Pack your Easter treats to a pastry gift basket

All face the problem of what a great gift to present for Easter to you loved ones.We like gifts that give delight and surprise. Handmade gifts are the most appreciated. I suggest to bake a gift basket, in which you could pack a variety of Easter treats.

At first, you have to make a dough:

To prepare an yeast dough you will need:
1. 1lb/450 g white flour
2. 2 tsp instant (7 g) yeast
3. 3 oz (75 g) sugar
4. 7 fl oz (200 ml) warmed milk
5. 1 oz (25 g) melted butter

In a bowl mix together the flour, yeast and sugar.
Add the milk and melted butter. Mix to a soft dough. Knead on a floured board for 10 minutes. Leave to prove until double in size.
Divide the dough into 26 pieces.

1. From each piece roll a long stripe.
2. 6 stripes set aside, from others braid a rug, as shown in the picture.
3. Grease a heat-resistant dish with butter and lay the rug on the top.
4. Braid 2 strings of the remaining stripes, with one rim the basket, another put in the baking tray.
5. Brush the basket and string with lightly whisked egg.
6. Bake at 190C/ 375F/Gas Mark 5 for 30 minutes. Leave to cool.
7. Melt 2 oz dark chocolate. With the chocolate grease the basket from inside and with chocolate attach string, forming a handle.

Here you can see step by step instruction of making a pastry basket.

This sweet pastry gift basket has the required dose of Thiamin for daily intake.