Vasai-based Lourdes Kanthirao grew up eating Easter eggs made by her aunty in Chembur. As Kanthirao's brother was the aunty's godchild, it was her annual ritual to come with Easter eggs to their home in tiny cane baskets with a handle, which she cherished till many years later. Over the years, she and her cousins joined the aunty to make Easter eggs with marzipan made out of cashewnuts, sugar, milk and eggs, and relished every bit of it. On one occasion, when she visited New Zealand, the Mumbaikar and her cousin got together to make Easter eggs, as they weren't easily available there.

After she got married, 62-year-old Kanthirao continued the tradition and made it for her children. Now, her daughter, Rhea, who is a home baker, continues it through her initiative, Butterstick Patisserie, as she makes different kinds of Easter eggs every Easter. She takes the liberty to not only make the Marzipan Easter Eggs but also ones filled with chocolate in them, Chocolate Eggs filled with homemade Nutella, Coconut Chocolate Eggs and Chocolate Bunny too.

Elsewhere in Orlem in Malad, Tamara Dlima is also busy making Easter eggs, which have been a part of her family’s annual tradition for many decades. For her, the joy and excitement around Easter truly comes alive with the tradition of crafting the eggs like her mother did. The Dlimas used to also conduct an egg hunt that ended with warm family gatherings. It was the distinctive almond aroma that filled the air as her mom diligently stirred the marzipan to achieve a perfect texture that captivated her first. After she grew older, she got more involved in the process and started adding colour to the eggs and then gradually progressed to more intricate tasks.

Over the years, the 46-year-old Mumbaikar not only got better at making the Easter eggs but also creating beautiful designs on them. Now, she embellishes each egg with sugar pearls, sprinkles, and even butterflies, which is her favourite form of decoration. In a world of traditional Easter symbols like bunnies and rabbits, she believes adding a touch of butterflies brings a refreshing twist that echoes the vibrant diversity of spring gardens. In different shades of pink, blue, yellow and orange, Dlima makes them for close family and friends. 

Like Dlima, even Alefiya Jane in Dahisar grew up painting not only marzipan Easter eggs but also real eggs, which was a task given to them by her mother, who was a city-based teacher. While painting the Easter eggs was a favourite activity, Jane’s was a single mother, who used to have an egg hunt at home on Easter Sunday to make the festival fun for the children, including the kids who she used to give tuitions to, apart from teaching in school. Jane says her mother used to also make a pastry in the form of an egg. These were not made out of chocolate like you have today but pastries that used to have tiny butter biscuits, bunny-shaped cookies, and almond rocks too.

Today, she makes them as a part of She Bakes, one of her three home chef initiatives, through which she brings all these heirloom recipes to life in sweet and savoury delights. Catering to a larger audience, she also makes the Easter eggs without egg because a lot of people don't like to eat eggs, and she has altered her recipes to suit their needs too.