This hot cross buns recipe is potentially the true meaning of happiness! These soft, warm, fluffy pillows, are lightly spiced and loaded with dried fruits. So good you wont be able to stop yourself.
Makes 12
Ingredients:
– 500g strong white flour
– 60g caster sugar
– 1×7g sachet dried fast action yeast
– 1 tsp salt
– 1 tsp ground mixed spice
– 1 tsp cinnamon
– 1/2 tsp nutmeg
– 150ml milk
– 75ml hot water
– 60g melted butter
– 1 egg
– 100g currants
– 60g mixed peel
– Golden syrup to glaze
Method:
1. Sift the flour into a large bowl and add the sugar, yeast, salt, mixed spice, cinnamon and nutmeg.
2. Make a well in the centre and add the milk and water, mix.
3. Add the egg, butter and mixed peel. Mix to form a soft dough, finally add the currants and mix through.
4. Knead until smooth and elastic.
5. Place this in a greased bowl cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place for 90 minutes or until doubled in size.
6. Turn the dough out onto floured surface and knock the air out, knead and divide into 12 pieces. Shape these into nice round rolls.
7. Lightly grease a baking tray and arrange the buns leaving some room in-between to allow for proving.
8. Prove for 30 mints or until doubled in size.
9. Add a small amount of water to some flour to form a thick paste. Using a piping bag pipe this paste over the buns to form a cross on each one.
10. Bake in a preheated oven at 190ºC for 15minutes or until golden brown.
11. When baked transfer to a wire rack and brush with some warm golden syrup.
Enjoy!
Shane Smith from Lavey in Co. Cavan has extensive national and international experience within the Hotel, Restaurant and Confectionery industry. He started working as a chef at the age of 16 and trained in Killybegs Tourism College, Donegal.
He has worked with some of the most talented chefs in Ireland and abroad where he gained the experience to run many pastry sections in high end establishments, including Knockranny House hotel Westport, The 5* G Hotel in Galway and currently Head Pastry Chef over the Fallon and Byrne group in Dublin.
Shane is also the In-House Chef for Coole Swan Irish Liquor, doing recipe research and development & to date has published six cookery books with the company.
Most recently Shane has demoed in John Lewis in London and was picked as one of the top 5 chefs in Dublin to demo and cook for the launch of “Dine in Dublin”.
Shane has also recently featured in the Sunday Business Post, Image magazine and has a monthly recipe column in the Anglo Celt newspaper in his home town of Cavan.
ShaneSmith ShaneSmith