Easter baking: eight easy bakes to make with the kids during the holidays

Rainy days are made for baking with your children

Super cute bunny cookies just in time for Sunday.

Easter egg nests

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

These delightful Easter treats with a crumbly chocolate nest and eggs are perfect for kids to make

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 20 mins

Total Time

 35 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 240g self-raising flour

• 120g caster sugar

• 120ml milk

• 1 egg

• 4 tbsp drinking chocolate powder

• 120g butter, melted

• To decorate:

• 50g milk chocolate, broken into small, even pieces

• 200g icing sugar

• 2½ tbsp cocoa powder

• 100g butter, softened

• 1 tbsp milk

• 2 crumbly chocolate bars such as a Flake, broken up

• small coloured eggs

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C and pop 12 bun cases into a bun tin.

2. Mix the flour and sugar together. Stir in the milk and egg until combined. Stir in the drinking chocolate then the melted butter. Scoop the batter into the prepared tin.

3. Bake for 20 minutes until baked through. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

4. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof dish above some boiling water, making sure not to let the steam into the chocolate. Set it aside.

5. Whip the sugar, cocoa powder, and butter until fluffy. Whisk in the melted chocolate and the milk.

6. Spread some icing onto the top of each bun and use this to stick the crumbly chocolate and eggs onto.

Easter bunny cookies

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Get the kids involved in the kitchen to create these festive Easter treats with white icing

Servings

20

Preparation Time

 1 hours 15 mins

Cooking Time

 7 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 22 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 100g butter, chilled and cubed

• 100g caster sugar

• 1 small egg, lightly beaten

• ½ tbsp lemon juice 

• zest of 1 lemon

• 1 tsp vanilla essence

• 250g plain flour

• 1 level tsp baking powder

• For the icing:

• 110g icing sugar

• ½ egg white

• 1 tsp lemon juice

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with parchment.

2. Beat the butter and sugar in the machine until fluffy.

3. Mix the egg, lemon juice, zest, and vanilla extract together and gently add it to the creamed butter and sugar and combine.

4. Mix the flour with the baking powder and combine them with the rest of the ingredients.

5. When the dough begins to come together, take it out of the machine and knead it lightly into a ball. Wrap it in cling film and leave in the fridge for an hour.

6. On a lightly floured surface roll the pastry to about three millimeters in thickness. Cut with a bunny cookie cutter and lay flat on a lined baking tray.

7. Bake the biscuits for 7-8 minutes, or until they are nicely golden.

8. Whisk the egg white and icing sugar together until smooth. Add the lemon juice to loosen the icing.

9. Decorate each cookie with a blob of the white icing for the bunny’s tail. Dry the biscuits in the warm place to set the icing, a still warm oven or near your oven. Tie a ribbon around the bunny’s neck if you wish.

Coconut Easter buns

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

These light coconut buns are easy to make and an ideal recipe for eager young bakers to try this Easter

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 30 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• For the buns:

• 225g butter, softened

• 210g golden caster sugar

• 4 eggs, lightly whisked

• 225g self-raising flour

• 20g desiccated coconut

• For the icing:

• 100ml thick coconut milk

• 40g icing sugar

• 20g desiccated coconut

Method

1. Pre heat the oven to 180°C and line a bun tin with 12 paper cases.

2. Whip the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Slowly add in the eggs, adding a few spoons of flour as you do, to stop the mixture curdling. Add the rest of the flour and the coconut and combine everything well.

4. Scoop the mixture into your paper cases and bake for about 15 minutes until baked through and nicely risen. Place onto a wire rack to cool once you can handle them.

5. To make the icing, whip the thick coconut milk and sugar and add in the desiccated coconut. When your buns have cooled completely, ice them and decorate them as you wish with little eggs or other Easter decorations.

Easter tea ring

recipe by:Darina Allen

For a light, tempting Easter treat filled with sultanas, raisins and mixed peel, incorporated in a fluffy crumb

Servings

8

Preparation Time

 1 hours 30 mins

Cooking Time

 25 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 55 mins

Course

 Dessert

Ingredients

• 50g butter

• 75g caster sugar 

• 50g raisins

• 50g sultanas

• 50g mixed peel

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)

• For the basic yeast bun dough:

• 50g fresh yeast

• 900g baker’s or strong flour

• 75g caster sugar

• pinch of salt

• 175g butter

• 2 eggs, whisked

• 300-450ml water at blood heat

• For the decoration:

• 6 tbsp icing sugar

• glacé Icing

• 25g flaked almonds

• 50g cherries

• 50g angelica, cut into diamonds

Method

1. To make the bun dough, 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.

2. 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.

3. Put into a deep Pyrex bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave to rise until it doubles in size.

4. 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.

5. To make the cake (instead of cutting the buns) curl the dough around into a ring.

6. Pinch the ends tightly together. Lift carefully onto a lined baking tray.

7. Cut two-thirds of the way through the ring at 2.5cm intervals with a scissors or knife.

8. Twist each cut slightly to expose more filling. Cover with a tea-towel and leave to prove for 15–20 minutes.

9. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Then bake until golden brown, for about 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack.

