Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs

Hard boiled eggs are easy to make, right?  Wrong!

Cooking perfect hard-boiled eggs is a learned skill, I've decided.  And it is critical to get it right when you are making large numbers of deviled eggs or Easter eggs. 

This Easter I boiled 36 eggs in two batches.  One batch was good.  One was bad.  The bad ones were not quite hard-cooked, and were nearly impossible to peel. (The shells stuck horribly to the egg and took off chunks of egg white.  Not pretty.)
 

I've searched out three different recipes for hard-boiled eggs and they are all a little different.  This recipe is the one that I think works best.  My "good" batch was made by following this recipe.  My "bad" batch was the result of running out of time and leaving the eggs in the hot water for a few hours while I took the kids to music lessons.  (Note to self: don't start cooking projects when time is short.)

Hard Boiled Eggs
Adapted from The New Basics Cookbook by Rosso and Lukins

Start with room temperature eggs.  (I take out the cartons of eggs at least half an hour beforehand.) 

Put the eggs in a single layer in a flat-bottomed pan.  Add enough cold water to cover them by an inch.  Bring the water to a full boil over medium heat.  Wait 1-2 minutes more and then turn off the heat.  Cover the pan and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. 

Drain the hot water and run cold water over the eggs.  Let them sit in cold water for a couple of minutes until cool to the touch.  Store in the refridgerator for up to 5 days, unpeeled.

Tips for easy-to-peel eggs:  Don't use fresh eggs.  Buy them at least 5 days before you intend to boil them.  If your hard cooked eggs are difficult to peel, try storing them in the refridgerator for a few days.  They will get  easier to peel.