How To Craft Cascarones

COMBINE 1 cup boiling water, 1 tsp. of distilled white vinegar and about 20 drops of food coloring of your choice in each dye cup. DYE the eggshells by dunking each egg slowly into a dye cup. LET eggs thoroughly dry.

FILL eggs with confetti using your hands or a funnel. Using scissors, CUT a ¾-inch square of tissue paper. GLUE the tissue paper over the hole on the egg.

When ready, CRACK cascarones by hand or on a hard surface to release the confetti … and have fun!

Wash the egg, using water warmer than the egg, and dry it. With a sterilized long needle or small, sharp skewer, prick a small hole in the small end of the egg and a large hole in the large end. Carefully chip away bits of shell around the large hole until it’s big enough to accommodate the tip of a baster. Stick the needle or skewer into the yolk to break it.

Either shake the egg large-end down over a cup or bowl until the contents come out or use a baster to push out the contents. Press the bulb of the baster to push air into the egg, letting the contents fall into the cup. If the contents don’t come out easily, insert the needle again and move it around to be sure both the shell membranes and yolk are broken. Rinse the empty shell under cool running water and stand it on end to drain and dry. Be careful when decorating emptied shells – they’re quite fragile.

Use contents immediately in a recipe that includes mixed yolks and whites and calls for thorough cooking. Most baked dishes – such as casseroles, custards, quiches, cakes or breads – are good uses for eggs emptied from their shells.