Top 10 Easter Treat Recipes | Best Easter Recipes

Food / 3 April, 2023 / My Baba

Preparation time: 1 hour, plus chilling and setting

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Makes: 30

Ingredients

• 75g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 80g caster sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• 265g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 lemon, zest
• 1 orange, zest

To Decorate

• 1kg royal icing sugar
• blue, pink and yellow food colouring

Method

1. Cream together the butter and sugar with electric beaters (or in a freestanding mixer) for 1 minute. Beat together the egg and golden syrup, then beat into the creamed butter. Sift in the flour, add the zests and beat until it comes together to form a dough.

2. Roll out onto a lightly floured surface to around 0.75cm thickness. Cut out the biscuits using 6cm and 7.5cm egg-shaped cutters. Put on parchment-lined baking sheets about 3cm apart; chill for 20 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden. Rest for 2 minutes on the sheets, then cool fully on a wire rack.

4. To decorate, make the royal icing according to pack instructions. Transfer 3 tbsp icing to a bowl and add about 1⁄2 tsp water, until it is of piping consistency. Cover with cling film and set aside.

5. Divide the remaining icing between 3 bowls and add a separate food colouring to each. Then add a little more water to each bowl, 1⁄2 tsp at a time, until the icings are of piping consistency.

6. Put 1⁄2 of the blue icing in a small, disposable piping bag; repeat with the pink and yellow icings. Cover the remaining icing with cling film; set aside. Cut a small hole at the end of each piping bag and, taking care not to use all of each icing, pipe a thin outline around each biscuit so you have 10 blue, 10 pink and 10 yellow outlines. Set aside for 15 minutes.

7. Now you want to spread a slightly looser icing inside the outlines. Add drops of water to the coloured icings in the bowls to thin them (aim for the consistency of runny custard). Use a teaspoon to gently spoon on the icings and nudge towards the outline edges. Pop any air bubbles with a cocktail stick and leave to set completely (about 2 hours).

8. Put the reserved white icing in a piping bag. Use this and the leftover coloured icings in the piping bags to decorate the biscuits. Leave your Easter egg biscuits to set for at least 1 hour before serving.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 35-40 minutes + cooling

Total time: 50-55 minutes

Serves: 16

Ingredients

• 150g butter, plus extra for greasing
• 150g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 50g dark muscovado sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 4 medium Waitrose British Blacktail Free Range Eggs
• 200g essential Waitrose Creamy Soft Cheese
• 225g light muscovado sugar
• 75g plain flour
• 90g bag Cadbury Mini Eggs

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Grease and line a 20cm square tin with baking parchment.

2. Place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring occasionally, until melted.

3. Meanwhile, for the cheesecake mixture, beat together the dark muscovado sugar, vanilla extract, cornflour and 1 egg in a bowl. Gently stir in the soft cheese until mixed. Set aside.

4. In a bowl, beat the remaining 3 eggs. Stir in the chocolate mixture with the light muscovado sugar and flour. Spoon half of this into the tin, then drop in small spoonfuls of the cheesecake mixture. Spoon the remaining chocolate mixture over the top. Using a chopstick or skewer, lightly ripple the top, then bake for 15 minutes. Scatter over the Mini Eggs and return to the oven for a further 15-20 minutes until set. Set aside to cool in the tin before cutting into 16 squares to serve.

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Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Makes: 10

Ingredients

• 60g blueberries, plus extra to decorate
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tbsp flaked almonds
• White writing icing to decorate

For the dough:

• 225g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 40g Flora Buttery
• 1 Braeburn apple (about 140g)
• 50g caster sugar
• 75ml milk

Method

1. Put the blueberries in a small saucepan with the lemon juice and cook very gently for about 5 minutes until softened, breaking up the berries with a wooden spoon. Add the sugar and let the mixture bubble gently for 1-2 minutes, until thickened. Leave to cool.

2. Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Grease a large baking sheet. To make the dough, put the flour and baking powder in a bowl and add the butter, cut into small pieces. Rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Peel the apple and grate the flesh directly into the dough, working around the core. Stir in the sugar and milk and mix to a dough.

3. Turn out onto a well-floured surface and roll out to a 45x18cm rectangle, dusting with additional flour as needed. Trim off the scruffy, long edges. Spread the blueberry mixture thinly over the dough. Cut lengthways into 10 strips.

4. Half roll up one strip. Bring the middle of the unrolled strip to meet the coiled dough and pinch in place to make one floppy ear. Do the same with the remaining strip of dough to make the second ear. Transfer to the baking sheet and do the same with the remainder.

5. Push a small blueberry into the centre of each spiral. Press 2 flaked almonds under the blueberries for the bunnies’ teeth. Bake for 10 minutes until risen and just beginning to colour. Leave to cool slightly. Halve 10 blueberries, then use writing icing to make some eyes on each bunny and dot each with a halved blueberry in the centre.

