This year has flown by and I am slightly embarrassed that my first newsletter for 2024 is being sent only now at Easter time ๐
But it feels somewhat fitting because I have actually been busy working on various Easter campaigns for several clients since last autumn, which means I have been surrounded by Easter eggs for much longer than is ideal for my waistline ๐
But I have always complained that the Easter period is too short to enjoy all of the Easter baking I want to do. So this time, I finally got to have my Hot Cross Bun fix before the Christmas decorations were even on the tree ๐
A non-negotiable Easter recipe in my home are my Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Buns (my kidsโ favourite), followed closely by some classic Hot Cross Buns (my favourite for breakfast each morning, toasted and slathered with salted butter). Last year, I made a half batch of each for an afternoon tea with friends, which meant everyone was happy. To do this, I make the dough for classic Hot Cross Buns, then halve the dough before adding raisins to one half, and chocolate chips to the other half.
Something I try to do with the kids each Easter is to bake a batch of Zopfhasen for them to gift to their friends at school. These are Swiss Easter bunny buns which are popular here in Zurich.
And for an Easter lunch with friends, I like to make my Roast Lamb Racks or Lamb Shank Stew (much depends on the weather), followed by a fresh and tangy Lemon Curd Pavlova for dessert.
If you can find sugar-coated Easter eggs where you live, this Easter Egg Nest Cake is also always a popular option.
And for anyone lucky enough to have leftover Hot Cross Buns, you might want to try my Hot Cross Bun Bread & Butter Pudding for something a little indulgent.
Are you planning an Easter egg hunt for the kids this year? I recently signed up for Skye McAlpineโs newsletter and she had a great tip which I am excited to try, which is to assign each child a colour; the child can only collect eggs in that colour, thus limiting (theoretically speaking) any wails of despair from the little ones who usually miss out to the older kids who are faster and more competitive. Iโm willing to give it a go!
Wishing you all a Happy Easter!
Thanh