Indulgent Easter Eggs (adults only)

Ingredients
100g Dark Chocolate
175g Icing Sugar
175g Ground Almonds
1 Egg (lightly beaten)
175g Dark/Milk Chocolate
175g White Chocolate
Edible Gold or Silver Decorative Balls

Equipment
3 Mixing Bowls
3 Pans (1/2 full with simmering water to melt the chocolate in)
1 Serving Dish
1 Sheet Greaseproof Paper
Cling Film
A Fork

The Good Bit

1. Melt the 1oog dark chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water stirring occasionally. Stir in the sugar, ground almonds and egg white to make a paste, next take walnut-size pieces of the paste (keeping the rest wrapped in cling film as you work), and mould into egg shapes.
2. Melt the dark and white chocolates in separate bowls and leave to cool for 5 minutes. Put an egg shape into one of the bowls and use a fork to turn until coated. Carefully lift out the egg cradled in the fork (not on the prongs) and lay it on its side on the greaseproof paper. Coat half the eggs in white chocolate and half in dark.
3. Once all the eggs have been coated and then left to set, place them in a serving bowl and drizzle the rest of the melted chocolate over contrasting coloured eggs. Sprinkle with the decorative balls and then leave to set at room temperature. Serve and enjoy, just don't eat too many

Makes 25ish

Simnel Cake

Ingredients
175g Light Brown Sugar
175g Butter
175g Self Raising Flour
3 Eggs
25g Ground Almonds
2 Tablespoon Milk
100g Sultanas
100g Cherries (quartered, washed and dried)
100g Dried Apricots (chopped into small pieces)
100g Fresh Ginger (finely chopped)
1 Teaspoon Mixed Spice
2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
450g Golden Marzipan
3 Tablespoons Apricot Jam
1 Egg (beaten)

Equipment
Greaseproof Paper
1 Round Cake Tin 20cm
1 Wire Rack
1 Rolling Pin
1 SHARP Knife

The Good Bit

1. Preheat your oven to 160c 320f gas 3. Grease and line the base and sides of an 20cm/8in deep, round cake tin with baking parchment, measure all the cake ingredients into a large mixing bowl and beat well until thoroughly blended. Place half the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface.
2. Take one third of the marzipan and roll into a circle the same size as the cake tin, place the circle on top of the cake mixture. Spoon the remaining mixture on top of the marzipan and level the surface and cook for about one and three-quarter hours or until golden brown and firm in the middle. If toward the end of the cooking time the cake is getting too brown, loosely cover with a piece of foil. Allow the cake to cool in the tin before turning onto a cooling rack.
3. When the cake is cool. Brush the top with a little warmed apricot jam. Roll out half the remaining marzipan to the size of the cake and sit it on the top. Crimp the edges of the marzipan and make a lattice pattern in the centre of the marzipan using a sharp knife. Make 11 even sized balls from the remaining marzipan and arrange around the edge
4. Brush with beaten egg and glaze under a hot grill for about five minutes, turning the cake round so it browns evenly, so the marzipan is tinged brown all over.
   
   

Bakewell Pudding

Ingredients
1x250g Pack Ready to Roll/Already Rolled Short Crust Pastry
2 Eggs
115g Caster Sugar
75g Butter
1/2 Teaspoon Almond Essence
115g Ground Almonds
Icing Sugar (for dusting)
Jam

Equipment
1x7 Inch Baking Tin (greased)
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Knife
1 Fork
1 Pan
1 Electric Whisk

The Good Bit

1. Lay the pastry out into your tin and prick the bottom with a fork then spread a good amount of jam over the bottom. Pre heat your oven too 200c 400f gas 6. Melt the butter in a pan then let it cool a little.
2. Whisk together the eggs and sugar until it resembles a mousse and holds soft peaks for about 5 seconds, whisk in the butter, almond essence and then gently fold in the ground almonds. Pour this into your now lined cake tin and place in the oven for 15 minutes then reduce the heat too 180c 350f gas 4 and cook for another 40-45 minutes.
3. Remove from the oven when golden and allow to cool for 15 minutes or so then dust with icing sugar and serve. (serve with a drizzle of cream for decadence)
   

Lamb and Mint with an Indian Twist

Ingredients
225g Lamb (cut into strips)
150ml Water
120ml Natural Yoghurt
50ml Coconut Milk
2 Onions (thinly chopped)
1 Tablespoon Each Ground Almonds, Fresh Mint (chopped)
1 Teaspoon Each Fresh Ginger (grated) Garam Masala, Salt, Garlic (crushed)
Pinch of Each Ground Cardamom, Ground Cinnamon
4 Black Peppercorns
2 Chillies (finely sliced)
1 Bay Leaf
Oil
Fresh Mint (roughly torn to garnish)

