SUGAR & spice

Take your Ramadan and Easter baking to new heights with baharat, sumac, mace and more

Don’t be afraid to bake the phyllo until a deep golden brown as it will ensure the pastry stays extra crunchy, which perfectly offsets the creamy, fragrant custard underneath.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Serves: 4-6

60g SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter, melted

1 (500g) package phyllo sheets, thawed

1 x 397g tin sweetened condensed milk

500ml single cream

1 tsp rose water

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cinnamon

100g pistachios

To serve

2 tbsp dried rose buds

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Brush a 28cm x 38cm oven dish with a little of the melted butter. 2 Working with one sheet of phyllo at a time, gather up the phyllo and scrunch it to create pleats. Place it in the buttered dish and repeat with the remaining sheets so they fill up the dish. Brush with the melted butter making sure to cover all the phyllo well. 3 Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until light golden brown. 4 Meanwhile, combine the condensed milk, cream, rose water and cinnamon and whisk together. 5 Remove the phyllo from the oven and pour over the cream mixture. Scatter over the pistachios. Return to the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes or until deep golden brown. 6 Allow to cool slightly, approx. 10 minutes, then sprinkle the dried rose buds over. 7 Serve immediately while hot or at warm room temperature.

Concha buns or pan dulce are soft and sweet buns with a crunchy sugary topping from Mexico. The spice mix in them is similar to the spices used in hot cross buns, so we’ve combined the two to create a special treat.

Prep time: 30 minutes (plus proofing time)

Cook time: 20 minutes

Makes: 16

For the hot cross bun spice mix

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cinnamon

1 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp ground mace

½ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Coriander

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Ginger

For the bun dough

350ml SpinneysFOOD Full Fat Milk

2 tsp instant yeast

800g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

1 tbsp hot cross bun spice mix

110g SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

2 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

5 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range eggs

1 vanilla pod

100g raisins

100g candied citrus peel

60g SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter, softened

For the topping

220g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

20g cocoa powder

½ tsp hot cross bun spice mix

220g SpinneysFOOD Super Fine Icing Sugar

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

200g SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter, softened

1 To make the hot cross bun spice mix, simply combine all the spices in a bowl and mix well. Set aside. 2 Heat the milk until lukewarm and place it in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the yeast and mix to dissolve. Allow to stand for 15 minutes or until it begins frothing. 3 Meanwhile, combine the flour, spice mix, sugar and salt. Split the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds. 4 Add the eggs to the milk mixture along with the vanilla seeds and mix well. Add the flour mixture, raisins and candied peel and mix to form a soft dough. Add the butter and knead the dough for 5 minutes or until smooth. Cover with cling film and allow to proof until doubled in size. 5 Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 6 Meanwhile, make the topping by sifting together the flour, cocoa powder, spice mix, icing sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the butter and mix to form a soft dough. Cover and set aside. 7 Turn the bun dough out onto a floured surface and divide it into 12 pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a ball and place on two lined baking sheets.

8 Divide the topping into 12 balls and, working one at a time, flatten the topping balls using a tortilla press or the bottom of a pie dish. Place the flattened topping onto each dough ball. Using a sharp knife, score a cross into the top of each. Cover the dough balls and leave in a warm place until they’ve doubled in size.

9 Bake the buns for 15-20 minutes or until risen and golden. 10 Serve warm with butter.

While the addition of sour sumac is unusual in a dessert, it creates absolute magic when combined with sweet white chocolate. The flavour combination is reminiscent of raspberry and is addictive.

Prep time: 15 minutes (plus chilling time)

Cook time: 15 minutes

Makes: 20 whirls

135g SpinneysFOOD Super Fine Icing Sugar

270g SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

300g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

40g corn flour

¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

3 tbsp sumac, plus extra for sprinkling

1 tbsp milk

200g white chocolate

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Line two baking trays with parchment paper. Sift the icing sugar. 2 Cream the butter, icing sugar and vanilla together until very light and fluffy –approx. 8 minutes. Sift the flour, corn flour and salt then add to the butter mixture along with the sumac and milk. Mix until just blended and the dough is smooth. 3 Place the dough into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe 5cm long swirls onto the baking trays. Refrigerate for 15 minutes then bake for 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Allow to cool. 4 Melt the white chocolate. 5 Dip one end of the cookies into the white chocolate then sprinkle with extra sumac. Allow to set before storing in an airtight container.

