Easter recipes for entertaining

You can't go past a classic hot cross bun. Photo / Supplied

Easter recipes for entertaining, from roast lamb to hot cross buns, chocolate treats, lamb and more.

Perfect roast lamb

Lamb may be traditional to the Easters of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, Annabel Langbein writes, but it’s also a favourite choice for our autumn Easters, as its sweetness partners so well with all the season’s harvests. Don’t be put off trying it if you don’t like anchovies — they melt away to nothing, adding richness and depth of flavour without a hint of fishiness.

Get the recipe

More lamb recipes ...

• Slow-cooked Greek Easter lamb
• Pan-fried lamb short loin with greens and Greek lemon sauce
• Capsicum and red-wine-braised slow-braised shoulder of lamb
• Summer slow-cooked lamb with tomato and fennel
• Slow-roast spiced leg of lamb with pan gravy
• Stuffed leg of lamb with prunes and almonds

Quesadillas after a roast

These toasted tortilla sandwiches make good use of leftover roast meat and veges.

More recipes using leftover lamb ...

• Lamb, lentil and vegetable soup
• Leftover lamb salad
• Lamb rissoles
• Moussaka

Roasted rolled pork loin with gravy

Pork, fennel and lemon are a classic combination and it's not hard to see why — they are delicious together. See this roasted pork loin and accompaniments in Kathy Paterson's Eight for Easter menu with a choice of two desserts; fresh pineapple with cardamom or raspberry and champagne syllabub.

Get the recipe

More recipes for roast pork ...

• Chinese-style roast pork
• Twelve-hour slow roast pork
• Roasted pork loin with prunes and apples

Whatever meat you choose, follow our tips on

Roasting meat: The Golden Rules

Fruit bread with hidden marzipan

A simple fruit bread filled with 11 marzipan balls to represent the 11 faithful disciples (minus Judas). Delicious toasted the next day — if you have any left!

Get the recipe

More yeast baked Easter treats ...

• Brioche buns with chocolate and almond (pictured top of the page)
• Pull-apart Easter buns
• Hot cross buns with chocolate
• Festive gubana
• Rich Easter crown

Hot cross bun butter and banana pudding

Thickly sliced and buttered hot cross buns, layered with slices of banana and baked into a date-topped custard — speedy and delicious.

Get the recipe

More recipes using leftover hot cross buns ...

• Yummy hot cross bun pudding
• Hot cross bun toasties
• Hot cross buns benny

Decorate these egg-shaped biscuits any way you like, or get the kids to do their own. For the garnish and decorations, Jan Bilton used prepared yellow icing, white chocolate, flaked coconut, hokey pokey balls and pearl balls.

Chocolate Easter egg cookies

Get the recipe

More chocolate biscuits to bake ...

• Chocolate caramel Easter cookies
• Chocolate honey florentines
• Were brothers chocolate cookies

My Greek Easter cake

Get the recipe

More cakes for Easter ...

• Chocolate yoghurt cake
• Chocolate pear cake with chocolate sauce
• Chocolate truffle cake

GIVE HOMEMADE TREATS INSTEAD OF BOUGHT EGGS

Try Geoff Scott's sea salt, chocolate and pistachio truffles (no rolling required) or one of the many other truffles in our recipe collection.

Get the recipe

The kids will love these Easy Easter mallow treats

Get the recipe

NO GLUTEN OR DAIRY TREATS

Double chocolate fudge brownies

This is whole foods decadence at its best. A double chocolate brownie topped with coconut icecream, and a drizzle of salted caramel sauce. This dessert is vegan and free of gluten, dairy and refined sugar. If you’re used to lashings of butter and refined flour in your typical brownie, don’t let that deter you from trying this recipe.

Get the recipe

More gluten- and dairy-free treats ...