Hard-Boiled Egg Penguins

We know Scrooge would say "Bah Humbug!" but we are way too excited for the holidays to notice, especially when watching The Muppets Christmas Carol. To celebrate our favorite Muppets, the penguins, try these Hard Boiled Egg Penguins!

Prep: 20 min | Cook: 9 to 15 min | Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

6 hard-boiled eggs*, peeled
18 mini baby carrots
16 large pitted black olives
12 roasted red pepper strips, each about 3 inches long
Wooden toothpicks

Instructions

Use large end of oval egg as base for penguin. Place one toothpick in each of 2 baby carrots (trim carrots if necessary). Stick top of toothpicks into bottom of egg to form "feet" of penguin. These will stabilize egg.
Use 1 olive for head of penguin. Trim 1 mini carrot to form nose. Cut sliver in olive to insert carrot nose. Insert toothpick into bottom of olive and place on top of egg to form "head" of penguin.
Cut 1 olive in half lengthwise for "flippers". Place 1 half on each side of egg using toothpicks that have been broken in half.
Place 1 strip of roasted red pepper around neck for a scarf. Place another strip of roasted red pepper down one side of penguin for drape of scarf.
Repeat process for each penguin.
Refrigerate until using.

Notes

* Hard-cooked eggs: Place eggs in saucepan large enough to hold them in single layer. Add cold water to cover eggs by 1 inch. Heat on high heat just to boiling. Remove from burner. Cover pan. Let eggs stand in hot water about 15 minutes for large eggs (12 minutes for medium eggs; 18 minutes for extra large). Drain immediately and serve warm. Or, cool completely under cold running water or in bowl of ice water, then refrigerate.

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

Nutrition

Per serving: Total Fat: 7g Saturated fat: 2g Polyunsaturated fat: 1g Monounsaturated fat: 3g Cholesterol: 187mg Sodium: 168mg Carbohydrates: 4g Dietary Fiber: 1g Protein: 7g Vitamin A: 2648.6 IU Vitamin D: 43.5 IU Folate: 22.6mcg Calcium: 40.5mg Iron: 1.2 mg Choline: 148.9mg

Attribution

Recipe and photo used with permission from: American Egg Board