Chocolate Nests
These chocolatey childhood favourites are a classic for a reason. They really couldn’t be simpler to make, so be sure to let the kids get in on the stirring and decorating.
Ingredients:
300g milk chocolate
100g puffed rice cereal
200g mini eggs
To make:
1) Break the chocolate into a heat-proof bowl and place over a saucepan of boiling water and gradually melt.
2) Once melted, remove the bowl from heat and stir in the puffed rice.
3) Grease a 12-hole muffin tin with butter.
4) Spoon the puffed rice mixture evenly into the muffin tin and shape into nests.
5) Place three mini eggs in the centre of each nest.
6) Put in the fridge for two hours to set.
Chickie Biccies
It’s always worth having a simple biscuit recipe up your sleeve. The lemon zest in these adds a fresh spring-like flavour.
Ingredients:
100g (4oz) butter, softened
50g (2oz) caster sugar
150g (5oz) self-raising
Grated zest of one lemon
250g yellow ready-roll icing
Edible eyes
Red and yellow piping icing
To make:
1) Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4.
2) Grease two baking trays with butter.
3) Add the butter and sugar to a bowl and beat together. Gradually add the flour and mix through the lemon zest. Squidge the ingredients together with your hands to form a dough.
4) Roll the dough into 16 balls the size of a walnut.
5) Flatten the biscuits with a fork.
6) Bake for 20 mins until pale golden.
7) Allow to cool completely before decorating on a wire rack.
8) Roll out the yellow icing and use a round cookie cutter to make the body. Add the eyes. Then pipe on nose and feet using the coloured icing.
Bunny Ear Cupcakes
These super cute Easter cupcakes are sure to impress all the family.
Ingredients:
For the cake
110g softened butter
110g caster sugar
2 large eggs
½ tsp vanilla extract
110g self-raising flour
For the buttercream
150g softened butter
300g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp milk
Green food colouring paste of your choice
Small quantity of white ready-roll icing
Small quantity of pink ready-roll icing
Edible flowers
To make:
1) Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
2) Fill a 12 cupcake tray with cases.
3) Cream together 110g softened butter and 110g caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Stir in two large eggs and mix well.
4) Stir in the vanilla extract 110g.
5) Fold the self-raising flour and a pinch of salt into the mixture until it is just combined.
6) Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases.
7) Bake for 15 mins until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
8) To make the buttercream, beat 150g butter until it is soft and pliable then add 300g icing sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Combine until smooth then stir in 3 tbsp milk.
9) Following the packet instructions to get the desired colour, add the green food colouring to the buttercream.
10) Spoon or pipe the buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes.
11) Roll out the white and pink royal icing. Using a sharp knife cute bunny ear shapes from the white icing. Cut the same shape slightly smaller out of the pink icing and dab with water – place inside the white bunny ears to stick.
12) Put the ears into the green icing and dot with edible flowers.
