Delicious Easter Recipes

Delicious Easter Recipes

Eggs Benedict with Easy Hollandaise Serves: 4 people Ready: 30 minutes Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: 175g Unsalted Butter 50ml Vinegar 4 Egg Yolks 50ml Water ½ tsp ground White Pepper ½ fresh Lemon 4 medium Free Range Eggs 2 English Muffins, halved and toasted 4 slices cooked, Smoked Ham Handful Baby Leaf Salad Leaves To make the hollandaise, gently melt the butter and vinegar together in a pan. Place the egg yolks in a liquidiser along with the water and pepper. Blitz the egg yolks and water together for 15 seconds. Bring the butter and vinegar to the boil. Turn on the liquidiser and add the boiling butter and vinegar mix to the egg yolk mixture in a thin stream. It will thicken considerably. Once all in, turn off and pour into a warm bowl or pan, cover with film and leave to set for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning, adding a squeeze of lemon juice, keep warm. Bring a pan of water to the boil. Crack the 4 eggs into the water, turn down the heat and poach for 3-4 minutes, do not overcook. Meanwhile, place the 4 halves of muffin on 4 plates. Top with a slice of ham and a few baby leaf salad leaves. Place the eggs on top and spoon over the hollandaise. Tips Add white wine instead of water for an extra twist. Muffins can be replaced with sesame buns, again toasted. When poaching eggs, add a dash of vinegar or lemon to the water to set the white perfectly. Leaving the sauce to set for 5 minutes will thicken the sauce perfectly as the cooking will continue.

Rosti with Smoked Salmon, Rocket and Crème Fraîche Serves: 4 people Ready: 25 minutes Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: 500g Maris Piper Potatoes 120g Smoked Salmon 60g Rocket Leaves 120ml Crème Fraîche Sunflower Oil Sea Salt and Black Pepper Peel and grate the potatoes. Put into a bowl, season with salt and black pepper and leave for a few minutes. Squeeze out as much moisture as possible, then divide the mixture into 4. Make into circles (about 10cm) and fry in some oil until crisp on both sides. Serve topped with the rocket, smoked salmon and crème fraîche.

Spring Roast Lamb Serves: 6 People Ready: 2 hours 15 minutes Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour 40 minutes Resting Time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 1 Leg of Lamb (2.2-2.8kg) 60ml Runny Honey 1 dsp Dijon Mustard 2 sprigs Fresh Rosemary 5g Fresh Parsley, finely chopped 1 Lemon 200ml White Wine 2 Garlic Cloves, peeled and finely minced 3 x 125g packs Asparagus Tips Meat Gravy Granules Sea Salt and Black Pepper Pre-heat the oven to 220 C/425 F/Gas Mark 7. Grate the rind from the lemon and then juice. Mix together in a bowl the garlic, rosemary, wine, honey, mustard, lemon rind and juice season with some salt and black pepper. Place the lamb in a roasting tin and rub over the honey and wine mixture. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat too 180 C and roast for another 70-80 minutes, depending on how pink you like it (baste the lamb frequently during cooking). Once cooked, remove from the oven, cover with foil and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes. To make the gravy Strain away any fat from the roasting pan and use the meat juices when you make your gravy with the Quixo granules. Cook the asparagus in some boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes, then drain. Serve the lamb on a bed of asparagus, sprinkled with some chopped parsley, sea salt and black pepper.

