White Chocolate Cheesecakes with Crushed Mini Eggs

Yes it is an Easter recipe!  But its better late than never, right?  I actually wasn't going to post these as looks wise they are a complete fail!  The magazine picture shows them as far more impressive specimens minus the sunken middle.  But despite my baking defects they taste amazing so I have relented and decided to post the recipe after all!  The 'upside' of the sunken middle is the cheesecakes can be turned into fantastic looking nests when mini creme eggs are sat in them instead of the crushed mini eggs.  You can almost pretend that is the way they are supposed to be ... but of course, I didn't get any photo's of those ones lol.

White Chocolate Cheesecakes with Crushed Mini Eggs
180g chocolate digestives
80g butter, melted
120g light brown sugar
1 egg
250g full fat soft cheese
125ml soured cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
150g white chocolate, chopped and melted
2 tbsp frangelico (the recipe says to use either Tia Maria or strong black coffee)
1 tbsp plain flour
Whipped cream, to decorate (I omitted this)
Mini sugar coated chocolate Easter eggs, crushed, to serve

Preheat the oven to 170C.  Lightly grease a 12 hole muffin tin.  Line each hole with 2 thin strips of baking paper, crossing at the base.

Put the biscuits in a food processor and whizz until finely crushed.  Add the butter and whizz again until combined.

Divide the biscuit mixture evenly between the muffin holes, pressing firmly.  chill for 10 mins until firm.

Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat the sugar and egg together in a medium bowl until pale and creamy.  Add the soft cheese, soured cream and vanilla and beat until combined.  Fold in the melted chocolate, Frangelico (or Tia Maria or strong coffee) and the flour.

Pour the mixture evenly over the chilled biscuit bases, levelling the tops.  Bake for 20-25 mins, until just set.  Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecakes inside, with the door slightly ajar, until they cool to room temp.  Chill for at least 2 hours.  Serve the cheesecakes topped with cream and crushed eggs.

Serves 12
Foolishly I didn't make a note of the magazine this recipe comes from, but gratefully received!

We Should Cocoa ~ Paul A Young's Easter Simnel Brownie

Where to start?  I was more than a wee bit panic stricken when Choclette announced this month's challenge for We Should Cocoa.  Marzipan is a taste that I am yet to acquire ... in fact the vast majority of people I know are yet to develop a taste for it too so I knew that whatever I made it either had to be really subtle or something that could be easily distributed to the small handful of people in my office who like it.  I will admit to not doing a great deal of research into what to make, in fact, none at all!  The decision was made while I was flicking through some recipes I had recently clipped out of a magazine, there on the back of the Double White Chocolate Fudge Cake with Vanilla and White Chocolate Buttercream (I know!!!) was a recipe from Paul A Young for Easter Simnel Brownies.

They were horrendous!  The worst tasting 'thing' I have ever baked and as such I am following Aveen's lead and not posting the recipe (although in my opinion her Batterberg looks mighty fine to me)!  The brownies never even made it into to work, they got flung in the bin as soon as the mandatory 'rest in the fridge overnight' time had elapsed.  I hate wasting food like this,  but there was no way I wanted anybody at work to taste them and think that was the level best of my ability!  Oh well ... back to the drawing board!

White Chocolate and Raspberry Hot Cross Buns

Last year I attempted to find the best Hot Cross Bun recipe and tested a few recipes all in the name of research.  We ended up trialling only four recipes but its surprising just how quickly this can become too much of a good thing and we decided it was maybe a good idea to give the Hot Cross Buns a bit of a rest this year.  Then Butter Hearts Sugar posted her recipe for White Chocolate and Raspberry Hot Cross Buns and I couldn't get them out of my mind!  For days I sat at work in front of my computer screen and instead of seeing the never-ending list of numbers and figures I should have been focusing on, I saw plump new season raspberries, white chocolate drops and buns, still warm from the oven with butter melting into a pool of pure badness!

In Oscar Wilde own words "I can resist everything temptation" and here is my version of the recipe.

White Chocolate and Raspberry Hot Cross Buns
2 x 7g sachets dried yest
125ml lukewarm water
645g strong white flour
2 tbsp vanilla sugar
40g butter
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
100g fresh raspberries
135g white chocolate, either use chips or cut squares into chunks
180ml water
Small amount of sugar syrup, to glaze
Small amount of tempered white chocolate, for crosses

Put the yeast, 2 tsp of the flour, 1 tsp of the vanilla sugar and lukewarm water in a small bowl and mix well.  leave the bowl in a warm place for 10 mins or until the mixture is frothy and increased in volume.

