Easter cakes and hot cross buns to enjoy with your little bunnies
There’s still time to make a Simnel Cake with a thick layer of marzipan baked in the centre and a toasted marzipan coating the eleven marzipan balls on top, representing the apostles.
Yes you’re right, there should be 12 but Judas doesn’t make it to the top of the cake because he betrayed Jesus.
Hot cross buns are sold all through Lent now but they used to be a treat for Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. The commercial ones get less and less good as they get cheaper and cheaper so why not make your own.
This recipe will make 16 and they actually freeze well so you could take out just a few at a time and warm them in the oven.
The children adore these little nests filled with chocolate eggs, Easter bunny biscuits are super easy to make. You just need to find a cheeky cutter, and then everyone can have fun icing and decorating them.
For sheer prettiness it’s hard to beat an Easter cake decorated with crystallised primroses and violets, try chocolate or a Victoria sponge with a vanilla frosting.
We’ve also been making nests with kadafi pastry and filling them with roast rhubarb and some shredded mint leaves.
However for Easter we’re going to fill them with mascarpone, lemon curd and chocolate eggs.
Kadafi pastry will look like finely shredded filo and is available from Mr Bell in the English Market in Cork and most Asian or Middle Eastern shops.
Many of these confections can be made a day or two before but it would be good to make the Simnel Cake now. It keeps really well but I love really fresh.
In fact my favourite way of all is to cut it just as soon as it is toasted – a revelation.
Happy Easter to all and enjoy your Easter bunnies.
Use the Chelsea bun recipe and technique to make this irresistible Easter ring.
- 1 quantity Basic Yeast Bun Dough (see recipe)
- 50g (2oz) butter
- 75g (3oz) caster sugar *
- 50g (2oz) raisins
- 50g (2oz) sultanas
- 50g (2oz) mixed peel
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- 6 tablespoons icing sugar
- Glacé Icing
- 25g (1oz) flaked almonds
- 50g (2oz) cherries
- 50g (2oz) angelica, cut into diamonds
Make the bun dough and filling as for Chelsea Buns (see recipe opposite) and roll as directed in the recipe. But instead of cutting the buns, curl the dough around into a ring.
Pinch the ends tightly together. Lift carefully onto a lined baking tray.
Cut two-thirds of the way through the ring at 2.5cm (1 inch) intervals with a scissors or knife.
Twist each cut slightly to expose more filling. Cover with a tea-towel and leave to prove for 15–20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Then bake until golden brown, for about 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack.
Meanwhile, make the glacé icing: mix the icing sugar with enough boiling water (about 2 tablespoons) to make a thickish icing and spread over the top of the Easter ring while it is still warm.
Decorate with the nuts, cherries and diamonds of angelica. Serve while still warm.
- Classic Vanilla Victoria Sponge
- 225g (8oz) butter
- 225g (8oz) caster/organic caster sugar
- 4 eggs
- 225g (8oz/2 cup) plain flour (sieved)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (sieved)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk (optional)
- Butterscotch Buttercream
- 225g (8oz) butter
- 450g (1lb) icing sugar (sieved)
- 50g (2oz) cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- 3 tablespoons of Butterscotch Sauce
- 150g (5oz) dark chocolate Vermicelli sprinkles
- 200g (7oz) speckled chocolate candy eggs
- Chocolate Caraque (see recipe)
- fluffy yellow chicks
- Butterscotch Sauce
- 110g (4oz) butter
- 175g (6oz) dark soft brown, Muscovado sugar
- 225ml (8fl oz) cream
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 x 20cm (8 inch) round sandwich tins
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract a little at a time, beating well after each addition.
Fold in the sieved flour and baking powder carefully and add a little milk if required to give a dropping consistency.
Spoon into prepared tins and spread evenly.
Cook in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.
Beat the butter until soft.
Add the icing sugar and cocoa powder slowly.
Finally add the vanilla extract and hot water - mixing all thoroughly. Once cooled, add 3 tablespoons of butterscotch sauce to the buttercream and mix thoroughly.
Taking a 10cm (4 inch) round cutter, cut a disc from the centre of one of the two sponges (keep aside and use for a mini cake).
Spread 2 tablespoons of the buttercream over the base of the remaining sponge.
Place the cut sponge on top and cover all the surface completely with remaining icing.
Allow to chill for 1 hour.
Place the cake on a parchment lined baking sheet and quickly press the chocolate sprinkles and chocolate caraque into the sides, over the top and into the hollow of the cake - it should now resemble a birds nest.
Fill the centre with speckled eggs and decorate with fluffy chicks.
This keeps for months and is delicious drizzled over ice-cream, crĂŞpes, yoghurt.
Put the butter and sugar into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and melt gently on a low heat.
Simmer for about 5 minutes, remove from the heat and gradually stir in the cream and the vanilla extract.
