Eggs in heaven

Tired of hot cross buns? You need an Easter twist on an old favourite – and a way to use up all those leftovers

LAST year we dressed one of our long-suffering members of staff as the Easter bunny to entertain the children on Easter Sunday. We had a mixed response from our guests. Anyone under two and a half was terrified, my daughter among them. However, those aged three and over seemed to realise that the strange character with big, long ears and a fluffy tail was not that scary after all. And, what's more, he was carrying a promising-looking bag. What could be in there?

Oh, chocolate! Promptly there was a frenzy of little arms and legs chasing poor Iain round the garden.

The bunny has also come in very handy since we started 'Story-Telling Sundays', when Iain keeps the children amused with dramatic tales while their parents enjoy Sunday lunch. It works wonders for family harmony.

All the simple recipes today are for Easter. They are relatively straightforward and child-friendly, and the cheesy leek-and-kale pie will ensure that, however much sugar your children consume before the day is out, they will still have had their greens.

• Jacqueline O'Donnell is head chef at The Sisters (www.thesisters.co.uk), 34 Kelvingrove Street (0141 564 1157); and 1 Ashwood Gardens, Glasgow (0141 434 1179)

BAKED EGGS

Serves four to six

This is a great way of using up all the hard-boiled eggs you have accumulated following the painting etc. It is quite an old-fashioned dish but very tasty with the addition of some rich, smoky bacon.

200g breadcrumbs (homemade are best so leave any old bread out in a tray to dry overnight or sit in a cool oven for a few hours. If you are using the oven method, buttering the bread first makes this extra tasty. Then blend in a food processor until they form crumbs); 8 hard-boiled eggs, shelled and sliced; 175ml single cream; 175ml milk; 2 tsp butter; 4 slices of cooked crispy bacon, chopped

Preheat the oven to 200¼C/gas 6. Sprinkle the bottom of an oven dish with half the breadcrumbs. Arrange half the egg slices over this then scatter the bacon on top. Dot with a wee bit of butter and season with salt and pepper.

Continue layering until you have used up all your eggs. Finish with more breadcrumbs, then pour the milk-and-cream mixture over the top until it comes halfway up the side of the dish. Bake for 15 minutes and serve immediately.

HOT CROSS MUFFINS

This popular American recipe is easier to make than traditional hot cross buns and gives you either plenty of mini muffins or 16 standard-sized ones.

100g self-raising flour; 100g plain flour; 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 1 tsp mixed spice; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 100g brown sugar; 50g mixed sultanas and currants; 2 tbsp mixed peel; 100ml milk; 2 free range eggs, beaten; 50ml sunflower oil

For the flour paste: mix 50g plain flour with 2 tsp of sugar water to make a smooth paste.

Preheat the oven to 190¼C/gas 5. Grease a muffin tray. Sieve the flours together into a mixing bowl and add all the dry ingredients, stirring together – this bit is great for the kids as they can use their hands and get nice and messy.

Meanwhile, in a jug mix together all the wet ingredients – eggs, oil and milk. This again is perfect for small helpers, although supervision is required.

Add both lots of ingredients together and fold them in, so that there are no lumps (besides the currants). Spoon into the greased muffin tins. Bake for ten minutes, then remove and pipe a wee cross over the top with the flour paste, and put back in for ten to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire tray. The muffins are best eaten while still warm – not too many, though!

CHEESY LEEK-AND-KALE PIE

Serves four

This is a tasty dish into which you can sneak lots of spring greens without the little ones noticing.

1 pack of shortcrust pastry; 1 tsp butter; 3 leeks, washed and sliced; 1 medium-sized kale, washed and sliced – and remember to remove the stalks; 125g your favourite grated cheese, though cheddar or Gruyère are best; 50ml milk or cream

Preheat the oven to 180¼C/gas 4. Line a pie dish with the pastry rolled out thinly (about 3mm to 4mm thick). Cut a top out of the pastry too – but make sure it is 2cm to 3cm wider in diameter than the actual dish.

Melt the butter in a large, non-stick pot and slightly soften the leeks and kale together. Season to taste.

Mix the grated cheese and milk or cream and add to the pot. Leave to cool for ten minutes, then pour over pastry, cover with pie top and seal the edges. Bake in a medium oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden-brown. Serve piping hot.