my FAVORITE deviled eggs

Well, I had a post about something non-food related scheduled for today but after posting this post to Instagram Sunday evening...

...I got all. the. hands. raised.

Like, a lot of hands...

And i'm kind of surprised, because, deviled eggs are a royal pain to make.

They're tedious, and time consuming...

My husband calls them 'a labor of love' - every time he catches me in the kitchen peeling away, he tells me that - 'what a labor of love'

every.single.time.

...I think it's just his way of acknowledging the fact that if he didn't kiss up say such sweet and thoughtful things that I might stop making them ;) 

...but apparently I'm not the only one among my friends that enjoys this 'labor of love'!

So, I'm giving you my best, best, BEST deviled egg recipe today and will show you some 'house-y-esque things tomorrow... Sound good?

Okay.

Now here's the thing...

Growing up, one of my absolute FAVORITE things my grandmother would make was deviled eggs.  Every time we'd go to her house for dinner, she'd walk me over to the kitchen and tell me to open the fridge - and there would be a plate of deviled eggs chilling.

Every. Single. Time.

If she didn't 'call me over to the fridge', I knew we weren't having deviled eggs ;)

Now. Dodie (that's my grandmother's name), I love you.

...and I LOVE your deviled eggs.

...but I have been hiding something for YEARS from you

I do NOT like pickles in my deviled eggs.

Can't stand them, actually. 

So every time I indulge in one or two or six of your deviled eggs, I pick out the pickles.

It's tedious but it's worth it.

Phew. Glad I got that off my chest.

So, it goes without saying that when I make deviled eggs, I absolutely do not put pickles in them.

...I know, so rebellious of me.

Here's my absolute favorite way to make them...

and I promise you, speaking as an expert in all things deviled eggs, It will become your favorite, too.

this makes 16 deviled eggs (I know the picture only shows 14 but I ate two of them... whoopsie!)

SHOPPING LIST:

8 large boiled eggs

2 1/2 tablespoons of salted butter, softened 

3 tablespoons of mayonnaise

1 1/2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (we use Franks!)

smoked paprika (regular paprika works, too, but smoked is *actually* where it's at...)

S&P

DIRECTIONS:

Peel and divide your boiled eggs 

...I feel like that goes without saying but...

Take out yolks and place in a mixing bowl and combine all of your ingredients

Salt and pepper that delicious mixture to your liking 

Fill your egg 'cups' accordingly and sprinkle with the smoked paprika 

Refrigerate until ready to serve

Now, the refrigerating part.

...that is not a drill.

This particular mixture will actually thicken almost to a mousse like texture.

You want that mousse like texture? Then you need to refrigerate your eggs for a little bit (think like, two hours or so...)

...if you don't and you've got some sort of opposition towards heavenly mousse like textures, then eat them whenever you want.. refrigerated or not.

...You do you.

Yum, yum, yum.

Take all of those leftover Easter Eggs and enjoy!