Sift the flour into a bowl, stir in the rest of the vanilla sugar and run in the butter with your fingertips.  Stir through the raspberries and chocolate chips with a butter knife.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the vanilla bean paste, yeast mixture and as much of the 180ml of water as you need to make a soft dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 mins or until smooth, add more flour as necessary to stop the dough sticking.

Place the dough into a large floured bowl and cover with clingfilm.  Sit the bowl in a warm place for 30-40 mins or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 200C and line a tray with baking paper.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently to deflate.

Divide the dough into 12 portions and roll into balls.  Place the dough on the baking tray just touching each other.  Cover with a tea towel and let them sit in a warm place until nearly doubled in size again.

Bake the buns for 20 mins or until golden brown.

Move to a cooling rack and brush over some sugar syrup while they are still warm.  Leave to cool and them pipe crosses on using the tempered white chocolate.

Makes 12 (although I got a bakers dozen out of my batch)
Butter Hearts Sugar

I didn't knead mine quite as much as the recipe states, I didn't want the raspberries to turn to mush and as a result the buns are a bit more 'knobbly' than they maybe should be.  I'm not too sure if adding frozen raspberries to the mixture at bun shaping stage might be worth a go? 

I had to leave the taste testing down to Hubby on this one, owing to my recent addiction to man sized tissues and lemon sip cold and flu tablets that have done nothing but prolong the symptoms of the cold and left my nose looking like Rudolph!  Grrrr.  They got two thumbs up though, and if he had more thumbs they would have got more! I've been asked to make another batch too ... but I think that can wait for a couple of days ... I'm off to bed with my man sized tissues, a hot cuppa and the Bourke Street Bakery book!

The Great Hot Cross Bun Hunt - Trial Four

We are all Hot Cross Bun'd out but I had to try just one last recipe!  Not surprisingly I saved the chocolate trial till last ;0)

Chocolate Hot Cross Buns
1 1/2 cups milk, warmed
2 x 7g sachets dried yeast
Pinch of salt
4 cups plain flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
60g butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup chocolate chips (I used a mixture of milk and white chocolate bars and chopped them into small chunks instead of using drops)
1/3 cup water
60g white chocolate

Combine milk, yeast, salt and a pinch of sugar in a bowl, whisk together until combined.  Cover with clingfilm and place in a warm place for 5 - 10 mins or until the top becomes frothy.

Sift flour, cocoa and cinnamon together into a large bowl.  Add 2 tbsp of sugar (the remainder of the sugar will be used in the glaze), yeast mixture, butter and egg.  Stir with a wooden spoon until dough almost comes together.  Mix to a soft dough with your hands.  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 mins or until dough is smooth.  Place into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Set aside in a warm place for up to 1 1/2 hours or until the dough doubles in size.

Punch dough down to its original size with your fist.  Add chocolate chunks and knead until well combined.  Divide dough into 12 equal portions and shape into balls.  Place into a lamington pan lined with baking paper about 1 cm apart.  Cover with a tea towel.  Set aside in a warm place for 30 mins or until the buns have doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 200C.  Bake buns for approx 20 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of one of the buns comes out clean.

To make the glaze, heat water and the remaining 2 tbsp of sugar in a small saucepan over a low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.  Bring to the boil and then boil for 5 mins.  Brush warm glaze over the warm buns.

To make the chocolate cross, melt the chocolate in a microwave or in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water.  When melted, spoon into a snap lock bag.  Snip a corner off the bag and pipe chocolate crosses over buns.  For something something different use a chocolate hazelnut spread for the crosses on the buns.

Serve Chocolate Hot Cross Buns warm or at room temp.

