Bake ahead for Easter
This loaf is a new take on tradition and is great sliced for tea or toasted with butter. It keeps better than hot cross buns and it’s nice to bake something a little unusual.
Hot Cross Loaf
Serves 12
For the yeast batter
100g strong white bread flour
11g easy-blend yeast
1 tsp light brown sugar
375ml lukewarm milk
For the dough
350g strong white bread flour
½ tsp salt
50g butter
1 tsp ground cloves and nutmeg
50g light brown sugar
300g mixed dried fruit
2 eggs, beaten
For the crosses and glaze
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp milk
2 tsp caster sugar
l To make the yeast batter, mix flour, yeast and sugar, then slowly beat in the milk to make a smooth batter. Cover with cling film and leave to rise for about 20 minutes.
l To make the dough, put the flour and salt in a bowl and rub in the butter. Stir in the spices, sugar and fruit.
l Add the egg to the yeast batter and then add to the dough mixture. Mix to form a soft dough. Knead well on a lightly-floured surface until smooth and no longer sticky. Cover and leave for about 1 hour to rise. It should double in size.
l Butter a 900g loaf tin. Knead the dough again to knock out any air bubbles and cut into three equal pieces. Shape each piece into an oval to fit in the loaf tin. Cover and leave for about 45 minutes to rise to about 2.5cm above the top of the tin.
l Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Make the crosses by mixing the flour with five teaspoons of water to make a smooth paste. Spoon into the piping bag and pipe three crosses over the top of the loaf.
l Bake for about 45 minutes. Remove from the tin and cool on a rack. Mix the milk and caster sugar and brush over the hot loaf. Leave to cool before serving toasted with butter for breakfast or afternoon tea.
Cassata Siciliana
Serves 10
A Sicilian Easter treat made in convents around the island. A delicious cake made of ricotta, grated chocolate and crystallised fruit.
For the sponge
6 eggs
140g sugar
140g plain flour, sifted
½ lemon, zest only
For the filling
140g assorted crystallised fruit, finely chopped
50g plain chocolate, frozen and finely chopped just before using
500g ricotta/anari, as fresh as possible
140g sugar
For the topping
280g icing sugar, sifted
1 tbsp lemon juice
a little milk
4 tbsp apricot jam
1 tbsp orange liqueur
crystallised fruit to decorate
l Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/gas mark 3. Butter a 25cm diametre springform cake tin.
For the sponge, whisk the eggs with the sugar until very thick and creamy. Gently fold in the flour and lemon zest and transfer to prepared tin. Bake for about 30 minutes. Remove and stand the tin on a wire rack to cool.
l For the filling, beat fresh anari and sugar to a creamy consistency. Fold in the fruit and chocolate pieces. Refrigerate until needed.
l For the topping, mix the icing sugar with the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon milk and beat well. The icing should be thick and not runny. You may need some extra milk to achieve the right consistency.
l To assemble the cake, melt the jam with 1 tablespoon liqueur and 1 water. Half the sponge horizontally. Brush both pieces with the jam mixture. Sandwich together with the ricotta/anari filling. Spread top with icing and decorate with more crystallised fruit.
