Severial Easter Recipes

Related Articles about Easter:
Easter Sunday is on April 24th, 2011 Severial Easter Recipes Easter Day PowerPoint Free Templates
Easter Flash Games - Part 1 Easter Flash Games - Part 2 Easter Day Game - Painting Pictures with Kids

Have you already prepare all the material of Easter Day Meals? I collected several Easter Day Recipes for you.

Simnel Cake

Ingredients:

Metric: 175 g butter or margarine 175 g caster sugar 3 large eggs 225 g plain flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 300 g currants 100 g sultanas 75 g chopped mixed peel 1-2 tablespoons milk 500 g Marzipan 3-4 tablespoons apricot jam 1 egg, beaten, for glazing

Imperial: 6 oz butter or margarine 6 oz caster sugar 3 large eggs 8 oz plain flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 12 oz currants 4 oz sultanas 3 oz chopped mixed peel 1-2 tablespoons milk 1lb Marzipan 3-4 tablespoons apricot jam 1 egg, beaten, for glazing

Method:

Line an 18 cm / 7 inch round cake tin. Cream the butter and sugar together and beat in the eggs gradually. Sift the flour with the spices and fold it in, then the fruit. Mix to a soft dropping consistency with a little milk. Put half the mixture into the tin and level it off.

Divide the marzipan into 3 and roll out one-third on a sugared board into a round slightly smaller than the tin. Pinch the edges to prevent the paste cracking. Lay the marzipan round on top of the cake mixture then cover with the rest of the mixture and level it off. Tie a band paper round the outside of the tin and 5 cm / 2 inches above it to protect the top of the cake during baking.

Place it in a preheated moderate oven so that the top of the cake is in the centre of the oven and bake at 170°C/325°F, Gas Mark 3 for 1 hour. Reduce the heat to 150°C/300°F, Gas Mark 2 for a further 2 hours or until the cake is firm to the touch.

Allow to cool in the tin before turning out on to a wire rack to cool. Leave on the lining paper, wrap the cake in foil and store for at least 2 weeks.

When required, unwrap the cake. Heat the jam and sieve it if lumpy. Roll out one of the remaining pieces of marzipan into a round to put on the top of the cake. Brush the apricot glaze over the top of the cake and press on the marzipan round. With the forefinger of one hand and the finger and thumb of the other, pinch the edge of the marzipan into flutes. Flatten the remaining piece of marzipan and divide it into 11 equal parts. Roll the pieces into small balls. Brush the top and sides of the marzipan on the cake with beaten egg. Press on the balls in a ring round the edge of the cake and glaze them with beaten egg. Place on a baking sheet and bake near the top of a preheated hot oven at 230°C/450°F, Gas Mark 8 for 5 minutes or until nicely coloured. Alternatively brown under a hot grill. Cool the cake and serve.

Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients:

Metric: 450 g strong white flour 150 ml milk 4 tablespoons water 25 g fresh yeast or 15 g dried yeast 1 teaspoon caster sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg 50 g caster sugar 50 g butter or margarine 1 egg, beaten 100 g currants 40 g chopped mixed peel 50 g Plain Shortcrust Pastry (see below)

Imperial: 1 lb strong white flour 1/4 pint milk 4 tablespoons water 1 oz fresh yeast or 1/2 oz dried yeast 1 teaspoon caster sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg 2 oz caster sugar 2 oz butter or margarine 1 egg, beaten 4 oz currants 11/2 oz chopped mixed 2 oz Plain Shortcrust Pastry (see below)

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry (for the crosses):

Metric: 50 g plain flour pinch of salt 11 g butter 11 g lard or vegetable shortening 11 g caster sugar 1/2 egg yolk a little water

Imperial: 1.75 oz plain flour pinch of salt 0.5 oz butter 0.5 oz lard or vegetable shortening 0.2 oz caster sugar 1/2 egg yolk a little water

Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Cut the fat into the flour and rub into a breadcrumb consistency. Mix in the sugar. Beat the egg yolk with 2 tablespoons water and stir in to bind to a fairly firm dough, adding a little more water as necessary. Knead lightly until smooth but do not overwork it. Leave to rest in the refrigerator or cool place for at least 30 minutes before rolling out.
Makes 12

Method:

Put 100 g / 4 oz of the flour into a small bowl. Warm the milk and water, then blend in the yeast and the teaspoon of sugar. Mix this into the flour and leave in a froth for about 15 minutes for fresh yeast, about 20 minutes for dried.

