Hot Cross Buns

Its Good Friday and that means an excuse to eat Hot Cross Buns! This recipe is from the Great British Bake Off Easter Masterclass and it is really simple and easy to make!

Ingredients

For the buns

• 200ml/10fl oz milk
• 350g/1lb 2oz strong white flour
• 50g/2½oz caster sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 7g sachet fast-action yeast
• 50g/1¾oz butter
• 2 free-range egg, beaten
• 125g mixed dried fruit and peel
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground mixed spice

For the cross

• 75g/2½oz plain flour
• 5tbsp water

For the glaze

• 100ml milk
• 50g caster sugar
•  

Method

1. Bring the milk to the boil and then remove from the heat and leave to cool until it reaches hand temperature.
2. Place the flour, sugar, salt and yiest in a bowl.

 
3. Rub the butter into the flour mixture.
4. Add the  mixed peel and fruit.
5. Create a well and pour in milk and egg and mix together.
6. tip out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough by holding the dough with one hand and stretching it with the heal of the other hand, then folding it back on itself. Repeat for five minutes, or until smooth and elastic.
   
   
    Watch technique
   2:35 mins
7. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise for approximately one hour, or until doubled in size.
8. Divide the dough into 12 even pieces, and roll each piece into a smooth ball on a lightly floured surface. Arrange the buns on a baking tray lined with parchment, leaving enough space so that the buns just touch when they rise and expand. Set aside to prove for another hour.
9. Heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.
10. For the cross, mix the flour with about five tablespoons of water in small bowl, adding the water one tablespoon at a time, so that you add just enough for a thick paste. Spoon into a piping bag with a small nozzle. Pipe a line along each row of buns, then repeat in the other direction to create crosses.
11. Bake for 10-15 minuites on the middle shelf of the oven until golden-brown.
12. Gently heat the milk and sugar, once the sugar has dissolved boil for 1 min. Brush the buns with the glaze while warm.
    
 

 

 

 
Eat toasted with lots of butter :)

Fudge

Fudge always seemed like such a daunting thing to make because of the sizzilingly hot temperature and strain inducing amount of stirring required to make it, but actually it is really simple! I used to make it to take into school (shout out to the girls at Bedford High School) and it always went down a treat. This batch was made for my little brother to take into school but the recipe makes quite a lot of fudge so there is always a bit left over to much with coffee after dinner. Make sure you use a large pan and an even larger spoon and you will avoid burning yourself! ooo and don't try and taste it too early because you will burn your mouth/fingers no matter how tasty it looks!

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons of Water
• 4 oz (115g) Butter
• 1 1/4 lb (550g) Caster Sugar
• 2 tablespoons of Golden Syrup
• 6 fl oz (175 ml) Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence

How to Make:

1.  Butter an 18cm square tin.
2. In a BIG saucepan add the water, butter, caster sugar and golden syrup and stir until the butter has melted.

3. Add the condensed milk and bring to the boil.
4. Boil, stirring continuously until the mixture reaches 118 degrees C or 240 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Take pan off the hear and stir in vanilla extract.

6. Beat the mixture with a wooden spoon until a heavy trail is formed by the mixture when dropped from the spoon.
7. Pour into the prepared tin.
8. When the mixture is almost cool mark the fudge into squares with a sharp knife. Cut when completely cold.

(The recipe is from The Cook's Scrapbook.)

Cinnamon Buns

One of the many things that my flatmates at Uni have in common apart from a love of dancing, partying and Bibi's cupcakes is anything we can bake together so when Millie suggested making Cinnamon Buns just like her mum used to we jumped at the chance. Here is the recipe we used and a picture of the buns. Despite the time it takes to let the dough prove and the number of steps this recipe is relatively simple and the cinnamon butter which acts as the centre of the dough is really delicious!

For the dough

• 500g/1lb 2oz strong white flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 50g/1¾oz light brown sugar
• 15g/1oz fresh yeast or 1½ tsp dried yeast
• 75g/3oz butter, softened
• 200ml/7fl oz milk
• 2 free-range eggs
•  

For the filling

• 100g/3½oz light brown sugar
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 100g/3½oz butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

For the syrup

• 50g/2oz icing sugar
• 1 tbsp water

Preparation method

1. Mix together the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl. Crumble in the fresh yeast (or stir in the dried yeast). Rub the softened butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips until there are no large lumps of butter. (It does not have to be as fine as breadcrumbs, as you would do with a crumble.)
2. Make a well in the flour mixture. Pour the milk into the well and crack in one egg. Bring the dough together with your hands or with a spatula. This is quite a soft, supple dough - if it feels a little wet and sticky, don't panic. Keep mixing and the flour will absorb the liquid.
3. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and knead for 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cut a small piece off and stretch the dough as thin as you can – if you can see light shining through the dough and you can see the shadow of your fingers held behind the thinnest part, it is ready.
4. Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to prove for about 80-90 minutes.
5. In a small mixing bowl, beat the sugar and cinnamon into the softened butter with a fork until well combined. Set aside.
6. Lightly grease the base and sides of a deep roasting tin roughly 34x24cm/13x9in with butter and line with baking parchment.
7. When the dough has nearly doubled in size, tip it out of the bowl and knock the air out. Roll the dough into a rectangle, the thickness of a pound coin. The long side of the rectangle should be about 30cm/12in long.
8. Spread the cinnamon paste over the surface of the dough, ensuring the paste reaches all the edges.
9. Starting with a long side of the rectangle, roll the dough up into a sausage shape. Flour the work surface and lay the rolled dough on top of the flour before cutting into rolls into 12 equal slices.
10. Place the slices side by side, with the spiral facing up, into the lined roasting tin. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to prove again for about 45 minutes.
11. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
12. When the buns have risen and feel springy to the touch, they are ready to bake. Beat the remaining egg and egg yolk together in a small bowl, and brush the tops of the buns with egg glaze. This will give the buns a shine and lovely colour.
13. Bake the buns at 200C/400F/Gas 6 for 10 minutes and then lower the oven temperature to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Cook for a further 20 minutes.
14. While the buns are baking, make the syrup. Mix the sugar and water into a paste.
15. When the buns have finished baking, remove them from the oven and brush with the syrup.
 
 

 

Enjoy xx