Ingredients:

For the cake:
125g unsalted butter, softened
2 tbsp Lyle’s Golden Syrup
95g Golden Caster Sugar
2 medium eggs, beaten
125g self-raising flour
1 lemon, zested
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp milk

For the cake balls:
75g full fat cream cheese
2 tbsp Lyle’s Golden Syrup
110g Icing Sugar

For the coating and decoration:
200g white chocolate, broken into pieces
Easter sugar sprinkles

Method:

You will need a 20cm loose-bottomed round cake tin, greased and the base lined with parchment paper, 30 lollipop sticks and a block of polystyrene pierced to hold the cake pops.

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/Fan 140°, Gas 3.
2. Combine the butter, Lyle’s Golden Syrup and Caster Sugar in a bowl and beat together with an electric hand mixer for about 2 minutes until soft and creamy.
3. Add the eggs a little at a time until well incorporated. Sift over the flour and fold in with a metal spoon.
4. Stir in the lemon zest, juice and milk to make a soft consistency that will easily drop from the spoon.
5. Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 25-30 minutes until well risen, golden brown and a fine skewer comes out clean when poked in the middle.
6. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Discard the paper, break the cake into a food processor, process to make a crumb-like consistency and tip into a bowl.
8. Add the cream cheese, Lyle’s Golden Syrup and Icing Sugar to the processor and quickly process until smooth.
9. Stir into the crumbs to make a moist mixture. Roll into 30 equal-sized egg-shapes, place on a tray, cover and chill for 1 hour or until firm.
10. Put the chocolate into a small, deep heatproof bowl and microwave on a medium heat for about 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Alternatively, place the bowl over a pan of simmering water until melted.
11. Dip one end of the lollipop sticks about 1cm into the chocolate, then push the sticks halfway through the centres of the firm cake balls.
12. Dip the cake pops one at a time into the chocolate ensuring that they are covered right up to the top of the sticks to secure.
13. Gently tap the side of the bowl to remove any excess, then decorate with the sugar sprinkles while they are still wet.
14. Stand upright in the polystyrene block for about 30 minutes until firm. Repeat with the rest of the cake pops.
15. Store at room temperature for 2 days, or in the fridge for 1 week, covered with parchment, so they don’t sweat. Serve in glasses.

Recipe courtesy of Lyle’s Golden Syrup

Brilliant to make with little children over the holidays

Ingredients:

225g/8oz plain chocolate, broken into pieces
2 tbsp golden syrup
50g/2oz butter
75g/3oz cornflakes
36 mini chocolate eggs

Method:

1.Line a 12-hole fairy cake tin with paper cases.
2.Melt the chocolate, golden syrup and butter in a bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, (do not let the base of the bowl touch the water). Stir the mixture until smooth.
3.Remove the bowl from the heat and gently stir in the cornflakes until all of the cereal is coated in the chocolate.
4.Divide the mixture between the paper cases and press 3 chocolate eggs into the centre of each nest.
5.Chill in the fridge for 1 hour, or until completely set.

Kids will love making these little chocolate cupcakes, with a crunchy biscuit base and Easter egg topping

Ingredients:

14 milk chocolate digestive biscuits, finely crushed
100g butter, melted
For the filling
500g tub ricotta
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g dark chocolate, broken into chunks and melted
125g icing sugar
36 mini chocolate eggs

Method:

1.Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Line the holes of a muffin tin with 12 paper muffin cases.
2.Put the biscuits in a food bag and bash to small crumbs with the end of a rolling pin.
3.Tip into a bowl, stir in the melted butter until the crumbs are nicely coated, then spoon between the paper cases.
4.Press down into the bottoms to make a firm base.
5.To make the filling, put the ricotta, eggs, vanilla and melted chocolate in a large mixing bowl.
6.Sift in the icing sugar. Beat everything together with an electric whisk or a wooden spoon until very well combined.
7.Spoon into the paper cases right up to the tops, then tap the whole tin on the bench to get rid of any air bubbles.
8.Bake for 30 mins, then remove from the oven and gently push 3 mini eggs into the top of each cheesecake.
9.Let the cheesecakes cool completely before serving. Can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Source: Sarah Cook

A delicious Easter treat for kids!

Ingredients:

100g butter, softened
100g golden caster sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
175g self-raising flour
5 tbsp milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp desiccated coconut
100g red glacé cherries, cut into quarters

To decorate
85g Raspberry jam
50g red glacé cherries, cut into quarters
2 tbsp toasted desiccated coconut

Method:

1.Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4/fan oven 160C and line a large muffin tray with 9 muffin cases.
2.Tip the butter and sugar into a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until paler in colour, light and fluffy.
3.Pour in the eggs and beat until the mixture is light and creamy.
4.Use a wooden spoon to beat in the flour, milk, vanilla and coconut until you have a soft dropping consistency. Stir in the cherries.
5.Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases and bake for 20 minutes until risen and golden.
6.Lift the muffins out of the tray and sit them on a wire rack to cool slightly.
7.To decorate, tip the jam into a small saucepan and gently warm, stirring, until melted and smooth.
8.Generously brush the tops of the warm cakes with the jam, stick the quartered cherries on top and sprinkle with the toasted coconut.
9.Serve on the day of making.