Equipment
1 Mixing Bowl
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Spoon
1 Wok/Large Frying Pan
1 Balloon Whisk

The Good Bit

1. Whisk the yoghurt with the coconut milk, adding one at a time the following, chillies, almonds, salt, garlic, cinnamon, mint, ginger, garam masala and cardamom, then set aside.
2. Heat a splash of oil in your wok and fry the onion along with the bay leaf and peppercorns slowly for 5 minutes until the onion is soft and golden, then add the lamb and stir fry for 2 minutes before adding in your sauce.
3. Add in the water, bring to a gentle simmer and cover, leave to cook for 15 minutes stirring only once or twice, then take the lid off, turn up the heat a little, and stir fry for a further 2 minutes, keeping it moving at all times.
4. Serve garnished with chopped mint leaves.
   

Serves 4

Christmas Cake

Ingredients
125g Self Raising Flour
200g Plain Flour
250g Butter
250g Brown Sugar
250g Currants
250g Raisins
250g Sultanas
75g Mixed Peel (chopped)
75g Glace Cherries
50g Ground Almonds
5 Eggs
1 Tablespoon Treacle
1 Teaspoon Mixed Spice
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
50ml Sherry
1 Lemon (zested)
4 Tablespoons Brandy

Equipment
1 Large Mixing Bowl
2 Wooden Spoons
1 9inch Round Baking Tin (or 8inch square tin) (greased)
Greaseproof Paper
1 Sieve
2 Mixing Bowl
1 Airtight Tin

The Good Bit

1. Pre heat your oven too 140c 275f gas 1. Line the baking tin with a double thickness of grease proof paper and leave a good 5 cm sticking out above the rim of the tin.
2. Start by sieving the flours into the large mixing bowl, add the salt and spices and give a little stir, in an other bowl cream the butter and sugar together until you have a light mixture then add the treacle and mix well, in the other mixing bowl, drop in the eggs, vanilla and sherry and beat gently together.
3. Now what you need to do is, beat half the egg mixture into the creamed mixture then fold in 1/3rd of the flour, then add 1/2 the egg mixture again and fold, then add 1/2 the remaining flour and fold, finally add the last bit of egg, fold, and then the flour and fold again.
4. Now add in all the other ingredients (except the brandy) and fold in well then pour the mixture into your cake tin and flatten out the top. Now chuck this in the oven for 4-4 1/2 hours)
5. If the cake begins to brown too much you can cover it with a double layer of greaseproof paper, check to see if it is done by sticking it in the centre with a skewer, if the skewer comes out clean it's done, if it comes out sticky then leave it in. Turn the cake out on to a wire rack and allow it to cool completely then finally prick the top all over and drizzle over 4 tablespoons of brandy, leave it to mature for 3 months in an airtight tin (adding brand 1-2 tablespoons every couple of weeks)
   

Mince Pies

Ingredients
250g Plain Flour
75g Butter (chilled and cut into cubes)
50g Ground Almonds
25g Caster Sugar
1 Egg (beaten)
1 Egg White
1 Orange (zested and juiced)
250g Mincemeat
Icing Sugar

Equipment
1 Large Mixing Bowl
1 Small Mixing Bowl
1 Fork (to beat the egg)
1 Sieve
1 Wooden Spoon
1 Rolling Pin
1 3 inch Pastry Cutter
1 Bun Tray
1 Pastry Brush
1 Wire Rack

The Good Bit

1. Pre heat your oven too 200c 400f gas 6. Sieve the flour into the bowl then drop in the butter, rub together with your finger tips until you get bread crumbs then stir in the ground almonds, sugar and orange zest. Now mix in the beaten egg and 2-3 tablespoons of the orange juice until you have a nice firm dough.
2. Flour your work surface lightly and need the gently for 20 seconds, now roll out your dough and with a pastry cutter you should be able to cut out 12 rounds., grease your bun tray with a little butter, then fill each one with a pastry round and and add 1 teaspoon of mincemeat to each.
3. Gather up the remaining dough and roll out again until you can cut 12x5cm rounds, no dampen the edges of the pies and then press a lid on gently, brush the top of the pies with the egg white then sprinkle some icing sugar over them.
4. Bake for 20 minutes until golden then remove from the oven and leave to cool until you can hold them then allow to cool further on a wire rack
   

Makes 12