Makes 12
Achieve Success

We liked the Chocolate variation on this seasonal treat, although we both agree that the Times Online is still our favourite traditional recipe.  This was by far and away the easiest dough to work with, all the others have been very wet and sticky and have required lots of extra flour to get it to a knead-able state but this dough was silky and smooth and only needed a very small sprinkling of flour on the bench while it was being kneaded.  The Chocolate version was moist and fluffy and a nice chocolate hit although I thought it had a bit of a yeasty taste to it.  That could be because I ran out of the dried yeast and had to use the fast action variety instead, I thought it was a like for like substitution but now I'm not so sure.  I would make these again next year though ... but there are a lot of other recipes out there that I still haven't tried (and there are even more coming out of the woodwork as I type!)  I have a feeling next year will see even more trials taking place!

A Chocoholics Simnel Cake

I'm going to have to change the name of this cake to 'Saving My Bacon Two Easter's In A Row Cake'!  Last year, in the midst of wedding prep and trying to loose weight for the dress I decided to make a WW recipe for Chocolate Easter Nests for the family to enjoy when they came to visit.  The result was little rubber like discs that tasted revolting so I turned to my trusty Good Food Magazine that had a picture of this cake by James Martin.  Thankfully I had all the ingredients to hand so it was ready for afternoon tea and it went down a treat.

This year I was inspired after seeing Poires Au Chocolat's version of a Sinful Chocolate Simnel Cake to make my own version.  My downfall was trying to tick off more than one box with the recipe, It was not only going to be a chocolate Easter cake and the first cake to christen my new cake stand (it was a Christmas present that only arrived last weekend ~ long story but better late than never!), but also my next CBC, and as if that wasn't enough, it was also going to be my first ever entry in A Slice Of Cherry Pie's Easter Cake Bake.  It ended up in the bin - a complete disaster!  I tried to make a Chocolate Truffle Cake, a Donna Hay recipe no less so you can imagine my disappointment when the cake turned out like rubber (I'm beginning to notice a theme developing here!) and the chocolate ganache split in the most dramatic of ways!  Sigh.

Then I remembered this cake saving my bacon last year and got to work.  If it turned out OK, maybe I could still enter it into the cake bake.  I modified it a bit from last year, using a different icing which is now my all time favourite icing ever and will be going on all my cupcakes, slices, cookies, macaroon's and just about anything else I can feasibly get away with.  We took it with us to feed the troops yesterday as we helped Mother-In-Law move flat and it was quickly devoured, the cake was light, fluffy and moist with the icing sweet and smooth.  Yippee!

James Martin's White Chocolate Cake
250g butter, plus a little extra for greasing
140g white chocolate, broken into pieces
250ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g SR flour
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
300g caster sugar
2 large eggs
12 Ferrero Rocher
White Chocolate Frosting
100g white chocolate
140g unsalted butter
140g icing sugar

Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C.  Grease a deep 23cm cake tin and line the base with greaseproof paper.  Place the butter, white chocolate, milk and vanilla extract in a small saucepan, then heat gently, stirring, until melted.  Combine the flour, bicarb and sugar in a large bowl with a pinch of salt, then stir in the melted ingredients and eggs until smooth.  Pour the batter into the tin, then bake for 1 hour, or until the cake is golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.  Cool in the tin.  Once cool, the cake can be wrapped in clingfilm and foil, then frozen for up to 1 month.

To make the frosting, melt the chocolate in a heatprrof bowl set over a pan of gentlysimmering water. Leave to cool. Beat the butter and icing sugar in a large bowl until creamy. Beat in the chocolate. Cover and chill until ready to use (can be chilled for up to one month).

Serves 12
Cake recipe from Good Food
Icing recipe also from Good Food

Last year I decorated this with hazelnuts but for Easter mini eggs would also work. To turn this into a Simnel Cake I placed 12 Ferrero Rocher around the outside instead of marzipan balls.  To me, a Simnel Cake is very definitely an Easter Cake, I know in the UK its more of a Mothering Sunday tradition but as Mother's Day for us Aussie's is in May Simnel Cake has always been associated with Easter for us.  So what better way to celebrate than with a chocolate version.

Hot Cross Bun Loaf and Butter Pudding

The only problem with testing all these Hot Cross Bun recipes is that they don't last long. If they aren't all gobbled up while they are still warm they get left for the next day. But by the time the next day comes the bun's really are only fit for toasting and after that they are often passed their best. The same was true for the Hot Cross Bun Loaf I made the other day and as its becoming quite noticeable which are the birds that live by us (fluffy round balls on wings!) some resourceful thinking was in order. The solution was very simple for me, Bread and Butter Pudding is one of my all time favourite puddings, fresh from the oven with some cream drizzled over, could there be anything better on a cold and blustery night? No, I don't think so either!fresh

Hot Cross Bun Loaf and Butter Pudding

4 hot cross buns (or use up left over fruit bread like I did)

50g butter, softened

3 eggs

60g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

250 ml milk

150 ml double cream

Presentation needs some work - but it tastes so much better than it looks!

