Easter is a time for reflection but perhaps never more so than today

Traditionally, Easter is a time for reflection but perhaps never more so, than at this time in our shared history.

Apart from the angels that work in our health service and key workers in many other vital roles, most of us have had to slow things down, stay inside as much as we can and pray that we all come through these strange and scarey times and out the other side.

One of the changes I’ve noticed via social media is how everyone is embracing baking. When you’re “locked down” it makes sense to do something creative that you can also eat at the end of your endeavours. My recipes this week are for traditional Easter bakes. The first is for a Simnel Cake – an ancient traditional recipe that can be traced back to medieval times. It’s a rich fruit cake that’s baked with a layer of marzipan in the middle and then topped with more marzipan. It started life as a yeast bread made special because it was created with the highest quality flour possible. Simnel comes from the Latin word “similia” meaning the whitest and finest of flours. They aren’t as common as they once were but for my money it’s a delicate treat that should be revived. The top is decorated with eleven marzipan balls to symbolise Jesus’s disciples, minus the treacherous Judas. I’ve also included a recipe for marzipan. There’s nothing wrong with ready made but sometimes it can be heavy on the almond essence.

Another Easter tradition is the hot cross bun. This confection marks the end of Lent. It is thought that the bun originates from St Albans in England where Brother Thomas Rodcliffe, a 14th century monk in the town’s abbey, developed a bake that was distributed to the poor on Good Friday. The cross represents the crucifixion of Jesus and the spices inside, signify those used to embalm him at his burial.

Nowadays you can get hot cross buns all year round. My recipe uses orange and chocolate in the mix – a good way of using up any leftover chocolate eggs

Have a very Happy Easter and remember hope is for life, not just for Easter.