To celebrate the coming of Easter we are making Hot Cross Buns.  For this recipe I have used slightly more flour (4 cups) to make it easier for the kids to mix and shape the dough.  If you are confident with dough reduce this to 3½ cups of flour and you will end up with a more tender bun.

Season:  All year

Type:  Breads

Difficulty:  Intermediate

Serves:  12

Fresh from the garden:  eggs

Recipe source: Majura Kitchen Garden

metric measuring spoons and cups

scales

bowls – 2 small, 1 medium, 1 large

whisk

wooden spoon

tea towel

pastry scraper

baking dish

large plastic bag

small spoon

piping bag

small saucepan

pastry brush

wire rack

4 cups strong flour

3 teaspoons mixed spice

1 teaspoon salt

60 g butter

1 cup raisins

¾ cup currants

¼ cup hot water

3 teaspoons yeast

¼ cup brown sugar

1 cup warm milk

1 egg

Paste

4 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons water

Glaze

¼ teaspoon gelatine

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon caster sugar

• Set out your equipment and ingredients.
• Preheat the oven to 200^oC.

Make the fruit mix

• Combine the raisins, sultanas and ¼ cup hot water in a small bowl and allow to the fruit to soak up the water while you make the dough.

Make the dough

• Combine the flour, spice and salt in the large bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour.
• Break the egg into the small bowl and whisk lightly.
• Melt the butter.
• Combine the egg, butter, sugar, milk and yeast in the medium bowl.
• Add the milk mixture and the fruit mixture to the flour mixture and stir together with the wooden spoon.
• Cover the dough with a tea towel and leave for 10 minutes.
• Lightly flour the bench.  Tip the dough out onto the bench and knead for 5 minutes.  While you are doing this lightly oil the bowl.
• Put the dough back in the bowl and cover with a damp tea towel and leave till the dough has doubled its volume.

Shape the buns

• Lightly flour the bench.  Tip the dough out onto the bench and using the pastry scraper divide the dough into twelve equal pieces.
• Shape each piece into a ball and place in the baking dish.
• Cover the baking dish with a large plastic bag, making sure the bag does not touch the dough and leave for 20 minutes.

Make the crosses

• Combine the flour and water for the paste in the other small and beat with a small spoon until a smooth paste is formed.
• Fill a small piping bag and just before baking pipe the paste into a cross on each bun.

Bake the buns

• Bake the buns in a hot oven for about 15 minutes.

Make the glaze

• While the buns are baking sprinkle the gelatine over the water in a small saucepan.  When soft dissolve over low heat.  Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
• Remove the buns from the oven and brush with the warm glaze while still hot.
• Serve while still warm.