Easter Recipes: Our favorite easy picks

It’s almost the week of Easter! To celebrate the holiday here are our favourite recipes for Easter treats to indulge in, providing the perfect time to bake and spend time with family.

Nigella is the best at traditional family recipes that are delicious and easy to follow. Here is her classic Hot Cross Buns recipe:

Ingredients:

For the Egg Wash:

• 1 large egg (beaten with a little milk)

For the Cross on the Buns:

• 3 tablespoons plain flour
• ½ tablespoon caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons water

For the Sugar Glaze:

• 1 tablespoon caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon boiling water

For the Dough:

• 150 millilitres milk
• 50 grams butter
• zest of 1 orange
• 1 clove
• 2 cardamom pods
• 400 grams bread flour
• 1 x 7 grams packet easy-blend yeast
• 125 grams mixed dried fruit
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 large egg

Method:

1. Heat the milk, butter, orange zest, clove and cardamom pods in a saucepan until the butter melts, then leave to infuse. I have gone rather cardamom mad recently, but this short aromatic infusion gives a heavenly scent to the little fruited buns later.
2. Measure the flour, yeast and dried fruit into a bowl and add the spices. When the infused milk has reached blood temperature take out the clove and cardamom pods, and beat in the egg. Pour this liquid into the bowl of dry ingredients.
3. Knead the bowl either by hand or with a machine with a dough hook; if it is too dry add a little more warm milk or water. Keep kneading until you have silky, elastic dough, but bear in mind that the dried fruit will stop this from being exactly satin smooth.
4. Form into a ball and place in a buttered bowl covered with clingfilm, and leave to prove overnight in the fridge.
5. Preheat the oven to gas mark 7/220ºC/425ºF. Take the dough out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature.
6. Punch the dough down, and knead it again until it is smooth and elastic. Divide into 16 balls and shape into smooth round buns. I wouldn’t start worrying unduly about their size: just halve the dough, and keep halving it until it’s in eight pieces, and use that piece to make two buns. Or just keep the dough as it is, and pinch off pieces slightly larger than a ping pong ball and hope you end up with 16 or thereabouts. Not that it matters.
7. Sit the buns on a baking parchment or Bake-O-Glide-lined baking sheet. Make sure they are quite snug together but not touching. Using the back of an ordinary eating knife, score the tops of the buns with the imprint of a cross. Cover with a teatowel and leave to prove again for about 45 minutes – they should have risen and almost joined up.
8. Brush the buns with an egg wash, and then mix the flour, sugar and water into a smooth, thick paste. Using a teaspoon, dribble two lines over the buns in the indent of the cross, and then bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
9. When the hot cross buns come out of the oven, mix the sugar and boiling water together for the glaze, and brush each hot bun to make them sweet and shiny.

Find the recipe here: https://www.nigella.com/recipes/hot-cross-buns

These are perfect for cooking with the kids, as they are fun, easy and yummy to make! Ella fills the nests with her own Easter egg creations, but you can put in whatever candy/decorations that your kids want in the nest for a seriously cute Easter treat!

Ingredients:

For the Nests:

• 1 and a ½ cups of popped/puffed quinoa (60g)
• 1/3 of a cup of raw cacao powder (35g)
• 6 tablespoons of pure maple syrup
• 5 tablespoons of coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons almond butter (or an other nut butter)

Note: The nests (and the eggs) are best made a day before serving, so that they can be left in the fridge to set properly.

Method:

1. Place the coconut oil, cacao powder, maple syrup and almond butter into a saucepan and gently heat it for a few minutes until it’s totally smooth and melted. While this melts pour the brown rice pops into a mixing bowl.
2. Once the mix has melted pour it over the brown rice pops and stir it all together, until all the rice pops have been covered in chocolate.
3. Scoop spoonful’s of the mix onto a piece of grease proof paper, form them into little rest shapes and place them in the fridge for while you make the eggs.

Find the full recipe here: https://deliciouslyella.com/easter-nests/

These Easter scones are inspired by the full flavours of hot cross buns, but with a much easier recipe. They would look adorable on the table for Easter brunch. Top them with coconut yogurt or cream, along with your favourite jam!

Ingredients:

• 2 cup oat flour (200g)
• 1 cup almond flour (200g)
• 1/2 cup raisins (75g)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• Coconut oil (to grease tray)
• 1 chia egg (1 tbsp chia left to soak for 10 minutes in 3 tbsp water)

Method:

1. Start by pre-heating the oven to 180C. Mix 1 tbsp chia seeds with 3 tbsp spoons of water in a cup and leave to one side to to absorb.
2. Process two cups of oats in the food processor until they form a fine flour. Place the oat flour in a large mixing bowl and process one cup of almonds in the food processor until they form a fine flour.
3. Add the almond flour to the oat flour along with 1/2 cup raisins, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground cloves and 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg. Add the zest of one lemon and one orange to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
4. Squeeze the orange juice out of the orange and add 1/3 cup orange juice to the dry ingredients. Then measure pour in 1/2 cup almond milk, 3 tbsp maple syrup and the chia egg into the mixing bowl.
5. Grease a muffin tray with coconut oil and spoon the mixture into the tray. Bake for 20 minutes until the tops are golden brown.
6. Leave to cool before topping with coyo and homemade strawberry jam to serve.

A helpful accompanying video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qaT8opzbC4