Easter Recipes

Ingredients

1 lb plain flour
1 level teaspoon caster sugar
1 oz fresh yeast (or 1 level tablespoon dried yeast)
1/4 pint lukewarm milk
2 fluid oz warm water
1 level teaspoon each of salt and mixed spice
2 oz caster sugar
2 oz melted butter
1 beaten egg
1 oz currants
1-2 oz chopped mixed peel

Method

Grease and flour two baking trays and preheat oven to 190C. Sift 4 oz of the flour with the sugar. Crumble in the yeast and stir in the milk & water. Leave the mixture in a warm place for 20-30 mins until frothy.

Meanwhile sift the remaining flour with the salt & spice. Add the sugar. Stir the melted butter together with the egg into the risen yeast mixture. Gradually fold in the flour, currants and peel. Knead the dough on a floured surface until perfectly smooth. Divide into 12 pieces and shape into buns. Set the buns well apart on the prepared trays and leave them in a warm place until doubled in size. Make two cuts on the top of each bun to form a cross.

Bake just above the centre of the oven for 15-20 mins. Leave the buns to cool on a wire rack; while still warm brush them with a glaze made from 1 1/2 oz caster sugar dissolved in 2 tablespoons water.

Ingredients

1lb 2oz/500g Mixed dried fruit 2oz/50g Blanched almonds chopped
2oz/50g glace cherries chopped Grated rind of 1 lemon

8oz/225g Plain flour ½ tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt 1 tsp ground mixed spice

6oz/175g butter 6oz/175g dark brown soft sugar

2 medium eggs, beaten 1 tbsp black treacle

2 tbsp/30ml milk

FOR DECORATION

1lb 2oz/500g marzipan 2 tbsp Apricot jam

1 Medium egg, beaten A few sugar coated mini eggs

Mix together dried fruit, nuts, cherries and grated lemon rind.

In another bowl shift together flour, baking powder, salt and spices. Stir 2tbsp of this mixture into the fruit.

Cream the butter until soft. Add the sugar. Cream again until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well between each addition then beat in the treacle.

Stir in the fruit, flour and milk to make a stiff consistency. Spoon half of this mixture into the cake tin and spread level.

Using a little icing sugar, roll out a third of the marzipan to a circle the size of the tin and place on top of the cake mixture. Add the remaining mixture and hollow out the centre slightly.

Bake the cake for 1³/4-2hours until brown and firm to touch

Leave the cake to cool. Remove the lining paper.

Roll out half of the marzipan to form a circle the same size of the cake.

Heat the jam, brush over the top of the cake and cover with the marzipan round. Neaten the edges.

Brush the entire marzipan surface with the beaten egg. Divide the remaining marzipan into 11 even pieces and roll each into a ball. Position each evenly around the edge of the cake and glaze again.

Place the cake on a baking tray under the preheated grill and carefully brown the top evenly.

Arrange mini eggs in the centre and encircle the cake in a pretty ribbon if desired.






Chocolate & Biscuit Cake

Ingredients

4oz/100g Digestive Biscuits
2oz/50g Plain Biscuits e.g., Rich Tea

2oz/50g Walnuts chopped

2oz/50g Sultanas

2 tbsp Golden Syrup

3oz/75g Butter

3oz/75g Plain or Milk Chocolate



Method

Put both kinds of biscuits in a polythene bag and crush them roughly, mix with the walnuts and sultanas.
Heat the golden syrup with the chocolate and butter, and when the mixture is liquid, stir in the dry ingredients until they are all completely coated.
Turn the mixture into a shallow 7in/19cm square tin. Spread flat then cover and chill overnight.
Cut the cake into 16 squares, carefully remove it from the tin and store until required.