Take The Hassle Out of Entertaining This Easter Long Weekend
I always feel excited at this time of year—the weather starts to cool, and with Easter just around the corner, there’s a special kind of energy in the air.
For me, Easter is a time for relaxed celebrations. It’s not as hectic as Christmas, and the cozy weather makes it perfect for warming dishes, a glass of red wine, and, of course, indulging in chocolate!
Here is a collection of my favourite, easy to pull together Easter themed entertaining ideas that are guaranteed to wow your guests!
Hot Cross Bun Ice Cream Sandwiches (makes 6)
Ingredients:
• 6 x hot cross buns
• 1 x tub of salted caramel ice cream
• 1 x bottle of Hershey’s chocolate sauce
• ½ cup toasted almond flakes
Method:
Step 1: Cut hot cross buns in half horizontally
Step 2: Toast the hot cross bun halves in a sandwich press or grill until lightly toasted
Step 3: Let the hot cross bun pieces cool down slightly and place the bases down onto a plate
Step 4: With an ice cream scoop, place a generous scoop of salted caramel ice cream onto each of the hot cross bun bases
Step 5: Drizzle a generous amount of Hershey’s chocolate sauce over the ice cream scoop & sprinkle toasted nuts over the top
Step 6: Place the top of the hot cross bun on to make a sandwich and dust with icing sugar
Hot cross bun crostini with ricotta, honey & Persian figs (serves 4)
Ingredients:
• 4 x hot cross buns
• 1 x small jar of marinated Persian figs
• 1 x 500g tub of smooth ricotta
• 100ml x honey
• 20g x dried rose petals
Method:
Step 1: Slice each hot cross bun into 1cm thick slices
Step 2: Toast each slice in a sandwich press or grill until golden and toasted
Step 3: Place the slices on a baking tray and into a pre-heated 160-degree oven for 10 mins to dry out and become crunchy
Step 4: When the hot cross bun slices have cooled, smear a generous amount of ricotta on each slice
Step 5: Place 2 small marinated Persian figs on top of each crostini and drizzle honey over the top
Step 6: Sprinkle dried rose petals over the top of each crostini and serve
Hot Cross Bun Bread & Butter Pudding (Serves 6-8)
Ingredients:
• 6 x hot cross buns
• ¼ cup orange marmalade
• 150g x milk chocolate chips
• ½ cup roughly chopped dried dates
• 8 eggs
• 1 cup cream
• 1.5 cups of milk
• ¼ cup caster sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla paste
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Vanilla ice cream & icing sugar to serve
Method:
Step 1: Pre-heat oven to 160-degrees
Step 2: Lightly grease a 20cm x 30cm baking dish
Step 3: Cut each hot cross bun into 4 even slices and spread orange marmalade on each side
Step 4: Place each slice into the baking dish in a domino pattern ensuring each slice is overlapping
Step 5: In a mixing bowl, place eggs, cream, milk, vanilla & caster sugar and whisk together
Step 6: Pour the custard mixture over the hot cross bun slices in the baking dish and leave to sit for 15 minutes so that the mixture can be absorbed into the buns
Step 7: Sprinkle cinnamon over the top of the dish & bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the mixture is set
Step 8: Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before spooning a generous amount into bowls, topping with ice cream & a dusting of icing sugar
