FOR GIFTING, YOUR WISH LIST OR JUST TO SPOIL YOURSELF WITH

GUILT FREE EASTER TREATS

Whilst we are not suggesting you give up chocolate this Easter we wouldn’t be upset I am sure if the Easter Bunny gave us some beauty treats!

THE ALTERNATIVE EASTER EGGS

L’Occitane reinterprets the Easter Egg unveiling beautifully designed metal eggs boasting a selection of must have minis from the Almon and Cherry Blossom collection inside.

The Almond Easter Egg contains shower oil, Almond Delicious Hand Cream & Almond Delicious Soap whilst Cherry Blossom contains Cherry Blossom Body Lotion, Hand Cream and Shower Gel.

Or

Why not decorate your Easter Table with beauty gifts with their collection of four mini beauty eggs each containing two hand creams each.

All available on line or from the L’Occitane Boutique in the Victoria Quarter.

BATH BOMBS AND BUBBLES

Those lovely people at Lush have come up with 12 new  products hatched for Easter.

In the bath bomb range we love the Flamingo Egg, Follow The White Rabbit, The Disco Duck and the limited edition Golden Egg whilst for bubbles there’s The Easter Bunny Bubble Bar and the Flying Carrot Soap or you can wake up to the smell of carrots with What’s Up Doc Shower Gel and there’s three newly designed gift sets.

MOUTH WATERING EDIBLE EASTER TREATS

It’s well over 100 years ago since the young Swiss orphan, who self style himself as the Swiss Chocolatier and changed his name to Frederick Belmont opened his first cafe and shop in Harrogate.

Since then Betty’s has become synonymous with great chocolate and Easter treats.  I well remember my mother taking me, as a tiny child, into the old Leeds Betty’s Cafe regularly and particularly at Easter time to purchase an Easter Egg for me. The whole place was a chocolate Heaven of decorated eggs.

But Easter treats are not all about eggs. The Simnel cake is associated with Easter today, but was originally made for Mothering Sunday, the fourth Sunday in Lent. Originally Mothering Sunday was the day when the congregations of the daughter churches of a parish went to the mother church, usually an abbey, to give their offerings.

In the 17th century, Mothering Sunday became the day when girls and boys in service were allowed a day off to go and visit their mothers. This was their one and only holiday. The girls would bake their mothers a Simnel cake as a gift.

Simnel cakes have been baked since the middle ages and it is believed that the word Simnel comes from the Latin ‘Simila,’ which meant very fine flour made from wheat. Simnel cakes were difficult to make, but if made properly they would keep for a few weeks. Thus the baking of a Simnel cake for Mothering Sunday was not only a gift from a girl to her mother, but also a test of the girl’s cooking skills. The cake would not be eaten until Easter Sunday, and the whole family would be anxious to see if the cake was still moist.

With the demise of service after the First World War, the Simnel cake began to be treated as an Easter cake in its own right. The cake is decorated with eleven marzipan balls, representing Jesus’ disciples minus Judas the traitor. Originally it was also decorated with fresh flowers, but sugar flowers are often used today.

If you want a flowery cake then the hand crafted spring flower cake is for you with its light almond sponge and buttercream and jam filling. Mmmm! Delicious.

PS. It’s not too late to sample Betty’s Large Round Hot X-Bun. Toasted with butter its the ‘food of the gods’

All the Betty’s Eggs and Treats shown above are available from: www.bettys.co.uk or shops in Harrogate, Northallerton, Ilkley and York

AND FINALLY SAY..

CHEERS MY DEARS FOR A VERY HAPPY EASTER

Bottled cocktail company World of Zing, founded by renowned cocktail expert Pritesh Mody, has transformed seasonal food staples into high quality bottled cocktails in time for Easter 2022, introducing two new cocktails With innovation at the forefront of the brand, flavours from foods typically enjoyed over the Easter holiday have been infused into liqueurs and spirits to create a unique seasonal range

Hot Cross Bun-Hattan A hand-crafted blend of Mount Gay Eclipse Rum, Rosso Vermouth, and Zing Hot Cross Bun Liqueur. The liqueur is created using the fruits and spices that go into a classic hot cross bun: sultanas, apples, citrus peels and various spices, including cinnamon and nutmeg.

Chocolate Orange Negroni A twist on the classic Gin cocktail and Easter-spin on the traditional aperitivo drinks such as Aperol Spritz and Campari. It is a hand-crafted blend of Tanqueray Sevilla Gin, Campari, Rosso Vermouth, and Mozart Dark Chocolate.

The 500ml bottled cocktails are available from https://www.worldofzing.com/collections/easter-cocktails-gift