Put back on the heat and stir for 2 or 3 minutes until the sauce is absolutely smooth.
Melt 150g (5oz) of chocolate in a Pyrex bowl over simmering water (not boiling) and stir until smooth.
Pour the chocolate onto a flat baking sheet, and tap the tin gently to spread.
Once cool, using a cheese slice, or the blade of a chopping knife, pull the blade across the chocolate creating “curls” as you go.
Nowadays Hot Cross Buns are traditionally eaten in Ireland on Ash Wednesday and on Good Friday.
This practice would have been frowned on in the past when these were black fast days and the people would scarcely have had enough to eat, not to mention spicy fruit filled buns.
- 25g (1oz) fresh yeast
- 75-110g (3-4oz) castor sugar
- 450g (1lb) bakers flour
- 75g (3oz) butter
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2-3 teaspoons mixed spice, depending how fresh it is
- 1 level teaspoon of salt (important to add)
- 2 organic eggs
- 225-300ml (8-10 fl oz) tepid milk
- 75g (3oz) currants
- 50g (2oz) sultanas
- 25g (1oz) candied peel, chopped
- egg wash made with milk, sugar, 1 organic egg yolk, whisked together
- shortcrust pastry
- Liquid Cross
- 50g (2oz) white flour
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 4-5 tablespoons cold water
Dissolve the yeast with 1 tablespoon of the sugar in a little tepid milk.
Put the flour into a bowl, rub in the butter, add the cinnamon, nutmeg, mixed spice, a pinch of salt and the remainder of the sugar. Mix well.
Whisk the eggs and add to the milk.
Make a well in the centre of the flour, add the yeast and most of the liquid and mix to a soft dough, adding a little more milk if necessary.
Cover and leave to rest for 2 or 3 minutes then knead by hand or in a food processor until smooth.
Add the currants, sultanas and mixed peel and continue to knead until the dough is shiny.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place until it doubles in size.
“Knock back”, by kneading for 3 or 4 minutes, rest for a few minutes. Divide the mixture into 14 balls, each weighing about 50g (2oz).
Knead each slightly and shape into buns. Place on a lightly floured tray. Egg wash and leave to rise.
If using shortcrust, arrange a cross of pastry on each one. Leave to rise until double in size. Then egg wash a second time carefully.
We tend to decorate with what we call a “liquid cross”.
To make this, mix the flour, melted butter and water together to form a thick liquid.
Fill into a paper piping bag and pipe a liquid cross on top of each bun.
Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 6.
Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes then reduce the heat to 200ÂşC/400ÂşF/gas mark 6 for a further 10 minutes or until golden.
Leave to cool on a wire rack. Split in two and serve with butter.
The recipe below makes a basic bun dough that can be used to make many variations: doughnuts, bath buns, Chelsea buns, hot-cross buns and so on.
Baker’s or strong flour is higher in gluten than plain flour so it is more suitable for yeast breads and puff and choux pastry.
- 50g (2oz) fresh yeast
- 900g (2 lb) baker’s or strong flour
- 75g (3oz) caster sugar
- pinch of salt
- 175g (6oz) butter
- 2 organic eggs, whisked
- 300–450ml (½ – ¾ pint) water at blood heat
Rub in the butter and then add the whisked eggs. Add the yeast mixture and enough additional water to make a fairly soft dough.
Cover and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
Turn out onto a floured board. Knead well, about 5–10 minutes, until the dough becomes firm and springy. It should bounce back when pressed with a finger.
Put into a deep Pyrex bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave to rise until it doubles in size.
Punch down to knock out the air and redistribute the yeast back in contact with the dough. Knead well for 2–3 minutes.
Leave to rest for a further 5 minutes, then use and shape as desired.
Put 600ml (1 pint) water and 450g (1 lb) sugar into a pan and boil for 2 minutes.
Brush over the buns as soon as they come out of the oven to give them a sweet, sticky glaze.
This makes a large quantity of bun wash but it keeps very well.
We’re hearing terrific reports about Dooks Fine Foods in Co Tipperary. Opened recently, by Richard Gleeson, past 12 Week student, we understand they are serving sweet and savoury culinary delights and beverages made with local, seasonal produce.
Email: hello@dooksfinefoods.ie or Tel: 052-6130828
Sign up for Slow Food Ireland Membership before June 30 and get a gift voucher for an afternoon cookery demonstration at the Ballymaloe Cookery School.
www.slowfoodireland.com or slowfoodeastcork@gmail.com
There are many Irish chocolatiers to choose from – Shana Wilkie in Midleton, Peter Clifton at Rostellan Chocolates, O’Conaill Chocolates in Cork City and Midleton Farmers Market, Lorge Chocolates, Bonane near Kenmare, Skelligs near Ballinskelligs.