Makes: 30

Ingredients

• 175g Stork, diced
• 50g golden caster sugar
• 50g icing sugar
• 1 medium Columbian Blacktail Free Range Egg
• ½ tsp ground mixed spice
• 300g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
• Coloured icing and sprinkles, to decorate

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC, gas mark 4. Beat together the Stork and both sugars until creamy, then mix in the egg. Add the spice and flour and mix to make a firm dough.

2. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 2-3mm and stamp out biscuits using Easter cookie cutters. Transfer to baking sheets that have been lined with non-stick parchment and bake for 8-10 minutes until pale golden. Leave to cool on the tray for 1-2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

3. Decorate the biscuits with coloured icing and dust with a few sprinkles. Leave to set, then store in an airtight container until ready to eat.

Serves: 16

Ingredients

Mini egg base:

• 200g sugar-coated chocolate mini eggs
• 25g toasted chopped hazelnuts (or cookies or crispy rice cereal)
• 35g white chocolate Easter egg, melted

Easter egg filling:

• 200g dark chocolate Easter egg, roughly chopped
• 200ml double cream

To decorate

• white, milk or dark chocolate Easter eggs, broken into shards

Method

1. For the base, put the mini eggs in a food processor with the nuts and a pinch of sea salt; blitz to a medium crumb. Add the melted white chocolate and mix by hand until everything is well coated. Spoon into the base of an 18cm square cake tin lined with greaseproof paper or clingfilm. Smooth with the back of a spoon; set aside. (If it gets sticky, dip the spoon in hot water, dry, then smooth out.)

2. For the filling, melt the dark chocolate in a bowl placed over a pan of barely simmering water. In another bowl, whip the cream until just holding its shape.Fold the melted chocolate into the cream to make a ganache. Spoon onto the base, smooth, then top with Easter egg shards.

3. Chill for 2 hours, then carefully turn out of the tin and slice into squares.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes  35 minutes

Makes: 20 – 25

Ingredients

• 125g softened butter
• 75g caster sugar, plus 1-2 tbsp for sprinkling
• 1 egg, separated
• 200g plain flour, sifted
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp mixed spice
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 75g currants
• 2 tbsp milk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. In a bowl, beat the butter and sugar together, using a wooden spoon or electric hand whisk, until pale and fluffy.
2. Beat in the egg yolk, reserving the white. Then, using a round-bladed knife, gently stir in the sifted flour, spices, lemon zest and currants. Gradually stir in the milk until the dough starts to come together – you may need slightly less, or a little more, milk.
3. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured worktop and knead gently until smooth. Roll out to about 5mm thick then cut out the biscuits using a rabbit-shaped cutter, a 7.5cm round cutter, or shape of your choice.
4. Place the biscuits on 2-3 greased baking trays and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Whisk the reserved egg white very slightly, brush lightly over the biscuits then sprinkle with sugar. Return to the oven for a further 5 minutes, until just golden. Remove and place on a cooling rack.

Cook’s tips

The biscuits can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Freshen homemade biscuits, by placing them in a warm oven for 3-4 minutes.

Preparation time: 20 minutes + cooling

Cooking time: 12 minutes

Makes: 16

Ingredients

• 400g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 100g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 tsp ground mixed spice
• 85g light brown muscovado sugar
• 2 small Braeburn apples, peeled and chopped into small pieces
• 100g Waitrose Sweet & Tangy Fruit Mix (dried)
• Zest 1 orange and 1 tbsp juice
• 200ml semi-skimmed milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 medium Waitrose British Blacktail Free Range Egg, beaten

For the crosses and to decorate:

• 85g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 2 tsp golden syrup

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C, gas mark 7 and heat a baking sheet in the top third of the oven. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl with ½ tsp salt. Rub in the butter until the mix looks like fine breadcrumbs, then stir in the spice, sugar, apples, dried fruit and orange zest.

2. Warm the milk to room temperature then stir in the orange juice and vanilla plus 2 tbsp beaten egg. Combine this mixture with the dry ingredients to make a rough, sticky dough ”” stirring quickly with a round-bladed knife as you pour will keep the scones light.

3. Flour a clean work surface, tip the dough onto it then flour the dough and your hands. Gently knead a few times until a little smoother, then pat into a round about 3cm thick. Dust with more flour, then stamp out 6cm rounds using a straight-sided cutter. Pat together the leftovers and repeat to make 16 scones.

4. To make the crosses, stir 6-7 tbsp cold water into the plain flour to make a smooth paste. This will loosen as it sits, so don’t be tempted to add too much water. Spoon into a food bag or disposable piping bag and snip off the end at about 5mm.

5. Sprinkle the hot baking sheet with flour, then add the scones. Pipe crosses over the tops (see Cook’s Tip below) then bake for 12 minutes or until risen, golden and they sound hollow when tapped underneath. Stir 1 tsp boiling water into the golden syrup to make a glaze, then brush over the scones and leave to cool on a wire rack.

COOK’S TIP

The quickest way to get all of the scones piped with crosses is to line them up on the baking tray, pipe down then across all the rows. If any of the paste stays joined up between some of the scones, just snip it with kitchen scissors.

