Let’s be honest, what’s most important about Easter is the food, right? Okay, maybe the right answer is ‘friends and family’, but if you’re a devout foodie, then Easter meals are right up there on your priority list. Large roasts to feed an army and sinfully chocolate desserts are some of the biggest highlights of the season – they’re what so many memories are made around. But when it’s your turn to host and all eyes…or rather all stomachs and discerning palates are on you, you don’t want to disappoint (if you have even the faintest passion for food, that is). Whether you stick to Easter traditions like lamb roasts, like to mix in a little avant-garde flair with familiar recipes, or want to throw caution to the wind and get creative in the kitchen, we have all the Easter recipes and the best cooking appliances you need for them. Be prepared for Easter food ideas that will have your guests hopping back for more!
ON THE SAVOURY SIDE
Air Fried Lamb Roast
Photo by Eric McNew on Unsplash
Traditional seasonings: Rosemary and garlic, oregano, and thyme.
Traditional sides and complements: Potato wedges, roast carrots, mint jelly, or apple sauce.
What you’ll need: A digital thermometer (to avoid overcooking your expensive cut of lamb).
Time: Anywhere from 30-50 minutes depending on the cut of lamb and size. Check your lamb after 20 minutes and, thereafter, check in on it every 10 minutes.
Recipe Favourites:
- Super Golden Bakes Air Fryer Roast Lamb
- Summer Yule Roast Lamb, Air Fried
- Bennett Read’s Air Fried Lamb Chops (see page 14)
For the most succulent, fall-off-the-bone lamb you’ve ever tasted, you can trust a Bennett Read Air Fryer to deliver outstanding results. But the question that begs to be answered is, ‘Will a whole leg of lamb fit?’ The answer: If you’re catering for an intimate get-together and are working with a small leg of lamb, then you can use any of our air fryers to cook this. If you have bigger ambitions and need to feed a crowd, we’d recommend using one of the following options:
- 9L Digital Air Fryer: Use the drawer accessory (which can be purchased separately to the 9L Dual Air Fryer). This gives you more width to work with.
- 22L Air Fryer Oven
- 25L Air Fryer Oven: Use this if you’re going all out with a large leg of lamb.
Oven-Roasted Carrots
Photo by Maja Vujic on Unsplash
When it comes to roast vegetables, there’s nothing quite like that sweet and subtly crunchy taste of carrots roasted in the oven. But how do you up your carrot game this Easter? We have a few ideas.
Seasoning Ideas: Salt, pepper, garlic, coriander, basil, rosemary, mint, thyme, ginger, parsley, nutmeg and cinnamon.
Flavour Enhancers (added before cooking): Honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, orange juice, or balsamic vinegar.
Time: Around 20 minutes for whole carrots and approximately 15 minutes for baby carrots.
Recipe Favourites:
One-Pot Beef-Based Meals
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
For deliciously wholesome meals that make you feel at home, Bennett Read multi cookers are the way to go. While our multi cookers have all sorts of cooking functions, you can set them to a slow-cook function with the benefit of it cooking much quicker than traditional slow cookers. The Bennett Read Multi Cookers below all have a slow-cook function.
Pro Tip: Soak your beef in buttermilk, whiskey, or beer overnight before cooking. This will make it extra tender.
Time: See the Bennett Read Table on page 9 for timing suggestions.
Recipe Favourites:
- African Bites Slow-Cooker Beef Stew
- 2 R Wellborn Beef - Easy Easter Pot Roast
- CD Kitchen - Easy Easter Roast Beef
- Bennett Read’s Beef Stew (Page 35)
ON THE SWEET SIDE
Hot Cross Bun Dessert
Photo by Maddy Bazzocco
Easter is simply not complete without some wonderfully fresh dessert straight out of the oven (or mini oven). With the doughy-cinnamon-sweet smell permeating your house, this pudding will have your guests salivating – it won’t last long!
Time: 30-45 min
Recipe Favourites:
- Great British Chefs - Hot Cross Bun Bread and Butter Pudding
- Good Food - Hot Cross Bun & Butter Pudding
- VJ Cooks - Hot Cross Bun Bread and Butter Pudding
- Real Food Tesco - Hot Cross Bread and Butter Pudding Recipe
Bennett Read Appliances to Use for This Dessert:
Easter Bunny Cupcakes
Image: yourcupofcake.com
Bake fun and decorative cupcakes that will make your stomach smile! Kids and adults alike will enjoy this sweet and spongy Easter treat which uses cut marshmallows for the bunny ears.
Thankfully, your creativity doesn’t have to be limited to a single baking appliance, since there are many Bennett Read Appliances that you can bake these cupcakes in.
Time: 15-20 min
Bennett Read Appliance Options:
- Air Fryers (if your cupcake tray is too big, then you can pour your mix into ramekins or into half-filled cupcake patties).
- Mini Ovens
- 90cm Gas and Electric Cooker
Recipe Favourites:
- Your Cup of Cake Easy Bunny Cupcakes: (this recipe uses a premade cupcake mix for convenience. You can use any store-bought cake or cupcake mix).
- Preppy Kitchen Bunny Ear Cupcakes: (baking soda is the American version of bicarbonate of soda).
Easter Cookies
Photo by Anna Bratiychuk
Elevate your table scaping with some delicately iced Easter cookies that everyone will love. Thanks to the trend of royal icing art, there’s loads of content out there to guide you in the right direction. Plus, biscuits are an affordable, easy-to-bake option if you want treats that go further (you can also add them to Easter baskets). For an easier no-icing option, you can purchase some themed cookie stamps. With these, you can cut and stamp detail directly onto the cookie dough or you can cut and stamp the detail onto pre-coloured, store-bought fondant/plastic icing and glue this (with egg wash) as a topper for the cookie.
Recipe Favourites:
Royal Icing Recipes
Time: 15 min.
What to Bake These In:
We hope these Easter food ideas have inspired you and that your long weekend is an extra special one. If you own a Bennett Read cooking or baking appliance and would like to share photos of your seasonal meals and treats with us, then feel free to tag @BennettReadZA on Facebook or Instagram.
