How to Make Mexican Cascarones: Confetti Eggs for Easter

Cascarones are a Mexican tradition for Easter as well as other holidays. A cascaron is an egg that is decorated much like an Easter egg and then filled with confetti. Cascarones are broken over the head for good luck. You can make your own cascarones at home with simple supplies that you probably already have lying around.

You do not need to buy confetti to put into your cascarones. Most homes have supplies already on hand. All you have to do is look around. I like to make confetti by emptying out my three-hole paper punch. If you have a hole punch, you can punch confetti from sheets of colored paper. This is a great way to recycle scrap papers and advertisements. You can even use pages from old magazines that are colorful on both sides.

Glitter is also fun to add to your cascarones. If you have some glitter sitting around in your craft supplies, this will work fine. Just remember that a little goes a long way. You don't need much glitter to make a show of your cascaron. If you plan on making cascarones with young children, you may want to avoid using small glitter as it can get into the eyes and irritate them. You can make your own glitter by using a hole punch to punch out pieces of aluminum foil or other shiny material.

You can use several different methods to decorate your cascarones. The most common method is to dye the eggs in Easter egg dye before cutting them open. You can use food coloring, egg dying kits, or pysanky dyes if you have them. Be sure to let the eggs dry completely before removing the yolks.

Paint is another method for decorating cascarones. Tempera paints, acrylic paints, and craft paint all work well. You can paint your eggs a single color or if you are artistic, try your hand at creating all kinds of characters and designs on your eggs. If you decide to paint your eggs, the painting should be done after the egg has been emptied of its yolk.

To empty your egg, you will need to make a small hole in the end of the egg. This can be done using a small knife. You may also be able to make a hole by gently using a very small drill such as a Dremmel. Be careful as you can break the egg very easily. It may take a little bit of practice to be able to break your eggs perfectly, so do not get discouraged. Kids should definitely let adults handle this part of the project.

Once you have made a hole in the end of your egg, turn it over a bowl and let the yolks and egg innards drain out. You can save the egg yolks and whites to make scrambled eggs or omelets. Rinse the eggs well with plain water or water with just a tiny amount of soap.

Let the eggs dry completely for at lest 24 hours before adding confetti. You don't want your confetti getting wet and sticking to the inside of the egg. Be sure you dry your eggs upside down so that water does not collect in the bottom. It needs to be allowed to drain out of the hole.

To fill your egg with confetti, use a small spoon or funnel to scoop one or two spoonfuls of the confetti into the hole of the egg. You do not need to fill each egg completely. A teaspoon of confetti in each egg is more than enough. Once your egg is decorated and filled with confetti, seal the end using a small piece of tape or glue a piece of tissue paper over the hole.

Cascarones are meant to be broken over other people's heads, not your own. It's fun to try and surprise people when they are not expecting it. Always remember that eggshells are sharp, so you never want to smash your cascarones onto another person's head. You could hurt them. The best way to use a cascaron is to hold it over someone's head and crush it in your hand, sprinkling them with colored confetti and glitter.