit inspired/ aesthetic dishes.

1. Bilbo’s Seed Cake

If you are look for a more traditional hobbit-type fare like Bilbo’s Seed Cakes, baking this dish the day before is the key to keep your morning going smoothly. Online, there are several recipes depicting the perfect recipe for Mr. Baggin’s seed cake. By no means do you have to use this recipe if you find one that better suits your needs, but as for me personally, the best recipe I have found by far is from the blog Vomiting Chicken due to its shorter baking time, use of nuts, seeds, and spices. For this recipe your will need:

• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups unbleached flour
• 2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp caraway seeds
• 3 tbsp poppy seeds
• ¼ cup chopped almonds
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ cup brandy or apple juice

• Vomiting Chicken says what you need to do is heat your oven to 300, and make sure that you butter or grease your cake pan or cookie sheet (depending on if you want individual cakes or one whole one).

• In a bowl you will want to mix in your butter and sugar until it they are white and fluffy.

• From there you want to slowly mix in your eggs and vanilla until it is all mixed.

• In another bowl, you will need to mix your dry ingredients (unbleached flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, and baking soda) as well as your spices, seeds and chopped almonds.  

• After pouring and mixing half of the dry mixture with your wet mixture, you will pour in your apple juice (or brandy if you are feeling brave as a dwarf).

• When it is all mixed up, add the last half of your dry ingredients. The blog says to be sure you do not overmix. You can either make it into patties, flatten in out, or place it in your cake pan or cookie sheet once it is done.

• The blog says the cakes take about 30 minutes to bake until golden brown.

• Rule of thumb, it is best to always check your cakes by sticking a toothpick in the cake to see if it comes out clean. If it does not come out clean, keep it in the oven a little bit longer. After the cakes are baked, place on a cooling rack, or if baking in a cake pan, set it out to cool.  Serve up with some honey or jam, and enjoy.

1. Berries and Cream (a Rivendale Inspired Delight)

So maybe the first recipe looked good, but is not going to help your Easter morning before all the chaos ensues. Maybe you have sunrise service and you need something quick and easy within the next 5 minutes, because you and your troupe are leaving for Mordor pronto.  Let us then take a page from the elves and go for something more natural and woodland. Let us take a look at this delicious berries and cream recipe found in Taste of Home. What you will need is:

• 1 ½ cups (12 ounces) plain yogurt
• 1 ¼ cups heavy whipping cream
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• 5 cups assorted fresh berries

1.First things first, gather all your ingredients, get a bowl to mix your yogurt, whipping cream, and brown sugar together.

2.After it is all mixed, scoop into a plastic Ziplock bag and carefully cut one of the corners so it is ready for piping into a fancy glass or bowl of your choosing.

3. When you have finished piping your mixture to the amount of your desire, then sprinkle on the fruit.  
4. To add a little extra pizazz, a drizzle of honey or chocolate syrup will complete this refreshing breakfast.  *Note: If you and your family find yourselves off on an unexpected journey early in the morning; using mason jars with a lid is an easy transport fix.

Drinks

Lemonade/Teas   For tea, Earl Gray or fruity teas with a little milk and honey is a good way to go if you want to add an authentic afternoon-tea-in-the-shire feel. Not in the mood for something hot, or just don’t like tea?  Lemonade infused with other sliced fruit will be a nice elfish touch with the refreshing taste of a spring day.

Black Dragon (alcoholic) This drink is for those of you who don’t want to drink like a dwarf and chug pint after pint of beer, but want to have a little fire in your veins.  Brought to us by our friends at Bite Me More, what you will need for this drink is:

• ¼ cup fresh raspberries
• 10 oz of Bacardi Dragon Berry Rum
• ½ oz Triple Sec
• ½ oz simple syrup
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 7-Up to top it off
• 3 mint leaves
• Extra raspberries and mint for garnish

1. 1. What you will need to do is muddle the raspberry and mint together in a large or tall glass.
   2. Once that is done, fill with ice, liquor, syrup and 7-Up. Stir until it is all beautifully mixed, and add garnish.

Dessert

Hobbiton English Toffee   Giving homage to J. R. R. Tolkien’s roots as an Englishman, what better dessert to set forth on the table than classic English toffee. What you will need is:

• 1 cup almonds, cut into 1-inch cubes
• ¼ cup finely chopped pecans 
• 1 cup of sugar
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups of chocolate chips (milk chocolate)
• 1 cup of butter (cubed)

1. From their website Crème de la Crumb, they say the first thing to do is toast your almonds in the microwave for 2-3 mins on a plate. When you are finished, place and space them on a foiled cookie sheet.
2. Mix together sugar, butter, vanilla, and salt in large sauce pan on medium heat. Make sure to stir constantly so it doesn’t burn.
3. Keep stirring till the sauce reaches a golden-brown color. When the color is reached, pour over almonds.
4. Let stand for 2-3 minutes, then pour chocolate chips over the caramel. After chocolate chips have melted, spread it evenly across. Pour pecans over and put in the fridge to let it cool.

And there you have it, a couple of dishes that will for sure inspire you, if not someone else, to enjoy Easter Hobbit style. May you all have a fantastic Easter filled with good food, great company, and plenty of good spirits.

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” -J.R. R Tolkien

Recipes from:

Amalia. “Bilbo’s Seed Cakes: a New Recipe Just in Time for the Dwarves!” Vomitingchicken.com, 6 Nov. 2017, vomitingchicken.com/make-bilbos-seed-cakes/.

“Black Dragon Cocktail Recipe – Best Cocktail Recipes.” Bitememore.com, www.bitememore.com/drinkme/106/black-dragon-cocktail-recipe.

Stillman, Michelle. “Berries in Yogurt Cream.” Taste of Home, Taste of Home, 1 Jan. 2018, www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/berries-in-yogurt-cream.

Tiffany. “Easy Homemade English Toffee.” Creme De La Crumb, 22 Nov. 2018, www.lecremedelacrumb.com/easy-homemade-english-toffee/.