A Long Weekend with the Langbeins
It's all about the buns. Sharing Easter baking projects to keep you entertained, and some easy, delicious ideas for a festive long lunch.
We both love Easter. It’s our second-favourite food holiday (after Christmas) and always feels like a special time of year as we come into a new season with a long weekend, and get the opportunity to bring everyone together. This year, we are very excited to be spending Easter together as a family in our new home in France (more on this to come!).
It’s forecast to be a wet weekend for us (as it is in Wānaka and Auckland), so it’s a perfect opportunity to dive into an Easter baking project!
Aside from being more affordable, learning to make your own Easter buns is so satisfying. The best bit — the heavenly aroma wafting through the kitchen, announcing the arrival of freshly baked deliciousness.
We’ve been making our Sticky Buns for years now, introduced by a Swedish au pair when Sean and Rose were little, they have been a family favourite ever since. They are so easy to make and such a fun project with kids — a great opportunity to learn about the magic of baking, as you watch a handful of ingredients transform into sweet, tender buns. This glorious dough freezes well, so we sometimes make a double batch and freeze half to use later. It's also brilliant made into Hot Cross Buns.
Inspired by Swedish kanelbullar, these heavenly Cardamom Buns are another fun project. They look fantastic (and taste even better). You can watch this video to learn how to shape them — it looks complicated, but you’ll soon get the hang of it!
Last year, we developed a knockout recipe for Spiced Easter Babka — a delicious brioche bread that we first discovered in New York and have loved ever since. This dangerously sweet braid of spiced chocolate and sultanas is unbelievably delicious and takes Easter baking to the next level. If you’re yet to discover it, now is your chance!
Annabel also loves making a Festive Gubana, an Easter tradition from Italy that lies somewhere between a Christmas cake and sticky buns — a match made in heaven.
If you want to skip ahead to Anzac weekend, these Sesame Anzac Cookies are laced with nutty tahini, which adds an unexpectedly yummy flavour profile to the beloved classic.
An Easter Menu
If you’re planning on entertaining this weekend, here are some ideas —
Annabel’s famous Crispy Pork Belly goes so well with a Roasted Pepper Pesto and some Crunchy Potatoes with Thyme. Add an Everyday Green Salad to the mix, and you are good to go.
The sweetness of lamb pairs well with autumn produce, and you can’t go wrong with this Rolled Lamb Shoulder which pairs well with Domino Potatoes, and a Roasted Beetroot & Rocket Salad and/or a Pear, Walnut, and Haloumi Salad — you can add cup of cooked freekeh, pearl barley, or Puy lentils to either of these salads to bulk them out a bit if you’re feeding a crowd.
For those celebrating with warmer weather, we suggest making a side of Celebration Salmon, which is one of our favourite things to make for special occasions and long lunches. The best bit — you’ll have a beautiful meal on the table in 20 minutes (perfect for those who are feeling a little caught off guard this year). We recommend serving this with a big green salad and a fresh Herbed Potato & Egg Salad, both of which can be assembled in advance.
Don’t forget to put on Music to Cook With to keep you company and set the tone for the festivities.
Ok! That should be more than enough to keep you all entertained over the weekend. Regardless of the weather, we hope you all get to spend some quality time, offline, eating well, and enjoying the company of your nearest and dearest.
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Sending all our love,
Annabel & Rose xxx
I’m living in the Bordeaux region for 4 months which I love but was sad to discover no boulangeries make hot cross buns. Our first Easter without them, I should have just baked my own I know 😉