Steps

• I recommend buying XL category eggs, as they have larger shells. Set the shells aside every time you use eggs. Be careful when opening them; you need them whole to bake muffins inside. Gently tap the tip of the shell with a pointed tool (a small knife, cheese slicer, fork prongs, toothpick) to make a small hole.

  

• Now, using your hands, remove small pieces of shell to widen the hole enough to let the egg out. Don’t make it too wide, about 0.4 inches in diameter.

  

• Wash the shells under running water, drain them on a clean cloth, and then put them in the oven at 212°F for 10-15 minutes. This way, you’ll sterilize them. Let them cool afterward.

  

• In a bowl, beat the eggs with oil, then add the yogurt and vanilla extract and continue mixing with a whisk.

  

• Now pour in the sugar and mix the ingredients well, always whisking. You don’t need to whisk for a long time, just until you have a smooth, lump-free mixture.

  

• Sift the flour with the baking powder and add them to the egg mixture.

  

• Whisk well, trying to incorporate air; the mixture should be slightly frothy and smooth.

  

• Now take the egg shells and place them inside the muffin cups (they should be rather small, 1.8 inches in diameter and 1.2 inches in height). To keep them upright, I placed parchment paper around the shells. If you have spray butter, you can spray a little inside, I didn’t use any. Put about two and a half teaspoons of the mixture inside each shell, filling them about halfway.

  

• If you don’t have enough shells, as happened to me, you can fill muffin cups; they won’t have an oval shape, but they’ll be just as delicious. The muffin cups I used are 1.6 inches in height and 2.2 inches in diameter; I pre-greased and floured them, then filled them halfway, about 4 teaspoons. To make them more indulgent, I added a teaspoon of peach jam inside and decorated the surface with sugar sprinkles. Now place all the muffin cups on the baking sheet. If you want to use only egg shells, you’ll need about fifteen.

  

• Bake at 356°F for about 20 minutes, on the second rack from the bottom.

  

• Let your egg muffins cool; if you filled them too much, the filling may spill out, but you can easily fix this problem by eating the evidence!

  

• Now comes the slightly more delicate task, you need to remove the shell carefully without damaging the muffin’s outer surface.

  

• And here they are ready to be decorated.

  

• Divide the powdered sugar into 4 small bowls: place 1 oz in 3 bowls and 2 oz in the fourth. Dilute with a little lemon juice, adding a few drops at a time, or it might become too liquid. Then add the coloring; gel or powder ones are better, as they won’t dilute the icing further.

  

• In the bowl with more sugar, leave the icing white. To decorate the eggs better, I recommend skewering them with a wooden skewer, being careful not to break them. Dip them in the water icing; if you can’t cover them well, use a teaspoon. To achieve a more uniform white, coat them two or three times in the icing.

  

• Then apply colored sprinkles as desired when the icing is still wet, otherwise, they won’t stick well.

  

• In one of the three bowls, I added the blue food coloring; proceed as with the white water icing. To achieve a more vivid color, coat the eggs two or three times in the sugar. Then apply colored sprinkles as desired when the icing is still wet, so they’ll stick better.

  

• In the second bowl, add the green food coloring and follow the same procedure as before.

  

• Do the same with the bowl containing the red food coloring. Set aside a little icing, both white and colored.

  

• Let the eggs dry for a few hours, resting them on the bowls with the wooden skewer.

  

• Once they are well dried, you can remove the wooden skewer, being careful not to damage them. I recommend keeping a little icing, both white and colored, to close the small holes that will remain at the egg ends. Let dry and here are your alternative Easter Eggs, they will make your table more beautiful, colorful, and also much more delicious!