Hot Cross Buns

With Easter coming up I thought I would make some Hot Cross Buns and share the recipe with you all.

Now, let me tell you I am not normally a Hot Cross Bun kind of girl but after trying these I am converted. Homemade really does taste better; the apple chunks in the buns make them particularly delicious.

The crosses are a bit wonky; but I guess that's what gives them that special homemade touch.

Hot Cross Buns (Makes 12):

*Disclaimer: This recipe was adapted from Paul Hollywoods'*

Ingredients:

Buns:

300ml Milk

500g Strong white bread flour

75g Caster sugar

1 tsp Salt

7g Fast-action yeast

50g Butter

1 egg

230g Sultanas

1 apple cored pealed and chopped into small chunks

Zest of 2 oranges

2tsp Ground cinnamon

Olive or sunflower oil for greasing

Cross:

75g Plain flour

A cup of water

Glaze:

6 tbsp Apricot jam

Method:

1.Bring the milk to the boil then leave to cool till it is warm.

2. Mix the flour, sugar, salt, yeast, butter and egg in a bowl till well incorporated.

3.Add the sultanas and orange zest to the flour mix. Knead the dough for 5 minutes until smooth and elasticy.

4.Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover the bowl with lightly oiled clingfilm; leave to rise for an hour or until doubled in size.

5.  Knock back the dough (the best partt) then divide the dough into 12 even pieces. (I did this by weighing each piece). Roll the dough into balls and if needed use a little flour. Place the buns on a baking tray lined with a coating of butter and flour leaving enough space between the buns so that they just touch when they rise and expand. Leave to prove for another hour.

6. Heat the oven to Gas Mark 7.

7. To make the cross mix the flour with just enough water for the mixture to form a thick paste. Spoon into a piping bag. Pipe the crosses on each of the buns.

8. Bake for 20-25 minutes until nice n' golden.

9. Heat the apricot jam on a low heat, then sieve to get rid of any chunks. While the jam is warm brush over the warm buns (I just used the back of a teaspoon to do this) you can wait until they cool butttt these hot cross buns are sooo delicious fresh out the oven piping hot.

These hot cross buns are soooooo goood straight out of the oven with a thick coating of butter as the butter melts through the bun making them extra scrummy. Mmmm Mmmmm Mmmm.