Butter the bun halves then arrange in an oven dish.

Whisk together the remaining ingredients and slowly pour over, ensuring everything is covered.

Leave to soak for about an hour.  (I left mine for much longer, at least a few hours to ensure all the bread soaked up the yummy custard first)

Bake at 170C for about 45 minutes or until puffed up and golden brown.

Wait for at least 15 minutes (I ask you, who can wait a whole 15 mins!) before eating warm.

Serves 4 (greedy adults!)

Adapted from Sue Lawrence

 

Yum, yum, yum is all I can say!  Just what the doctor ordered.  I don't normally allow myself to make Bread and Butter Pudding owing to all the cream and other yummy ingredients but I figured it was Easter and its OK to indulge every so often, diet starts again after the Easter break!

BBQ Banquet

I reckon if all my main meals could be cooked on a barbie that I would enjoy cooking as much as I do baking.  I don't know what it is about cooking outdoors, especially in this wonderful weather that has greeted the start of British summer time!  It was very chilly standing on the balcony last night flipping burgers!  It seems that we are developing a bit of a Good Friday barbie tradition though, I remember flat sitting for sis-in-law a couple of years ago and trying to make a decent barbie on her terrace with one of those disposable BBQ's you can get from M&S.  It was an interesting experience!  When we moved into our new flat with a balcony I knew I had to get a proper BBQ and my webber arrived just in time for moving day and its not failed us yet!

In addition to the usual burger and snags (that's Aussie slang for sausages!) we also had Chicken with Chorizo and Mozzarella.  We also had Jacket Sweet Potato and a very yummy Soy Glazed Tuna for me!

Soy Glazed Tuna Steaks
50ml soy sauce

4 tbsp soft brown sugar
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
½ tsp sesame oil
4 tuna steaks

Put the soy sauce and brown sugar in a small saucepan over a medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the garlic and sesame oil, remove from the heat and cool. Cover the tuna steaks with the marinade and leave for 1 hour.

BBQ the tuna steaks for 1 min each side for rare, 2 for medium, basting constantly with the marinade, until charred and sticky on the outside.

* This marinade can also be used with salmon or white fish.

Serves 4

Not sure where I got this one from, I've had the recipe for a few years now!

Barbecue Baked Sweet Potatoes

4 small ish sweet potatoes

4 tsp olive oil

salt

4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

4 sprigs of thyme

Rub each potato with a little oil and salt, then lay a sliced clove of garlic and a sprig of thyme over the top.  Wrap each potato in a double layer of foil.

As soon as the barbecue coals are glowing red, put the potatoes directly on them. Cook for 15 mins, turn with tongs, then cook for 15 mins more. Remove one, unwrap and check it is cooked through.

Once these are cooked you can also peel back the top of the foil from each potato, split open and top with a spoonful of yogurt and a few spring onion slices which is very nice but we didn't worry about that last night.

Serves 4

Adapted from BBC Good Food

Of course the biggest joy I get from cooking a barbie is making way too much food and having to eat it cold for lunch the next day ;0)

Mini Egg Tiffin

I spotted this recipe last year way after Easter had been and gone so I've had to wait until now to try it out.  So easy to make and stylish enough (if you have the finesse which I clearly don't!) to take to an Easter lunch for a treat with coffee afterwards.

Mini Egg Tiffin

85g butter

2 tbsp golden syrup
2 tbsp cocoa
170g digestives, crushed (I wish I had left some chunky rubble in mine, instead I reduce everything to a fine powder by over zealous use of a mini blender - oops!)
170g mini eggs, lightly crushed (good luck being over zealous with them in a mini food processor!)
30g mini eggs, left whole

Gently melt butter and golden syrup in large pan. Stir in cocoa, digestives and crushed mini eggs.


Line a 1lb loaf tin with cling film. Press mixture into tin then press the whole mini eggs into the top. Refrigerate until set.
 

