Photo: Lucy Corry / RNZ
Got a long wet weekend stretching out before you? There's no better time to get your bake on than Easter. Sure, you can buy hot cross buns everywhere (and they've been available for months already, in all sorts of curious flavour combinations), but nothing beats the smug factor of making your own.
Here's our pick of RNZ's Easter baking recipes, whether you're a hot cross bun traditionalist or just looking for a way to use up any leftover chocolate eggs.
Ima Cuisine's Hot Cross Buns. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
Yael Shochat's hot cross buns, studded with fruit and bearing decadent custard crosses, are the sort of buns that people queue to buy. Save yourself the waiting time and try having a go at her recipe.
How to make Ima Cuisine's Hot Cross Buns
Fans of the sweet and salty will also be charmed by Sam Parish's Miso Hot Cross Buns (the clue to the secret ingredient is in the name). These buns are vegetarian and vegan-friendly.
Sam Parish's Miso Hot Cross Buns Photo: supplied
Sam Parish's Miso Hot Cross Buns
Want something more traditional? Auckland bakery Little & Friday's Hot Cross Buns will do the trick (though be warned, they do contain the controversial addition of mixed peel).
Little & Friday's Hot Cross Buns Photo: Little and Friday
Little & Friday's Hot Cross Buns
Naomi Toilalo shows how to whip up a chocolate-studded bread for Easter - maybe something to try when you've had enough spice? This recipe also contains instructions to make whipped butter (which would instantly improve any shop-bought buns).
Chocolate-studded Easter bread Photo: Naomi Toilalo
Naomi Toilalo's Chocolate Easter Bread
If you love the flavours of homemade hot cross buns but fret at the thought of all that shaping, kneading and crossing, Auckland food writer, stylist and photographer Fiona Hugues has the answer. Her Hot Uncrossed Focaccia is as forgiving as a yeast-risen recipe gets.
Fiona Hugues' Hot Uncrossed Focaccia Photo: Fiona Hugues
Fiona Hugues' Hot Uncrossed Focaccia
Once you've had your fill of buns and bread, what about a cake that uses up every last bit of an orange and includes an optional splash of whisky?
Photo: Supplied
Sarah Burtscher's Easter Spiced Whole Orange Cake
For something a little fancier, Melissa Hemsley has shared a recipe for elegant chocolate pots that take just minutes to make (the only hard part is waiting for an hour for them to set).
Melissa Hemsley's Little Chocolate Pots
Melissa Hemsley's Little Chocolate Pots] Photo: Issy Croker
'Leftover' Easter eggs may be as mythical as the bunny who delivers them, but if you happen to have any spare mini caramel ones you could put them in Naomi Toilalo's Easter Cookies, which also contain brown butter and tamari almonds for a sweet and salty treat.
Naomi Toilalo's Easter Cookies. Photo: Naomi Toilalo
Naomi Toilalo's Easter Cookies
Mini eggs also pop up in VJ Cooks' No-Bake Chocolate Easter Egg Slice (you could probably make up the shortfall with other chocolate treats if all the eggy ones have been eaten).
VJ Cooks' No-Bake Chocolate Easter Egg Slice Photo: VJ Cooks
VJ Cooks' No-Bake Chocolate Easter Egg Slice
If you're the kind of over-achiever who can knock out a batch of hot cross buns without breaking a sweat, you might want to turn your hand to homemade marshmallows.
Bets Gee has a bunch of variations to try once you've tried the standard vanilla bean version, including the Pineapple Lump marshmallows pictured here.
Pineapple Lump Marshmallows Photo: Lottie Hedley
For more recipes, check out RNZ's Recipe Collection.
