Calories 175 per portion
Fat 11g (6g sat) per portion
Suitable for vegetarians
Ingredients
Butter 110g (4oz)
Milk chocolate 110g (4oz), chopped
Digestive biscuits 110g (4oz)
Chocolate mini eggs 110g (4oz)
Mini marshmallows 110g (4oz)
Dried cranberries 25g (1oz)
Instructions
Line an 18cm (7in) square baking tin with cling film.
Place butter and chocolate in a large bowl and microwave for about 1 minute, until melted, checking frequently.
Put biscuits and mini eggs into a strong polythene bag and bash with a rolling pin until broken up. Stir into chocolate with marshmallows and cranberries.
Press into tin and refrigerate for at least an hour until firm. Remove from tin and cut into 16 squares.
Calories 152 per portion
Fat 9g (3g sat) per portion
Ingredients
Sliced ready-to-cook pancetta 6–7 rashers, cut into strips
Oyster mushrooms 125g (4½oz), wiped, trimmed and sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
Egg 1
Bread 1 thick slice, toasted
Instructions
Heat a non-stick frying pan until hot and add the pancetta. Cook for 2-3 minutes until crisp, stirring every now and then.
Add the mushrooms to the pan and fry for about 5 minutes until they start to turn golden. Season with pepper only as the pancetta is already salty.
Meanwhile, bring a small pan of water to a simmer, crack in the egg and poach according to taste.
Pop the hot toast onto a warmed plate and spoon over the hot pancetta and mushroom mix. Top with the poached egg, season with black pepper and serve at once.
This recipe is taken from our fantastic cookbook; Just For One Or Two – see more about how great it is.
Calories 291 per portion
Fat 15g (6.5g sat) per portion
Suitable for vegetarians
Ingredients
Plain Madeira cake 285g pack
Chocolate spread 5 tbsp
White chocolate 225g (8oz), broken into pieces
Lollipop sticks 10 x 15cm (6in) Neon sugar sprinkles
Instructions
Trim off brown edges and crumble cake into a bowl. Add half the chocolate spread and mix well with your hands. Add remaining spread a tablespoon at a time until you have a mixture that can be squished and rolled into 10 tightly packed 30g (1oz) egg shapes.
Place on a tray lined with non-stick baking paper and chill for 1 hour.
Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring often.
Dip end of each stick into chocolate and insert into eggs. Place in a cake pop stand or glass and leave to set. Dip cake pop into chocolate and slowly rotate until evenly covered. Hold over a plate and sprinkle with decorations. Leave to set as before. Repeat with other pops.
If giving as an Easter gift, pop into a cellophane bag and tie with a pretty coloured ribbon.
With the wind still whistling around our ears, rain pelting the windows and the clocks waiting another few weeks before they go forward, it’s easy to get despondent.
Lift the mood by creating something
lovely for Easter, and maybe give
one of your creations as a gift.
I have been recipe testing for the next diary recently and to save my waistline from ‘just one more taste’ I have been giving out little parcels of food to neighbours and to teachers/acquaintances at the school gate. People have been genuinely thrilled to receive something unexpected (and yummy of course!) and it really brightens my (and hopefully their) day.
So…..here are three ideas for easy Easter treats to share:
Calories 291 per portion
Fat 15g (6.5g sat) per portion
Suitable for vegetarians
Ingredients
Plain Madeira cake 285g pack
Chocolate spread 5 tbsp
White chocolate 225g (8oz), broken into pieces
Lollipop sticks 10 x 15cm (6in) Neon sugar sprinkles
Instructions
Trim off brown edges and crumble cake into a bowl. Add half the chocolate spread and mix well with your hands. Add remaining spread a tablespoon at a time until you have a mixture that can be squished and rolled into 10 tightly packed 30g (1oz) egg shapes.
Place on a tray lined with non-stick baking paper and chill for 1 hour.
Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring often.
Dip end of each stick into chocolate and insert into eggs. Place in a cake pop stand or glass and leave to set. Dip cake pop into chocolate and slowly rotate until evenly covered. Hold over a plate and sprinkle with decorations. Leave to set as before. Repeat with other pops.
If giving as an Easter gift, pop into a cellophane bag and tie with a pretty coloured ribbon.
Choose a selection of ribbons in similar colours. Cut into strips slightly longer than the length of the oval.
On the reverse of the oval attached a piece of ribbon (at the top left only) with a piece of tape. It should hang vertically down the length of the edge of the oval. Attach a second ribbon next to it to create a ribbon ‘fringe’ behind the oval.
Cut more ribbon slightly wider than the width of the oval.
Attach a piece of ribbon at the top of the oval but this time horizontally. Weave the ribbon in and out of the other ribbons to create a woven effect. Attach to the back with tape. Repeat until the oval is filled with the woven ribbon pattern.
Line an 18cm (7in) square baking tin with cling film.
Place butter and chocolate in a large bowl and microwave for about 1 minute, until melted, checking frequently.
Put biscuits into a strong polythene bag and bash with a rolling pin until broken up. Stir into chocolate with mini eggs, marshmallows and cranberries.
Press into tin and refrigerate for at least an hour until firm. Remove from tin and cut into 16 squares.
Calories ?766 per portion
Fat 55g (25.2g sat) per portion
Ingredients
Butter 75g (3oz), softened
Tomato purée 2 tsp
Chopped dill 2 tbsp, plus a few fronds to garnish
Capers 2–3 tbsp, well drained and roughly chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
Mediterranean-style bread with olives 4 slices, approximately 2cm (¾in) thick, cut diagonally
Eggs 5 large, beaten
Smoked salmon slices 100g packet, cut into thin strips
Beefsteak tomato 1, deseeded and diced, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
Put 50g (2oz) of the butter into a small bowl, then add the tomato purée, chopped dill and capers. Season with black pepper, then mix well together and set aside.
Toast the bread and keep warm.
Melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan (preferably non-stick), add the eggs and half of the salmon strips. Then cook over a moderate heat, stirring continuously, until the eggs are softly scrambled – taking care not to overcook, as they will become dry.
Spread the toasted bread with the tomato butter and put onto two serving plates. Spoon the scrambled eggs on top, garnish with the remaining strips of salmon, dill and the chopped tomato, and serve immediately.
Cook’s Tip
For quick assembly, prepare all the ingredients before starting to cook and toast the bread while scrambling the eggs.
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