Fill the house with the smell of spiced buns baking

Ingredients:

900 g strong flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground mixed spice
110 g sugar
230 g mixed dried fruit
2 sachets dried yeast (14g)
8 floz milk
8 floz water
110 g butter (melted)
2 large eggs
150 g marizpan (grated)
for the topping:
4 tblsp plain flour
1 tblsp sugar
1 large egg beaten

Method:

1.Mix the flour, salt, mixed spice, sugar and mixed dried fruit together in a large mixing bowl.
2.Make a well in the centre.
3.Heat the milk and water until tepid, stir in the yeast and add the melted butter
4.Add the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients, marizpan and then add the eggs
5.Gradually work in the flour to make a very soft but not sticky dough
6.Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes OR leave in the bowl and with an electric hand mixer, (use the dough hook) knead for 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
7.Put into a lightly greased bowl and cover with cling film for between 30minutes to 1 hour – until the mixture has doubled in size.
8.Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently for 5 minutes and divide the mixture into 24 equal portions and shape into small balls.
9.Arrange fairly close together, but not touching, on the baking tray. Cover with cling film and allow to rise until doubled in size.
10.Preheat oven 200°C.
11.Make the topping by mixing the flour, and sugar with 4 tablespoons of water to make a thick, smooth paste.
12.Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a small plain tube
13.With the back of a knife, mark a cross on the top of each bun, then brush with beaten egg.
14.Pipe a cross of the flour paste in the indentation on each bun
15.Put the tray into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until the buns are golden brown and there is a hollow sound when tapped underneath
16.Allow to cool on a wire tray.

Source: Louise Lennox

This is a perfect quick-mix-fix for Easter – based on traditional recipes.

Ingredients:

2 oranges, grated zest and juice
2 tbsp Cointreau
350g mixed dried fruits
100g whole glacé cherries
250g pack marzipan
200g soft butter, diced
200g golden caster sugar
350g self-raising flour
4 large eggs
2 tbsp milk

For the caramel almonds
50g blanched almonds
100g caster sugar

For the icing sugar
125g icing sugar
zest 1 orange
1-1½ tbsp orange juice

Method:

1.Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Tip the zest and juice into a bowl. Add the Cointreau, mixed fruit and cherries.
2.Meanwhile, grease and line the base and sides of a 2kg loaf tin with baking parchment.
3.Shape the marzipan into a sausage the length of the tin, then roll out to the width with a rolling pin.
4.Put the butter, sugar, flour and eggs and milk in a bowl and beat with an electric hand-whisk until smooth.
5.Stir in the mixed fruit and their juices. Spoon half the mixture into the loaf tin, then cover with the layer of marzipan.
6.Top with the rest of the cake mixture and smooth the top. Bake for 1 hr 50 mins until risen and firm to the touch.
(Take care if you are checking by piercing with a skewer as you may pierce the marzipan and think that the cake is not cooked yet.)
7.Cool in tin, peel away the paper once cold. It will keep wrapped in foil for 2 weeks.
8.To make the caramel almonds, tip the almonds into a frying pan and heat, swirling the pan so the almonds toast. Tip from the pan then add the sugar to the pan and heat until the sugar turns to a liquid caramel – take care not to heat it too fast or it will burn.
9.Add the almonds, then pour onto a greased baking sheet to set. Will keep in a cool place for 2 days.
10.Decorate the cake on the day you eat it, as the caramel will dissolve on contact with the cake.
11.Mix the icing sugar with the orange zest and juice until smooth, then pour over the cake.
12.The mix is quite wet and will dribble down the sides. Chop the almond caramel, scatter over the icing and leave until the icing sets.

Source: Sara Buenfeld

A slice of this Madeira-style cake is wonderful with a morning cup of tea or coffee!

Ingredients:

250g butter, plus a little extra for greasing
140g white chocolate, broken into pieces
250ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g self-raising flour
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
300g caster sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

For the frosting:
300g tub Philadelphia cheese
85g butter, softened
100g icing sugar, sifted
mini eggs, to decorate (or use 50g/2oz chopped hazelnuts)

Method:

1.Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Grease a deep 23cm cake tin and line the base with greaseproof paper.
2.Place the butter, white chocolate, milk and vanilla extract in a small saucepan, then heat gently, stirring, until melted.
3.Combine the flour, bicarb and sugar in a large bowl with a pinch of salt, then stir in the melted ingredients and eggs until smooth.
4.Pour the batter into the tin, then bake for 1 hr, or until the cake is golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
5.Cool in the tin. Once cool, the cake can be wrapped in cling film and foil, then frozen for up to 1 month.
6.To make the frosting, beat together the Philadelphia, butter and icing sugar until smooth. Spread over the cake, then decorate with mini eggs.

Source: James Martin