From five-minute dessert to beef chilli, use up leftover Easter eggs with these delicious recipes
FOR many, the focus of Easter weekend was all about devouring chocolate eggs. But if your home still resembles Cadbury World, you might be looking for something else to do with them.
From a five-minute no-bake dessert to sweetening up a classic beef chilli, This Morning chef Clodagh McKenna, tells Siobhan O’Connor how to make everyday meals into a sweet treat . . .
BAILEYS EASTER EGG CHEESECAKE
KIDS got too much chocolate? Why not pinch a couple of eggs – they won’t notice if they have loads! – and turn them into this yummy adult-only dessert.
YOU NEED:
- 70g digestive biscuits, finely crushed
- 60g butter, melted
- 200ml double cream
- 100g caster sugar
- 250g cream cheese
- 50ml Baileys Original Irish Cream (0.9 units)
- 2 x 72g Easter eggs, halved
- 100g mini eggs, half of them broken in half
METHOD: Mix together the digestive biscuit crumbs and melted butter, and chill for 20 minutes.
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Whip the cream using a whisk or mixer, then add in the sugar, cream cheese and Baileys and whisk together until you get a light, fluffy texture.
Remove the chilled biscuit mixture from the fridge and divide it between each Easter egg half.
Top with the cheesecake mixture and sprinkle half with the mini eggs.
Set in the fridge for an hour, then remove and enjoy.
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CHOCOLATE, ORANGE AND CARDAMOM PANCAKES
THIS makes a tasty breakfast treat and only takes minutes to make. Serves four.
YOU NEED:
For the batter
- 130g plain flour, sifted
- 2 eggs
- 180ml milk
- Zest and juice of 1 orange
- 2 tbsp melted butter
For the sauce:
- 225g good-quality dark chocolate egg, broken into pieces
- 60g caster sugar
- 10 cardamom pods, crushed and with seeds taken out (keep the seeds handy)
- 50ml cream
- Zest and juice of ½ orange
METHOD: To make the batter, put the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the centre.
Break the eggs into the well and gradually mix in the flour from the sides.
Pour in the milk, orange juice and zest a little at a time, stirring with a whisk as you do.
Add a little more milk (or water) if you want a thinner consistency. Put in a fridge to settle overnight or at least one hour.
Meanwhile, put all the sauce ingredients in a saucepan over a gentle heat and stir until the chocolate has melted. Set aside.
When the batter has rested, take it out of the fridge and give it a good whisk.
Heat a 20cm/8in non-stick frying pan and add just enough melted butter to glaze the pan. Swirl the pan to coat evenly with butter.
Pour in enough batter to cover the pan and swirl to get an even spread. Cook for one to two minutes, then flip the pancake with a spatula and cook for another minute.
Transfer to a warm plate, cover with kitchen foil and put in the oven on a low temperature to keep warm. Continue until all the batter is used.
Gently reheat the sauce. If it has thickened, whisk in one to two tbsp of water. Roll two pancakes per serving and top with sauce.
PISTACHIO AND ROSE WATER FLORENTINES
THOUGH this one is perfect for lovers of dark chocolate, it works well with milk chocolate too.
YOU NEED:
- 300g dark (or milk) chocolate egg
- 100g pistachios, finely chopped
- 1 tbsps rose water
- 10g dried rose petals
METHOD: Melt the chocolate in a bowl suspended over a pan of simmering water.
Once melted, stir in half the pistachios and the rosewater.
Take teaspoons of the melted chocolate and spread each teaspoon on to a sheet of parchment paper to form even-sized discs.
Sprinkle the remaining pistachios and the dried rose petals on top.
Gently press the pieces into the melted chocolate and place in a fridge to set for an hour.
CHOCOLATE BEEF CHILLI
WHO says chocolate is only for dessert? Try this new take on a classic. Serves six.
YOU NEED:
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 300g minced beef
- 1 white onion, diced
- 3in fresh ginger, grated
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 100g pancetta
- 100g chorizo, chopped
- 1 x 400g tin cherry tomatoes
- 300ml water
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp fresh or dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 50g dark choc egg, grated
- 400g kidney beans
METHOD: Place a casserole dish over a medium heat. Add one tbsp of vegetable oil and stir in the beef then cook until browned. Remove the browned minced beef to a plate.
Pour the other one tbsp of oil in the dish and stir in the onions, fresh ginger and garlic. Cook for two minutes, stir in the cumin, cinnamon and chilli flakes then cook for another minute. Stir in the pancetta and chorizo, and cook while stirring for three minutes.
Return the browned minced beef to the dish and stir well.
Pour in the tinned tomatoes, water, brown sugar, dried oregano, bay leaves and ketchup.
Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper then stir.
Cover and cook for 90 minutes on a low heat.
Remove the lid and stir in the chocolate and kidney beans. Leave to simmer for another 20 minutes, then serve with basmati rice.
FIVE-MINUTE CHEESECAKE
NOT much time on your hands? Fear not. All you need to do is mix the below together and pour into cupcake cases. Serves 12 (trace amount of alcohol per serving).
YOU NEED:
- 80g crushed digestive biscuits
- 30g melted butter
- 340g cream cheese
- 300ml double cream
- 150g caster sugar
- 50ml Baileys Original Irish Cream (0.9 units)
- Mini Easter eggs
METHOD: Place 12 cupcake cases in a cupcake baking tray. In a bowl, mix the crushed digestive biscuits with melted butter.
Spoon a little of the mixture in each cupcake case and press down using the back of a teaspoon.
Set aside while you make the cheesecake filling. In a bowl, add the cream cheese, double cream, caster sugar and 50ml of Baileys.
Whip the mixture until it forms medium/stiff peaks.
Spoon the filling into the cupcake cases and smooth off the surface.
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Decorate with one mini chocolate egg on each cheesecake.
You can eat these right away or, if you can wait, chill them in the fridge for 20 minutes.