Easter cookies.
When asked what Easter meant to her, my 9-year-old granddaughter said "Jesus and chocolate". I was impressed, because the boys next door thought it was all about rabbits, eggs and chickens.
CHOCOLATE EASTER EGG COOKIES
Decorate these egg-shaped cookies with imagination.
INGREDIENTS
150g butter, softened
cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sweetened condensed
milk
1 egg
1 cups plain flour
1 cup self-raising flour
3 tbsp dark baking cocoa
Topping:
250g dark chocolate, chopped
Garnishes:
prepared yellow icing, white chocolate, flaked coconut, hokey pokey balls, pearl balls.
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180C. Line two oven trays with baking paper.
Cream the butter, brown sugar and sweetened condensed milk, until light. Add the egg and beat until just combined.
Fold in the sifted flours and cocoa. Mix to a firm dough.
Roll out between two sheets of baking paper to 5mm thickness. Using an egg-shaped cutter or template, cut the dough into about 20 eggs and place on the prepared trays.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned on underneath. Cool on a wire rack.
Melt the chocolate over hot water or in the microwave. Stir well. Spread over the cooled cookies. Allow to set.
Easter chicken cookie: Roll out prepared yellow icing (from the supermarket) to about 3mm thickness. Using a template, cut out a chicken shape. Brush the underside with a little melted and sieved jam and place on top of a cookie. Using dark chocolate writing icing, make marks to represent and eye, beak and wing.
Zigzag cookie: Pipe white chocolate or melted white chocolate on cookies in circles and zigzags.
Dotted cookie: Top a chocolate-covered cookie before the chocolate sets completely with hokey pokey balls. (In containers in the icing department of supermarkets.)
Coconut cookie: Top with flaked coconut and coloured pearl balls.
HOT CROSS BUN BURGERS
These buns are great filled with sweet hoisin chicken.
INGREDIENTS
400g skinned and boned chicken breasts
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 hot cross buns
2 tbsp canola oil
2 medium courgettes, sliced
4 large lettuce leaves
juice 1 lemon
METHOD
Slice the chicken into strips. Place in a bowl with the hoisin sauce and black pepper.
Heat the buns in a 180C oven for 3-4 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan. Saute the courgettes on high, until browned. Place aside.
Heat the remaining oil and stir-fry the chicken for 1-2 minutes on high, until cooked.
Split the buns. Top the bases with lettuce, courgettes, the chicken and a squeeze of lemon juice. Add the tops and enjoy. - Serves 4
TARRAGON & ROSEMARY LAMB
In Europe, Easter is also the time to start enjoying the new season's lamb. You will need about 8-10 slivers of garlic.
INGREDIENTS
1.2kg semi-boned lamb shoulder
2 large cloves garlic, slivered
8-10 small sprigs rosemary
2 tbsp each: orange juice, olive oil, dried tarragon
1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
2 tsp salt
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200C.
With the point of a sharp knife, cut 8-10 deep slits in the lamb. Insert the garlic slivers and rosemary into each slit. Sprinkle the orange juice over the lamb then lightly brush with the oil. Combine the tarragon, pepper and salt in a small bowl then sprinkle evenly over the lamb.
Place the lamb, fat-side up, in a roasting pan. Reduce the heat to 180C and roast the lamb for 30 minutes per 500g. Tent with foil and stand for 10 minutes before carving. - Serves about 6
EASTER MUD CAKE
If the mini eggs are wrapped in foil, remove before using.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup plain flour
tsp each: baking powder, baking soda
3 tbsp dark cocoa powder
pinch salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup canola oil
Ganache:
3/4 cup cream
200g dark chocolate, chopped
Garnish:
mini chocolate Easter eggs
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180C. Lightly butter a 6-cup ring pan and line the base with baking paper.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and salt into a bowl.
Stir in the sugar. Beat the egg, water, sour cream and oil. Stir into the dry ingredients, until just smooth. Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Don't overcook.
To make the ganache, place the cream in a bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Stir in the chocolate, until melted. Cool.
Place the cake on a wire rack on a chopping board to catch the drips. Pour the ganache over the cake. Cool a little. Dot the top with mini chocolate eggs.