10. 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.

11. Decorate with the nuts, cherries and diamonds of angelica. Serve while still warm.

Chocolate pretzel nests

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Easter cupcakes with a deliciously crunchy top

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 35 mins

Course

 Baking

Cuisine

 Irish

Ingredients

• For the buns:

• 225g soft butter

• 220g golden caster sugar

• 210g self-raising flour

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 15g cocoa powder

• For the chocolate pretzel nests:

• 100g dark chocolate, broken into small even-sized pieces

• 45g thin salted pretzels, broken into sticks

• For the buttercream:

• 75g soft butter

• 100g icing sugar

• 50g cocoa powder

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1 tbsp milk

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C and place bun cases into a 12-hole bun tin.

2. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, slowly add in the eggs. Add the flour, vanilla and cocoa and combine well making sure to scrape the sides.

3. Spoon the mixture between the bun cases and bake for about 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Once cool enough to handle place onto a wire rack to cool completely.

4. To make the pretzel nests: melt the chocolate in a heatproof dish over a saucepan of boiling water. Remove the chocolate from the heat and stir in the pretzels making sure to coat them all. Grease a bun tin with some melted butter or oil. Scoop the chocolate mixture between the holes in the bun tin and spread it out so that it rises around the side of each hole. Allow to cool then place into the fridge to firm up. You can gently pry them out once they have solidified. This step can be done ahead of time and the nests stored for a few days until you are ready for them.

5. To make the icing: whip the butter, cocoa and sugar in a large bowl until very soft, pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla and milk and continue beating until combined. Spread the butter cream on the cooled buns and sit a pretzel nest on top of each one. Fill the nests with eggs if you wish.

Easter butter cookies

recipe by:Darina Allen

These biscuits can be made into any shape you fancy — bunnies, Easter eggs…

Servings

70

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 20 mins

Total Time

 30 mins

Course

 Baking

Cuisine

 German

Ingredients

• 400g (14oz) soft butter

• 200g (7oz) sugar

• 5 egg yolks — save the egg whites for macaroons

• 500g (18oz) plain white flour

• For the glaze:

• 1 egg yolk

• 2 teaspoons cream

• sprinkles

Method

1. Line some baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a bowl, cream the butter, sugar and egg yolks. Beat until light and fluffy. Sieve and stir in the flour, turn out onto a board and knead the mixture until it comes together. Rest for 30 minutes in a fridge to firm up.

3. Mix the egg yolk and cream together for the glaze.

4. Preheat the oven to 160˚C/325˚F/Gas Mark 3.

5. Roll out the dough into scant 5mm (1/4 inch) approx. thick and stamp out into Easter shapes — bunnies etc.

6. Brush the top with glaze and scatter with sprinkles. Put on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes approx. making sure to keep an eye on them. Cool on a wire rack.

Zesty Easter Bundt cake

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

The ridges and patterns of your Bundt tin are perfect for drizzling icing and decorating this light, citrus cake with chocolate eggs

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 50 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 5 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• For the cake:

• 250g butter, softened

• zest of 2 oranges

• zest of 2 limes

• zest of 1 lemon

• 300g golden caster sugar

• 4 eggs, lightly beaten

• 225g self-raising flour

• 75g plain flour

• 170ml orange juice

• For the icing:

• 80g icing sugar

• 3 tsp lemon juice

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C and grease and flour your Bundt tin (about 2lb in size), or line an 8-inch round tin with parchment.

2. Beat the butter, zest and sugar together until light and fluffy.

3. Slowly add in the eggs until combined. You can use a spatula to get all of the butter mixture from the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is mixed together.

4. Add in the flours and the juice until combined.

5. Scoop the mixture into your prepared tin and bake for about 50 minutes if using a Bundt tin or nearer an hour with a round cake tin. A skewer should come out clean once the cake is ready. Allow to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then gently turn the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely.

6. To make the icing, mix the icing sugar and lemon juice together until pourable but not so runny that it all comes off the cake straight away. Once the cake has cooled, ice it and decorate.

Irish oat cookies

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Combining your choice of nuts and dried fruit, these buttery oat biscuits are a delicious lunchbox or picnic treat

Servings

10

Preparation Time

 30 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 45 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 250g butter, softened

• 130g light brown sugar

• 150g self-raising flour

• 225g porridge oats

• 250g chopped nuts or dried fruit, or a combination of both

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a large, flat baking tray with parchment.

2. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Stir in the flour and oats and mix well. Add the nuts and mix again.

3. Roll into a log shape, wrap in parchment and refrigerate. The log can be easily sliced with a warm knife to the size you want, you should get about ten large cookies.

4. Bake them for 15-20 minutes until they are turning golden. Allow to cool on a wire rack.