Try these Easter Sunday showstoppers, a Friday fish feast and an Easter bunny cake that will bring big smiles to little faces
Easter lemon cake recipe
Recipe by The Boho Baker
Servings: 12
Ingredients
For the filling/coating
450g icing sugar
200g unsalted butter
1tsp vanilla extract
2-4tbsp milk
1/2 jar lemon curd
1 tub Dr Petker Sprinkles
80g white chocolate
1 bag mini eggs
For the cake
340g self-raising flour
340g caster sugar
340g baking margarine
6 medium eggs
Zest of one lemon
Method
Grease and line two 15cm round cake tins. Preheat the oven to 165°C/145°C/gas mark 3.
Melt half of the white chocolate either in the microwave or in a bowl suspended over a pan of simmering water. Carefully spoon it out onto a sheet of greaseproof paper, coaxing the chocolate into the shape of two bunny ears. Refrigerate to set.
Combine all of the sponge ingredients in a large bowl and mix until smooth. Divide the batter between the two cake tins and bake in the oven for 1 hour. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
Beat together the icing sugar, butter, milk and vanilla extract until smooth.
Cut each cake into two layers (so you have four in total). Fill each layer with buttercream and lemon curd, stacking as you go. Coat the exterior of the cake with buttercream and cover in sprinkles before refrigerating for 20 minutes.
Melt the rest of the white chocolate. Remove the cake from the fridge and spoon the white chocolate over the edge to create a drip effect.
Transfer the remaining buttercream to a piping bag. Cover the top of the cake with flourishes of buttercream and top with mini eggs and the chocolate bunny ears.
Chef tip: Add a drop of vegetable oil to the white chocolate to make the drip run smoothly.
Champagne chicken recipe
Serves 6
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1hr 15 minutes
Ingredients
1 large chicken
3-4 garlic cloves
3 shallots
3 bay leaves
1 sprig of rosemary, finely chopped
300ml of chicken stock
300ml of champagne
200ml of double cream
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 170°Fan/ 356°F/ Gas Mark 4.
Place chicken in a large casserole dish and place 2 cloves of garlic and a roughly chopped shallot in the cavity. Tie the legs with string.
Finely dice the other 2 shallots and garlic and place in the dish.
Add the bay leaves, rosemary, stock and champagne.
Place in the oven for about 1hour.
Remove from the oven, add the cream and place back in the oven for a further 10-15 minutes.
Remove and serve with hasselback potatoes and choice of veg.
Chef’s Tip: Only use champagne that you enjoy drinking, we used Booths Vintage champagne.
Pulled lamb, caramelised onion, cheese and rosemary mini pies
Makes 24
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 6-7 hours
Ingredients
1 leg of lamb, any excess fat removed
1tbsp of olive oil
2 large red onions sliced
1tbsp of butter
1tbsp of brown sugar
100ml of red wine
800ml of stock
3 packets of short crust pastry
240g vintage cheddar cheese
8 sprigs of rosemary (2 sprigs finely chopped)
Salt and pepper to season
1 egg for the egg wash
Method
Using a slow cooker, put the leg of lamb in for approximately 4 hours on low. If using an oven put in an oven proof dish and cover. Cook for 4 hours at 100°C.
Whilst the lamb is cooking prepare the caramelised onions.
In a frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the onions with the butter, sugar and red wine and cook on a low heat for about an hour. Then leave to stand until the lamb is ready.
Remove the lamb and using two forks, start to shred the meat removing bones and any fat that’s visible.
Add the stock, the caramelised onions and finely chopped rosemary and cook for a further 2 hours.
Remove and allow meat to cool.
Grease 2 muffin trays with butter and cut rounds of pastry that are bigger than the muffin hole and gently push down.
Fill each pie case with lamb mixture and top with a chunk of cheese.
Cut smaller pastry rounds for the lids and crimp together using a fork.
Egg wash the top of each pie and sprinkle with black pepper and a sprig of rosemary.
Bake at 180°C/170°Fan/356°F/Gas Mark 4 for 30-35 minutes until golden.
Chef’s tip: The mixture is ideally best made the day before assembly as it gives all the flavours time to infuse. It also allows the mixture to be fully cooled, so when assembling you don’t get soggy pastry before baking.
Jalapeño cod
Serves 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
4 cod fillets
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
Drizzle of olive oil
1 lime, juice only
1 jalapeño, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 spring onion, chopped
Handful of coriander, minced
1tsp chilli flakes
Method
Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°Fan/400ºF/Gas Mark 6.
Season cod fillets with salt and pepper. Arrange in a baking dish and drizzle with oil.
Bake the cod fillets for 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets.
In the meantime, in a small bowl combine the olive oil, lime juice, jalapeño, garlic, spring onion, coriander and red chilli flakes, salt, and pepper to taste.
Once the cod fillets are cooked, remove them from the oven and drizzle each fillet with the jalapeño mixture.
Serve immediately with the remaining sauce on the side.
Chef’s tip: This works really well with salmon or haddock, too.
booths.co.uk
