I love the Easter holiday. It is my favourite break of the year; more than Christmas and I really love Christmas. It’s the colours; the gorgeous pastel hues of mini eggs. Lambs in fields, blossom on roadsides, birds starting to sing in the garden and chocolate for breakfast. I don’t decorate Easter trees for the holiday but I do like to cook a few nice meals and make a cake or two over the long weekend. It’s the perfect break from work and responsibilities with less pressure than Christmas.
This year, the Easter break feels more welcome than ever. The sun is starting to shine a little and restrictions are starting to lift, albeit very slowly, here in the UK. We are hoping to get out for a couple of walks and a takeaway lunch. I also have plans to catch up on some online art classes over the weekend. Lottie will love us being at home with her for a few days.
I felt like stitching a few little chicks and whilst I know it is probably too late for you to stitch them for an Easter gift (although you do have a few days to sit and do them) I thought that you, my readers, customers and fellow stitchers, might like to stitch them too.
You can download the pattern for free over on my website. Clicking the photo below will take you to the digital pattern section of the website.
Sue (Homespun with Love) has been into work today - we collaborate on a few patterns and Sue works with us at the studio once or twice a week when we need help. Sue was a Home Economics teacher and often brings lovely treats in for us to have at break time. Today she brought the prettiest little Easter biscuits and they are so delicious I have eaten three!
I quizzed Sue for the recipe and asked if she would mind me sharing here for you to make some too. They are a simple shortbread biscuit with a simple but effective Easter decoration on top. I bring you - courtesy of Sue - the Easter Bonnet Biscuit!
Sue told me the recipe in imperial measures which I love as I find it easier to remember the quantities (my favourite sponge recipe is a 6/6/6 combination of ingredients!)
Pre-heat oven to 180 deg C and grease or line a baking tray.
Easter Bonnet Biscuits from Homespun with Love
In a bowl, put 6oz plain flour, 4oz room-temperature butter and 2oz caster sugar. Rub together to combine the ingredients into breadcrumbs. Rub a little harder (to warm the fat up) and it starts to form clumps which you then squeeze and knead together to form a ball of dough. Try not too handle the dough too much, so that you get a nice crumbly biscuit.
Roll out the dough to about 1/4” thick and cut biscuits with a fluted circular cookie cutter. Prick the biscuits with a fork and pop in the oven to bake for about 10 minutes. The biscuits can brown quickly, which you don’t want. Keep your eye on them and turn the tray if necessary through cooking and remove any that start to colour too quickly. You want the biscuits to be a pale yellow colour. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
For the bonnet decoration you need a quantity of glacé icing (icing sugar mixed with water) and some white marshmallows. Pop a marshmallow at the top centre of the biscuit and drop a teaspoon of icing on top of the marshmallow. Allow the icing to run to the edge of the biscuit and tidy up the edges with the back of a spoon. Allow the icing to set and add a piped ribbon with slightly tinted pink glacé icing. If you have them, add a couple of decorative white pearls to the centre of the bow. Allow to set and enjoy with a cup of tea.
Enjoy your Easter break, whatever you get up to!
Thank you for being here.
Nicki xxx
