At Easter, I am always in the mood for comfort baking. Madeira cake and custard, warm chocolate chip cookies, double chocolate sheet cake, oozing melted chocolate sandwiches. I make it festive with Easter spices, candied and sugared fruits, crushed up day-old hot cross buns and, of course, a little California twist.
Easter sits at a time in spring when we are still waiting for strawberries to come, forced rhubarb is on the way out, outdoor rhubarb just coming in. But we have oranges, other candied citrus fruits and spices to use up. We give them a different treatment than in winter and pair them with fresh cheeses, such as ricotta, and maybe leave out the stronger cloves and darker sugars. A little orange brightens up cookies, cakes and custard making them fresh for spring.
