A collection of deliciously fruity and chocolaty bakes.
Each with minimal prep time, these recipes are simple and colourful enough to make with the grandkids.
Easter Simnel muffins
BAKES 12
Ingredients
250g mixed dried fruit
1 orange, zest and juice
175g butter, softened
175g golden caster sugar
3 eggs, beaten
300g Carr’s self-raising flour
1½ tsp mixed spice
½ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
5 tbsp milk
200g marzipan
200g icing sugar
1 lemon juice
Mini chocolate eggs
- Tip the fruit into a bowl, add orange zest and juice, and leave to soak for one hour.
- Line 12 deep muffin tins with muffin cases.
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Fan 160ºC/Gas 4.
- Beat together the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, mixed spice, nutmeg and milk until light and fluffy, then stir the fruit in well.
- Cut 100g of marzipan into small pieces and stir into the cake mix.
- Divide the mix evenly between muffin cases and bake for 25-30 minutes until risen, golden and firm to touch.
- Leave to cool.
- Beat together icing sugar and lemon juice to make icing thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
- With the remaining marzipan, make 12 discs to fit on top of each muffin.
- Stick onto the top of each muffin with a little bit of icing and toast (brown off), either using a blow torch or placing under a hot grill until golden.
- Allow the marzipan to cool then drizzle the icing over the top, add a cluster of eggs and leave to set.
Easter egg brownies
BAKES ONE TRAY
Ingredients
250g butter, room temp
4 eggs
250g Carr’s self-raising flour
2tsp baking powder
50g cocoa powder
7tbsp boiled water
250g caster sugar
2tbsp milk
125ml double cream, for icing
250g chocolate, for icing
- Grease and line a 30cm by 20cm tray.
- Pre heat oven to 180°/Gas 4.
- Cream the butter and sugar, add the eggs, and slowly add the flour and baking powder.
- Mix the cocoa and hot water to a paste and add to the mix.
- Loosen the cake mixture with milk and beat until smooth.
- Spread evenly in the tin and bake in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes.
- Leave in the tin to cool a while, then lift out.
- To make the ganache icing, gently warm the cream, break the chocolate into small pieces and add to the cream to melt, stirring all the time.
- When mix is thick and glossy, pour over the cake and decorate with chocolate min eggs and curls of chocolate.
- If your ganache goes grainy or oily, don’t panic! Pour off the excess oil and add some more cold cream, mixing until smooth and glossy.
Date and toffee hot cross loaf or several minis
BAKES ONE LOAF
Ingredients
1lb Carr’s plain flour
2 7g sachets of fast action dried yeast
1tsp salt
150ml milk
1 egg
50g caster sugar
50g butter, room temperature
100g dates, chopped
50g toffee chunks
75g Carr’s plain flour, for the cross
Water, for the cross
Apricot jam, for the glaze
- Mini hot cross buns — perfect for little mouths!
- Put all ingredients except the dates and toffee into your bread maker following the maker’s instructions and follow for raisin dough. If you don’t have a nut dispenser, add the dates and toffee when it beeps.
- Take out of bread maker and form into approximately 15 balls for individual buns, or shape and place into one large loaf tin, 22cm by 12cm.
- Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to prove in a warm place until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 180 ˚C/Gas 4.
- To make the cross, mix flour and water and pipe a cross on top of the uncooked buns or loaf.
- Bake for approximately 40 minutes.
- To make the glaze, warm the jam with some water in a pan until softened.
- Brush the top of the buns or loaf with the glaze when they come out of the oven.
- Let the loaf cool slightly in the tin before turning out.
All bakes belong to Carr’s Flour, you can find out more information on their website. The full range is available to order from their online shop.
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