Croissant Carrots
with Egg Salad

This year is flying by (or should I say hoppin' by). I decided to have some fun for Easter this year by making these adorable croissant carrots filled with egg salad. I originally saw them on Pintrest and couldn't resist. Here's how to make these for your next Easter brunch or get together. They're a big hit!

INGREDIENTS
Makes 12 carrots
2        packages seamless croissant dough
8        hard boiled eggs, chopped to 1/2" pieces
1        large stalk celery, diced small
1        scallion (green onion), diced small
1/2 c  light mayonnaise (or regular if you prefer)
1 Tbs  yellow mustard
1 Tbs  sweet relish
1 tsp.  paprika
1         bunch flat leaf parsley (for the carrot tops)
           salt and pepper to taste

* You also need 12 cream horn cones available online from several merchants at $5 to $7 per pkg. of 6. I've seen cone forms made from aluminum foil if you can't get cones.

PREPARATION
Egg Salad
1. Add chopped eggs, celery, scallion,
mayonnaise, mustard, sweet relish, paprika,
salt and pepper in a bowl and stir until combined.

2. Refrigerate until needed.

Croissant Carrots
1. Using very cold dough, unwrap one
package and lay out on a flat surface.

2. Using a sharp knife, cut into 6 equal
strips longways.

3. Take one strip and roll into a "snake"
about 1/4" in diameter. Tip: work quickly
to keep the dough cold. Overworking will
make the croissants dense.

4. Starting at the point end of the cone form,
carefully wrap the dough around until you
reach the top, stopping just before the edge.

5. Place on a cold non-stick baking sheet.

6. Repeat steps 3 – 5 for all dough strips,
then repeat the process with the 2nd
package of croissant dough.

7. Bake at 350º for 10-12 minutes or
until golden brown.

8. Allow to cool and carefully remove
the cone forms from the croissants.

9. Fill each croissant with egg salad. Tip: Piping the filling is the easiest method, either with a piping bag with no tip, or a baggie with the corner cut to release the filling.

10. Top each carrot with a few sprigs of flat leaf parsley to finish.

Note: Although I prefer the "natural" look, I've seen these painted orange using food dye.