Easter recipes

Ingredients: 

• 250g mixed dried fruit (a mixture of sultanas, currants, raisins and candied mixed peel)
• 1 orange, zested and juiced
• 500g marzipan
• 250g butter, softened
• 200g light brown soft sugar
• 4 eggs, plus 1 beaten to glaze
• 175g plain flour
• 100g ground almonds
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 lemon, zested
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g glacé cherries, halved
• 3 tbsp apricot jam

Method:

1. Put the mixed dried fruit in a bowl with the orange juice and zest and 2 tbsp water. Cover and microwave for 2 minutes, then leave to cool completely. Alternatively, heat gently in a pan, stirring now and then until the liquid has been absorbed and leave to cool.

2. Heat oven to 150c/130c fan/gas 2. Roll out a third of the marzipan and use the base of a deep 20cm cake tin as a template to cut out a circle. Wrap any offcuts and the remaining two-thirds of marzipan and set aside for later. Butter and line the cake tin with a double layer of parchment. Beat the butter and sugar together until creamy. Add the eggs, flour, almonds, baking powder, lemon zest, mixed spice and vanilla (all in one go) and mix until well combined. Mix in the cooled soaked dried fruit and fold in the cherries.

3. Scrape half the cake mixture into the tin. Top with the disc of marzipan, then the remaining cake mixture, and level the top with a spatula. Bake for 2 hrs. Check it’s cooked by inserting a skewer into the centre of the cake. If any wet mixture clings to the skewer, return to the oven for another 10 mins, then check again. Cool in the tin for 15 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

4. Brush the top of the cake with apricot jam. Roll out half of the remaining marzipan and use the base of the cake as a template to cut out another disc. Place it on top of the cake and crimp the edges, if you like. Roll the remaining marzipan into 11 equal-sized balls for the apostles. Brush the marzipan with beaten egg and arrange the apostles in a circle on top around the outside, and brush them with a little egg too. Put under a hot grill for a minute or two until just starting to caramelise – be very careful as the marzipan will burn easily. Leave to cool and wrap a ribbon around the cake, if you like. Will keep for up to a week in a sealed tin.

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Enjoy Easter with a twist with this traditional Spanish-style french toast that'll leave you wanting more.

Ingredients:

• 400g brioche loaf
• 400ml fresh whole milk
• 100ml whipping cream
• 1 cinnamon stick
• peel of one orange
• 3 large free-range egg yolks
• 100g caster sugar, plus extra for frying
• Unsalted butter for frying
  
  

Method:

For the torrija, gently heat the milk, cinnamon stick and orange peel until warm. Remove from the heat, cover with cling film and allow the milk to infuse for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, mix the egg yolks, sugar, cream and strained milk and dip the brioche slices on both sides until well coated on the mixture.

In a medium size frying pan, melt some butter on a gentle heat and dust some caster sugar before frying each torrija on both sides until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Be careful of frying them on a high heat because the butter and brioche will burn very quickly. Remove from the frying pan and drain on some kitchen paper. For the extra caramel crunch, dust each torrija with some more caster sugar and place under the grill (or use a blow torch) to melt the sugar and make a thick caramel coating.

Serve the torrija warm with a scoop of idiazabal ice cream (cheese ice cream, a popular Basque cheese made from ewes milk).

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Easter chocolate tiffin

A delicious treat made with your favourite snacks and more!

Ingredients:

• 50g pumpkin seeds
• 50g cashew nuts
• 296g bag Cadbury's Mini Eggs
• 300g dark chocolate (70% cocoa) roughly chopped
• 100g milk chocolate, roughly chopped
• 100g unsalted butter, softened
• 50g golden syrup
• 100g raisins
• 150g rich tea biscuits (roughly chopped or crushed)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180c, gas mark 4, line a 20cm square baking tray with parchment. Spread out the seeds and nuts in a roasting tin and bake for 8 minutes until golden; set aside. Put the Mini Eggs in a food bag and crush with a rolling pin until broken into chunks.
2. Put the dark and milk chocolate, butter and golden syrup into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (the base of the bowl should not touch the water) and stir occasionally until melted. Cool for 5 minutes, then stir in the toasted seeds and nuts with the raisin and biscuits. Finally stir through ½ of the Mini Eggs, tip into the baking tray and flatten the top with the back of a spoon.
3. Scatter over the remaining Mini Eggs, press in slightly, then allow to set at room temperature for 3-4 hours or chill in the fridge for 1 hour before cutting into squares.

Tip: You could swap the cashews for macadamias or hazelnuts and the raisins for dried cranberries.

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