Easter recipes to satisfy your sweet tooth

To decorate
4 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp apricot jam

Method

1. Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan over a low heat, stirring until the butter melts. Allow to cool.
2. Place the flour, yeast, salt, sugar, mixed spice, raisins and mixed peel (or dried fruit) into a large mixing bowl.
3. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture, add the milk and egg, and mix with a wooden spoon. Then use your hands to bring the sticky dough together.
4. Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Knead for 5-7 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
5. Place the dough in greased bowl and cover with oiled cling film. Leave to rise for an hour or until doubled in size.
6. Place the dough onto a floured surface. Knead for a couple of minutes, then divide into 12 equal pieces.
7. Shape the pieces into rounds. Place on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, cover with oiled cling film, and leave to rise for an hour or until the buns double in size.
8. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan.
9. Prepare decoration: Mix flour with enough water to make a thick paste, and spoon into a piping bag with a plain nozzle. Before putting the buns in the oven, pipe a cross on top.
10. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
11. Melt apricot jam with 1 tbsp of water in a saucepan and brush over buns. Serve warm or cold.

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Ingredients (makes about 25 truffles)
150ml double cream
225g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into small chunks
25g unsalted butter
pinch of salt
¼ tsp cinnamon (optional)
¼ tsp nutmeg or mixed spice (optional)

To decorate
white icing or melted white chocolate (optional)

Method

1. Place 150g of the chocolate in a mixing bowl.
2. Heat the cream in a pan over a low heat. Just before it comes to a boil, add the butter and then remove from the heat. Stir until butter has melted.
3. Add this hot mixture to the chocolate, whisking continuously so that the chocolate melts slowly.
4. Add the salt, and spices if using, to the chocolate mixture and mix gently. Don’t worry if the chocolate mixture “splits”; if it does, just add a drop or two of boiling water and whisk.
5. Place this chocolate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or until firm.
6. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
7. Take the chocolate mixture out of the fridge. Take a teaspoonful and roll it into a rough ball shape and place on the tray. Repeat until all the chocolate mixture has been used.
8. Place the tray in the fridge for 30 minutes or until firm.
9. Break the remaining chocolate chunks into a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Stir the chocolate with a metal spoon until it melts.
10. Take the truffles out of the fridge. Slide a fork under a truffle, and place it in the melted chocolate. Gently turn the truffle in the chocolate to coat it evenly.
11. Lift the truffle out of the chocolate and tap the fork a few times against the side of the bowl to remove excess. Place it back on the lined tray by sliding the fork gently out from underneath.
12. Repeat for remaining truffles.
13. Put in the fridge for 10-20 minutes to set.
14. To make the truffles look like hotcross buns, pipe a cross on top of each one with white icing or melted white chocolate.