easter picnic

Mary's going to be so proud that you made your own hot cross buns this Easter.  Lucky thing her recipe is completely foolproof.

For this recipe you will need a piping bag fitted witha  fine 3mm nozzle, but if you don't have a nozzle you could use a piping bag and snip the end off. 

Mary Berry's hot cross buns

75 grams/2¾oz caster sugar

tsp mixed spice powder

cinnamon

lemon,

grams/¼oz salt

grams/¼oz fast-action dried yeast

grams/1½oz butter

300 milliliters/10fl oz milk

egg,

sultanas

grams/1¾oz finely chopped mixed candied peel

oil,

75 grams/2¾oz plain flour

golden syrup, for glazing

Making delicious hot cross buns can be a bit of a palava, but it's worth the effort.

Mary Berry's Hot Cross Buns

Mary Berry's lemon drizzle traybake cake has been a hit since the 1960s, and this is the recipe she is most asked for when stopped in the street.

Equipment and preparation: for this recipe you will need a 30x23cm/12x9in tray bake tin.

Each serving provides 290 kcal, 4g protein, 38.5g carbohydrates (of which 25g sugars), 13.5g fat (of which 8g saturates), 0.7g fibre and 0.6g salt.

Lemon drizzle traybake cake

butter

caster sugar

flour

level tsp baking powder

free-range eggs

tbsp milk

lemons,

lemon verbena (optional)

sugar

lemons, juice only

Mary Berry makes her lemon verbena drizzle cake.

Lemon Verbena Drizzle Cake

Try the Persian version of lamb koftas with spice, pine nuts and currants. Ideal for sharing as part of a mezze meal.

Spiced lamb kefta meatballs

lamb mince (not too lean)

onion,

turmeric

2–3 tsp ground cumin

1½ tsp crushed sea salt

grams/1¾oz pine nuts,

currants

free-range eggs, beaten

vegetable oil,

A beautiful vegetarian Easter feast, this authentic Italian pie is stuffed with fresh greens and rich eggs and is perfect for eating throughout the summer.

Easter spinach pie (torta pasquale)

grams/1 ounces butter, for greasing

tbsp plain flour,

free-range eggs, plus 1 free-range egg, beaten, for brushing

spinach

110 grams/4 ounces dandelion leaves

olive oil

onion, finely chopped

ricotta

salt and black pepper

puff pastry

300 grams/10½oz fresh or frozen broad beans (shelled weight)

celery

rocket

mint leaves, roughly torn

tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

lemon, juice only

This quick ham picnic pasta is equally delicious warm or cold. Try it in lunchboxes or for casual dinners, as well as picnics of course.

Ham picnic pasta

250 grams/9 ounces dried pasta shape

mayonnaise

tbsp runny honey

tsp English mustard

tsp dried chilli flakes (or 2 tsp Cayenne pepper)

100 grams/3½oz cooked gammon or ham

pepper

spring onions, thinly sliced

A delicious mixture of minced pork, spices, apricot and nuts is baked in pastry and served with braised cabbage with pear and tamarind sauce. A meal in itself, or it can be served alongside the turkey as part of the Christmas dinner!

Posh sausage roll

garlic cloves, chopped

smoked streaky bacon, diced

75 milliliters/2½fl oz calvados

pork mince

sausage meat

sage leaves, chopped

parsley

ginger

nutmeg

grams/1¾oz of toasted pistachios, chopped

apricots,

breadcrumbs

pastry

butter,

pears,

Savoy cabbage

½ large pomegranate, seeds only

lime juice

pear

A delicious mixture of minced pork, spices, apricot and nuts is baked in pastry and served with braised cabbage with apple and tamarind sauce.

This easy carrot loaf cake makes a great afternoon tea recipe. The nut-flecked loaf topped with orange cream frosting is a winning combination.

Carrot cake loaf

140 milliliters/4¾fl oz vegetable oil,

light brown sugar

grams/10½oz grated carrot (grated weight)

grams/3½oz raisins

pecans

salt

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

½ tsp mixed spice

full-fat cream cheese,

grams/1¾oz butter,

tsp vanilla extract

grams/1¾oz icing sugar, sifted

orange, zest only

I love the combination of strong cheese and tart chunky pickle in a ploughman's, and that’s my inspiration for this recipe. Cut through the cheesy filling and you’ll find a hidden layer of pickle waiting to tantalize your taste buds. 

Equipment: You will need a 23cm/9in  loose-bottomed flan tin.

