Easter Sweet Treats: Three delicious holiday recipes

Fig and cranberry hot cross buns with maple bacon butter

Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus rising and cooling
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, plus rising and cooling

Makes: 18

Ingredients

250ml whole milk
30g unsalted butter
½ tsp vanilla extract
500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
½ tsp salt
2 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cardamom (finely crushed seeds from about 6 pods)
50g caster sugar
1 orange, zest
7g sachet easy bake yeast
1 large egg, lightly beaten
75g dried figs, roughly chopped
75g dried cranberries

CROSSES
50g plain flour
1 egg, lightly beaten

MAPLE BACON BUTTER
2 rashers streaky bacon
125g salted butter, very soft
2 tbsp maple syrup

Method

For the dough, pour the milk into a small saucepan and add the butter and vanilla. Heat gently until the butter melts and the milk is warm. Meanwhile, mix the fl our, salt, spices, sugar and orange zest together in a large bowl, then make a well in the centre and add the yeast. Pour the warm milk into the well and leave to stand for 5 minutes to let the yeast dissolve. Add the beaten egg, then mix together to form a rough dough. Knead for about 10-15 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Press the dough into a fl at round and top with the dried fruit. Fold the dough over to encase the fruit and knead for a couple of minutes, until the fruit is evenly distributed. Put the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with cling film and set aside until doubled in size – about 1 hour.
Once risen, tip the dough onto the work surface and divide into 18 equal portions, rolling into balls. Arrange the buns in 2 circles (6 in the central circle and 12 in the outer circle) on a large, parchment-lined baking tray, leaving a little space between each ball, and a hole of about 10cm diameter in the middle. Lightly cover the buns with cling fi lm and set aside again until almost doubled in size – about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190˚C, gas mark 5. To make the crosses, put the flour in a small bowl and mix in about 5 tbsp water, 1 tbsp at a time, until a thick paste is formed. Spoon the paste into a disposable piping bag and snip off the end. Brush the buns with the beaten egg and pipe a cross onto each bun. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Put on a wire rack to cool slightly.
While the buns are baking, make the butter. Grill the bacon until crisp, then cool and finely chop. Add to the butter with the maple syrup and beat together until combined. Glaze the buns with a little warm, watered-down apricot jam, if liked. Serve warm or at room temperature, split open and spread generously with the maple bacon butter.

Find more Easter recipes at Waitrose.com

Chocolate, cardamom and coffee mini bundt cakes

Vegetarian
Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus cooling
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes, plus cooling

Makes: 6

Ingredients

vegetable oil, for greasing
55g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
55g unsalted butter, diced
2 tbsp cocoa powder
170g light brown soft sugar
140ml strong hot coffee
70ml whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
140g self raising flour
¼ tsp salt
Waitrose Cooks’ Homebaking bronze crunch, to decorate (optional)

COFFEE AND CARDAMOM GANACHE
100ml double cream
½ tsp espresso instant coffee
½ tsp ground cardamom (finely crushed seeds from about 6 pods)
1 heaped tsp light brown soft sugar
60g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), roughly chopped

Method

Preheat the oven to 180˚C, gas mark 4; lightly grease a 6-hole mini bundt tin (a spray oil works well). Put the chocolate and butter in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water and heat until melted, stirring occasionally. Take off the heat and set aside briefly.
Tip the cocoa and sugar into a large bowl and pour over the coffee, stirring to dissolve. Add the milk, vanilla, egg and yolks and whisk to combine. Pour in the chocolate mixture and combine. Add the flour and salt and whisk together to mix. Pour the batter into the holes of the bundt tin and bake for 15-17 minutes or until they spring back to the touch. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before carefully inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For the ganache, put the cream, coffee, cardamom and light brown sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate, set aside for a couple of minutes, then stir to form a silky smooth ganache. While still warm, pour the ganache over the cooled cakes, allowing it to drip down the sides. Sprinkle with bronze crunch, if liked.

Find more Easter recipes at Waitrose.com

Easter egg bourbon biscuits

Preparation time:30 minutes, plus chilling and melting
Cooking time:30 minutes

Makes: 6-10 (depending on the size of your biscuit cutters)

Ingredients

120g unsalted butter, softened
100g caster sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
2 tbsp double cream
220g plain flour
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1⁄2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

FILLING AND DECORATION
50g unsalted butter, softened
100g icing sugar
1 tbsp cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting
1 tbsp double cream
50g milk chocolate, chopped

Method

1 For the biscuits, whizz the butter and sugar in a food processor until smooth. Whizz in the syrup and cream, then the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and a large pinch of salt until smooth. Scrape into 2 balls, flatten and wrap in cling film; chill for 1 hour.

2 Preheat the oven to 170 ̊C, gas mark 3. Roll 1 piece of dough out between 2 sheets of baking parchment to about 0.3cm thick. With an egg-shaped cutter, cut 12-20 biscuits. Put on a parchment-lined tray; bake for 14 minutes. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough, re-rolling any trimmings.

3 Once the biscuits are cool, beat together the butter, icing sugar, cocoa and cream for the filling with a pinch of salt. Use to sandwich together the biscuits.

4 To decorate, seal the chocolate in a freezer bag. Put in a bowl, pour over just-boiled water and leave for 10 minutes, until melted. Meanwhile, dust the biscuits with cocoa. Lift the bag out of the water and massage so the chocolate is evenly melted, then snip off the very tip and use to decorate the biscuits.