Celebrate Easter in style with these cracking creations from leading children’s cookery author and food expert Annabel Karmel.
Guaranteed to get then whole family hopping to the table.
SCRUMPTIOUS SIMNEL MUFFINS
This traditional Easter pleaser is the perfect recipe to get your little chicks helping out in the kitchen.
Prep: 40 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Makes: 12 muffins
Ingredients
- 175g butter, softened
- 175g caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 250g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- ½ tsp ginger
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 3 tbsp milk
- 225g mixed dried fruits e.g. cranberries, sultanas, apricots and raisins
- Zest of one small orange
- 80g natural marzipan, grated
- 150g marzipan
- A little apricot jam
- Lace cupcake wrappers
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160C Fan. Line a muffin tin with 12 muffin cases.
2. Measure the butter, caster sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder and spices and mix into a large mixing bowl. Beat using an electric hand whisk until light and fluffy. Add the fruits and orange zest and stir. Spoon half of the mixture into the cases.
3. Divide the marzipan between them and then spoon the remaining mixture for the muffins on top.
4. Bake for 25 minutes until well risen and lightly golden. Cool on a wire rack.
5. To decorate roll 7g of marzipan into small balls for each of the muffins and roll out the remaining marzipan and cut out circles using a 5 cm fluted cutter. Place the fluted circles of marzipan in the centre of the muffins and place a small ball of marzipan on top of each one. Use a little warmed apricot jam to attach the marzipan. Wrap each of the muffins in lace cupcake wrappers.
You might also like this recipe for White Chocolate Cream Heart Tarts
BUNNY BREAD
These simple yet effective sandwiches will transform lunchtimes this Easter.
Prep: 10 minutes
Makes: 1 bunny bread
Ingredients
- 2 slices brown bread
- 60g cream cheese
- 1 baby cucumber, sliced
- 2 slices from a small carrot
- A few pea shoots
Method
1. Spread the slices of bread with the cream cheese. Cut out a large circle using a round cutter for the body. Cut out a smaller circle for the head and stamp out three small circles for the feet.
2. Arrange the circles to form a bunny on the plate. Put two cucumber slices on top of the paws. Place a slice of cucumber on top of the third circle of bread and using a sharp knife. Cut in half to form the feet. Cut two lengths from the cucumber to make the ears.
3. Decorate the face with the slices of carrot for the eyes and a pea shoot for the mouth.
Share the love this year with these delectable heart lollipops
COCONUT CHICK CUPCAKES
A crafty little twist on traditional cakes, these cute little chicks make for an eggcellent Easter gift for friends, grandparents or that favourite teacher.
Prep: 30-40 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Makes: 10 cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 125g margarine
- 125g caster sugar
- 125g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 10 muffin cases
- 175g butter softened
- 300g icing sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 200g desiccated coconut
- Whole almonds
- Chocolate Chips
- White Writing Icing
- Yellow and orange Jelly Beans
- Fruit Pastilles
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160C Fan. Line a muffin tin with 10 muffin cases.
2. Measure all of the cake ingredients into a bowl. Whisk until light and fluffy using an electric hand whisk. Spoon into the cases. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until lightly golden. Cool on a wire rack.
3. Whisk the butter in a bowl. Add icing sugar, milk, vanilla and whisk until pale and fluffy.
4. Put the coconut on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes until golden. Leave to cool.
5. Remove the paper cases from the cakes. Turn upside down on a tray, spread buttercream over the cakes. Roll in the toasted coconut to cover the chicks. Insert an almond for a nose and chocolate chips for eyes and add a blob of white writing icing for the pupils. Make the feet from yellow and orange jelly beans and cut a ‘v’ shape from the fruit pastilles to form the chick’s quiff.
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