GETTING THE CHILDREN INVOLVED IN THE FESTIVITIES
Simnel Muffins
Makes 12
250g mixed dried fruits
Grated zest and juice 1 medium orange
175g softened butter
175g caster sugar
3 eggs, beaten
300g self-raising flour
1 tsp mixed spice
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
5 tbsp milk
175g marzipan
200g icing sugar
2 tbsp orange juice for mixing
36 mini eggs, to decorate
l Tip the fruit into a bowl, add the zest and juice and microwave on medium for 2 minutes or leave to soak for 1 hour. Line 12 deep muffin tins with paper muffin cases.
l Preheat the oven to 180?C/fan 160 ?C/gas 4. Beat together the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, spices and milk until light and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes) – use a wooden spoon or hand held mixer. Stir the fruit in well.
l Half fill the muffin cases with the mixture. Divide the marzipan into 12 equal pieces, roll into balls, then flatten with your thumb to the size of the muffin cases. Put one into each muffin case and top with cake mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden and firm to the touch. Leave to cool.
l Beat together the icing sugar and orange juice to make icing thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Drizzle over the muffins and top with mini eggs.
Chocolate Fudge Easter Cakes
Makes 16
140g soft butter
140g caster sugar
3 medium eggs
100g self-raising flour, sifted
25g cocoa, sifted
For the frosting
85g milk chocolate, broken
85g soft butter
140g icing sugar, sifted
2 x 35g packs white maltesers
Mini foil eggs
l Preheat the oven to 190 ?C/fan 170 ?C/gas 5. Tip all the ingredients for the cake into a mixing bowl and beat for 2 minutes until smooth. Divide between the cake cases so they are two-thirds filled. Bake for 12-15 minutes until risen and firm to the touch. Cool on a wire rack.
l For the frosting, melt the chocolate in Bain Marie. Cream the butter and sugar and beat in the melted chocolate. Spread some frosting on each cake and decorate with the white maltesers and mini foil eggs.
Simnel Cake with Homemade Marzipan
Serves 12
110g butter or margarine
110g soft brown sugar
3 eggs, beaten
150g plain flour
Pinch of salt
½ tsp ground mixed spice
350g mixed raisins, currants and sultanas
55g chopped mixed peel
½ lemon, grated rind only
1-2 tbsp apricot jam
1 egg, beaten for glazing
For the marzipan
125g icing sugar
125g ground almonds
1 egg, beaten
½ tsp almond essence
l To make the marzipan, place the sugar and ground almonds in a bowl. Add enough beaten egg to give a fairly soft consistency. Add the almond essence and knead for a minute until the paste is smooth and pliable. Roll out a third of the almond paste to make a circle 18cm in diameter and reserve the remainder for topping of the cake.
l Preheat the oven to 140?C/fan 120?C/gas 2. To make the cake, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs until well incorporated and then sift in the flour, salt and spice a little at a time. Finally, add the dried fruit, peel and grated lemon rind and mix into the mixture well.
l Put half the mixture in a greased and lined 18cm cake tin. Smooth the top and cover with the circle of marzipan. Add the rest of the cake mixture and smooth the top leaving a slight dip in the centre to allow for the cake to rise. Bake in the preheated for 1 ½ hours. Once baked, remove from the oven and leave to cool.
l When you are ready to decorate the cake, preheat the oven to 180?C/fan 160?C/gas 4. Brush the top of the cooled cake with the apricot jam. Divide the remainder of the marzipan into two; roll out a circle to cover the top of the cake with one half and form 11 balls with the other half.
l Place the circle of marzipan on top of the cake and set the balls round the edge. Brush with a little beaten egg and return to the oven for 10 minutes or long enough for the marzipan to brown.
