Cream shortening until soft. Add eggs and beat to blend well. Add sugar and cream until light and fluffy. Sift flour, measure and sift with salt and baking powder. Add to creamed mixture. Form into small balls in palms of hands and place in greased small muffin pans. Press dough up around edges to make hole in center. Mix jam and nuts together and fill hole in dough. Bake in hot oven, 450 degrees, for 10 minutes. Cool, and if desired, serve topped with whipped cream that has been sweetened to taste.
Make pig pen of bread sticks or long peppermint sticks as pictured. Sprinkle small paper shamrocks or small candy shamrocks in and around pen. Place pig banks in pen. For candleholder, cut out large potato and insert candle.
Use a large picture hat or make a hat with stiff paper for this. Arrange a large maline or ribbon bow to trail on the table from the crown of the hat. Place flowers in the center of the crown or arrange flowers around the crown of the hat.
BARNYARD EASTER EGG HUNT
Choose two sides, each captained by a child. Players hunt for Easter eggs but only the two leaders, the Hens, can touch them. When a girl finds an egg, she must cluck until the leader comes to pick up the egg. Boys will crow when they find an egg. When they have all been found, each side counts eggs to gain the total. Each child in the group with the largest amount can be given a specially decorated egg or bunny for a prize. Of course, divide the eggs that have been found among the members of each team.
POTATO ROLL RELAY
Mark two four-inch circles 5 feet apart on the floor to designate the goals in the relay. Choose sides and give the leader of each side an irregularly shaped potato and a table knife. The players, in turn, must roll the potato from one circle to the other and back again with the aid of the knife. Judges can check to make sure that the potato is in the circle each time. As each player comes back to the starting point, he hands the knife to the next player and the relay goes on.