Makes 1 small loaf
Domestic Goddess In Training
 
Two little steps - couldn't be easier! A couple of things I've learnt by making this recipe; firstly, mini eggs don't like food processors, chop them up by hand or in a plastic bag with a rolling pin.  Secondly, adding the crushed mini eggs to a hot digestive mix does cause extreme melting, although in this case that actually worked out to our benefit as there are nice ripples of the chocolate swirled through the tiffin.
 

The Great Hot Cross Bun Hunt - Trial Three

Bet you thought I'd forgotten all about my search for the greatest Hot Cross Bun recipe this Easter. Things have been pretty hectic (again!)but I now have the luxury of a few days off to look forward to which means there will be plenty of time to catch up baking and blogging!

This recipe could be considered a cheat I guess. Technically not a bun but a Hot Cross Loaf. My first justification for including it in the hunt is because its a recipe by my Domestic Goddess, Donna Hay. A search for the greatest recipe just wouldn't be complete without her version thrown into the fray. And my second justification is that its a bit different and I always like to stray from the norm when I can ;0)

Hot Cross Bun Loaf - Donna Hay Style

2 tsp dried yeast

5 tbsp caster sugar

250ml milk, warmed

2 1/2 cups plain flour
40g butter, melted
1 egg yolk
2 tsp cinnamon

160g sultanas

Crosses
75g plain flour
80ml water
Glaze
2 tbsp apricot jam

1 tbsp water

In a bowl, mix the yeast, 2 tsp of the sugar and the milk. Set aside in a warm place for 5 mins or until bubbles appear.

Place the flour, butter, yolk, remaining sugar and cinnamon in a bowl, add the yeast mixture and mix until a smooth dough forms. Add the sultanas and knead on a floured surface for 5 mins or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Place in a greased 20 x 10 x 7cm loaf tin. Cover with a tea towel and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 180C. To make the crosses, whisk together the flour and water and pipe a cross pattern on the uncooked loaf. Bake for 40 mins or until golden.

To make the glaze, place the jam and water in a saucepan over low heat and stir until the jam is softened. Brush the jam mixture over the baked loaf. Cool slightly in the tin, turn out and slice to serve.

Serves 8-10

Donna Hay Website

Would I make this again? Hmmmmmmmm, not sure. The bread isn't a patch on the Times Online recipe for Hot Cross Buns. But for kitch appeal and if the time and place was right I might consider it again but not as a loaf of bread for munching on as is I'm afraid. The loaf was a bit too dry for that. It does make lovely toast for breakie in the morning though and I'm going to try and turn the leftovers into a Hot Cross Bun Loaf and Butter Pudding for dessert tonight - but we'll see if the thought of all those calories gets the better of me or not lol. Other than that the flavour of the bread is really nice, the cinnamon is very subtle. Much as I never thought I would say this, this isn't the best Donna Hay recipe I've ever tried and the Times Online recipe is still in the lead.

The Great Hot Cross Bun Hunt - Trial Two

Thank you to everyone who has left me a comment after my first Hot Cross Bun Trial and for the additional recipes - all have been added to my list and I will do my best to try and make them all prior to Easter, with so many versions though it may need to be a two year project!

This recipe comes from the Times Online and I have to admit that I was desperate to try it for its sheer uniqueness. The ingredient list has a few additions to the usual Hot Cross Bun and I was intrigued to see (and taste!) the end result. These little guys are definite contenders for the 'Best Hot Cross Bun' title delivering everything I was looking for, loads of flavour, fruit and that very important moist and fluffy texture.

That said, the recipe isn't without drawbacks, firstly it makes no mention of what to cook the buns on or in. Tray or pan? Greased or ungreased? I opted for a non stick cake pan but in hindsight I should have greased and floured it, the tin didn't want to release the buns without a few harsh words and some added elbow grease. And the paste mixture for the crosses was far too runny and they ended up disappearing while in the oven (secretly I think it was them that secured themselves to the pan!). With a few tweaks here and there all my issues could be easily rectified though so I'm happy to call this recipe a success.

Hot Cross Buns - Times Online Style

450g strong bread flour

1 tsp salt

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground allspice (I used mixed spice - I'm guessing its one and the same?)

