Easter Treats

Time to pull out your Mom’s favorite hot-cross bun recipe, bake a ham and green beans and make a luscious lemon cake or cupcakes! Easter should be simple but pretty. After all it’s a time to rejoice and experience new life. Grab family members or a few friends for a small, intimate brunch. Decorate your table with an eye-lit lace tablecloth and place an abundant bowl of daffodils at the center of the table.
Here’s a simple Easter menu below, but of course you can always tweak it to make it your own. I always like to build an Easter basket for an additional centerpiece, or if you have children, create an Easter egg hunt in your backyard. Top off the celebration with luscious lemon cupcakes from Soul Cups or make your own! As a fan of the new Target ad campaign, I say: color changes everything; make your celebration colorful!
Spring or Easter Menu
• Hot Cross Buns
• Croissant Ham Sandwiches (Make it easy—pick up your ham at Honey Baked Ham, croissants at your local bakery and serve with yummy dijon mustard)
• Green Beans with sliced Almonds
• Lemon Cake (or Cupcakes)
• Champagne & Peach Belinis
Recipe for Hot Cross Buns:
(Cool fact: Originally eaten by the Saxons to honor their goddess Eostre Hot Cross buns are marked with a cross as it is believed the bun represented the moon and the cross the moon’s quarters. To Christians, the cross symbolizes the crucifixion.)
Ingredients:
• For the Buns
• 1lb 2oz/500g strong, white bread flour
• 2 oz/55g muscovado sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 oz cold butter cut into small pieces
• 3 ½ oz/100g mixed dried fruits
• 1 oz/ 25g candied mixed peel
• ¼ oz/7g dried yeast
• ½ pint/300 ml warm (not hot) milk
For the Crosses
• 2 ½ oz/75g all purpose plain flour
• 1 ½ oz cold butter, cut into small pieces
• Glaze
• 1 ½ tbsp apricot jam, warmed

Preparation:
Mix together the flour with the sugar, salt and spices. Add the butter pieces and rub the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse sand. Add the dried fruits and mixed peel, stir. Sprinkle over the yeast and finally, pour in the warm milk and mix using a spatula until a soft sticky dough is formed.
Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for no less than 10 minutes or until a silky smooth dough is formed. Place in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise in a warm (not hot) until doubled in size, this should take about 2 hours.
Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface, knock all the air from the dough and knead again for 2 mins. Divide the dough into 12 and roll each into a bun shape. Place the buns on a lightly oiled baking sheet. With a sharp knife cut a shallow cross, the width of the into the top of the bun. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise again for approx 45 mins or until well risen.
Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C/Gas 7
Make the crosses by rubbing the butter into the flour, add a little cold water (1/2 tbsp) and stir to make a thick dough. If too dry add a little more water. Roll the dough into a ball, cut in half, then each half into 6. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. The balls will go hard and be easier to roll.
Roll each small dough ball into a long thin sausage, cut in half and firmly press each ‘sausage’ half into the cross of the buns without knocking the air out.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 – 20 minutes or until the buns and well risen and golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush the buns with the jam. Lift the buns onto a wire rack and leave to cool.