Turkey with Pomegranate Orange & Almond Stuffing with an Orange Glaze Serves: 8-10 People Ready: 2 hours 30 minutes Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 170 minutes approx. Ingredients: 1 medium Fresh Turkey (approx. 4-4.3kg) 300ml Orange Juice with Bits 1 Chicken Stock Cube, dissolved in 150ml boiling water Sea Salt and Black Pepper 1 punnet Pomegranate Seeds Chicken Gravy Granules Stuffing 2 punnets Pomegranate Seeds Grated Rind of 2 Oranges Juice of 1 Orange 100g Flaked Almonds 1 Stick Celery, finely chopped 1 Bunch Spring Onions, finely chopped 1 Large Egg Salt and White Pepper 8 slices White or Brown Bread, torn into pieces Pre-heat the oven to 190 C/375 F/Gas Mark 5. Stuffing Put the bread, rind, celery, spring onions and almonds into a food processor and pulse until combined. Add the orange juice, pomegranate seeds and egg, then season with some salt and white pepper. Pulse again for a minute to mix. Roasting times Roast for 20 minutes per kg plus 90 minutes. So, for a 4kg bird the cooking time would be 170 minutes. Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey and wash inside and out. Stuff the stuffing mixture into the neck of the turkey or place in an ovenproof dish and cook for 20 minutes, towards the end of the turkey cooking time, if preferred. Put the turkey in a large roasting dish, pour over the chicken stock and orange juice and then season with sea salt and black pepper. Baste the turkey frequently and loosely cover the breast with foil if getting too brown. Check the bird is cooked by inserting a metal skewer into the thigh if the juices run clear then the bird is cooked. If they are still pink, return to the oven and cook for a further 20 minutes then check again. Allow the bird to rest by covering in tin foil for 20 minutes, to allow the juices to settle. To make the gravy Skim any fat off the cooking juices and thicken with some gravy granules. Serve garnished with some pomegranate seeds and fresh orange great served on a bed of buttered leeks.

Turkish Lamb Flatbreads Makes: 6 Ready: 40 minutes Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes 260g Leftover Lamb 300g Houmous 1 pack Pomegranate Seeds 1 Red Onion, peeled and thinly sliced 1 Little Gem Lettuce, shredded 250g Strong White Bread flour ½ tsp salt ½ tsp Ground Cumin 1 tsp Paprika 1 tsp Dried Parsley Black Pepper 110ml Warm Water 60ml Olive Oil Pre-heat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas Mark 4. Put the carved lamb in some tin foil and wrap into a parcel. Warm in the oven while you make the flatbreads. Mix the flour, salt, paprika, cumin and parsley together, then season with fresh black pepper. Mix the warm water and the olive oil together. Make a well in the centre of the flour mix, and slowly add the water and oil, mixing to make a soft dough. Put a little extra flour on the work surface and knead the dough for 5 minutes. Divide the mixture into 6 balls. Roll them out into a circle about the thickness of a pound coin. Heat a griddle pan and cook the flatbreads for about 2 minutes on each side until brown and blackened. Take the lamb out of the oven and shred finely. When they are all cooked serve alongside the warm lamb, houmous, red onion, lettuce and pomegranate seeds.

Baked Sea Bass with Thyme and Citrus Serves: 4 people Ready: 1 hour Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 40 minutes 4 salmon fillets (or trout if you prefer) 600g potatoes, peeled and diced 600g carrots, diced 50g breadcrumbs 50ml low fat milk 1 tbsp soft butter 1 small bunch parsley, chopped zest and juice of 1 lemon 25g pine nuts 1 tsp olive oil To a pot of boiling water add the carrots and potatoes. Cook until soft. Drain the vegetables, add the milk and mash well. Keep warm until needed. In a jug place the breadcrumbs, parsley, pine nuts, lemon zest, butter and lemon juice. Blitz until blended. Lightly oil a baking tray. Spread the lemon mixture on the fleshy side of the salmon fillets and lay them, skin side down, on the tray. Place the fish in the top of the oven at 220 C for about 12 minutes or until the topping forms a crust. Serve with the mash.

