Chocolatier Fred Lullfitz on How to Host an Easter Brunch

When Fred Lullfitz answers the phone to Broadsheet he’s on a short break from making Easter eggs. The chocolatier behind Birdsnake Chocolate laughs when he says this is pretty much his life for the next three weeks (each egg takes about 10 days to complete, from roasting the beans to putting the final chocolate together). Easter is a big deal for him, both professionally and personally – this year he’s taking on the Easter Sunday family gathering.
“It’s something they take pretty seriously,” he says. As Lullfitz gears up to host for the first time, he talks through the key elements to making Easter brunch special.

The painting (and eating) of eggs
At the core of every Easter gathering Lullfitz remembers the practice of painting eggs. “It was a tactic to keep us occupied as little ones and not climb on things,” he says. It’s now turned into a cherished tradition. He claims one of his aunts has kept every painted egg dating back to the 1980s, gifting her over 500 pieces of family history in her collection. In between painting, they eat – you guessed it – eggs.
Lullfitz says there’s always a large dish of scrambled eggs or omelettes – made from the fillings of the eggs they are painting – along with some platters of fruit made up from whatever’s fresh from the market. “And now that we're a little bit older, probably a nice prosecco or something too,” he says.

The hot cross buns
“The other thing we take pretty seriously is the hot cross buns,” says Lullfitz. The family buys them – along with their weekly sourdough – baked fresh from Bakers Delight, in big quantities, and the process is simple, delicious, and the same every year: “You get your hot cross buns, put them in the oven, and toast them, then cut them open when nice and hot,” says Lullfitz. “Then you fill them with butter and send them out by the dozen to the table while you're painting eggs.”

The sweet treats
Baked goods are important, be they home-made or store bought. The Lullfitz Easter always has a panforte made by Lullfitz’s mother, as well as Florentine biscuits and Madeleines made by his aunts – both of which get dipped in chocolate made by Lullfitz himself.

The hunt
The other big activity of the day is the Easter egg hunt. “I’m now in charge of supplying the family with Easter eggs, so that's pretty cool,” says Lullfitz. “We're still holding on to that tradition as well.”
He says to always check the weather report before a hunt – you don’t want those eggs melting in the sun, or kids giving up in the rain. Secondly, a map of where you’ve hidden all the eggs can prevent festivities going a little bit longer than planned.
When asked what he likes most about the occasion, Lullfitz says it’s the combination. He likes that it marks a change in the seasons, and the opportunity for families to gather. “It’s all about food and getting everyone together,” he says.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Bakers Delight. See the full range of freshly-baked easter entertaining treats at Bakers Delight.