Hard-Boiled EggPops

Hard-Boiled EggPops

Directions

  1. CUT a small X in the larger end of each egg; INSERT a thin bread or pretzel stick, being careful not to split the egg.

  2. SERVE the Eggpops with your choice of dip and favorite toppers.

    Easy 12-Minute Method for Hard-Boiled Eggs: Place eggs in a saucepan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Add cold water to cover the eggs by 1 inch. Heat over high heat just to boiling. Remove from the burner. Cover pan. Let eggs stand in hot water for about 12 minutes for large eggs (9 minutes for medium eggs; 15 minutes for extra large eggs). Drain. Shock the eggs in a bowl of ice water to cool them immediately. Hard-boiled eggs are easiest to peel right after cooling.

Ingredients

  • 4 large hard-boiled EGGS, peeled
  • 4 thin pretzel OR crisp bread sticks
  • 1/4 cup refrigerated ranch OR dill dip

Tips

Get the kids in the kitchen with this simple fun twist on hard-boiled eggs. Substitute carrot sticks for the pretzels.

 

Banish the greenish ring. This harmless but unsightly discoloration that sometimes forms around hard-boiled yolks results from a reaction between sulfur in the egg white and iron in the yolk. It occurs when eggs have been cooked for too long or at too high a temperature. Our method – cooking eggs in hot, not boiling, water, then cooling immediately – minimizes this.

 

Food safety precaution: Piercing shells before cooking is not recommended. If not sterile, the piercer or needle can introduce bacteria into the egg. Also, piercing creates hairline cracks in the shell, through which bacteria can enter after cooking.

 

Never microwave eggs in shells. Steam builds up too quickly inside and eggs are likely to explode.

Very fresh eggs can be difficult to peel. To ensure easily peeled eggs, buy and refrigerate them a week to 10 days in advance of cooking. This brief “breather” allows the eggs time to take in air, which helps separate the membranes from the shell.

 

Hard-boiled eggs are easiest to peel right after cooling. Cooling causes the egg to contract slightly in the shell.

 

 

To peel a hard-boiled egg: Gently tap egg on countertop until shell is finely crackled all over. Roll egg between hands to loosen shell. Start peeling at large end, holding egg under cold running water to help ease the shell off.

 

Storage time: In the shell, hard-boiled eggs can be refrigerated safely up to one week. Refrigerate in their original carton to prevent odor absorption. Once peeled, eggs should be eaten that day.

 

This recipe is an excellent source of choline and a good source of protein.

 

To ensure food safety, eggs should be cooked until both the yolk and the white are firm. Consuming raw or undercooked eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness, especially for those with certain medical conditions. For recipes that call for eggs that are raw or undercooked when the dish is served, use either pasteurized shell eggs that have been treated to destroy Salmonella, or use pasteurized egg products.

Click here for more food safety information.