EASTER BISCUITS

100g/4oz butter or margarine

50g/2oz currants

150g/5oz caster sugar

250g/8oz plain flour

2 eggs

5ml/1 tsp mixed spice

15-30ml/1-2 tbsp milk

1. Line 2 or 3 baking sheets with baking parchment or greaseproof paper

2. Beat the butter/margarine with 100g/4oz of sugar until pale and fluffy

3. Separate 2 eggs and beat in 2 egg yolks leaving the whites aside

4. Add currants then sift flour and spice into the creamed ingredients a little at a time

5. Add a little milk if necessary to make a soft, manageable dough

6. Knead lightly then roll out to 3-5mm/ 1/8 inch -1/4 inch thick

7. Cut into rounds with 6cm/2 ½ inch fluted cutter

8. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 180C/350 F/gas Mk 4

9. After 10 minutes, brush with egg white and dredge with remaining sugar

BLUEBERRY AND VANILLA MUFFINS

250g/8oz plain flour

2 large eggs

2 tsp baking powder

150ml/ ¼ pint sunflower oil

150g/5 oz caster sugar

90g/3oz blueberries

175ml/6 fl oz milk

½ tsp vanilla essence

1. Line a deep 12-hole muffin tray with 12 paper cases

2. Put all the ingredients, except the blueberries, into a bowl.

3. Beat with an electric whisk until evenly combined and smooth (it is quite a thin mixture)

4. Stir in the blueberries

5. Divide the mixture among the paper cases

6. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350F/180C/Gas Mk 4 until well risen and light golden brown

APPLE SPONGE CAKE

225g/8oz baking spread, straight from the fridge plus extra for greasing

225g/8oz caster sugar

4 large eggs, beaten

225g/8oz self-raising flour

2 eating apples, peeled, cored and grated

1 tsp baking powder icing sugar for dusting

For the lemon buttercream:

200g butter

400g icing sugar

2 tbsp lemon curd

1. Grease two 20cm/8in round, loose-bottomed sandwich tins and line the bases with baking paper

2. Measure all the sponge ingredients, except the apple and icing sugar, into a large bowl and beat with an electric hand whisk until combined.

3. Fold the grated apple into the mixture, then divide between the tins and level the tops.

4. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 for about 25-30 minutes until golden, well risen and coming away from the sides of the tins.

5. Allow to cool in the tins

6. Meanwhile, make the lemon buttercream by beating the butter and icing sugar together until light and fluffy then mix in the lemon curd

7. Invert the tins to remove the cakes and then peel away the paper.

8. Sit one cake upside down on a serving plate

9. Spread the lemon buttercream over the top of this sponge to the edge and then place the other sponge gently on top to sandwich the cake together

10. Dust the top with icing sugar to serve

LEMON DRIZZLE CAKE

3 fresh eggs

Their weight in sugar, margarine and plain flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

Finely grated rind 2 large scrubbed lemons

75g/3oz caster sugar and juice from one lemon

1. Cream sugar and margarine until light and fluffy

2. Add eggs, flour, grated lemon rind, and baking powder together and mix well

3. Spoon into 7”/180 mm round tin.

4. Mix the caster sugar with juice from one lemon

5. Bake for 40-50 minutes at 180C / 350 F / Gas Mk 4 until golden brown and well risen.

The cake is done when it starts to pull away from the sides

6. Remove the cake from the oven and pour sugared lemon juice (well stirred) over the cake.

Once the glaze is on the cake, allow it to cool.

7. When cool, remove the cake from the tin