Hot cross muffin buns

Hot cross muffin buns

Try this light and spicy version of everyone's favourite Easter treat

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Makes 9 buns

Preperation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 3 hrs

Including breadmaker and time to rise and bake
Freezable

Unglazed

Method

  1. Put all dough ingredients, except the dried fruit, in the breadmaker, following the order in your manual. Set to dough programme.
  2. Once the dough is ready, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and punch down to deflate. Pat into a large flat circle, tip the fruit in the centre and enclose with the dough. Knead the fruit in, cutting through the mixture with a sharp knife, then re-knead a few times to distribute the fruit evenly.
  3. Cut out nine 14cm squares of baking parchment and have ready a 12-hole muffin tin. Cut the dough into 9 even-sized pieces and roll each into a smooth ball. Push a square of the parchment into a tin hole and drop in a ball of dough. Repeat with the rest. Cover the tin loosely with lightly-oiled cling film and leave in a warm place for 30-45 minutes or until doubled in size. Preheat oven to fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6.
  4. For the crosses, blend the flour to a smooth paste with 5-6 tsp of cold water. Spoon into a small plastic food bag and cut a small hole off one corner or use a piping bag. Pipe crosses on the buns. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Lift onto a cooling rack. Brush with a little golden syrup while warm.

Per bun

352 kcalories, protein 10g, carbohydrate 65g, fat 8 g, saturated fat 4g, fibre 2g, salt 0.54 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, April 2004.

Latest comments and suggestions

  • 09 November 2007

    Elizabeth rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Haven't got a bread maker so made the dough by hand. Was please at how well the paper liners worked. Great flavoured buns

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  • 05 January 2008

    Ashley Gerrald commented on this recipe

    after seeing the bun pics on this page... I was wondering where I did see and taste this, it was on my trip on <a href="http://www.norfolkline-ferries.co.uk/EN/Ferry_routes/" title="ferry to france">ferry to france</a> in the dover dunkerque ferry route, thats was really a great experience to me and my friends too.

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  • 21 March 2008

    Cherry ontop rated and commented on this recipe

    3 stars

    My daughter and I found these messy to make, the dough was very claggy! She thought this was great! I thought the end result was great but worth the effort, I'm not sure!

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  • 22 March 2008

    whats4teamum commented on this recipe

    I think I could have made 12 instead of 9 enormous buns. Nice well flavoured and no too much effort with a breadmaker.

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  • 23 March 2008

    CreamAga commented on this recipe

    I didn't use a breadmaker - I mixed the dough for 5 mins in my Kitchenaid (had to add extra flour as the dough was quite sticky). I made twelve buns - let them rise for an hour on top of the Aga & then baked them for 15 mins in the roasting oven with the cold shelf above. I also used white icing instead of the flour mix for the crosses. They turned out very well & tasted delicious.

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  • 03 April 2008

    marushka commented on this recipe

    Saw this recipe in the Easter edition of Radio Times. Followed instructions TO THE LETTER but at the end of the dough making programme of my bread maker the dough was LIQUID! Panic! Friends coming to tea...Threw in about another 6ozs of Flour and reran programme (1 1/2 hours!)Results fine...but after proving realised that I should have made a dozen buns as they were HUGE! As others here have noted that their dough was 'claggy' 'Quite sticky' 'Messy'...I think that the flour quantity in your recipe should be revised. I now feel a litle hesitant about trusting your recipes in the future..especially any given by Joe Pratt.

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Makes 9 buns

Preperation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 3 hrs

Including breadmaker and time to rise and bake
Freezable

Unglazed

Ingredients

  • 450g strong white bread flour
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 50g butter , cut into pieces
  • 7g sachet easy-blend dried yeast
  • 2 tsp ground mixed spice
  • 50g golden caster sugar
  • finely grated zest 1 lemon
  • 275ml/9fl oz milk , plus extra to glaze
  • 2 eggs , beaten
  • 200g luxury mixed dried fruits , cherries halved

FOR THE CROSSES AND GLAZE

  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • golden syrup , to glaze
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Per bun

352 kcalories, protein 10g, carbohydrate 65g, fat 8 g, saturated fat 4g, fibre 2g, salt 0.54 g

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