Deviling is a food process, a snarky reference to the fires of hell and the spices people added to things like deviled eggs that made them seem hot to taste.
Devilled eggs are a traditional picnic and party food, only my dear First Reader's mother made them differently, and when he discovered that people didn't like his version he'd learned from her, he re-named them. Angeled eggs, he decided, properly conveyed the sweet, tangy flavor of his version. It wasn't that the people who tried his eggs disliked them, it was that they were expecting something different from a devilled egg, involving spicy mustard and paprika.
The other problem we ran into when I asked him about making a batch to photo and blog on, was that he doesn't measure. A bit of this, a dollop of that. I asked Dorothy (the First Reader's mother) and she laughed. She never measured, either. She did, however, confirm that her son still makes them just like she did.
Angeled Eggs! Pretty and sweet, just like the name suggests.
So, an old family recipe. I really like them, but I've always liked devilled eggs, too. I watched him carefully while he made this batch and can give rough estimates of amounts, which can easily be tweaked to tastes.
12 hardboiled eggs, shelled
2-4 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp sweet pickle juice
1-2 tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
Hardboiled eggs, I take the ones that don't look good and pickle them for later.
Cut the eggs in half lengthwise, and remove the yolk to a wide bowl. Once you have all the yolks out, mash them up with a fork until they are finely crumbled. Add a dollop of mayo with a large spoon, then pour in a little pickle juice. Start mixing up the yolk mixture. Add a little more mayo if it seems dry. Mix in the sugar and salt. The consistency shouldn't be soupy.
Adding the mayonnaise - a big spoonful!
Adding sweet pickle juice
Now here is where I amused the First Reader and took over. I put the yolk mixture into a carrot bag with the decorating tip I'd used for churros attached to it. You're looking for a very large star tip here. I then piped the mixture into the egg whites, and decorated them with a sprinkling of chive blossoms and oxalis leaves. Very pretty. Not something he would ever have bothered with!
It's a super simple recipe and something a little different than the usual devilled eggs. As with any egg dish in summer, keep them in the refrigerator or at least on ice until moments before serving, and put them back in to chill. If they get left out for more than an hour, toss.
Angeled Eggs: all dolled up with chive blossom and heart-shaped leaflets.