Four quick recipes to turn leftover Easter chocolate into tomorrow’s treats

After Easter, you may find yourself with an abundance of chocolate treats (it’s possible, just not likely). Fear not: we have a selection of recipes that transform those leftover goodies into mouthwatering delights. From decadent traybakes to irresistible cookies, these easy baking recipes offer a delicious way to make the most of your chocolate surplus.

First up, what is Easter without a Creme Egg? You might think you can’t have enough but if you’ve managed to leave any behind, try our Creme Egg brookie traybake. A fusion of brownie and cookie, crowned with iconic Creme Egg halves, this treat is not only a feast for the eyes but for the taste buds, too. Despite its impressive appearance, it’s as easy as cracking an egg.

If your Easter basket runneth over with chocolate, our leftover Easter chocolate cookies are here to save the day. Designed for even the most novice of baker, these cookies transform surplus treats into melt-in-your-mouth delights, ensuring that no chocolate bunny goes to waste.

And for those craving a no-fuss, no-waste solution, our no-waste Easter traybake is the answer. A rich, chocolatey sponge topped with a decadent layer of melted chocolate and adorned with whatever remnants you have on hand, it’s a celebration of simplicity and indulgence in equal measure.

Finally, no-knead lemon curd doughnuts are a delightful combination of fluffy doughnut and tangy lemon filling, the perfect way to elevate your Easter leftovers into something extraordinary.

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A British Easter just has to feature a creme egg! And this traybake is genius way of using up leftovers and a great bake to share with family and friends. And the best news – despite how impressive it looks, it is genuinely an easy peasy bake

Makes: 12 Brookies

Ingredients:

250g unsalted butter, melted

300g granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

300g plain flour, split into 50g and 250g

¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda

200g dark chocolate chips or a chopped up bar, split into 150g and 50g

6 Creme Eggs, halved

Equipment:

2 mixing bowls (one should be microwaveable)

Teaspoon

Spatula

20 x 30cm traybake tin, lined with parchment

Microwave

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 160C (fan).

2. In the microwaveable bowl, melt 150g of the dark chocolate in 30 second increments, being careful not to burn it. Set to one side.

3. In the other mixing bowl, combine the melted butter and sugar with the spatula followed by the eggs and vanilla. Mix until everything is combined.

4. Pour 350g of this mixture into the melted dark chocolate and mix thoroughly before folding in 50g of flour. This is your brownie base – pour this into your lined tin and spread evenly using the spatula or the back of the teaspoon. Pop this in the freezer while you make the cookie topping.

5. To make the cookie topping, add the rest of the plain flour (250g) and bicarbonate to the remainder of the butter, sugar and egg mixture. Combine with a cleaned spatula until smooth, then fold in the leftover 50g of dark chocolate chips/chunks. Take the brownie base out of the freezer and spread the cookie dough evenly on top.

6. Bake for 30-35 minutes until risen and golden on top. Allow to cool slightly before gently pressing the Creme Egg halves into the baked Brookie.

7. Once the Brookie has cooled completely in the tin, remove it and cut it into portions.

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If you’ve had enough of your Easter eggs and are looking to repurpose the chocolate we’ve got the recipe for you! This cookie recipe has been designed for specifically for newbie bakers so everyone can give it a go.

Makes: 10 cookies

Ingredients:

120g unsalted butter, softened

180g demerara sugar

1 egg

300g plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp salt

200g chopped Easter chocolate + extra for topping

Equipment:

Electric hand mixer

Mixing bowl

Baking tray, lined with parchment

Teaspoon

Cooling rack

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180C (fan).

2. Cream together the butter and sugar in the mixing bowl before the adding the egg and mixing until combined.

3. Add in the flour, bicarbonate and salt. Mix together until a dough begins to form. At this stage, add in your chopped up Easter chocolate and continue to mix until the chocolate is evenly distributed.

4. Weigh the dough into 80g balls and place on the lined baking tray (gently push some whole mini eggs into the dough balls now if you have them). If you only have one tray, bake these 4-5 at a time as they will need space to spread.

5. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the tray and bake for a further 4-5 minutes until just golden. The cookies will continue to bake for a while as they cool.

6. Let the cookies rest on the cooling rack until warm to the touch before topping with any other leftover chocolate you have to hand. The chocolate will melt from the warmth and solidify again by the time the cookies are cool enough to eat.

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Make the most of your leftover Easter goodies, pulling them together for this delicious traybake. They may have started as leftovers, but once this is ready, you’ll be left wanting more.

Makes: one 20x30cm traybake

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

175g self-raising flour

150g sugar (caster, light brown or granulated)

50g cocoa powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

150ml vegetable oil

300ml double cream

2 eggs

Leftover easter chocolate/candy, broken into pieces - you will need 300g of plain chocolate (hollow eggs etc) for the topping plus whatever else you have for decoration

Equipment:

Large mixing bowl

Whisk

20x30cm traybake tray, lined with baking paper

Saucepan

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 160C (fan).

2. In the large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and bicarbonate of soda with the whisk, ensuring that there are no lumps.

3. Add in the vegetable oil, 150ml of the double cream and eggs. Whisk everything together until you have a smooth batter.

4. Pour the batter into the lined traybake tray and spread evenly before placing in the oven to bake for 25-30 minutes. It should be springy to touch in the centre.

5. Allow the sponge to cool completely. In the meantime, prepare the topping by heating the remaining double cream in a saucepan, being careful not to boil it.

6. Place the 300g of broken up plain chocolate into the washed mixing bowl and pour the hot cream over the top. Leave to sit for a few minutes before mixing to incorporate thoroughly. Set to one side to thicken while the sponge cools.

7. Once the sponge has cooled, remove it from the tin, spread the chocolate topping evenly over the top and decorate with whatever leftover easter candy you have.

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Homemade doughnuts in 30-minutes… we are not kidding. These are totally easy peasy and super achievable wherever you are on your baking journey.

Makes: 8 doughnuts

Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

375g plain flour

150ml warm water

70ml warm milk

1 sachet fast-action yeast

20g caster sugar + extra for dusting

30ml vegetable oil + extra for shallow frying

2 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

Jar of lemon curd

Equipment:

Large mixing bowl

Deep fat fryer or large saucepan

Wooden spoon

Rolling pin or wine bottle

Round cutter or glass (8-9cm)

Teaspoon/piping bag/sandwich bag for filling

Method:

1. In the large mixing bowl, combine the warm water, warm milk, yeast, sugar and a third of the flour. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for 10 minutes - use this time to heat your oil for frying in the pan/deep fat fryer to 185C.

2. After the 10 minutes, mix the 30ml oil, baking powder and salt into the yeast mixture before adding the remaining flour and bringing it together by hand to form a sticky dough.

3. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and sprinkle some flour on top of the dough, then roll out to a thickness of 2cm.

4. Cut out the doughnuts using a glass, or a cutter then carefully transfer to the hot oil 2-3 at a time, dipping away from you as you put them in.

5. Let the doughnuts cook for 2-3 minutes on one side until golden brown then use the wooden spoon to flip them over and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.

6. Remove the doughnuts from the oil and drain them on some paper towels before rolling them in the caster sugar to generously coat the outside of the doughnuts,

7. When all of the doughnuts have been cooked, sugar-dusted and cooled slightly, use the end of the wooden spoon to poke a hole at the top of each doughnut before filling with lemon curd using a piping bag, corner of a sandwich bag or carefully teasing in with a teaspoon.

Frying tip: To check if the frying oil is hot enough, carefully put the stick end of your wooden spoon into the oil. If there are lots of little bubbles around the wood, the oil is ready for frying. If it is bubbling vigorously, and there are lots of bubbles taking over the pan, this indicates that the oil is too hot, remove the pan from the heat to cool down then try again.

Recipes from the Easy Peasy Baking campaign, launched by UK Flour Millers, making baking simple. You can find more Easy Peasy Baking recipes and information on the campaign over on the FAB Flour website