These custard slices use cream crackers instead of puff pastry. The filling is subtly spiced with cinnamon, ginger and citrus and along with the marzipan topping, gives the slices a simnel flavour.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Makes: 16 squares

1 x 200g packet unsalted cream crackers

1 vanilla pod

3 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Eggs

1 lemon

1 orange

65g cake flour

60g corn flour

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

100ml SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

1L SpinneysFOOD Full Fat Milk

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cinnamon

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Ginger

220g SpinneysFOOD Extra Fine Caster Sugar

60g SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter

80g smooth apricot jam

250g marzipan

1 Line a 20cm x 30cm cake tin with baking paper. Arrange a layer of crackers on the bottom. 2 Split the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds. Separate the eggs yolks from the whites. Zest the lemon and orange. 3 In a bowl, make a paste with the cake flour, corn flour, salt, water, vanilla seeds, egg yolks and 125ml of the milk. 4 Heat the remaining milk in a pot over a low heat. Add in the zest, vanilla pod, spices, sugar and butter. Then add to the paste while whisking. Return the mixture to the pot and cook until the custard is thick, stirring continuously. Set aside to cool down. 5 Whip the egg whites until stiff then fold into the lukewarm custard. 6 Pour the custard over the crackers and place another layer of crackers on top. Allow to set in the fridge until completely cool. 7 Warm the apricot jam and brush over the top of the crackers. 8 Roll out the marzipan between two sheets of baking paper until 5mm thick then transfer it onto the crackers and cut to fit. Brûlée the top of the marzipan with a blow torch. 9 Slices into squares and serve.

We’ve used Arabic baharat in this recipe. It is made from a blend of black peppercorns, allspice, cloves, coriander, cumin, cinnamon and nutmeg. Prep time: 40 minutes (plus standing time)

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4-6

For the chocolate cake

200g good-quality dark chocolate

500ml SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

2 tsp Arabic baharat spice

250ml SpinneysFOOD Pure Sunflower Oil

450g brown sugar

4 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Eggs, at room temperature

115g cocoa powder

325g cake flour

2½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the ganache

340g 70% dark chocolate

400ml single cream

2 tbsp tahini paste

125ml sour cream

½ tsp baharat spice

Pinch of SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Line 2 x 20cm springform cake tins with parchment paper. 2 Chop the dark chocolate and place in a bowl. 3 In a large saucepan, bring the water and baharat to a boil, then add the oil and sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and then pour it over the chopped chocolate. Stir until smooth. Allow to cool slightly. 4 Whisk the eggs lightly, then stir into the chocolate mixture. 5 Combine the dry ingredients and fold them into the mixture. Allow the mixture to stand, covered, for 1 hour. 6 Pour the batter into the tins and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 15 minutes, then unmould and allow to cool completely. Level off the cakes using a sharp bread knife. 7 To make the ganache, chop the chocolate and place it along with the cream in a metal bowl. Place it over a pot of barely simmering water. Stir the chocolate and cream gentle every now and then until all the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the tahini, sour cream, baharat and salt. Allow the mixture to cool completely to room temperature, stir occasionally (you can chill the mixture for just a few minutes to kickstart the setting process, then allow it continue to cool naturally at room temperature). Once cooled to a thicker consistency, whisk by hand to thicken just until spreadable consistency (do not whip vigorously or with electric beaters). 8 Place one cake on a serving plate. Spread a generous layer of the ganache over the top of the cake. Place the second cake on top and spread the remaining ganache over the surface. 9 Allow the chocolate cake to chill for at least 2 hours, or until ready to serve.

Any festive occasion in the Middle East would be incomplete without ma’amoul. Here we’ve followed the trend of ‘giant sharing’ bakes to these traditionally small cookies. We used a stencil to create the pattern on top but you could also simply dust it.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Serves: 4-6

For the pastry

250g SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter, softened

60g SpinneysFOOD Extra Fine Caster Sugar

50g corn flour, plus extra for dusting

250g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

For the filling

1 orange

1 lemon

65g SpinneysFOOD Seedless Khodri Dates

55g dried figs

45g raisins

110g walnuts

55g candied citrus peel

55g 70% dark chocolate

2 tsp espresso, cooled

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cinnamon

2 tsp orange blossom water

10g ghee or butter

20cm mandala stencil

To serve

SpinneysFOOD Super Fine Icing Sugar, for dusting

1 Preheat the oven to 180˚C, gas mark 4.

2 Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy – approx. 8-10 minutes. Add the corn flour and all-purpose flour and mix until a soft dough forms. Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface to 30cm round. Transfer to a 20cm fluted tart tin and gently press the pastry into the tin. Refrigerate the tart for 30 minutes.

3 Prick the pastry base using a fork and blind bake on the lower rack of the oven for 15 minutes. 4 Zest and juice the orange. Zest the lemon. 5 To make the filling, chop the chocolate and place it along with the other ingredients in a food processor. Blitz to a rough paste. Spread into the pastry shell. 6 Roll out the remaining dough to a large 20cm disc and place on top of the filling. Trim the edges of the pastry to fit the tart. 7 Bake the ma’amoul for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly before unmoulding upside down onto a cooling rack. 8 Place a mandala stencil on top of the ma’amoul and dust liberally with the icing sugar. Remove the stencil and serve.

Easter would be incomplete without decadent baked treats. They taste even better with a dash of spice

Hawaij is a Yemeni sweet spice blend usually used in tea, coffee and other sweets, but it goes perfectly with carrot cake.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves: 8

For the cake

80g carrots (approx. 1 medium-sized)

135g Lurpak Unsalted Butter, softened

180g SpinneysFOOD Demerara Sugar

2 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Eggs

115g sweet potato or pumpkin purée

135g SpinneysFOOD Self-Raising Flour

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Ginger

½ tsp ground cardamom

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Pinch of ground mace

Pinch of ground cloves

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cinnamon

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

50g walnuts

For the halva buttercream

200g Lurpak Unsalted Butter, at room temperature

200g smooth tahini

2 tbsp single cream

1 tsp vanilla bean extract,

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

200g SpinneysFOOD Super Fine Icing Sugar

Orange and green food colouring

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Grease and line 2 x 20cm sandwich cake tins.

2 Grate the carrot into a bowl and set aside.

3 Cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well in between each addition. Beat in the sweet potato purée. 4 Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Add in the spices and salt and whisk together. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg batter. Stir in the grated carrot and walnuts. 5 Divide the batter between the tins and bake for approx. 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes, comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely then remove from the tins. 6 To make the buttercream, place the butter and tahini in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the beater attachment. Beat on a medium speed until light and fluffy. Meanwhile, sift the icing sugar. Add in the cream, vanilla and salt then beat until smooth. Lower the mixer speed and beat in the icing sugar until just combined. Pause the mixer to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl then increase the speed back to medium and beat until light and fluffy, approx. 4 minutes.

7 Place a quarter of the buttercream into two small bowls and tint each with the orange and green food colouring. Place in small disposable piping bags and set aside. 8 Sandwich the cakes together with the rest of the buttercream, leaving enough to cover the top and sides. Using the coloured buttercream, pipe small carrots onto the cake. 9 Slice and serve.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 75 minutes

Serves: 8-10

For the crust

150g Lurpak Unsalted Butter

200g Marie biscuits

1 tbsp cocoa powder

½ tsp fine instant coffee powder

For the filling

2 x 250g SpinneysFOOD Ricotta Cheese

1 x 250g SpinneysFOOD Mascarpone Cheese

200g SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

3 tbsp SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

4 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Eggs, at room temperature

1 lemon

250ml sour cream

100g dark chocolate chips

SpinneysFOOD Super Fine Icing Sugar, to dust

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Grease a 20cm springform cake tin. 2 Melt the butter and set aside to cool. 3 Place the biscuits, cocoa powder and coffee in a food processor and blend until fine. Add the butter and pulse to combine. Press the mixture into the base and up the sides of the cake tin. 4 Bake for 15 minutes, or until a dark golden brown. Allow to cool. 5 Wrap the outside in foil to make it watertight. 6 Reduce the oven temperature to 120°C, lowest gas mark setting. 7 In a food processor, add the ricotta, mascarpone, sugar, flour, cinnamon, vanilla bean paste and eggs. Grate in the lemon zest. Pulse on low speed until just combined and smooth, being careful not to overmix. 8 Pour the cheesecake batter into the crust and spread evenly. Bake for 1 hour, or until the edges are set and the centre is still jiggly when moved. 9 Allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature. The refrigerate until completely cooled and firm, 6-7 hours or overnight. 10 When the cheesecake is firm, remove it from the springform pan and place on a serving plate. Spread the sour cream over the top and sprinkle with chocolate chips and icing sugar. Serve at room temperature.

Prep time: 30 minutes (plus proofing time)

Cook time: 30 minutes

Makes: 9

For the buns

10g instant dry yeast

125ml SpinneysFOOD Full Fat Milk

75g SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

1 tbsp freshly ground cardamom

1 tbsp mixed spice

1 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Egg

325 g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

½ tbsp baking powder

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

100g Lurpak Unsalted Butter, softened

1 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Egg

1 tbsp water or milk

For the almond filling

100g whole almonds

100g SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

Pinch of SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

100ml SpinneysFOOD Full Fat Milk

Pinch of cardamom powder

¼ tsp almond extract (optional)

For the cream topping

250ml single cream

250ml crème fraîche

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Extra Fine Caster Sugar

SpinneysFOOD Super Fine Icing Sugar, for dusting

1 Stir together the yeast and milk in a large bowl until dissolved. 2 Add the sugar, freshly ground cardamom, mixed spice and egg and stir. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt and add to the wet ingredients. Mix until the dough just comes together. 3 Place the dough in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Work the dough for 10-15 minutes, or until it is soft and elastic. The dough will be a little sticky but don’t be tempted to add more flour. 4 Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow the dough rest for 10 minutes.

5 On a floured surface, divide the dough into nine equal-sized pieces. Shape each piece into a ball until it is smooth and shiny. Gently transfer the balls to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leave some space between them so they can rise. Cover the balls with a clean kitchen towel and leave to rise for at least 90 minutes, or up to 2 hours. 6 Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. 7 To prepare the filling, spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until fragrant. Allow to cool. Combine the almonds, sugar, salt, milk and cardamom, if desired, in a food processor. Pulse until everything comes together, the mixture should be quite runny but with a slightly chunky texture from the almonds. Place the almond filling in the fridge while you go through the other steps. 8 Increase the oven temperature to 225°C, gas mark 7½. 9 Whisk together the egg and water in a small bowl. Gently brush the buns with the egg wash. 10 Bake the buns for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool. 11 Using a serrated knife, slice the tops of the buns to create caps. Make a small well in the middle of the bun. Spoon the almond filling into the well in each bun. 12 In a medium bowl, beat the cream and crème fraîche to soft peaks. Add the sugar and beat in. 13 Pipe the cream onto each bun and place the ‘lid’ on top. Dust with the icing sugar to form a cross on each bun.

Serve immediately (these are best eaten on the same day).

Prep time: 20 minutes (plus chilling time)

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves: 12

For the pop tarts

360g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

½ tsp vanilla bean paste

250g cold Lurpak Unsalted Butter, cubed

3-4 tbsp ice cold water

125ml raspberry jam

For the glaze

235g SpinneysFOOD Super Fine Icing Sugar

3 tbsp milk

1 tsp lemon juice

Pinch of SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

Pink food colouring

To serve Funfetti sprinkles

1 Place the flour, sugar, salt, vanilla bean paste and cold butter in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand and no large chunks of butter remain. Add in the ice-cold water, one tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together. 2 Turn the dough out of the food processor and divide into two equal pieces. Form them into flat oval discs and wrap in cling film. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 days, or freeze for up to a month. 3 When you’re ready to make pop tarts, turn the dough out on a floured surface and roll out into a large circle to approx. 5mm thickness. Using rectangular cookie cutters and a knife, cut out rectangles from the pie dough. 4 Place a teaspoon of jam in the middle of one rectangle. Place the other piece on top. Use a fork to make indents along the border of the pop tart, then poke the fork lightly in the centre of the pop tart to allow air to escape. Repeat with the remaining dough. 5 Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the dough is light golden brown. Allow to cool while you make the glaze. 6 To make the glaze, combine all ingredients in a mediumsized bowl and whisk together until smooth and homogenous. 7 Spoon the glaze evenly over the cooled pop tarts, top with sprinkles and serve.

Soaking the dried limes helps remove the bitter taste from them and allows for their beautiful flavour to shine.