Tag: Hot Cross Buns

Best of Both Chocolate Orange Hot Cross Buns

Posted in Dessert, RecipesTagged , , , , , , Leave a comment

If the thought of making hot cross buns with chocolate and orange is too exotic for you, why not try my Best of Both Apple and Cinnamon Hot Cross Buns which are more traditional. But for anyone who isn’t put off by the thoughts of an unconventional hot cross bun, you’re in the right place!

My Best of Both Chocolate Orange Hot Cross Buns are the perfect combination of sweet, fruity and spiced goodness. They’re also best of both as they use wholemeal flour to help add extra fibre to the buns, meaning each serving provides you with over 5g of fibre, helping you achieve the daily recommendation of 30g.

Makes 9 buns

Ingredients

For the buns

  • 175g strong wholemeal flour
  • 150g strong white flour
  • 25g cocoa powder
  • 30g caster sugar
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground mixed spice
  • 7g fast action yeast
  • 50g butter, melted
  • Zest of 2 large oranges
  • Juice of 2 large oranges (175ml juice with a little of the pulp, made up with water if needed)
  • 1 egg
  • 60g sultanas
  • 60g mixed peel
  • 60g dark chocolate chips

For the crosses

  • 10g butter
  • 40g strong white flour
  • 45ml water

For the glaze

  • 50g marmalade
  • 40ml water

Method

  • Add all the dried ingredients for the buns, except the dried fruit and chocolate, into a stand mixer. Add the butter, egg and orange zest and juice. Mix on a low speed for 10 minutes – the dough should be just sticky. After 10 minutes add the dried fruit and chocolate and mix for a further 2 minutes till incorporated. Form into a ball, cover, and allow to rise till doubled in size for around 1.5 hours.
  • Once the dough has doubled in size, knock it back and divide the ball into 9 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a tight ball without any fruit sticking out the top as these will burn. Place the balls in a 3×3 formation in a baking tin roughly 20cmx20cm lined with baking parchment. Cover and allow to prove for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.
  • Melt the butter for the crosses and then whisk in the flour and water to make a thick pipe-able paste. Transfer into a piping bag and snip the end to make a small hole. Pipe crosses (or whatever you fancy) across the tops of the buns. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes till golden brown.
  • Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat the water and marmalade to make the glaze.
  • Once the buns are cooker, immediately brush with the glaze.
  • Transfer to a wire rack, remove the baking parchment and allow to cool.

Per bun: 328kcal/ 9.6g fat/ 5.4g saturated fat/ 50.0g carbohydrates/ 5.4g fibre/ 7.9g protein

Hot Cross Bun French Toast

Posted in Breakfast, RecipesTagged , , , , , , Leave a comment

Leftover hot cross buns? Fancy an alternative breakfast this Easter weekend? Here is a delicious way to enjoy your hot cross buns. You can use shop-bought, or try my delicious Best of Both Apple & Cinnamon, or my vegan St. Clement recipes.

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 2 hot cross buns
  • 1 egg
  • 50ml milk of choice
  • Pinch of cinnamon
  • 5g butter or cooking oil

To serve

  • Yoghurt
  • Berries

Method

  • In a flat-bottomed container, mix the egg, milk, and cinnamon.
  • Slice the hot cross buns in half and soak in the mixture for 5 minutes.
  • Heat a pan over a medium heat, and add the butter or oil.
  • Cook the soaked buns in the pan for 2-3 minutes per side till golden brown.
  • Serve hot with yoghurt and berries

St. Clement Hot Cross Buns

Posted in Breakfast, Dessert, Light Bites & Snacks, RecipesTagged , , , , , , , Leave a comment

These citrusy hot cross buns are plant-based using vegetable oil and dairy-free milk to create an enriched dough without the use of dairy and eggs.

