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Easter treats
to help you enjoy a new beginning
Clare Latimer comes up with
some great ideas to make your Easter weekend something really
special
EASTER symbolises a new beginning so bring out your
special plates, napkins and tablecloths and decorate with a
real spring touch and make this a breakfast to remember.
As a child we used to boil our eggs in gorse flowers and
this turned them bright yellow but now it is easy to buy coloured
eggs.
I have Araucana chickens and they lay wonderful blue and green
eggs, which are a delight, but if you do not have chickens –
as most of you will not! – then Waitrose stock them. If
you want a larger portion then duck eggs are also very good
and come in a lovely white colour.
Easter Eggs with Soldiers
Ingredients
Serves 4
Four blue hen’s eggs or white duck eggs;
25g butter, plus extra for spreading;
Three tbsp milk;
Salt and freshly ground black pepper;
Four slices brioche, medium cut;
One small jar Avruga caviar.
Method
Break the eggs very carefully, cutting off the top as if you
were eating a boiled egg.
Empty the raw egg into a small heavy-based saucepan with 25g
butter, milk and the pepper. Wash out the eggshells and place
in the egg cups, discarding the tops. Toast the brioche slices
and then spread with the remaining butter. Cut into 4 lengths
to make the soldiers. Cook the egg mixture over a low heat,
stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, until creamy and
scrambled.
Remove from the heat just before it is ready, as it goes on
cooking in the pan. Continue stirring off the heat, then spoon
into each egg shell. Place each egg on an egg cup and place
on a plate. Put round four soldiers round each cup and then
top the egg with the Avruga caviar. Serve immediately.
Hot Cross Buns
It is said that the bakers marked their buns with a cross
to ward off evil sprits so we had better carry on the tradition
in hope.
The usual is to use pastry but it is quicker and tastier to
use marzipan and although it melts into the bum it does leave
a mark and enhances the flavour.
Ingredients
Makes approx 12
For the ferment
One large egg, beaten;
215ml warm water;
15g yeast;
One heaped teasp sugar;
50g strong white flour.
For the dough
125g currants;
25g sultanas;
25g chopped dried peel;
450g strong white flour;
One level teasp salt;
Two teasp ground mixed spice;
75g lard;
75g sugar;
Grated rind one lemon;
One small pack marzipan;
Golden Syrup, heated for glazing.
Method
Preheat the oven 240C 475F Gas 9. To make the ferment, combine
the beaten egg with enough warm water to give 275ml liquid.
Whisk the yeast, sugar and flour, cover and put in warm place
for 30 minutes.
For the dough, mix the currants, sultanas and dried peel and
then rinse in hot water.
Drain and keep in warm place. Put flour, salt and spice into
a large bowl with the lard, sugar and grated lemon rind and
mix. Pour in the ferment, mix carefully and then mix vigorously.
Knead to a smooth elastic dough. Carefully work in the warm,
moist currants and peel and knead again until well mixed. Shape
into a ball and leave covered for 30 minutes in a warm place.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and divide the mixture
into 75g pieces. Shape them into balls and leave to rest for
five minutes. Then roll them out into 8cm discs and place on
lightly greased baking tray. Cut each disc into quarters right
the way through but leaving quarters touching so that as the
dough rises it has a well-marked cross on it. Cover the buns
with cling film and leave in a warm place for 45 minutes to
rise.
Roll out the marzipan and cut out small crosses and set aside.
Bake in the oven for six minutes and then brush the buns with
golden syrup and place a marzipan cross on each bun.
Reduce the oven temperature to 200¾C 400¾F Gas mark 6 and cook
for a further 15 minutes or until golden brown. Brush again
with golden syrup and leave to cool.
Clare’s Kitchen
41 Chalcot Road
Primrose Hill, NW1
Tel: 020 7586 8433
www.clareskitchen.co.uk
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