Home-made Hot Cross Buns

(makes 36)

Easter, often thought of as a time of chocolate overload, somewhat creepy over-sized bunnies with baskets and one of the few extra long weekends in the year. Somehow, the true message of Easter seems to get more and more lost every year, but at least one celebration food still reminds us of what happened some 2000 years ago. An innocent man (God in fact) suffering a painful death by crucifixion on a cross, not for what He did, but for what we did. 

"but God shows his love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" Rom 5:8

Easter is a time of mixed sorrow and joy for me, to know that Christ had to die for my (and everyone's) sins, but that he also rose again and conquered death so that we might have a relationship with the one true living God. This Easter was the first time i made these deliciously sticky hot cross buns ~ hope you all enjoyed some over Easter and spent a few moments remembering why we have them :)

Prep time: 2 - 2.5hrs (mostly waiting for the yeast to rise)

Cooking time: 20min

Ingredients:

4 x 7g sachets of dry yeast

1kg plain flour

180g sugar

2 tsp salt

4 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp all spice

1 tsp nutmeg

600mL milk

120g butter

2 eggs, lightly beaten

300g mixed dried fruit (raisins, apricot rind)

For the crosses;

1 T cold water

2 T self-raising flour

For the glaze;

8 T sugar

1/2 tsp gelatin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

300mL boiling water

Method:

1. Sift the yeast, flour, sugar, salt and spices in a large mixing bowl.

2. In a saucepan, heat the milk and melt the butter into it.

3. Form a well in the dry mixture and add the milk and butter mixture in, mix well.

NB. It is much easier to use a dough mixer or a food processor with a bread mixing option.

4. Mix in the eggs, then the dried fruit.

NB. The dough is quite sticky and wet.

5. Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Place some flour on your hands, then knead for 5-10min until the dough bounces back. You may need to cut the dough into 2 large chunks to make it easier to knead.

Before & After (using a pastry cutter is helpful for this extra wet and sticky dough!)

6. Place the mixture into 2 lightly oiled glass bowl and cover with glad wrap. Leave for 30-60min in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size.

7. Take the dough out of the bowl and punch out into a long rectangle. 

8. Cut into 8x8cm squares, then place in a baking paper-lined tray approximately 1-2cm apart. Cover with a damp cloth or glad wrap and let it rise for another hour (or until it has doubled in height).

9. Make the mixture for the crosses and put into a piping bag (or a glad wrap bag).

NB. Use a narrow piping head, or cut a small hole in the corner of the bag. The mixture for the crosses will flatten and widen so you want to draw a thin cross.

10. Pipe a cross onto the top of each bun, then bake for 15-20 minutes.

11. Prepare the glaze mixture and generously brush over buns whilst they are still hot.
12. Eat up whilst they are warm and sticky buns of goodness!