Easter Recipes
Why not try some of these recipes over the Easter break. Please send a photo to our Facebook page, so we can see the yummy delights that you create!
Easter Chocolate Bark
- 400g dark or milk chocolate
- 100g white chocolate
- assortment of Easter treats
- Line an A4-sized baking sheet with parchment. Break the dark or milk chocolate into a large glass bowl. Bring a small saucepan of water to a slow simmer, then sit the bowl on top, making sure it doesn’t touch the water. Over a low heat, slowly melt the chocolate, stirring once it begins to melt, or melt in the microwave in short bursts until smooth and glossy.
- Pour the chocolate onto the prepared baking sheet, spread into an even layer using a palette knife, then melt the white chocolate following the same method. Dot blobs of the white chocolate on top of the dark chocolate then use a skewer to swirl them together in any pattern you like.
- Top the bark with any assortment of treats you fancy – the more outrageous the better. Leave to set at room temperature to get a glossy effect, then break into shards to serve. Will keep for two weeks in an airtight container.
Easter Biscuits
Makes approx 30 biscuits
- 200g softened butter, plus extra for greasing
- 150g caster sugar
- 2 large free-range egg yolks
- 400g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 level tsp ground mixed spice
- 1 level tsp ground cinnamon
- 2–4 tbsp milk
- 1–2 tsp lemon juice
- 250g icing sugar
- different food colourings
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Lightly grease two baking trays lined with baking paper.
Measure the butter and sugar into a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk. Sieve in the flour and spices and add enough milk to make a fairly soft dough. Bring together, using your hands, to make a soft dough.
Knead the dough lightly on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out to a thickness of 5mm/¼in. Cut out Easter biscuits using an assortment of shaped cutters, such as bunnies, Easter eggs, chicks or spring flowers.
Lightly grease two baking trays lined with baking paper.
Place the biscuit shapes on the prepared baking trays and bake in the preheated oven for 10–15 minutes. Remove from the oven and lift onto a wire rack to cool.
To make the icing, pass one teaspoon of lemon juice through a fine sieve, to remove any pips or bits. Mix the icing sugar with the lemon juice and then add about two tablespoons of cold water, adding it little by little until you have a relatively stiff but smooth icing. Add a splash more sieved lemon juice if necessary.
Divide the icing into separate bowls and mix in food colourings of your choice into the separate bowls of icing, until you achieve the desired shade.
Spoon a little icing into a piping bag and pipe your decorations onto the biscuits. For a smooth finish, you can pipe the outline of your design in the firmer icing, then slacken it down a bit by mixing in a little more water, giving the icing more of a runny consistency, and use this to fill in the designs.
Easter Rocky Road
Makes 15/20 pieces
- 175g chocolate, broken into pieces
- 125g milk chocolate, broken into pieces
- 2 tbsp golden syrup
- 75g unsalted butter, diced
- 160g sugar-coated mini chocolate eggs
- 200g digestives or rich tea biscuits, broken into pieces
- 75g mini marshmallows
- 50g hazelnuts, roughly chopped
- 75g raisins
Line a 20x30cm/8x12in baking tin with baking paper.
Place the dark and milk chocolate pieces in a large heatproof bowl and add the golden syrup and butter. Set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water but do not allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water. Stir from time to time until the butter and chocolate are melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes – if this is too hot the marshmallows will melt.
Cut the chocolate mini eggs in half (leaving a few whole) and set aside one third of the eggs, including the whole ones for decorating. Gently fold in the chocolate eggs, biscuits, marshmallows, nuts and raisins into the chocolate mixture and mix to combine. Spoon into the prepared tin and spread level using the back of the spoon. Scatter with the reserved whole and halved mini eggs.
Refrigerating for at least 1 hour, or until completely firm. Cut into bars to serve.