7g dried yeast

75g raisins

75g glacé cherries

Grated rind of 1 orange, 1 lemon, 1 lime

110g caster sugar

50g unsalted butter

2 tsp vanilla extract

250ml milk

1 egg, beaten

Paste

80g plain flour

2 tbsp sugar

100ml water

Glaze

2 tbsp brown sugar

3 tbsp milk

1 tbsp marmalade

Sift flour, salt and spices into a large bowl and mix in the yeast, fruit, rind and sugar.

Melt butter, stir in milk and vanilla extract and heat until tepid. Whisk into egg, add to flour mixture, form a dough and knead on a floured surface for 10min until smooth and elastic. Take note, it took quite a bit of extra flour just to get the dough to a knead-able state. Its a very sticky and damp mixture.

Divide into 12 buns, cover with a damp tea towel and leave in a warm place for about 90min, till doubled in size. (Mine didn't double in size at all, even after 2 hours - I feared the worst at this stage!)

Mix the paste, bung it in a piping bag (or a plastic freezer bag with one corner snipped off) and pipe a cross on each bun.

Bake at 180C for 10min, reduce the heat to 150C and bake for a further 15min. Lightly brush with the glaze and cool on a rack.

Makes 12

Times Online

I didn't even have the chance to add the glaze before we started slathering the buns with spread all warm from the oven still. I especially like the use of the zest instead of the peel, you get all the flavour of the citrus fruit without chomping on a big chunk of peel. I wasn't sure about the glace cherries or the use of the raisins instead of sultana's but in actual fact they aren't out of place in the finished bun at all. I might add some sultanas as well next time ~ assuming that this is the recipe to claim victory of course!

The Great Hot Cross Bun Hunt - Trial One

This year I'm on the search for the best Hot Cross Bun recipe. I want a Hot Cross Bun that is fluffy, full of juicy fruit (but none of that icky peel stuff!) and full of Hot Cross Bun flavour. Flicking through magazines and cook books and roaming around on the net has revealed quite a few different recipes for this Easter treat which got me to thinking, surely a Hot Cross Bun is fairly standard fare? Can so many different recipes all produce a different bun, different from any other? Or is it all a big con designed to suck in unsuspecting Hot Cross Bun wanna-be-makers? I've made it my mission to find out!

Hot Cross Buns - Australian Women's Weekly Style

2 x 7g sachets fast action yeast

55g caster sugar

375ml warm milk

600g plain flour

1 tsp mixed spice

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

60g butter

1 egg

120g sultanas

Flour Paste For Crosses

75g plain flour

2 tsp caster sugar

80ml water, approx

Glaze

1 tbsp caster sugar

1 tsp gelatine

1 tbsp water

Combine yeast, sugar and milk in a small bowl or jug. Cover and stand in a warm place for about 10 mins or until the mixture is frothy.

Sift the flour and spices into a large bowl. Rub in the butter. Stir in the yeast mixture, egg and sultanas; mix to a soft sticky dough. Cover and stand in a warm place for about 45 mins or until the dough has doubled in size.

Grease a 23cm square slab cake pan.

Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for about 5 mins or until smooth. Divide dough into 16 pieces, knead into balls. Place the balls into the prepared pan. Cover and stand in a warm place for about 10 mins or until the buns have risen to the top of the pan.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan.

Place the flour paste for crosses into a piping bag fitted with a small plain tube. Pipe crosses onto the buns.

Bake buns in the oven for about 20 mins or until well browned. Turn buns onto a wire rack, brush tops with hot glaze; cool. Serve with butter.

Flour Paste For Crosses - Combine flour and sugar in a bowl. Gradually blend in enough of the water to form a smooth paste.

Glaze - Combine ingredients in a small saucepan and stir over heat, without boiling, until the sugar and gelatine are dissolved.

Makes 16 buns (I got 18 out of my dough somehow!)

Breads and Muffins - The Australian Women's Weekly

The result is a tale of woe I'm afraid. Flavourless and dry, they defiantly needed some more spice added than suggested in the recipe and as for the dryness, well this may have been down to me but there is equal possibility that it was the recipe so I'll call it even on that front ... sigh! I actually bought the book this recipe is in because of the picture of the hot cross buns on the front cover, standing proud in all their fluffy glory! In this case our overall verdict (Hubby gets to cast a vote too) is that we were conned with this recipe. Never mind - plenty more still to try ;0)