Hot cross buns and codfish cakes are as synonymous with Good Friday as kites, while Easter Sunday usually sees a repeat of the Christmas cassava or farina pie, and often roast turkey. Many, however, prefer symbolic lamb.

The sacrificial lamb of the Old Testament was seen as an apt metaphor for Christ, who sacrificed himself for mankind. In this symbolism lies the origin of eating lamb for Easter.

Of course, a decorated Easter cake rounds off the main meal very nicely, or makes a nice accompaniment to afternoon tea.

Try these recipes for a deliciously traditional Easter: HOT CROSS BUNS 1 1b. plain flour 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. mixed spice scant 10 oz. milk 3 oz. yeast (fresh or dried) 4-8 tbsp. butter 2 tbsp. sugar 2 eggs (beaten) 6 oz. currants (cleaned) 1 oz. finely chopped, candied peel (optional) little extra flour (for dusting) sweetened milk (for finishing) SIFT flour with salt and mixed spice into a bowl. Warm milk carefully to blood heat (98 degrees F). Add yeast and butter. Stir until yeast is dissolved, then mix in sugar and eggs. Make a well in the flour, tip in liquid ingredients, beat until smooth.

Turn dough on to a floured board, work in currants and candied peel. Knead dough until it is elastic, then place it in a warmed, greased bowl. Sprinkle dough with extra flour and cover with a clean cloth.

Set dough to rise in a warm place for 1 1 hours, or until it is doubled in bulk, then knock down dough and leave to rise again for another 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 425 degrees F.

Shape dough into small, round buns; with the back of a knife, mark each one with a cross on the top. Arrange buns on a greased baking sheet and leave to prove until they are nearly twice their size. This should not take more than about 15 minutes. Yield: approximately 16 buns.

Note: Strips of short crust pastry or a special flour and water paste may be used to make the crosses.

Brush bun tops with a little sweetened milk and bake them in pre-set oven for 15 minutes.

COD FISH CAKES 1 lb. cooked codfish, flaked 3 cups mashed potato 1 egg 1 tsp. pepper 1 tsp.

seasoning salt 1 tsp. thyme leaves 2 tbsp. chopped parsley 1 small onion chopped or grated cooking oil flour BEAT egg in a bowl. Add flaked codfish and mashed potato. Mix well. Add salt, pepper, thyme, onion and parsley. Mix well. Form mixture into patties. Dust with flour and fry until golden brown. (Bermuda Cook Book by Cecille Snaith-Simmons) .

CASSAVA PIE 8 lbs. cassava 3 lb. butter 1 cup flour 2 tbsp. salt 1 tsp. nutmeg 8 eggs 3 cups sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tbsp. cinnamon 1 cup sherry wine Filling 4 lbs. chicken 2 lbs. pork CREAM butter and sugar, add beaten eggs. Add cassava and mix well. Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add to first mixture, add sherry and mix well. Boil chicken and pork until tender. Line a deep pan with mixture; add meat which has been boiled and seasoned with salt, pepper, and thyme. Add one cup of stock; cover with cassava mixture and bake for 4 hours in slow oven.

(Traditional Bermuda Recipes, Rosely M. Joell) FARINA PIE 4 lbs. farina 5 cups sugar 2 whole nutmegs, grated 6 lbs. chicken 1 1 lb.

butter 4 tbsp. salt 2 1 lbs. pork 2 doz. eggs BONE meat and cut in small pieces. Cream butter, sugar, salt, and nutmeg together. Beat eggs, mix with farina which has been soaked in 2 quarts water 20 minutes before using. Bake in large pan 1 hour at 350 degrees F. then 300 degrees F. for 2 hours. (Traditional Bermuda Recipes, Lillian Eve) GIGOT BOULANGERE (Leg of Lamb) 1 leg of lamb 1 cup sweet butter 1 tbsp. thyme 2 garlic cloves, cut in slivers 3 tbsp. dry white wine 4 large onions, peeled and sliced 8 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced Salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 bay leaves, crumbled Parsley PRE-HEAT oven to 450 degrees F. Rub lamb with butter and thyme. Insert garlic slivers into various parts of the lamb. Bake for 30 minutes, then add wine, scraping the coagulated juices.

Meanwhile, saute m onions in butter for five minutes, stirring. Pour into a large oven proof dish. Add potatoes. Season with salt, pepper and bay leaves.

Place leg of lamb on top and pour the cooking juices over it. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for about 30 minutes.

Serve in a warm serving dish with the sliced lamb on one side, the onions and potatoes on the other and little bunches of parsley in the centre. Serves about eight.

