Bunnies & Chicks Recipe

Warning these contain nuts and must not be given to people with a nut allergy.

You will need:

• 250g(9oz) packet of marzipan
• Yellow food colouring
• Red food colouring

What you do to make the chicks:

1. Cut the marzipan in half and put one half to one side in a plastic bag. Put 12 drops of food colouring in a bowl and add one half of the marzipan.
2. Mix the colouring in with the marzipan with your hands until it is completely yellow. If the marzipan begins to stick to your hands rub a tiny dab of butter on them and continue. Cut this yellow marzipan in half.
3. Put one half to one side.
4. Place the other half into a bowl and add a drop of red colouring. Mix well until the marzipan is bright orange. If it is too pale add another drop of red colouring.
5. Take the half of yellow marzipan that you put to one side and cut into five pieces. Roll four of these into balls. Squeeze each ball at one end to make the tail shape.
6. With the remaining piece of yellow marzipan make eight tiny yellow wings and press these onto each side of the chicks. Make the eye holes with a cocktail stick.
7. Take the orange marzipan and make each chick a pointed beak.
8. To make the feet bases make some small orange balls, flatten them, cut to the centre and then open them out. Place a chick onto each base.
9. Either serve on a plate or store in an airtight container until ready to be eaten. Eat the chicks within three weeks.

What you do to make the bunnies:

1. Take the plain marzipan from the plastic bag. Put one drop of red food colouring into a bowl and add the marzipan. Mix with your hands until it is completely pink. Add a further drop if it is not pink enough. Cut the marzipan in half and put one half back in the plastic bag.
2. Cut the remaining piece into half again. With one half make three balls which will be the rabbits' bodies.
3. Cut the other piece into half.
4. Roll three smaller balls from one half to make the heads. From the other half make six ears, three noses and three tails. Nip each ear to make a fold.
5. Press the ears and nose onto each head. Then put a head onto each body. Press a tail onto each body and finally make two eye holes with a cocktail stick.
6. Either serve on a plate or store in an airtight container until ready to be eaten. Eat the bunnies within three weeks.

What you do to make the Easter basket:

1. Take the remaining orange marzipan and cut it into 4 pieces. Make a circle for the base of your basket and three sausage shapes for the sides of the basket. Wrap them round one on top of the other for the basket sides. Put some marks round the side for decoration.
2. Add a drop of red food colouring in a bowl and put in the remaining pink marzipan. Mix lightly to achieve a marbling effect. Make some egg shapes and a roll out a sausage shape for the handle for the basket.
3. Put the eggs into the basket. Attach the handle to the basket. If you have problems getting the handle to stick dampen the ends of the handle with water.
4. Either serve on a plate or store in an airtight container until ready to be eaten. Eat within three weeks.