Pinkalicious Deviled Eggs

You know that one person in your family that has that annoying habit that drives you and the rest of the clan batshit crazy? [Ed. note: It's a technical term.]

That person was me.
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Removing the filling of a Hostess Twinkie, Suzy Q, or cupcake. Digging out the fruit at the bottom of a yogurt cup, leaving the sour plain yogurt for the next unsuspecting sibling. Sorry, Mike.

Eggs. Mom would go to Defcon 2 as I would surgically remove the yolk of a fried egg and leave behind a perfectly entact white saucer. 

So it's no surprise that when the BF and I have deviled eggs, the filling gets excavated and he gets the outside white. Except...for this pinkalicious delight, where the outer egg white packs a puckering wallop of flavor (courtesy of the cardamom, anise, peppercorns, and optional jalapeno).

This is a nice addition to any Easter or Passover table. In my experience, they're always the first to disappear. 

Happy Easter, Pesach Sameach.

​Adapted from: Simply Recipes and The Kitchn (Brine)
Number of Servings: Makes 6 whole pickled eggs or 12 deviled egg halves

Ingredients
Hard Boiled Eggs

• 6 large eggs

Pickled Beet Brine

• 2 cups beet juice, canned
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ onion, sliced
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
• 3 cardamom pods
• 1 star anise
• 1 jalapeno pepper, sliced in half lengthwise, seeds removed and discarded (optional, I happen to like the kick)

Deviled Eggs

• 6 hard boiled eggs
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 tablespoons finely minced scallions or chives, divided
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• Salt

Directions
Hard Boiled Eggs

1. Place 6 cold eggs in a saucepan and fill with cold water, covering the eggs by an inch.
2. Bring water to a rolling boil, uncovered.
3. As soon as water comes to a boil, remove pan from heat and cover the pan.
4. Set timer for 10 minutes.
5. Fill a large bowl with ice water. 
6. After 10 minutes, remove cooked eggs from the pan with a slotted spoon and tap each gently on the counterop to crack the shell in a few places.
7. Immediately shock eggs in ice water bath. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
8. Peel under cool running water.

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Pickled Beet Brine

1. Place eggs in the bottom of a clean glass jar, quart sized.
2. In a medium saucepan, add vinegar, onion (and jalapeno, if using), sugar, and spices. Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, until the sugar has dissolved and onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
3. Pour the cooled vinegar onion mixture over the eggs in the jar, covering the eggs completely. Be careful, that beet juice will stain!
4. Cover with lid and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 3 days. The longer you leave them in the brine, the more pickled and pink they will be towards the yolk. I let mine sit about 16 hours as I like some of the outer egg to remain white.

Deviled Eggs

1. At desired time, remove the eggs from the brine. Cut each egg lengthwise.
2. Scoop out the yolks and place in a medium bowl. Add sour cream, 1 tablespoon scallions or chives, onion powder, and salt.
3. Mix/mash with a fork until very smooth. 
4. Use a spatula to scoop all the filling into a resealable sandwich bag or piping bag fitted with a ½-inch round tip. Press the bag with your hands to push all the filling to one corner and press any air out of the top. If using a plastic bag, snip one corner off with a pair of scissors.
5. Pipe the filling into the cup of each egg white, that the filling mounds a little over the top. Squeeze the bag from the top to force the filling downward. (Alternatively, you can scoop the filling into the egg whites with a spoon.) Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon minced chives and season with salt and pepper.