Easter & the egg - The Barks

There are two versions mentioned here – the first I've used on many occasions, it's quick and easy and looks good bagged and bowed, or arranged in a small pot.

Chocolate Bark

Handful of chopped dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots and toasted, roughly chopped hazelnuts.

Line a baking sheet with clingfilm. (Baking sheet should be approximately 30cm x 18cm) You will find the clingfilm easier to control if you oil the baking sheet.

Break 300g of dark or milk chocolate into pieces and put in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Melt.

When the chocolate has melted pour it onto the clingfilmed sheet.

Scatter over the fruit and nuts. Wear a disposable glove and very gently ease the fruit and nuts into the chocolate.

Leave to set for 4 hours before breaking into chards.

You can use any combination of fruit and nuts to suit your taste – tailor the recipe to suit your favourites – it is Easter after all and you deserve a treat.

If you wanted to add an extra dimension – discover your inner Jackson Pollock – melt 100g of white chocolate and, using a fork – holding it high above the tray, drizzle the chocolate over the bark. Note to self – make sure you place kitchen roll underneath the baking sheet so that you don't cover everywhere in chocolate.

The second version is probably more to the grown-up taste :

Pistachio and tart cherry chocolate bark

400g plain chocolate, chopped

200g white chocolate, chopped

300g pistachio nuts (minus shells) toasted

200g dried tart cherries

Before you begin, oil a baking sheet 30x20 cms approx and line with cling film. You have two options – you can melt the chocolate in the microwave – if you choose this method then, using a microwave-proof bowl and based on a 700w oven, the plain chocolate should take 1 minute 35 secs. The white chocolate should take 1 minute 30 secs. Ensuring that the plain chocolate is melted stir in the nuts and cherries but reserve some of each to decorate. Tip the chocolate onto the sheet and spread until it's approximately 1cm thick. Drizzle the white chocolate over the top, then, for example, use a bamboo skewer (the type you'd use for kebabs) and drag the pointed end through the white chocolate in different directions. Decorate with remaining nuts and cherries and fridge for minimum of one hour. Cut the bark into chards and bag or box, add a gift tag.

If you'd prefer to not to use a microwave then melt the chocolate by placing in a large bowl over a pan of simmering water. The downside to this method is that you're creating lots of washing up since you'll have to melt the plain and the white chocolate.

The bark should be kept in the fridge until ready to devour. If you are making the bark for your own indulgence then store in a sealed container – it will keep for up to a month – in your dreams!

This recipe will give you approximately 1kg of bark – halve the quantities and use a smaller baking sheet if you don't want so much – I believe you!

Easter & the egg - The kit and the cost

Despite what I said about paying for packaging I do have a couple of inexpensive but effective ideas. Check out your “bargain” shops – these pretty boxes shown below cost 89p for a pack of 3 and each holds four Easter nests. The cases cost 49p for 60.

Here's what the kids can produce easily :

There's a whole range of stuff to choose from – here's a photo of a few bits and chicks!

The Easter chicks in various sizes are 99p per pack. The cellophane treat bags are 79p for 12.

I'm not sure who'll have the best time – the kids or the grown-ups!

Easter & the egg

… the chocolate version that is.

Now I'm not being a misery but I really object to paying for packaging and very little chocolate and for chocolate that never tastes the same as it does in “bar” form - at astronomical prices. Never has foil and card been so expensive.

I'm not sure what the “bah humbug” equivalent is for Easter but you see where I'm coming from!

So, here's a few ideas for creating your own treats – especially if you want to entertain the kids during the holidays – what about them creating their own Easter treats and gifts.

This first recipe must be 50 years old if it's a day.

Easter Nests

200g plain chocolate, broken into small pieces

30g golden syrup

50g unsalted butter

100g cornflakes

36 mini eggs – 3 per nest -

you could add more if you wish

Makes 12

Place the chocolate, syrup and butter into a bowl and melt over a pan of simmering water.

While this is melting, line a muffin tray with 12 paper cases.