An equally elegant, somewhat unconventional way of serving lamb is this recipe for Lamb Medallions with Mint and Tomatoes.

LAMB MEDALLIONS WITH MINT AND TOMATOES 2 racks of lamb, OR 8 2-inch-round, 1'' thick, boneless medallions of lamb (plus) 1 to 1 1 lbs. lamb bones 4 tbsp. unsalted butter 2 tsp. finely chopped garlic 2 tbsp. chopped shallots 1 scant cup peeled, seeded, coarsely chopped tomatoes 14 fresh mint leaves 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice Freshly ground black pepper 2 tsp. kosher salt IF using the racks of lamb, cut the centre "eyes'' from the bones so you have two long, round pieces of lamb. Cut each cross-wise into 4 even pieces, each about 1 inch thick. Trim fat from meat and bones and discard. Place bones and any meat trimmings in a pot.

If using boneless medallions, use extra bones. Either way, cover bones with cold water and simmer for one hour, skimming as needed. Strain stock and reduce to about half.

Melt butter in an 8-to 9-inch skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots and saute m for 30 seconds. Place lamb medallions in the pan in a single layer and cook until lightly brown on both sides.

Add tomatoes and cook for one to two minutes. Add mint leaves and cook for another minute. Add lemon juice, pepper, salt and 1 cup of the lamb stock.

Cook for two to three minutes longer. Serve with fresh noodles. Serves four to six.

Pretzels form the basket of this Easter cake brimming over with chocolate eggs and gum drop flowers nestled in fresh flaked coconut grass.

Once the cake is baked, the children can create the basket weave pattern of pretzel sticks and nuggets onto the chocolate frosted sides of the cake and arrange the holiday confections on a lawn of green coconut. An Easter Bunny cookie tops it off.

From basket to bow, this lovely Easter table centrepiece is totally edible, and almost too enchanting to be cut at dessert serving time.

EASTER BASKET CAKE Pound cake, homemade or from a mix (baked in a bundt cake pan) 6 log or rod pretzels (7'') 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces 1 3 cups chocolate frosting 1 12-oz. bag small rod pretzels (23 '') 1 12-oz. bag pretzel nuggets 1 1 cup flaked coconut Green food colouring 12 large gum drops (red and orange) 1 tbsp. sugar Marshmallow chicken 1 pkg. (1.5 oz) Mini Eggs 5 Creme Eggs 1 Easter Bunny cookie 2 36-inch, thin red liquorice strings (optional) Day before: Make and bake pound cake.

To prepare handle for basket: Lay six (the longest and straightest) 7'' rod pretzels on cookie sheet, in pairs with ends lined up evenly. Place 2 of chocolate pieces in self-sealing storage bag and dip in bowl of hot water until chocolate softens. Knead chocolate with hands until smooth. Snip tiny opening in one corner of bag, and press chocolate down centre of each pair of logs to glue them together.

On the day: Place cake on a cake-serving plate with rounded side down (as it baked). Spread chocolate frosting on sides of cake. Fill hole in centre with crushed aluminium foil.

To make basket: Stand up two small rod pretzels (2 3 '') on side of cake then, next to the two rods, stack four pretzel nuggets one on top of another, and repeat pattern, alternating the two rods and stacked nuggets around the cake.

To make grass: Place coconut in bowl. Add a few drops of green food colouring and mix until almost blended. Scatter over top of cake.

To make roses: Sprinkle sugar in a little pile on counter surface. Place a gumdrop in it and roll with rolling pin until flattened. Then roll up gumdrop loosely and pinch one end. (Roll another gum drop around it, if you wish to make a larger rose).

To complete handle: Insert one pair of logs (with even ends up) in cake about one inch in from edge, on either side of basket, so that the third pair can rest on top. Soften remaining chocolate, as in step 1 and apply a bit on upright ends and on both ends of the third pair. Let set slightly, then glue third pair in place resting across uprights.

Bunny Cookie: Use a store bought bunny cookie cutter in roll 'n' cut cookie dough. Frost with ornamental white frosting and outline shape using plan tube of cake decorator with pink or blue frosting. Add eyes made from either sliced gumdrop or frosting.

To gill basket: Arrange gumdrop roses around upright handle bases. Stand bunny cookie in centre pressing into cake a bit. Arrange creme eggs and mini eggs around the bunny. Then tuck in the marshmallow chicken. For a final flourish, tie the liquorice strings into bow, arrange on handle. Snip to desired length.

EASTER BASKET CAKE -- This tasty Easter treat doubles as a charming Easter centrepiece.