It’s Nearly Easter: Let’s Get Cracking!
At Creamline, we love Easter time. No, not just because it gives us an excuse to gorge on massive quantities of chocolate (though we do like that too!) We enjoy the way it brings together families. One of the best things about Easter is getting together for a big family meal.
In this week’s blog post, we’re going to share some of our favourite Easter recipes and some fun Easter facts.
Easter: Why the Chocolate Egg?
You may be one of the many that are curious as to how big chocolate eggs have come to symbolise this Christian festival. Well, this comes from a series of connections:
Originally, during the period of Easter (which can fall on any date between 21st March and 25th April) the church disallowed Christians from eating eggs during Holy Week leading up to the Easter period. This was because eggs were used as a symbol for the resurrection of Jesus.
Not wanting to waste all the eggs that chickens and other farm birds laid during this period, they would be collected together and decorated. Once Easter arrived, these decorated eggs would be given to children as gifts.
Okay but Why Chocolate!?
The reason Easter eggs are now made of chocolate doesn’t have as much of a story behind it: chocolate tastes good and it makes a good gift! Chocolate Easter eggs have been given in European nations since the 19th Century but the first ones were bitter and excessively hard.
With the advancements of chocolate making and moulding, came the birth of the chocolate Easter egg we know and love today.
That Explains the Eggs but What’s with the Bunnies?
The Easter bunny may seem to have a strange link to Easter celebrations too. Easter bunnies are another symbol that date back to the 19th Century. Rabbits are notorious for having a lot of young – known as kittens. It is from this link that rabbits came to represent new life, springtime and the rebirth of Jesus.
Easter Recipes
We’ve got a couple of Easter treats for you and your family:
· Fruity Eccles Cakes – these traditional Eccles cakes use a lot of dried fruit and other Easter time ingredients. They’re great to share around at family gatherings or just to enjoy over a cup of tea.
· Smoked Salmon Scones – if you’re finding yourself overloaded with sugar this Easter then try this recipe for something slightly more savoury. These luxurious scones might have a complex taste to them but they’re simple and quick to make.