Lamb Easter Cake Serves: 6 People Ready: 1 hours 10 minutes Prep Time: 40 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes 4 Large Eggs 250g Self Raising Flour 250g Caster Sugar 250g Perfect for Cakes Spread 100g Strawberry Jam or Chocolate & Hazelnut Spread 3 x 450g Vanilla Icing White card for ears Pink Marshmallows and some Chocolate Spread for face and ears Icing bag with a star nozzle Pre-heat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas Mark 4. Line the bottom of your cake tins with greaseproof paper and lightly grease the sides. Put the eggs, flour, caster sugar and spread in a food processor and blend until thoroughly mixed. Divide this mixture between the cake tins. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until risen and firm to the touch. Allow to cool in the tins before turning out. If the cakes are very domed, slice the tops off to level them. Spread the jam or chocolate spread over the top of one of the cakes, then stack them on top of each other. Use some of the vanilla icing to cover the top of the cake. Put some in an icing bag and make swirls around the side of the cake and the edge of the top, like curly wool. Cut the white card to make some ears, use the marshmallows to make a nose and the chocolate spread for eyes, eyebrows and a mouth.

Hot Cross Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding 1 x pack 4 Specially Selected Luxury Hot Cross Buns 40g Greenvale butter 100g Moser Roth 70% Dark Chocolate 1 x 475g carton Delicious Desserts custard 200g Cowbelle Double cream 2 x large Eggs 60g Caster sugar Zest of 1 orange Preheat the oven to 200c/400f/gas6. Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Cut the hot cross buns in half and butter on both sides. Put the bottom slices into a ovenproof dish, that s just big enough to hold them in one layer - sprinkle over the chopped chocolate - then put the tops on. Beat the eggs in a bowl, add the orange zest, caster sugar, cream and custard and beat well. Pour this over the buns in the baking dish, brush the cream off the tops of the buns. Bake in the oven for 40 mins, till the custard has set and the tops are crispy.

Nest cupcakes Serves: 12 People Ready: 50 minutes Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 35 minutes For the cupcakes: 100g plain flour 20g cocoa powder 140g caster sugar 1 ½ tsp baking powder 40g butter at room temperature 2 eggs ¼ tsp vanilla extract on sale from 10th April For the topping: 170g Icing Sugar 110g butter, softened 50g cocoa powder Mini Eggs 1 pk Preheat oven to 180 C/355 F/Gas Mark 4. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating continuously. Sift in the flour baking powder and mix gently. Finally, add the vanilla extract and mix until combined fully. Spoon the mixture into a prepared cupcake tin. Bake for 20 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Once cooked, remove the cupcakes from the oven to cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile make the buttercream. Beat the butter in a large bowl until soft. Add the icing sugar and cocoa powder and beat until smooth. Spoon into a piping bag and apply to the sponges in a circular motion in the shape of a nest. Add the finishing touches e.g. Mini eggs.

White Chocolate Easter Cake Serves: 10 people Ready: 1 hour Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 40 minutes 2 x 200g packs Choceur White Chocolate 300g The Pantry Caster Sugar 300g The Pantry Self Raising Flour 300g Perfect for Baking 6 Healy s Farm Medium Eggs 100g The Cheese Emporium Plain Soft Cheese 140g Kilkeely Gold Irish Butter 140g Icing Sugar 1 x 200g pack Dairyfine Milk Chocolate 100ml Clonbawn Double Cream 1 x 90g bag Dairyfine Chocolate Mini Eggs Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas Mark 4. Line the bases of 3 x 9inch/23cm round loose base cake tins with some non stick baking parchment. If you have a food processor, add the eggs, caster sugar, baking spread and flour, blend till smooth, otherwise in a large bowl, cream the sugar with the Perfect for Baking, beat in the eggs and then whisk in the flour. Put 250g of the white chocolate in a bowl and melt over a pan of simmering water, once melted, stir into the cake mixture. Divide the mixture between the 3 tins and bake for 40 mins, till golden, risen and firm to the touch. Allow to cool in the tins before removing them. Meanwhile make the filling; melt the milk chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, once melted, stir in the cream. Allow to cool, and then spread the mixture on the top of two of the cakes; stack them on top of each other. To make the white butter icing, melt the remaining white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Beat the butter and icing sugar together till smooth, and then add the soft cheese and the melted chocolate, allow to cool, and then cover the entire cake. Decorate the top - make a nest with the chocolate sticks, and fill it with the chocolate eggs.

