Swiss Easter
At Christmas I made a compendium of all Helvetic Kitchen’s best holiday recipes, and now I’d like to do the same for Easter.
Of course Easter in Switzerland is not complete without the ubiquitous Osterfladen. I’ve made many, many versions over the years with everything from bread to semolina to all cream filling.
Osterfladen, many ways
Mini Osterfladen
The classic Swiss Easter tart, with rice pudding filling, in bunny form.
Rosina Gschwind's Osterfladen
No rice, no semolina, no leftover bread—just a whole lot of cream.
Osterchueche mit Weggli
This version features a filling made of Weggli—little Swiss milk buns—and lots of raisins, which makes it like a bread pudding tart.
Osterfladen
Osterfladen is basically a rice or semolina pudding, baked in a pastry shell. It is sold in the weeks leading up to Easter in most Swiss bakeries.
And there’s nothing like a bunny-themed, seasonal bake.
Easter Bakes
Easter Linzer Torte
It isn't traditionally an Easter cake, and it isn't Swiss, but I like any excuse to make this buttery and jammy classic from just over the border.
Bunny Bread
When I was in University I didn't have a fondue pot.
But my roommate Erin did.
Now for savoury, with some great spring mains.
Savoury Mains
Grüendonschtigsoppe
This soup, traditionally eaten on Gründonnerstag, Holy Thursday, contains seven leafy greens and was meant to give you luck in the months to come.
Easter Quiche
If Sam had his way, this tart would contain 200 % more onions. Use your own discretion and bump up the quantity if desired.
Frühlings Pasta
Similar to the Italian spring pasta, Pasta Primavera, but with much more cheese.
Bärlauch is also popular around Easter time. It features in my puff pastry flower, perfect for brunch, and this easy barley risotto.
Bears with Bärlauch
Bärlauch Beauties
Baby Bärlauch Blüemeli
Delicious wild garlic puff pastry flowers, perfect for a spring apéro.
Grüendonschtigsoppe
This soup, traditionally eaten on Gründonnerstag, Holy Thursday, contains seven leafy greens and was meant to give you luck in the months to come.
Bärlauch Blumeli
Stuff a puff pastry flower with seasonal favourite Bärlauch (wild garlic), and you’ve got a perfect addition to Easter brunch.
Bärlauch Barley Risotto
The German name for Bärlauch literally means “bear leek”, and my favourite name origin story involves sleepy bears coming out of hibernation and munching on the pungent leaves as they fully wake up.
I’ve got your Good Friday fish covered too, and an obscure Emmentaler dish that can use up any leftover hard-boiled eggs you may have.
Traditional Favourites
Eiervorässe
Ads in our local paper last week were full of the question:
Who has the hardest egg in the Emmental?
Fischchüechli
Perfect for a Good Friday fish feast (or any day of the year), these fish cakes were traditionally made in Weggis, a small town bordering Lake Lucerne.
And don’t worry, I’ve got you more than covered when it comes to leftover chocolate bunnies.
More Chocolate than sense…
Schoggi Russenzopf
Although typically filled with nuts, this chocolate variation is decadent and delicious.
Schoggieili Tart
This is a pretty simple no-bake dessert—cookie crust plus ganache top—and you can use most kinds of chocolate, including Easter leftovers.
Schoggi-Mandel-Kuchen
What happens to all those chocolate bunnies after Easter? Hint: some of them are in this cake.
Chocolate Bunny Bread Pudding
Now for the challenge of using up all of those leftover Easter bunnies—and what better way than an excuse to eat chocolate for breakfast?
That's right, bread pudding.
Lost Bunnies
Adrift in a sea of leftover Easter chocolate?
Here are two recipes to help use it up.
And I’ll just leave my yearly Migros chocolate egg PSA here, for your perusal:
