With a long weekend stretching out in front of you, there are plenty of opportunities to celebrate with friends and family and share some homemade Easter goodies. Here are some seasonal baking ideas for you to try, from traditional classics to quick and easy treats to make with the kids.

Traditionally eaten on Good Friday, with the bun’s cross symbolising the crucifixion, these days hot cross buns are so popular they seem to appear on supermarket and bakery shelves not long after Christmas. But once you’ve used this simple step by step recipe to make your own with your stand mixer, you won’t want to go back to shop bought again. The dough tool ensures the fruit and spices are evenly incorporated throughout the dough, while the beauty of making your own is you can make them as fruity or spiced as you like. Or why not change things up by adding different spices like cardamom, saffron or cinnamon, or even chocolate, caramel or cranberries to give these classic Easter treats a special twist.

Best enjoyed still warm from the oven or lightly toasted, and topped with plenty of butter.

Taking under 30 minutes to prepare using your stand mixer, kids will love to help make and decorate these lightly spiced fruit biscuits- and we guarantee that everyone will enjoy eating them.

Decorated with flaked coconut and with an iced vanilla sponge, this Easter nest cake makes a nice change from all that chocolate.  While it takes a bit of patience and a delicate hand to decorate, the cake itself takes no time at all to prepare using your stand mixer, with all the wet and dry ingredients going into the bowl together.  A stunning centrepiece for any special gathering over the Easter weekend.

These bright and colourful Italian Easter bread rings are a popular part of the Easter festivities in Italy, often enjoyed for breakfast on Easter Sunday. Made using a sweet, enriched brioche dough and with coloured hard-boiled eggs baked into the middle, they look very impressive but are surprisingly simple to make. This recipe shows you how to use your kCook Multi to mix and prove your dough. Kids will love decorating them- we say the more sprinkles the better...

This spiced fruit and marzipan cake is an Easter classic that’s perfect for sharing with family and friends. Topped with eleven marzipan balls to represent the faithful disciples, it’s lighter than Christmas cake but still gorgeously sweet and moist. Marinating the dried fruit in brandy for 24 hours before adding to the cake mixture gives it extra depth and richness.

Take this year’s chocolate treats to the next level by making your own one of a kind eggs. Use your Cooking Chef XL and a large egg mould to make your own dark, milk or white chocolate egg and then get creative with the decorations- it’s a great activity to get the kids involved in. Use icing or melted chocolate (in a different colour to the egg) to create patterns or personalise by writing someone’s name or a seasonal greeting. Or simply stick on chocolate buttons, sweets or candied fruit. For an egg-stra special Easter gift, tie your egg with ribbon or wrap in cellophane or tissue paper.

These delicious doughnut-like pastries are a popular French street food originating from south eastern France, traditionally made just before Lent. Make the pastry using your stand mixer and the dough tool attachment, before cutting into diamond shapes and deep frying. Sprinkle with icing sugar and enjoy while still warm with your morning coffee. Be warned, eating just one is never enough.