Deviled Eggs

• 6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut in half
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons salad dressing (like Miracle Whip)
• 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Salt to taste
• Sweet paprika for garnish

Separate the egg yolks from the whites, and mash the yolks in a bowl using a fork or the back of a spoon.

Add the salad dressing, mustard, vinegar and pepper and mix well.

At this point, taste the mixture to determine the amount of salt you want to add. It's easy to over-salt deviled eggs, and I recommend a light hand with the shaker. You may prefer no salt at all.

Fill each of the egg white halves with a dollop of the mixture. If you like, you can put the mixture in a pastry bag and fill the eggs with a decorative pastry tip. Or put the mixture in a plastic sandwich bag, cut off a corner and squeeze the mixture into the whites with a swirl. Sprinkle lightly with paprika.

Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours before serving to allow flavors to develop.

Deviled Egg Variations

Deviled eggs made with the basic recipe are simple and delicious. But that doesn't mean you can't improve on perfection. You may want to add:

• 2 teaspoons finely minced sweet onion (This is a must as far as I'm concerned.)
• 2 teaspoons finely minced sweet pickle (Sweet pickle relish may be used, but it must be well drained.)
• 2 teaspoons drained, chopped pimiento

Further experiments may be made with crumbled crisp bacon, chopped chives or capers, and flavors can be varied with the addition of Worcestershire sauce and spices. Also, garnishes need not be limited to paprika; chopped parsley, chives, pimiento, grated cheese and even caviar can be used.

Salad Dressing vs. Mayonnaise
This is where personal taste comes into play. I personally believe the tiny bit of sweetness in salad dressing imparts a more complex overall flavor, but you may prefer the more delicate flavor of mayonnaise. The quantities for both in the basic recipe can be the same, although salad dressing will produce a creamier result. The same is true of apple cider vinegar, as opposed to distilled white vinegar. I prefer the more pronounced tang of cider vinegar, but white vinegar is perfectly acceptable and also interchangeable. Here's a for instance.

Prep time: 20 minutes; Cooking time: N/A ; Total time: 3 hours 20 minutes