When it comes to celebrations, can be far behind? (And no, we're not talking just chocolate eggs). Whether you are looking for a special dessert to or something simpler for your family, try one of these, a selection of our best Easter dessert recipes.
Paola Baccia says this , typically made for Easter, is best eaten when the ricotta has completely cooled, allowing you to really savour the aniseed liqueur in the pastry and the orange zest in the ricotta, chocolate and almond filling.
Credit: Paola Bacchia
This golden Mexican pudding is popular during Lent and often served on Good Friday. While there are many variations, this version consists of chunks of bread soaked in a sweet sherry mixture, and topped with queso Oaxaca, a stringy Mexican cheese that is similar to mozzarella. The combination of sweet and slightly savoury is delicious.
Credit: Chris Chen
These sweet pastry pockets, filled with a blend of honey, nuts, dates, seeds and spices, are a popular treat at Easter time on the Greek island of Crete.
Greek patouda, pastries filled with honey, nuts, dates, seeds and spices. Credit: Alan Benson
This recipe is traditionally made during Lent because it contains no animal products. As these little Greek cakes contain no butter or eggs, they tend to be on the crumbly side, but they’re delicious nonetheless, especially when drizzled with the orange blossom glaze.
"Pastiera is the thing to have on your table for Easter Sunday lunch, which means that housewives all over Naples begin making this on the Thursday or at least the Friday before Easter – and this is for those using pre-cooked wheat berries that you can buy in a jar in Italian supermarkets. For those cooking their own raw grains, you need to begin cooking those at least three days earlier. The grains are soaked in water, which is changed often, and then boiled in milk until tender," Emiko Davies explains of this traditional cheesecake-like Italian Easter dessert, said to have been .
A rich, sweet Easter Sunday dessert. Credit: Emiko Davies
Inspired by the Italian pastiera, Julia Busuttil Nishimura's ricotta tart is studded with Italian candied citrus and dark chocolate.
Credit: Armelle Habib
Torrijas de leche is a decadent Spanish Easter treat that Rubén López Mesa describes as halfway between French toast and a doughnut. Slices of day-old baguette are soaked in a cinnamon and citrus infused sweet milk, dipped in egg and fried until golden, then tossed in cinnamon sugar.
Credit: Jiwon Kim
Yeasted breads of endless variety appear at Easter, many in symbolic shapes. This ring-shaped Aregntinian bread, made during Semana Santa (Holy Week - the seven days leading up to Easter), symbolises eternal life.
A recipe from Australia's Kirsten Tibballs, these stunning dappled eggs make an impressive addition to an table spread, as well as thoughtful gifts. (Or if you'd like to make plain chocolate eggs, try her .)
Chocolate granite egg Credit: The Chocolate Queen
With a sweet walnut filling encased in an easy sweet pastry, and soaked in a sweet syrup after cooking, daktyla are often made to eat during Lent, as they are dairy-free.
Credit: Sean Fennessey
Many countries have their own version of this egg-rich, cake-like bread. This simple, slightly sweet, citrus-scented Ukrainian Easter one is typically baked in tall and cylindrical moulds just like Russian and Italian . Here it appears as individual breads, which make great presents or can be served as part of a dessert table.
Babka.
Hot cross buns are an Easter baking favourite in many households, and while they might be more commonly served for breakfast or morning tea, some versions would make a declicious dessert - including these choc-orange buns from Canadian cook Mary Berg.
"Hot cross buns have been a staple in our house for as long as I can remember. This recipe puts a cocoa spin on the dough and instead of the fruit in the classic hot cross bun, these buns have choc chips," she explains. Use milk, dark, white or a mixture.
You could also try Anneka Manning's or stick with a fruit and spice classic, such as or chef Philip Khoury's recipe, which uses a tangzhong technique that he says ensures the buns will be fluffier and stay moist for as long as possible (or if you need a gluten-free recipe, we ).
Chocolate orange hot cross buns. Credit: Mary Makes It Easy / Geoff George
Hailing from Friuli-Venezia Giulia, this rich spiral cake often served at Easter has a rich back story, too. "Presnitz is said to have been a variation on a putizza and was first made in honour of the visit of Sissi (beloved Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary) to Trieste in 1856. Buttery puff pastry surrounds a filling of boozy sultanas, ground nuts, chocolate, honey and orange zest," explains Paola Bacchia.
"The filling tastes very good on its own and I have been known to eat a good many spoonfuls while preparing it (just to check the flavours are balanced, obviously). My spiral is a bit more tightly wound up than you usually find in Trieste, which is just the way I like it."
Credit: Paola Bacchia
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Made with almond paste, sponge cake and a ricotta filling, cassata is another popular Easter dessert from Italy.
Cassata is traditionally served at Easter, but we won't tell if you eat it any time of year. Credit: Feast
Looking for something to do with leftover Easter eggs? Use Kirsten Tibballs' recipe to make these little treats.
Chocolate coconuts Credit: The Chocolate Queen
