This year I thought you might like something a bit different in the way of tasty Easter offerings.
Variations on this beautifully plaited ring, with whole eggs nestling around the braids, are an Easter speciality in many Mediterranean countries. The eggs serve as a decoration while the enriched bread is delicious served warm with butter. Serves 12.
Sift the flour, spices and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the yeast, lemon rind, sugar, sultanas and nuts. Add the oil and most of the warm milk. Mix to a soft dough, adding the remaining milk if necessary.
Knead well on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in a large bowl, cover with plastic film and leave in a warm place for about 1-1½ hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface to knock out any large air bubbles. Reserve a third of the dough. Divide the remaining dough into three and roll each one into a thin sausage, 71cm/28in long. Plait the three lengths together and place on a greased baking sheet, joining the two ends together with beaten egg to make a ring shape.
Divide the remaining dough into three and roll each one into a 51 cm!20 in sausage. Make another plait and lay over the first, joining the ends as above. Cover with oiled plastic film and leave in a warm place for 45 minutes or until doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6.
Brush the ring with beaten egg and nestle the hard-boiled eggs in among the plaits. Bake for 1 hour, covering with foil if the bread starts to brown too much. Leave to cool on a wire rack, then paint the eggs with the food colourings.
Makes 12-14. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Sift the flours into a bowl. Rub in the butter with your finger tips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in orange rind, sugar, egg yolks and 1-2 teaspoons water. Mix well to form a firm dough.
Knead the dough briefly on a lightly floured surface, then roll out and cut into 7.5 cm/3in rounds or shapes using Easter egg, chick and bunny cutters. Place on a baking sheet a little apart and bake for about 10 minutes or until they turn golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Mix the icing sugar with a little cold water to make a thick paste. Divide the caster sugar between the two bowls. Work a little yellow colouring into one bowl and pink colouring into the other using the back of a teaspoon.
Thinly spread egg-shaped or round biscuits with icing and decorate with almonds and currants. Paint the edges of the biscuits with food colouring and sprinkle with coloured sugar.
Spread the bunny-shaped biscuits with icing and sprinkle the body areas with pink sugar. Spread the chick biscuits with icing and sprinkle with yellow sugar. Add currants for eyes.