Happy Easter and hello April!
I hope you are all very well and had a lovely March and a wonderful Mother’s Day. I hope you enjoyed last month’s recipes too and had lots of fun making them. Did you like the risotto? It is one of my family’s favourites.
This month my recipes are obviously Easter themed. My first recipe is truly DIVINE and I have received so many compliments for them! They are biscuit, marshmallow and chocolate mini eggs bars. A buttery biscuit base with a pillowy marshmallow centre, a layer of milk chocolate and topped off with mini eggs. I mean…Scrummy!
Recipe 2 is mini eggs milk chocolate easter cupcakes with a dreamy white chocolate frosting. I mean they are just incredible! These cupcakes are wonderful if you have leftover Easter chocolates. We always buy so many Easter eggs so these are perfect and any mini chocolate eggs will do.
My third recipe is a delicious maple syrup and cinnamon granola. This is so quick to make and the perfect go to breakfast to sprinkle over yoghurt and fresh fruit. Yummy! It makes 550g and keeps for 1+ month in sealed jars. Just be sure when it is cooking to stir the granola every 10 minutes so it all crisps up.
I hope you have a lovely Easter and eat lots of chocolate and many hot cross buns.
See you all in May when I will be sharing my favourite pre-summer recipes that are perfect for the upcoming May bank holidays. See you soon and have fun baking!
Biscuit, Marshmallow and Chocolate Mini Eggs Bars
Makes 15 pieces
Ingredients
200g digestive biscuits
90g butter-melted
450g mini pink and white marshmallows
250g milk chocolate
x1 bag mini eggs
Method
- Firstly line an 8×8 inch square tin with greaseproof paper.
- Crush the biscuits either in a food processor or by hand.
- Add the melted butter and mix until you have the consistency of wet sand. Press firmly into the tin. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
- In a large saucepan place the marshmallows with 2 tbsp cold water. Gently heat the marshmallows on a medium to low heat, stirring constantly until they are all virtually melted.
- Once they are nearly all melted, take off the heat but keep stirring until they are all completely melted.
- Pour over the biscuit base and place in the fridge for 2 hours to allow to cool and the marshmallows to set again.
- Once the marshmallow has set, melt the chocolate and pour over the set marshmallow.
- Half the mini eggs or leave them whole and dot them on top of the chocolate. Place in the fridge for another 2 hours until the chocolate has set. Remove from the tin and very carefully cut into slices.
- It doesn’t matter if they are all different sizes. I think it adds to the rustic charm.
- Serve with a cup of coffee for a truly delicious Easter treat.
Mini Eggs Milk Chocolate Easter Cupcakes with a Dreamy White Chocolate Frosting
Makes 12
Ingredients
170g butter
170g light brown sugar
170g self raising flour
3 medium eggs
2 tbsp dark cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tbsp milk-if needed
Frosting:
120g butter
500g golden icing sugar
100g white chocolate-melted
x2 bags mini eggs
50g milk chocolate-grated
Method
- To make these amazing muffins, preheat your oven to gas make 4 and line a 12 hole muffin tin with 12 muffin cases.
- Using an electric whisk, whisk together the butter, sugar and vanilla extract for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time.
- Mix the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder, then sift into the egg mixture and beat well to combine.
- Add a little milk to thin if needed and stir well.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the muffin cases and bake for 18-19 minutes until they spring back when touched and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- To make the frosting, beat the butter until soft and creamy.
- Gradually beat in the icing sugar and then add the melted white chocolate, adding more icing sugar if needed.
- Place the frosting in a piping bag fitted with a swirl nozzle.
- Pipe a swirl of icing on each muffin, then place 3 mini eggs in the centre of the icing before sprinkling over some grated chocolate.
- Serve with a lovely cup of tea for a yummy Easter treat.
Maple Syrup and Cinnamon Granola
Makes 550g
Ingredients
350g porridge oats
100ml maple syrup
50g golden syrup
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp olive oil
Method
- Preheat your oven to gas mark 2.
- Place the porridge oats in a large mixing bowl and add the ground cinnamon and mix. Then add the maple syrup, golden syrup and olive oil.
- Mix well then tip onto 2 baking trays lined with greaseproof paper.
- Place both trays in the oven for 35 minutes, stirring and alternating the trays every 10 minutes.
- They may need an extra 10 minutes as you are alternating the trays. The granola will crisp as it cools. Place into 2 large jars and allow to cool completely before sealing.
- The granola will keep for 1+ month in sealed jars.
- This is amazing sprinkled on top of yoghurt with some fresh fruit and some maple syrup drizzled over too.
Shopping List
Shopping list for all 3 recipes
Check your cupboards first as you may have a lot of these already
200g digestive biscuits
380g butter
450g mini pink and white marshmallows
300g milk chocolate
100g white chocolate
3x 80g bags mini eggs
170g light brown sugar
170g self raising flour
3 medium eggs
Cocoa powder
Baking powder
Vanilla extract
500g icing sugar
350g porridge oats
100ml maple syrup
50g golden syrup
Ground cinnamon
Olive oil
April 2024 Recipes by Lucie Wilson download the printer friendly pdf recipes here
