This is an Easter weekend like no other ... no family, no egg rolling, no fun.
Well, not quite ... just because we're in lockdown doesn't mean we have to do without the traditional chocolate treats.
And if you can't get out to the shop to buy some, why not stay at home and make your own (or even do it remotely with your kids or grandkids)?
We've teamed up with The Stair Arms Hotel in Pathhead, Midlothian, to bring you recipes for three Easter treats that all the family will love making ... and eating!
The Stair Arms Chocolate Truffles
These homemade treats are the perfect alternative to shop bought chocolate eggs this Easter.
Simple and delicious, this recipe uses mainly cupboard ingredients and is perfect for the whole family to help make and enjoy.
Can store in the fridge – if they last that long …
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: Around 10-12 (but depends on your preferred size of truffle!)
Ingredients
20 digestive biscuits
125g butter
200g condensed milk
2tbsp cocoa powder
125g desiccated coconut, plus extra for decoration (you can also use sprinkles, melted chocolate or cocoa powder)
Method
• In a plastic bag crush the digestive biscuits using a rolling pin.
• Put the butter and the condensed milk into a pan and melt the butter over a low heat. Leave to cool slightly.
• Add the biscuits, cocoa and coconut to the butter and condensed milk and stir together. Make sure it is well stirred.
• Form the mixture into truffles about the size of a golf ball. Top tip – Dip your hands in a little water between truffles to avoid sticking.
• Roll the truffles in coconut (or chosen decoration).
White Chocolate Cheesecake
If you’re planning an indulgent dessert for your Easter lunch then look no further than The Stair Arms’ to-die-for white chocolate cheesecake.
Preparation time: around 6 hours
Ingredients:
300g digestive biscuits
150g unsalted and melted butter with extra to grease
400g broken-up white chocolate
300g full-fat cream cheese
250g mascarpone
300ml double cream
200g berries to serve (or to make it "Eastery" use crushed-up mini eggs)
Method:
• Bash the biscuits in a plastic bag with a rolling pin.
• Grease and line a 23cm deep cake tin. Add the crushed biscuits to the tin and pat until flat. Leave to set for 30 minutes.
• Start to melt the chocolate over a small amount of hot water in a heat-proof bowl. Stir occasionally. Remove the bowl from the heat and leave to cool for about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk the cream cheese and mascarpone together. Add the double cream and continue to whisk until the mixture can keep its shape. Add the melted chocolate and whisk until fully combined.
• Spoon the mixture over the cool and set biscuit base and leave in the fridge to set for around 5 hours.
• Decorate with either berries or crushed up mini eggs to make it the perfect Easter centrepiece.
Nutella Cheesecake
This is the ultimate indulgence! A combination of creamy Nutella and crunchy hazelnuts makes this dessert a winner with the whole family.
Preparation time: around 6 hours
Ingredients
250g digestive biscuits
75g soft unsalted butter
400g Nutella (room temperature)
100g chopped toasted hazelnuts
500g cream cheese (room temperature)
60g icing sugar (sifted)
Method
• Put the digestives into a bowl of a processor, add the butter and a tablespoon of the Nutella and blitz until it clumps together. Add 3 tablespoons of the toasted hazelnuts and continue to blitz until a damp and sandy mixture is formed.
• Tip the mixture into a 23cm deep tin and press into the base. Leave in the fridge to cool.
• Whisk the cream cheese and icing sugar together until smooth and then add the remaining Nutella to the mix and continue to whisk.
• Take the cooled and set base from the fridge and carefully spoon the mixture on top, spreading evenly. Put the hazelnuts over the top and leave to cool for 5 hours or overnight.
The Stair Arms Hotel at Pathhead, Midlothian, is a family-owned and managed hotel, promising a warm Scottish welcome.
It is an original coaching inn, commissioned in 1831 by Lord and Lady Stair of the Oxenfoord Estate. For the last 25 years it has been run by the Ramsay family.
The hotel is an ideal stopover on the main Edinburgh-to-Borders route. Here you can be assured that you will receive warm hospitality while enjoying a relaxed atmosphere. You can enjoy a good night’s sleep in our beautifully decorated rooms and a hearty Scottish breakfast before carrying on with your journey.
The comfortable and cosy restaurant, complete with a roaring log fire, provides an excellent setting for you to enjoy freshly-cooked homemade food. The Ramsay family have built up a reputation for providing a high standard of food using local produce.
Similarly, the Coffee House area is lovely, relaxing and comfortable serving Illy coffee and a great range of home baking.
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