Festive Carrots with Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:

• 24 large eggs
• 1 can (113 g) canned chopped pimento peppers, drained
• 1 cup grated sharp cheddar (about 100 g)
• 220 g of cream cheese, room temperature
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• Hot sauce, as needed
• 1 cup fresh parsley leaves
• 0.5 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced ​​(about 1/2 cup)
• Sweet or smoked paprika, for garnish

Preparation:

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat and prepare a large bowl of ice water. Carefully lower the eggs into the boiling water with a slotted spoon and cook for 12 minutes. Drain and immediately transfer the eggs with a slotted spoon into the ice water to cool for about 5 minutes.
2. Peel the eggs and cut them in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks from 36 egg white halves and transfer them to a food processor. Add the pimento peppers, cheddar, half the cream cheese, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, a pinch of salt, and a couple of drops of hot sauceBlend until the mixture is smooth and light. Season with salt and hot sauce to taste. Transfer the pepper filling to a large zip-lock plastic bag and refrigerate while you prepare the second filling.
3. Remove the yolks from the remaining 12 egg white halves and transfer to a clean food processor. Add the parsley, lemon zest, green onions, a pinch of salt, the remaining cream cheese, and the remaining 1/4 cup mayonnaise. Process until the mixture is smooth and light. Season with salt to taste. Transfer the herb filling to another large zip-lock plastic bag and refrigerate while you fold in the egg whites.
4. Place a large wooden cutting board (minimum size 55 x 40 cm) in front of you, with one of the short sides facing you. Place 1 egg white (pointed side up) on the bottom of the board. Place 2 egg whites (pointed side down) directly above the first white, so that all three halves are touching at the points, leaving just a little space between the eggs. Continue arranging the eggs to form 8 rows, moving upward and alternating the halves facing up and down, adding 1 egg to each row (for a total of 36 egg white halves). You should now have a carrot shape.
5. Arrange the remaining 12 egg white halves in 3 separate rows on top of the carrots (4 halves per row). They should be slightly spread out to resemble carrot tops.
6. Cut a 1-cm-wide hole in one corner of the bag containing the cheese and pepper filling. Fill 36 wells with the egg whites that make up the carrots, then press the remaining filling directly onto the egg whites. Using a small offset spatula, carefully spread the filling until the eggs are almost completely covered.
7. Cut a 1-cm-wide hole in one corner of the bag containing the green filling. Fill 12 wells with the egg whites that make up the carrot tops, then press the remaining filling onto all the egg whites. Using a small offset spatula, carefully spread the filling until the eggs are almost completely covered.
8. Using a spatula, make 4 irregular lines in the pepper and cheese filling to create grooves in the carrots. Sprinkle paprika into these grooves. Serve immediately.