Easter

A cross between a sponge and a cheesecake, this makes a wonderful spring dessert.

A simple but classic English dessert, ‘foole’ is first noted in 1598, with the earliest recipes being fruitless and based on cream and eggs. In the 16th and 17th centuries, it was thought that fruit was unhealthy but could be made safe by boiling it to a pulp. The resulting fruit purée could then be chilled and folded through a ‘foole’ to make a light dessert. Many modern recipes skip the traditional custard and simply use whipped cream, but the custard definitely gives the fool more body and works especially well with rhubarb

Created by rolling the sponges rather than layering, the vertical stripes add a striking touch to this cake

Tangy Wensleydale cheese and nuggets of sweet apricot add a lovely flavour hit to this Easter-friendly lamb roast. Serve with crunchy roast potatoes and sautéed spring greens

These fluffy lemon cupcakes have an oozy, tangy curd centre, which balances their sweetness

Bring some Easter cheer to the breakfast table with these cute bunny buns

All the flavours of a chippy tea in a comforting pie that’s perfect for supper on Good Friday. Using marrowfat peas keeps that chip shop feel and also adds a welcome pop of colour to the topping

Crispy fast-roast potatoes and silky slow-roast salmon make for a divine combination of textures and, unlike most roasts, this zesty spring sensation is on the table in under an hour

The perfect pud to round off your Easter lunch in style; hollow chocolate eggs are filled with a deliciously creamy cheesecake mix, made with a touch of soured cream to balance the sweetness