Ploughman's cheese and pickle tart 

ready-made shortcrust pastry

paprika

flour,

free-eggs,

150 milliliters/5fl oz whole milk

sandwich pickle (small chunks)

250 grams/9 ounces mature cheddar, grated

Nadiya uses a crisp potato rosti mxture as the base of this cheese and chive quiche. Genius! You could use gluten-free flour to make it gluten-free too.   

Potato rosti quiche

potato (about 325 grams/11½oz), unpeeled and scrubbed

sweet potato (about 325 grams/11½oz), unpeeled and scrubbed

garlic

tbsp onion granules

grams/1½oz plain flour

free-range egg, plus 1 free-range egg, beaten, for brushing

150 milliliters/5fl oz full-fat milk

150 grams/5½oz mature cheddar, grated

chives, snipped

This easy hummus recipe is great to make sandwiches for your lunchbox, or simply to serve with breadsticks or pitta.

Each serving provides 378 kcal, 13.5g protein, 47g carbohydrates (of which 1.5g sugars), 13.5g fat (of which 2g saturates), 7g fibre and 0.9g salt.

Quick hummus

chickpeas

lemon juice

garlic cloves, crushed

tsp cumin

tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste)

water

tbsp extra virgin olive oil

pitta bread

Learn how to make hummus in minutes with this easy video recipe.

How to make hummus

Light, fluffy and extra lemony, these easy lemon muffins have an extra citrus hit thanks to a simple glaze made with lemon juice and sugar.

Lemon muffins

275 grams/9¾oz plain flour

grams/1¾oz almonds

tsp baking powder

150 milliliters/¼ pint semi-skimmed milk

grams/3½oz unsalted butter, melted

milliliters/2fl oz sunflower or vegetable oil

eggs

vanilla extract

grams/1¾oz golden caster sugar

Ask any two people and very few will agree how to make guacamole. That's ok! This is an easy guacamole recipe, but you can build on it to suit your tastes.

Guacamole

avocadoes,

½ red onion, finely chopped

lime, juice only

red chilli, finely chopped (optional)

Learn how to make easy guacamole with our simple video guide.

How to make guacamole

You can vary the vegetables and herbs in this puff pastry tart according to what you have. Leave yourself an extra hour preparation so that the pastry has time to rest.

Each serving provides 400 kcals, 13g protein, 43g carbohydrates (of which 8.5g sugars) 18.5g fat (of which 10g saturates), 6g fibre and 0.7g salt 

Mediterranean puff pastry tart

280 grams/10 ounces ready-rolled light puff pastry

baby courgettes,

red pepper, cored, seeds removed,

yellow pepper, cored, seeds removed,

red onion,

garlic cloves, sliced

leaves

thyme, leaves picked

olive oil spray

tbsp semi-skimmed milk

grams/3½oz cherry tomatoes, halved

75 grams/2¾oz goats’ cheese, crumbled

sea salt and black pepper

Mary Berry's sticky honey garlic chicken recipe is an old family favourite that's quick, easy and delicious. You can also use separate thighs and drumsticks. 


Sticky honey garlic chicken

chicken legs

tbsp tomato ketchup

tomato purée

tbsp grainy mustard

Worcestershire sauce

garlic clove, crushed

Tom Kerridge shows you how to increase the health factor and reduce the quantity of meat in your sausage rolls by adding brown lentils and grated veg to the filling. 

Each serving provides 500 kcal, 14.5g protein, 32g carbohydrates (of which 5g sugars), 33g fat (of which 13g saturates), 6g fibre and 1.6g salt.

Top 17 easter picnic recipes from across the web

The most viewed easter picnic recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Mary Berry's hot cross buns

Lemon drizzle traybake cake

Spiced lamb kefta meatballs

Easter spinach pie (torta pasquale)

Ham picnic pasta

Posh sausage roll

Carrot cake loaf

Ploughman's cheese and pickle tart

Potato rosti quiche

Quick hummus

Lemon muffins

Guacamole

Mediterranean puff pastry tart

Sticky honey garlic chicken

Pork, lentil and veg sausage rolls

Scotch eggs

Easter egg blondies

Top 17 easter picnic recipes from across the web

The most viewed easter picnic recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Mary Berry's hot cross buns

Lemon drizzle traybake cake

Spiced lamb kefta meatballs

Easter spinach pie (torta pasquale)

Ham picnic pasta

Posh sausage roll

Carrot cake loaf

Ploughman's cheese and pickle tart

Potato rosti quiche

Quick hummus

Lemon muffins

Guacamole

Mediterranean puff pastry tart

Sticky honey garlic chicken

Pork, lentil and veg sausage rolls

Scotch eggs

Easter egg blondies

The most viewed easter picnic recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine