A large pot of escarole and chickpea soup.

Hello Friends,

Last weekend, finding myself with a surplus of currants, I decided to make a batch of hot cross buns. Over the years, many people have asked if they could add dried fruit to the hot cross bun dough, and I've always said yes — why not? — but I'd never actually tried with this particular recipe because I know my children would turn their noses.

To be safe, I made two batches — one with currants and one without — which confirmed both suspicions: adding dried fruit worked beautifully and the resulting product was met with a hard pass from the children.

I don't blame them. I didn't like breads or baked goods with raisins as a kid, and I still don't. But currants I love. For me, it's a textural thing: currants disappear into dough lending a subtle sweetness rather than punctuating it with pops of squishiness.

Incidentally, normally I assemble these hot cross buns one day in advance and stick them in the fridge overnight, but with this latest batch, I had to leave them in for two days, and it worked just fine. As long as the pan is well wrapped to ensure the dough doesn't dry out, this dough holds up well. Know, too, if you'd like to make the buns start-to-finish in one day, that works, too.

Spiced Hot Cross Buns

Foolproof Easy-Peel Eggs

The secret to easy-peel, hard-boiled eggs? Steam 'em. If you're dyeing eggs for Easter or making deviled eggs, you'll want to try this method.

Classic Deviled Eggs

Easter Menu 2024

In this post, I've rounded up all of my favorite Easter recipes, from baked ham and mustard sauce to rack of lamb with tzatziki to scalloped potatoes and punch to buttermilk pull-apart rolls and hot cross buns to easy-to-peel hard-boiled eggs and more.

Find all of them here as well as a few highlights below:

Favorite Easter Recipes

Baked Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze

If you’ve ever toiled over a roast turkey — from the brining to the basting to the carving — a baked ham feels like a complete dream.

Baked Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze

Mustard Sauce

In my family, this mustard sauce, my grandmother's recipe, is as essential as the ham on the holiday table. It takes no time to whisk together, and it is so nice to have on hand for leftover ham sandwiches.

Split Pea and Ham Soup

A perfect use for your leftover ham bone.

Overnight, Refrigerator Focaccia

Though I am partial to rolls on the holiday table, it’s hard to beat this overnight, refrigerator focaccia in terms of effort-to-reward ratio. It’s truly so easy and so delicious.

One-Bowl Orange-Ricotta Pound Cake

I've included a number of desserts in my Easter post, and of all of them this is likely the easiest: orange-ricotta pound cake. What's nice about this one is that it can be made ahead — it keeps well for days — but it also can double as a tea cake or breakfast cake or really an anytime cake.