Easter makes

Egg People

A fun activity for children at Easter is to decorate hard-boiled eggs. Make hats from egg cartons, empty toilet rolls and odds and ends like feathers, cotton wool, lace and ribbon. You can make plaits from wool and draw on the eggs with black and red felt pens.

From Annabel Karmel's Complete Party Planner published by Ebury Press (£12.99)

Glossy dark and white chocolate brownies

Two chocolates are combined to make these very special brownies. It's a great way to use up leftover chocolate Easter eggs.

150g (5 oz) dark chocolate, chopped
75g (3 oz) unsalted butter
1 tsp pure vanilla essence
100g (4 oz) caster sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
90g (3 1/2 oz) plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
150g (5 oz) white chocolate cut into chunks

Chocolate Satin Glaze
75g (3 oz) dark chocolate, chopped
15g (1/2 oz) unsalted butter
50g (2 oz) white chocolate

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and line and grease a 20cm (8 in) square baking pan. Melt the dark chocolate and butter in a microwave for 2 minutes on High (or in a saucepan over a gentle heat, stirring constantly). Stir in the vanilla and sugar, then add the eggs and yolk, one at a time, stirring after each addition. Sift together the flour and salt and mix this into the chocolate mixture with the white chocolate. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.

To prepare the chocolate glaze, melt the dark chocolate and butter together in a small heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water and spread over the cake. Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water and with a teaspoon trail five lines horizontally across the cake about 1 cm (1/2 in) apart. Alternatively, pipe lines of white chocolate. Then, with a blunt knife draw vertical lines through the chocolate topping to create a pattern.

Recipe from Annabel Karmel's Family Meal Planner published by Ebury Press, (£12.99)