Whisk the chocolate mixture together until it's smooth and shiny, then remove from the heat. Add the cornflakes and mix to coat evenly.

Portion out the mixture into nest shapes in the paper cases and put 3 mini eggs in the middle of each. Place in the fridge to set.

I made the nests using rice krispies and milk chocolate. You could mix plain and milk chocolate if you preferred - whatever takes your fancy, but I hope you'll agree the ingredients won't break the bank.

A helpful note or two about chocolate :

When melting, do so in a large bowl.

No water and/or metal in the bowl.

Do not overheat, gently does it.

Leave melting chocolate alone – resist the urge!

Ensure that the simmering water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. It should be the steam from the water that melts the chocolate.

Easter & the egg - The cooler and the hunt

Never let it be said that I haven't had the most out of the wine coolers, first mentioned in Sweet Surprises for Summer, used for an alfresco birthday party.

Are you by any chance expecting and feeding visitors over Easter and are you organising an egg hunt?

Here's my take on a table centre for Easter Sunday :

You could actually put the eggs to further use after using the table centre - for the egg hunt – two uses for the price of one.

If you are organising an egg hunt you can even get tiny, appropriately decorated buckets too. Having said that, if like me, you accumulate small wicker baskets that you couldn't bear to part with because you knew they'd come in handy some time - they make great receptacles for eggs!

See what I mean.

Purnell's: The Book

...Cracking Yolks & Pig Tales

Naturally I couldn't leave the establishment without my signed copy!

A cursory glance tells me that it's not just a book of recipes but Mr. P's story from the beginning – it's funny and interesting too.

The recipes from the lunch are all in there – others have caught my attention so I think I'll be trying one or two on your behalf.

I'll leave you with a collage from the day and hope you've enjoyed it too.

Thank you Kareem for your kind invitation.

Purnell's: Desserts

I've never been served a pre-dessert before – clearly I need to get out more.  All I can say is it was worth the wait and then some.

I mentioned in the Bucket List post that Mr. P. won the dessert category in the Great British Menu with ….”burnt English cream surprise”. Well here it is served alongside a winter Rhubarb Trifle – the only difference now is that its complete title adds 10/10/10 – that's the score it was given – a perfect one.

Finally two large bowls were placed on the table – they were decorated with dried foliage – not really clear what sort at this stage.  I ought to have made the connection – the final dessert course was Mint choccy chip – mint – aerated chocolate.  I'm sure you've guessed what happened next, but here's a photo.  The dried foliage was of course dried mint and the smell was wonderful.

If it's possible to choose a favourite then for me it has to be ...”10/10/10” - out of this world – I could have eaten a bucket full and I don't do desserts.

Wow!

Purnell's: Bring on the mains!

The Roast Balmoral venison was a popular choice – once again when the dish was served it was so beautiful it was almost a shame to spoil it by eating it!

The waiter had stated that all the venison would be served medium rare.  Sometimes you just gotta go with the flow.  I know that two of our party would never order meat cooked medium rare – indeed one of the party had never eaten venison either.  Verdict – converted – on both counts.  The moral of this story is embrace the experience – take a leap into the unknown - you never know what might happen!

Now for my main.  I was asked when the booking was made and again on the day about dietary requirements and allergies in respect of my vegetarian main.

This is what I was served :

The dish is Carrots cooked in vadouvan, pickled & raw carrots, coriander & coconut emulsion, sweet carrot purée and dried coconut  and was served with puy lentils.  I also tasted the Indian red lentils served with the Monkfish masala – delish.

I said in the penultimate paragraph of A tick off the Bucket List! Mr. Purnell was in the kitchen, in charge of the lunch service.  Now it's not very often that I am lost for words, but was most definitely when I realised that the person dressing my main course was the man himself – a perfect day.  There was no circus, no fuss – he was pitching in, helping to serve and I just got lucky. It's probably as well that I couldn't speak – far less embarrassing than burbling rubbish.

By the way – for those who'd like to know, vadouvan is a blend of spices - a French “take” on a masala with added shallots and garlic.