It’s Easter, time for eggs in all their forms, chocolate amongst them. On Sunday I’m hosting an underground brunch with Easter Egg hunt.
Book here £25
I’ve been playing about with eggs, that pagan symbol for spring, dying them different ways. Michel Roux’s book ‘Eggs’ is a great resource. In China tea eggs are a popular street snack: you boil eggs, then lightly crack the shells and simmer them in tea with a little salt for an hour. Once the shells are off, the white eggs have a tinted tea marbled surface. You can also do this with food colouring, soy sauce or orange juice to obtain different colours.
I also dyed eggs with soaked onion skins which stains the shells; in Russia they do this with herbs.
Here is a link to the method.
I made hot cross buns from Gin and Crumpets recipe, except I substituted mixed peel and dried fruit for raisins. Another tweak to her recipe: I piped on the crosses rather than spooned them. Leave the cross dough to set for a while, it will give a stronger line. I also thought ‘why stick to crosses?’ and did some with symbols for Anarchy, Venus and the peace sign.
Have fun this Easter…
Priscilla
April 22, 2011 at 3:18 pmThe vanilla eggs sound delicious, but I can't say I think the buns are in particularly good taste.
Scarlett the Heavenly Healer
April 22, 2011 at 6:19 pmTotally disagree with Priscilla. I think the buns are in fabulously good taste, and they taste fabulously good!
Gerry Snape
April 22, 2011 at 6:30 pmi hope all goes well with the underground tea party!
We've decided to have a wedding party…but only because we love partying! today we did early easter with lamb and our own asparagus and banoffee and simnel for afters….can hardly move!!
The Hatch/Thompsons
April 22, 2011 at 6:53 pmBut surely it's not about whether the buns are in good taste but whether they taste good?! I rather liked them in any case. Wouldn't mind a family friendly event sometime soon Ms M, especially if you're planning daytime stuff in the garden now the sun is shining?
theundergroundrestaurant
April 22, 2011 at 9:16 pmSunday's event is open to all ages!
Priscilla: I'm not a Christian but I don't think a peace sign, venus or even an Anarchist sign are particularly offensive…
The Hatch/Thompsons
April 22, 2011 at 10:15 pmI couldn't justify 2×25 for a 7yr old & a 4 yr old – sorry. That's not to say it's not worth it – I'm sure it is! I'll book a sitter and come one evening instead.
I *am* going to try your boiled egg tricks with the sprogs tho – thx 🙂
theundergroundrestaurant
April 23, 2011 at 9:48 amYou are absolutely right, how remiss of me not to think of that. Under 5s are free. 6- 12 a pound for every year?….