St. Clement Hot Cross Buns

Makes 9 buns

Ingredients

For the buns

  • 2 oranges, zest and juice
  • 100g sultanas
  • 100g strong wholemeal flour
  • 250g white strong flour
  • 30g rapeseed oil, plus a little extra
  • 7g yeast
  • 30g caster sugar
  • 50g mixed peel
  • 2 tsp ground mixed spice
  • 125ml milk, I have used unsweetened soya milk

For the crosses

  • 5ml rapeseed oil
  • 25g strong white flour
  • 25-30ml water

For the glaze

  • 50ml of reserved juice from the oranges
  • 15g sugar
  • pinch of ground mixed spice
  • Buns ready to be bakes
  • Fresh out of the oven and glazed

Method

  • Zest and juice the oranges, reserving 50ml of the juice for later.
  • Weigh out the remaining orange juice and top up to 100ml if needed with water. Add the sultanas and allow to soak while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
  • To a freestanding mixer bowl, add the flours, oil, yeast, sugar, mixed peel spices, soya milk and orange zest. Add in the orange juice and sultanas and knead for 5 minutes on a medium setting. Alternatively you can do this by hand but resist the temptation to add more flour – the dough should be ever so slightly sticky.
  • Lightly great a large bowl the oil, place the dough in and cover. Allow to double in size for 1-2 hours.
  • Knock the dough back and evenly divide into 9 balls.
  • Line a baking tin with baking paper and arrange the balls in a 3×3 format.
  • Cover and allow to double in size again, about 1-1.5 hours.
  • Once the dough has almost fully risen, preheat the oven to 200°C fan/ 220°C convection.
  • Prepare the batter by mixing the ingredients together to form a smooth pipeable mixture. Place into a piping bag.
  • Once the oven it up to temperature, pipe crosses over the tops of your buns.
  • Bake for 15 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by heating the orange juice, sugar and spices together till the sugar has dissolved.
  • Once the buns are cooked, generously glaze them, using all of the liquid.
  • Remove the buns from the tray onto a wire cooking rack, removing the baking parchment as well.
  • Best enjoyed fresh on the same day, or delicious toasted if a day or two old.

Per bun*: 254kcal/ 4.6g fat/ 0.4g saturated fat/ 46g carbohydrates/ 2.8g fibre/ 6.1g protein

*Analysis based on unsweetened soya milk

Apple and Cinnamon Hot Cross Buns

Posted in Breakfast, Dessert, Light Bites & Snacks, RecipesTagged , , , , 1 Comment

Best of both Apple and Cinnamon Hot Cross Buns combining the goodness of wholemeal flour with sweet cinnamon and apple to give a delicious but healthy twist to this Easter classic. This recipe is adapted from Julie Jones‘s Soulful Baker cookbook.

Makes 9 buns

Ingredients

For the buns

  • 50g butter, melted
  • 175g strong white flour
  • 175g strong wholemeal flour
  • 35g caster sugar
  • 1 tsp ground mixed spice
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 7g fast action yeast
  • Up to 160ml tepid water
  • 1 egg
  • 50g sultanas
  • 50g dried apple, roughly chopped

For the crosses

  • 10g butter
  • 40g strong white flour
  • 45ml water

For the glaze

  • 75ml water
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 large pinch cinnamon
  • 1 large pinch ground mixed spice

Method

  • Add all the dried ingredients for the buns, except the fruit, into a stand mixer. Add the butter, egg and 150ml water.
  • Mix on a low speed for 10 minutes, adding the remaining 10ml of water if the dough looks a little dry – it should be just sticky.
  • After 10 minutes add the dried fruit and mix for a further 2 minutes till incorporated.
  • Form into a ball, cover, and allow to rise till doubled in size for around 1.5 hours.
  • Once the dough has doubled in size, knock it back and divide the ball into 9 equal pieces.
  • Roll each piece into a tight ball without any fruit sticking out the top as these will burn.
  • Place the balls in a 3×3 formation in a baking tin roughly 20cmx20cm lined with baking parchment.
  • Cover and allow to prove for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.
  • Melt the butter for the crosses and then whisk in the flour and water to make a thick pipe-able paste. Transfer into a piping bag and snip the end to make a small hole.
  • Pipe crosses (or whatever you fancy) across the tops of the buns.
  • Bake in the oven for 15 minutes till golden brown.
  • Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat the water, sugar and spices to make the glaze.
  • Once the buns are cooker, immediately brush with the glaze.
  • Transfer to a wire rack, remove the baking parchment and allow to cool.

Per bun: 256kcal/ 6.6g fat/ 3.6g saturated fat/ 40.0g carbohydrates/ 5.2g fibre/ 7.8g protein