EASTER BAKING

Even if you haven’t been giving up those luxuries for Lent, the bank holiday is still a fine time to bake something more adventurous. Debbie Major’s innovative recipes will go a long way to guaranteeing a happy weekend for all

THE COUNTRY COOK’S GUIDE TO…

Whisky and pistachio simnel cake

RECIPES DEBBIE MAJOR PHOTOGRAPHS ANDREW MONTGOMERY FOOD STYLING ELLA TARN STYLING MORAG FARQUHAR

Hot cross buns, simnel cake, chocolate eggs… There are certain foods without which Easter wouldn’t be the same. Hot cross buns were originally made with dough left over from baking the sacramental loaves for Good Friday church services. Being such special cakes, they were marked with a cross. The egg has long been recognised as a symbol of fertility and new life. We now associate Easter with chocolate eggs, but in the past, hen’s eggs were traditional for Easter breakfast – all the more welcome after the 40 egg-free days of Lent. Sometimes eggs were dyed red and used to decorate bread loaves or given as gifts. In my house, the baking is done in advance of the feasting. I love to get into the kitchen on the days leading up to Good Friday, beaters in hand and the oven on, and cook up a few things to stash away in my cake tins.

DEBBIE MAJOR

Florentine shortbread fingers

MAKES 12 BISCUITS. HANDS-ON TIME 25 MIN, OVEN TIME 55 MIN

MAKE AHEAD

The shortbread will keep for up to 1 week, stored in a sealed airtight container.

FOOD TEAM’S TIP

If you don’t like candied peel, substitute very finely chopped dried apricots.

FOR THE SHORTBREAD BASE

• 200g plain flour

• 100g semolina

• 100g caster sugar

• 200g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

FOR THE FLORENTINE TOPPING

• 25g unsalted butter

• 75g golden caster sugar

• 30g liquid glucose syrup (such as Dr Oetker, from the baking section of supermarkets)

• 4 tbsp double cream

• 1 tbsp plain flour

• Finely grated zest 1 large orange

• 100g flaked almonds, toasted

• 50g dried cranberries

• 50g chopped candied peel

YOU’LL ALSO NEED…

• 20cm square cake tin lined with non-stick baking paper

1 Heat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/ gas 3. For the shortbread, put the flour, semolina and caster sugar into a food processor and whizz briefly. Add the butter and process until the ingredients start to stick together.