Meanwhile, sift the remaining flour, salt, mixed spice, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar into a mixing bowl. Melt and cool the butter, but do not allow to harden, then add it to the frothy yeast mixture with the beaten egg. Stir this into the flour and mix well with a wooden spoon. Scatter in the currants and mixed peel and mix into a fairly soft dough. Add a spoonful of water if necessary.

Turn the dough on to a floured board and knead well. Put into an oiled polythene bag and leave to rise until doubled in bulk, (1 to 1 1/2 hours at room temperature). Turn on to a floured board and knock back the dough. Divide into 12 pieces and shape into small round buns. Press down briefly on each bun with the palm of the hand, then place the buns well apart on a floured baking sheet. Cover and put in a warm place to rise until doubled in size (20 to 30 minutes). Meanwhile, roll out the pastry thinly and cut into 24 thin strips about 9 cm / 3 1/2 inches long.

When the buns have risen, damp the pastry strips and lay 2 strips across each bun to make a cross. Bake the buns in a preheated moderately hot oven at 190°C/375°F, Gas Mark 5 for 20 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch.

Meanwhile, make the glaze by dissolving the sugar in the milk and water over a low heat. When the buns are ready brush them twice with the glaze.

Easter Story Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup (about 7oz / 200g) whole pecans 1 tsp vinegar 3 egg whites A pinch of salt 1 cup sugar (about 7oz / 200g) A 'zipper bag' A wooden spoon / rolling pin Some 'sticky' tape A Bible

These are to be made the evening before Easter Day (so on Easter Saturday evening!).

Method:

Preheat the oven to 300°F / 150°C / Gas Mark 2. Preheating the oven is VERY IMPORTANT!

Place the pecans into the zipper bag and beat them into small pieces with a wooden spoon / rolling pin. (You can use a normal bag, just remember to seal it well!)
Explain that after Jesus was arrested, he was beaten by the Roman soldiers.
Read John 19:1-3

Smell the vinegar.
Put the vinegar into a mixing bowl.
Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, he was given vinegar to drink.
Read John 19:28-30

Add the egg whites to the vinegar.
Eggs represent life.
Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.
Read John 10:10-11

Sprinkle a little salt into person's hand.
Taste it and brush the rest into the bowl.
Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin.
Read Luke 23:27

Add the sugar.
Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us and God wants us to know Him. Jesus willingly died for us even though He was the sinless Son of God. This was the only way that our sins could be forgiven.
Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks form.
Explain that the colour white represents that we are pure before God, if we believe that Jesus died for our sins and that God has forgiven us.
Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3

Fold in the broken nuts.
Drop the mixture, by teaspoon, onto a waxed paper / non-stick cookie / baking sheet.
Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.
Read Matthew 27:57-60

Put the baking sheet in the oven.
Close the door and TURN THE OVEN OFF.

Give each child a piece of tape and seal up the oven door.
Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed.
Read Matthew 27:65-66

GO TO BED!

Explain that we may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.Read John 16:20-22

On Resurrection Day morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie.
Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Day, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.

Do these delicious attract you? Have a perfect and nice meal on Easter Day with families!

Related Articles about Easter:
Easter Sunday is on April 24th, 2011
Severial Easter Recipes
Easter Day PowerPoint Free Templates

Easter Flash Games - Part 1
Easter Flash Games - Part 2
Easter Day Game - Painting Pictures with Kids