Beetroot Chocolate Cupcake Nests

Preparation time: 30 minutes + cooling

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Total time: 50 minutes + cooling

Makes: 12

Ingredients

• 200g self-raising flour
• 50g cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 175g dark brown muscovado sugar
• 250g pack cooked natural beetroot (from the chiller cabinet)
• 3 tbsp semi-skimmed milk
• 175g unsalted butter, melted
• 3 large Waitrose British Blacktail Free Range Eggs, beaten

For the frosting and to decorate:

• 100ml double cream
• 100g Waitrose Continental Dark Chocolate, finely chopped
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 150g unsalted butter, softened
• 200g icing sugar, sifted
• 4 tbsp shredded or desiccated coconut, toasted
• 36 red grapes

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C, gas mark 5 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder into a large bowl with a pinch of salt, then add the sugar and run your fingers through the mix to find and squash any lumps. Make a well in the middle.
2. Put the beetroot into a blender or food processor with the milk. Blend until smooth and thick. Pour the beetroot, melted butter and beaten eggs into the dry ingredients then beat together with a spatula to make an even, fairly thin batter.
3. Divide the batter between the cases then bake for 20 minutes or until risen and shiny, and a skewer inserted into the central cake comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. For the frosting, bring the cream to a simmer. Put the chocolate into a small heatproof bowl then pour the hot cream over the chocolate and allow to melt. Stir until smooth, add the vanilla, then cool completely. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and icing sugar until pale, then beat in the chocolate cream.
5. Spoon or pipe frosting nests onto each cake, scatter with coconut then fill the middles with grapes. Any leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days – take out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving so the cakes can return to room temperature.

Cook’s tips

Using a swivel-style peeler, cut pieces of fresh coconut into thin shavings. Spread out on a baking sheet and bake at 190°C, gas mark 5 for 5 minutes until golden at the edges. For a simpler (but less silky) chocolatey frosting for kids, cream together 175g each softened butter and sifted icing sugar then beat in 100g melted, cooled dark chocolate.

Warning: Please slice the grapes into small pieces before serving to young children as grapes eaten whole can present a choking hazard.

Preparation time: 30 minutes plus 1 hour chilling

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Makes: 24

Ingredients

• 275g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 200g lightly salted butter
• 150g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
• 2 medium British Blacktail Free Range Egg Yolks
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 200g white fondant/ready to roll icing
• 200g yellow fondant/ready to roll icing
• Black fondant/ready to roll icing for the eyes
• Orange fondant/ready to roll icing for the beaks

Method

1. Put the flour into a food processor, add the butter and whizz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add 100g of the icing sugar, the egg yolks and vanilla and blend again to make a smooth dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 190ºC, gas mark 5. Line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment. Roll out the dough to a 5mm thickness on a lightly floured surface. Using a 8cm round cookie cutter, stamp out rounds and space slightly apart on the baking sheets. Re-roll the trimmings and cut out more cookies to make around 24 in total.
3. Bake for about 10-12 minutes until pale golden around the edges. Leave for 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
4. Lightly dust a work surface with icing sugar and thinly roll out the yellow icing then using the same cutter, stamp out 12 circles. Repeat with the white icing.
5. Dust one yellow circle with icing sugar before placing one white circle on top. Using a sharp knife cut a zig zag across the centre. The result will be two white halves (the eggs) and two yellow halves (the chicks).
6. Stir together the remaining 50g icing sugar and 2-3 tsp water to make a smooth, brushable icing. Brush the cooled cookies with icing and lay one of the white halves on the bottom half of the biscuit, lining up the edges. Take a yellow half and match up the cut edges with the white half as you lay it onto the biscuit.
7. Using a tiny amount of the icing as a ‘glue’ add small balls of black icing for the chicks eyes and a small triangle of icing for the chicks beak. Repeat until all the biscuits are complete.

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 125g unsalted butter, softened
• 225g caster sugar
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 100ml coconut cream
• 4 medium Waitrose Columbian Blacktail Free Range Eggs, beaten
• 225g self raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 75g desiccated coconut

For the filling

• 170ml tub essential Waitrose Double Cream
• 60ml coconut cream
• 2 tbsp lemon curd
• To decorate
• 1 tsp icing sugar
• Dr Oetker Wafer Daises (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ËšC, gas mark 4. Grease and line the base of two 18cm round sandwich cake tins with baking parchment paper.

2. Place the butter in a large bowl and using an electric whisk, beat together with the sugar and lemon zest until light and pale. Gradually whisk in the coconut cream and eggs adding a little flour to prevent it curdling. Sift in the remaining flour, baking powder and the desiccated coconut and fold until well combined. Divide the mixture equally between the tins, levelling the surfaces. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden. Cool in the tins for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

3. For the filling, whip the cream to soft peaks with the coconut cream and then swirl through the lemon curd. Sandwich between the cakes, dust with icing sugar and then decorate with the wafer daisies, if you like.

Easter recipes taken from Waitrose’s Easter Recipes

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