EASTER NESTS

Easter Nests by Rachel Allen

Another recipe from Rachel Allen's fab book Cake (Collins, £25). So many things in there I would love to try!

This is super easy. What I suggest is to crumble half of the Shredded Wheat and add half of the melted chocolate and then do the rest. I tried it with with dark and then with milk chocolate. The best for me was a mix of both. 

You also have to be quite quick when making the nests and get those mini eggs in there quick too. If you find they haven't stuck you can dip them in the leftover melted chocolate (if you have any!) or melt some more.

I made her chocolate cupcakes and iced them with the icing below and placed the nests on top. The icing is OK but to be honest I try to avoid making icing with icing sugar and butter- too much mess, too much effort. 

Vanilla cupcakes iced with the simple & quick icing. I used milk chocolate for the nest.

Much easier and to me tastier is to cover the cakes with a ganache (double cream and dark chocolate melted together).

Another fast option is to mix in a bowl sifted icing sugar with a tiny amount of water (you don't want it too runny) or lemon juice and keep it white or add food colouring. I baked vanilla cupcakes, covered them with this simple icing and placed the nests made with milk chocolate on top. I think it looks good too (main photo).

Chocolate cupcake covered with ganache. 

For the nests

Makes enough for 12 cupcakes or more if you make them small

100g (3 1/2oz) dark or milk chocolate, in drops or broken into pieces

4 Shredded Wheat

36 sugar-coated mini chocolate eggs

For the icing

100g (3 1/2 oz) butter, softened

225g (8oz) icing sugar, sifted

25ml (1fl oz) milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

A few drops of green food colouring (optional)

To make the nests, first line a baking tray with baking parchment. then place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Leave just until melted, stirring occasionally, then removed from the heat.

Crumble the Shredded Wheat and add these to the melted chocolate, mixing in until well coated. Working quickly, add about 2 teaspoons of the mixture to form a small mound on the baking parchment. Use your fingers to press down the centre to form a rough nest shape, then add 3 mini eggs, pressing them down into the nest. Repeat with the rest of the mixture and eggs until you have 12 nests, then leave on the tray to cool and set.


Meanwhile, make the icing. Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer and cream together until fluffy and light. Gradually add the milk with the vanilla extract and food colouring (if using) and continue beating the mixture until smooth. When the cupcakes are cool, ice them using a palette knife or the back of a teaspoon. Place a nest on top of each cake, pressing carefully but firmly into the icing.

Lemon Drizzle Cake

Mrs Post's Lemon Drizzle Cake by Paul Hollywood

Is Paul Hollywood really the housewives' pin-up? He makes a good team with Mary Berry in the Great British Bake Off but a pin-up? That's pushing it a bit.Here's a recipe from his fantastic 'How to bake' book (Bloomsbury, £20). 

Here is what mine looked like

The recipe asks for lemon curd.If you have the time to make lemon curd then that's great but I think Tiptree's works just fine. 

Regarding tins, I used a 26 x 10.5cm (10 x 4 inches).

For the version in Spanish please see below. I'm sorry if my translation is not up to scratch. I'll get better- promise.

My rating: 5 Big fat STARS 

Ingredients
75g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
125g caster sugar
150g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 medium eggs
1 tbsp lemon curd
2 1/2 tbsp full-fat milk

For the drizzle
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp granulated sugar

1.Heat your oven to 180C. Butter a 1kg loaf tin and line with baking parchment.

2.Beat the butter and caster sugar together in a large bowl, using an electron hand-held whisk or wooden spoon, until the mixture is very light and fluffy- this can take up to 10 minutes. Add the flour, baking powder, eggs, lemon curd and milk, mixing all the time, until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.

3.Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

4.Meanwhile, for the drizzle, mix the lemon zest and juice with the granulated sugar. Pour the lemon drizzle over the hot cake in the tin. Leave to cool completely, then serve. 

Version en ESPAÑOL

75g manteca (sin sal), ablandada, mas extra para enmantecar
125g azúcar
150g harina leudante
1 cucharadita de polvo para hornear
2 huevos medianos
1 cucharada de lemon curd o crema de limón(se hace con huevos, jugo y ralladura de limón, manteca y azúcar)
2 1/2 cucharadas de leche entera

Para el drizzle
Ralladura fina y jugo de 1 limón
2 cucharadas de azúcar

1.Calentar el horno a 180C. Enmantecar un molde para pan de 1kg y poner papel manteca. 

2.Batir la manteca y el azúcar juntos en un bol grande, usando una batidora eléctrica de mano o una cuchara de madera, hasta que la mezcla este liviana y como esponjoso (no se si este es el término en castellano!). Esto puede llevar como 10 minutos. Agregar la harina, el polvo para hornear, huevos, lemon curd y la leche, mezclando todo el tiempo hasta que los ingredientes estén bien mezclados.

3.Poner la mezcla en el molde y hornear por 40-45 minutos o hasta que después de insertar un pincho o cuchillo éste salga limpio.

4.Mientras tanto, para el drizzle,mezclar el jugo con la ralladura y el azúcar. Verter esto sobre la torta caliente mientras que este en el molde. Dejar enfriar completamente y luego servir.