Five best Easter recipes, from hot cross buns and roast lamb to an unbeatable queen of puddings

Easter is a wonderful time of year for gathering the family together.

And this year perhaps more than ever — or at least more so than for many decades — we'll be getting back together with loved ones we may not have seen for a long, long time. What better excuse to bring out a really special recipe?

How to make perfect hot cross buns

Tom Aikens, founder of Tom's Kitchen, shared his recipe with Country Life.

Recipe: Hot cross bun bread-and-butter pudding

In the unlikely event that you have any hot cross buns left over, here's what to do with them.

How to make the perfect leg of lamb

No list of best easter recipes could miss out roast lamb, and this method really makes the most of a decent joint. 'For chefs, this is the most exciting time of year,' wrote Tom Aikens when he originally shared this recipe with us. 'The arrival of all the delicious young vegetables and salads means we can get down to seriously good eating and great spring food.' It makes for an amazing roast.

How to make the ultimate shepherd’s pie 

This is an ideal way to use up any uneaten lamb, but frankly the recipe is so good it could be your Easter Sunday showstopper. Using shoulder of lamb, slow-braised on the bone, will give ‘serious depth and heft’, according to the chefs at Fortnum & Mason’s. Picking the leftover meat from the bone while still warm will make it easier, incidentally.

How to make Queen of Puddings

Top chef and food writer Simon Hopkinson shared this recipe with us back in 2017 — and even suggested a hack to make it a little easier to prepare. 'Don’t feel shy of buying the brioche — a supermarket loaf is just fine, here,' he said. 'But please don’t omit the final dredge of caster sugar on the meringue before putting it into the oven as this, truly, will make all the difference to the finished crust.'