Hot Cross Buns

Easter just doesn't seem complete without hot cross buns! These hot cross buns are easy to make and taste and smell wonderful. I hope you will enjoy them too!

These Hot Cross Buns have a lovely, light texture and a wonderful amount of spices - not too much but definitely enough to taste!

I'm a little on the lazy side with this recipe and just used a dried fruit mixture left behind after Christmas Cake baking - I know the presence of the glazed cherries is by no means traditional in a Hot Cross Buns recipe but no one has complained so far!

Photos updated March 2015

Hot Cross Buns

Makes 24

2 Tbsp dried active yeast

2 Cups milk warm

5 Cups plain flour

3/4 Cup brown sugar
125 g Butter, softened 

2 tsp salt

2 Cups mixed dried fruit (I used a cake mix)

1 Tbsp allspice

2 tsp cinnamon 

1 tsp nutmeg

finely grated zest of 1 orange

1 egg

Glaze:

3 Tbsp sugar in 1/3 cup warm water

Crosses: 

1/2 Cup plain flour
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 Tbsp caster sugar
1/3 cup (approx) water

1. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk and set aside for the yeast to activate.

2.  Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Sift in the flour, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. 

3. Add the egg, fruit, and orange zest. Add the activated yeast mixture. Mix into a sticky dough and knead on a floured surface until the dough becomes elastic.

4. Place in a lightly floured or greased bowl and cover with a damp cloth and leave to double in size (about an hour).

5. Tip out the dough onto a floured surface and knead into a flat sheet. Cut into about 24 even sized portions. Shape into balls and place into a lightly floured roasting dish. Allow to sit and rise again for approximately 30 minutes. Glaze the top of each bun.

6. Preheat the oven to 200ºC (390ºF) and mix the cross ingredients together to form a paste for the crosses. Place into a piping bag or a zip-lock bag with the edge snipped off and pipe crosses onto each bun.

7. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the buns spring back when touched.