Bunny biscuits Serves: Makes 30 Preparation Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes 200g butter, chilled, plus extra for greasing 300g plain flour 1 orange, finely zested 90g icing sugar 2 egg yolks, reserve the whites for later use 25g desiccated coconut White, black and pink writing icing Use a food processor to blitz the butter, flour and zest until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the icing sugar and egg yolks and mix until smooth. Shape the mixture into a ball. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F / Gas mark 4. Line two baking trays with greaseproof paper and set aside. Roll out the dough to 5mm thick and cut out as many bunnies as possible using a rabbit-shaped cutter. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven. Whisk the egg whites until frothy. Brush the biscuits with egg, then scatter over the coconut. Return to the oven for 3 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. When cool, pipe on the tail in white icing and use the icing pens for the eyes, ears and whiskers. Leave to set for 30 minutes before serving.

Easter egg biscuits Serves: 12 People Ready: 50 minutes Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 35 minutes 200g butter, at room temperature 200g caster sugar 1 egg 400g plain flour To decorate 250g royal icing sugar Assorted food colourings Colurful toppings, such as sprinkles, edible glitter or balls (optional) Place the butter in a large mixing bowl with the caster sugar. Beat until light and fluffy with a wooden spoon. Gradually beat in the egg until well mixed, then slowly add the flour. Use your hands to bring the mixture together to a stiff dough. Roll into a ball and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F / Gas mark 4. Line two baking trays with greaseproof paper and set aside. Roll out the dough on a lightly flour dusted surface until it s the thickness of a 1 coin. Using an oval cutter (or an egg-shaped template) cut out the biscuits, using rolled out trimmings to make more as you go. Place on baking trays and bake in the oven for 6-10 minutes, depending on size, until just golden brown. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the baking tray to cool completely. To decorate, make up the icing as directed and divide between 3-4 bowls adding a little food colouring to each bowl. Place the mixtures into piping bags and decorate the biscuits you wish and have the children help with sprinkles or sweets and funny faces too.

Chocolate cornflake cakes Serves: makes about 15 Preparation Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes 50g butter 4 tbsp golden syrup 100g dark chocolate 75g cornflakes Handful of chocolate eggs Place 15 cake cases onto a baking tray. Heat a small heavy pan. Pour the butter, syrup and chocolate and let everything melt. Add the cornflakes and stir well. Spoon large spoonfuls of the chocolate-cornflakes mixture into the cake cases. Decorate with the chocolate eggs. Place in the refrigerator to let the clusters harden.

Easter Bunny Cup Cakes Makes: 12 cupcakes Ready: 1 hour Prep Time: 40 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes 190g Self Raising Flour 190g Caster sugar 190g Perfect For Cakes Soft Spread 200g Smooth White Chocolate Bar 3 Medium Free Range Eggs 454g Pack Ready to Roll White Icing 1 tbsp Honey To decorate - Strawberry Laces, Chocolate Buttons Pre-heat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas Mark 4. If you have a food processor add the eggs, spread, caster sugar and flour and pulse until well blended, if not, beat the spread with the sugar, then beat in the eggs, and then whisk in the flour until smooth Line a cupcake tin with paper cases, ¾ fill each with some mixture. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until risen and firm to the touch Allow to cool then cut off the risen dome, to make the cakes flat on top, cut this piece into half for the ears Roll out the icing, cut out rounds and put on the cakes. Apply a thin brushing of honey, grate the chocolate, and sprinkle over the honey. Make two holes and put the cut tops in as ears. Cut shapes from the ready to roll icing for its teeth, chocolate buttons for eyes, laces for whiskers and half a button for its nose.