I loooove Hot Cross Buns but never heard of them until I moved to Margate. They were kind of non existent in London it feels - and they are certainly not known in Germany. But they are such a classic british treat, especially for Easter. Now some supermarkets started selling "accidentaly vegan " ones, but they are often dry at the edges or quite tasteless or taste of burned raisins. I personally dont mind raisins, I like Teacakes and classic Scones. But my husband...well, he is a bit like most kids: he hates them. He picks them out of the dough or doesnt eat the bun at all. So I made today some Hot Cross Buns with a fruity twist with candied orange, lime and cherry. You could swap the candied ones for dried ones or be extra naughty and use chocolate chips instead.
Ingredients:
Bun:
- 80g margarine
- 50g caster sugar
- 250ml warm plantmilk (I used soy)
-18g dried fast acting yeast
- 550g plain flour
-1/2 tsp ground mixed spice or cinnamon
-1/2 tsp salt
-100g candied fruit like orange, lime & cherry (or dried fruit or chocolate chips...)
Cross:
- 50g plain flour
- 2 teaspoon water
- 4 tsp agave syrup
Glaze:
- Agave Syrup
Method:
1. Melt the margarine in a pot, add the soymilk and the sugar. Don´t boil it, just warm it up.
2. Add the dried yeast and set it aside for a couple of minutes. It will start working straight away.
3. Mix the flour, salt, mixed spices and candied fruit in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour now the yeast mix in and start kneading until the dough forms a soft ball.
4. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave it to rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours or at least until it has doubled in size.
5. After it has risen take it out of the bowl, place it on your work surface and divide it into 12 portions. Roll each piece into a ball.
6. Place the round buns on a baking tray. I covered my tray with baking parchment.
7. Wrap the tray with cling film and put it back in a warm place to rise another 25 minutes.
8. Switch on your oven on 180* Celsius and prepare the cross decoration mix. Just mix the flour with the water and the agave syrup.
9. Using a piping bag or a freezer bag pipe the cross on top of the buns. Just spoon the mix into the bag, cut of the tip and pipe the lines on top.
10. Bake the buns in the oven for 20 minutes until risen and golden brown. Brush some agave syrup on top straight after taking them out of the oven.
Enjoy!