Our first egg… and a Cookie!

It happened, it finally happened!

The ducks started laying eggs.  I learned a valuable lesson as a baker who bought ducks solely to have ducks eggs on hand.  Don’t buy young ducks in the middle of summer?  Why?

About the time they mature enough to start laying eggs (around 5 months old) the hours of daylight are shortening and the ducks decide they don’t want to lay eggs until the days get longer the next year!

For weeks I have been going out in the dark to water and feed the ducks and anxiously peering into their house with a flashlight to look for eggs but there was nothing but straw and duck crap!  I know this is a food blog and it is probably not appropriate to mention bird feces in a post but it’s the reality of the situation!

Ducks eat.  Ducks swim.  Ducks poop all over the place!

I had given up all hope of having any duck eggs until spring when lo and behold last week one beautiful egg appeared nestled in the straw!  Addison and I were giddy with excitement in the 35 degree dark and misty morning!  So far we have had 9 eggs appear and they have ranged in size from 45 g to 85 g.  As a point of reference a large chicken egg is about 55 g.  I am hoping as the ducks mature they will be more consistence in size.

They are new to this thing – I feel I should cut them some slack.

 

In honor of our duck eggs, here’s a treat made absolutely perfect by the addition of ducks eggs!  By the way, that 85 g egg had a surprise inside, check out the picture below!

 

Nutella Cookies

makes about 20 cookies

 

1/2 c. nutella

1/4 c. Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 c. granulated sugar

2 duck eggs (3 chicken eggs)

1 t. vanilla extract

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 t. salt

1/2 c. Swedish pearl sugar

 

Combine all ingredients (except the pearl sugar) in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until incorporated.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, overnight is OK too.  The dough is  fudgey so lightly wet your hands and roll by tablespoons into a ball.  Roll the ball in the pearl sugar and place on a baking sheet.  Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the cookies for 6 to 7 minutes or until set.  Cool on a cooling rack before serving.  Cookies can be stored in a ziploc bag for up to 1 week.

 

Posted on November 7, 2013
This entry was posted in chocolate, cookies, desserts, Duck eggs, quick and easy and tagged baking with duck eggs, chocolate, cookies, ducks, nutella cookies, swedish pearl sugar.