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In our family Hot Cross Buns have always been served up hot, toasted with lashings of butter at breakfast and then with jam and cream for tea. Below are two recipes that are easy to make and are so much nicer than Supermarket bought buns.

INGREDIENTS - Makes 8.
(For the buns)

225g of plain flour
25g of margarine
40g of sugar
150mls of milk
6g of fast action dried yeast

55g of mixed dried fruit
25g of mixed chopped peel
1 teaspoon of mixed spice
1 teaspoon of salt

(For the Crosses)

25g butter
55g plain flour

(For the Glaze)

2 tablespoons of sugar
1 tablespoon of milk

METHOD

Sieve the flour and salt into a large bowl.

Rub in the margarine with the flour and salt until it looks like breadcrumbs.

Add the yeast, peel, fruit, sugar and spice and stir.

Warm the milk and then add it the mixture and mix to form a soft dough.

On a flat surface, sprinkle some flour and then place the dough mixture and begin to knead until it looses the stickiness and gets elastic.

Separate the mixture to form eight pieces and shape into rolls. Place these onto a greased baking tray.

Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place for about an hour. This will allow the dough to rise.

TO MAKE THE CROSSES

Blend the butter and the plain flour and add 4 tablespoons of water.

After waiting about an hour for the dough to rise, remove the tea towel. Pipe the cross mixture on the top of each bun forming a cross.

Place the buns onto a baking tray and put into a preheated oven at Gas Mark 7 or 220C for 15 minutes or until the buns look golden brown.

While the buns are baking prepare the glaze.

TO MAKE THE GLAZE

Warm the milk and sugar until dissolved. Remove from the heat and brush over the buns while they are newly removed from the oven.

Return the glazed buns to the oven and bake for another two minutes.

Remove and set aside to cool or serve freshly baked.

..........

INGREDIENTS - Makes 8-10

600g plain flour
2 tablespoons dry yeast
70g caster sugar
40ml warm milk
1 tablespoon of vanilla essence
100g butter
1 egg lightly beaten
150ml warm water
50g raisins
50g dates de-stoned and chopped
50g mixed peel
1 tablespoon marmalade

Crosses

80g plain flour
2 tablespoon caster sugar
100ml water

METHOD

1. Place sugar, yeast, and milk in a bowl. Stir until the yeast has dissolved. Then cover the bowl with cling film and put in a warm place for 20 minutes.

2. Mix the flour and vanilla essence in a mixing bowl then rub in the butter. Stir in the yeast mixture and egg, water and dry fruit. Cover the bowl with cling film again and leave in a warm place for about an hour.
3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. Then split the dough into 20 equal pieces, kneading each piece into a ball shape.

4. Places the balls onto a large greased baking tray; leave to stand somewhere warm for 20 minutes.

5. To make the flour paste; combine flour and sugar in a bowl, gradually blending in the water until smooth.

6. Place the flour paste into an icing bag, pipe crosses onto the buns. Put the buns into an oven for 10 minutes at 180oC then reduce the heat to 150oC for a further 15 minutes. Places the buns on a cake rack and lightly brush with warm marmalade and allow to cool.

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