KITCHEN TABLE

CHOCOLATE, ANYONE?

Super cute, easy treats for every season in Chocolate Overload! by Jessie Bakes Cakes (Penguin Random House, $27.99). Start with Easter and chocolate your way through the year!

HOT CROSS MUG CAKE

Image credit: Chocolate Overload! by Jessie Bakes Cakes.

3 tbsp self-raising flour

1 tbsp light brown sugar

½ tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra for dusting

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp sunflower oil

2 tbsp milk

10g raisins

5 chocolate orange eggs (Terry’s Chocolate Orange Mini Eggs)

Stir the flour, brown sugar and ground cinnamon together in a medium-sized microwaveable mug.

Mix in the vanilla extract, sunflower oil and milk until smooth. Stir in the raisins and chocolate orange eggs.

Microwave on full power for approximately 90 seconds (the cooking time may differ by 10-20 seconds, depending on how powerful your microwave is). The mug cake is ready when it has risen and started to pull away from the sides.

To decorate, cut two strips of kitchen paper and lay them on top of the mug cake in a cross. Dust with ground cinnamon, then carefully lift off the strips to reveal the cross. Grab a spoon and get stuck in!

BUNNY HUG BISCUITS

Image credit: Chocolate Overload! by Jessie Bakes Cakes.

100g unsalted butter, room temperature

50g caster sugar

200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

Zest of 1 lemon

15 mini chocolate eggs (Cadbury Mini Eggs)

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan and line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy.

Add the flour and lemon zest and with your hands work the mixture into a dough. If it’s a little dry, add a drop of water. Wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Lightly dust a work surface and rolling pin with flour, then roll the dough out to 12cm thickness. Use a gingerbread man cutter to stamp out shapes (you will need to gather the scraps and reroll them to make all 15 biscuits).

Place the shapes upside down on the baking sheet, so what would have been the legs of each man become the bunny ears. Pinch the top of the ears so they’re less rounded and more pointed. Press a mini chocolate egg in the middle of each bunny and carefully shape the arms around them. With a toothpick, make deep holes for the eyes and noses.

Chill in the fridge for another 30 minutes to firm up the dough (this will help the bunnies keep their shape when baking).

Bake for 10 minutes until golden around the edges. Leave to cool, pop the kettle on and enjoy with a cup of tea.

CHOCOLATE EGGS-PRESSO MARTINIS

Image credit: Chocolate Overload! by Jessie Bakes Cakes.

6 small foil-wrapped hollow chocolate eggs

50ml vodka

50ml coffee liqueur

50ml cold espresso coffee

2 tbsp chocolate sauce.

Handful of ice cubes

Run a sharp knife under hot water for 20 seconds, then dry with kitchen paper.

Unwrap the chocolate eggs and carefully cut off the top of each. Stand upright in egg cups or shot glasses on a serving plate or board.

Add the vodka, coffee liqueur, espresso coffee, chocolate sauce and ice cubes to a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds.

Strain into a jug (this will make the pouring easier) and then pour the martini into the chocolate eggs, filling each one to the top.

Serve and sip!

EGG HUNT COOKIE BARS

Image credit: Chocolate Overload! by Jessie Bakes Cakes.

150g unsalted butter

100g caster sugar

150g light brown sugar

1 medium egg, room temperature

1 medium egg yolk, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

275g self-raising flour

½ tsp salt

300g mini chocolate eggs (a mix of Cadbury Mini Eggs, Galaxy Golden Eggs, Milkybar Mini Eggs and Smarties Mini Eggs)

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan. Then line a 20cm square baking tin with greaseproof paper.

Place the butter in a large heatproof bowl and melt in the microwave for 30-60 seconds until it turns to liquid.

Mix in the two sugars, the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract until combined. Fold in the flour and salt to make a thick cookie dough.

Fold 250g of the mini chocolate eggs into the dough, then press out into the baking tin. Use a rolling pin to bash the remaining eggs into pieces and scatter them over the top.

Bake for 18-20 minutes. The cookie bars should look golden and set on top, with a slight wobble underneath.

Leave to cool in the baking tin for 30 minutes, then slice into 12 bars and serve!

Cookie bars will continue to cook as they cool down, so it’s best to underbake them.

If in doubt, take them out!

Chocolate Overload! by Jessie Bakes Cakes is published by Penguin Random House, $27.99.