Easy Easter Cooking

I love easter and now that Jack is a little older I can't wait to arrange egg hunts! I used to love running around the house looking everywhere for eggs which had been hidden by the Easter bunny.
I have found a few simple recipes I would like to share; most you toddler can help you with. You will remember making most of these when you were a child! I remember making Easter Nests at first school and the misshapen nests I took home were obviously a delight to my family as they were eaten that night after dinner (and still are today!)

Easter Nests

You will need:

Cereal (cornflakes or shredded wheat) 

Cooking chocolate 

Mini eggs

Method:

Combine cornflakes (or crushed shredded wheat) with melted chocolate and shape into nest shapes in bun cases. Before the chocolate has set, place 2-3 mini eggs into your chocolate nests.

For a simpler alternative, cover Rich Tea biscuits with icing (mix icing sugar with a little water and colouring if desired). The children can then decorate them with a variety of small sweets and sprinkles.

Easter Rainbow Cake

(You could even make mini rainbow cakes; just divide the coloured mixture between cake cases)

You will need:

Vanilla cake mix (mix according to package directions)

Food colouring (pink, green and blue)

Vanilla icing or frosting

Method:

Divide the vanilla cake mix into 3 separate bowls.

Colour each bowl a different colour using the food colourings.

Grease and flour 2 cake tins and layer the different coloured mix in the tin.

Once the cake has cooked (follow cake mix packet instructions) allow to cool before spreading a thin layer of frosting between the 2 cakes.

Put one on top of the other and cover in icing sugar or frosting.

Easter Bunny Biscuits

They are also brilliant for wrapping up as Easter gifts for friends and family.

You will need:

125g butter, softened

75g caster sugar

1 egg (separated)

200g plain flour, sifted

Quarter tsp of ground cinnamon

Quarter tsp of mixed spice

Zest of 1 lemon

75g currants

2 tbsp milk

Method:

Preheat oven to 200°C/329°C/gas 6. 

In a bowl, beat the butter and sugar together using a wooden spoon or electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk, keeping back the whites. Using a round-bladed knife gently stir in the sifted flour, spices, lemon zest and currants. Gradually stir in the milk until the dough starts to come together.

Tip the dough onto a lightly floured worktop and knead gently until smooth. Roll out to about 5mm thick the cut out the biscuits using a rabbit-shapped cutter or a cutter of your choice.

Place the biscuits on 2-3 greased baking trays and bake each tray in batches for 10 minutes and the remove from the oven.

Whisk the reserved egg whites very slightly, brush lightly over the biscuits then sprinkle with sugar. Then return to the oven for a further 5 minutes until golden. Remove biscuits from baking tray and place on a cooling rack.