Hot cross buns

Some things are best "unmucked about with" - if you will excuse the appalling grammar.
We are not keen on the supermarkets' playing around with chocolate or sticky toffee versions of hot cross buns. It's quite possible that these are tasty treats, but they ain't hot cross buns in my book.
When it comes to Easter bread based rolls, we prefer the simplicity of a spiced fruit bun.

It's hard to come up with a totally original version of a traditional recipe - something of an contradiction really - but it's fun to play around with the classics and add your own take.

Of course, this all comes back to learning the basics in the first place and I started making hot cross buns with a recipe from one of my old and tatty faithfuls.........

..... but as my culinary confidence grew, I began to add a few tweaks of my own.

Here is my latest version of hot cross buns, not too far away from the original, because sometimes tradition is best.

Buns

1lb bread flour

1tsp dried yeast

1 tsp salt

½ pt milk

5 allspice berries

Pinch of saffron

Pared zest of 1 orange

2 oz butter

1 egg

6 oz sultanas or 4 oz sultanas and 2 oz candied lemon peel

Crosses

A few strips of left over short crust pastry - I always keep my offcuts in the freezer for topping tarts etc.

Alternatively make a paste of flour and water, with a teaspoon of sugar thrown in.

Glaze

1 Tblsp milk

1 Tblsp water

1 Tblsp sugar

Put the milk into a saucepan and warm gently with the saffron, allspice and orange zest. When it reaches a boil, turn off heat leave for an hour to infuse the flavours into the milk.

Add the butter and warm through slowly until the butter has just melted.

Put the sugar, yeast and salt in a large mixing bowl and strain the milk mixture over.

Swish round and leave for 15 minutes.

Add the flour, sultanas (and peel) and the egg.

Mix well with a wooden spoon, then turn out and knead for a good 5 minutes.

Return to a clean bowl and cover with cling film or a damp tea towel.

Leave to prove for an hour

Then you can put the whole lot into a greased 2lb loaf tin to make a simple loaf, or divide into rolls and line up two by two in one or two loaf tins 

or divide into 12 - 16 buns - you decide how big you want them - and place, well spaced, on a griddle plate.

Cover and prove for a further 45 minutes.

Paint the tops with water and place a pastry cross on each bun OR cut a cross into each one and drizzle in your flour paste with a teaspoon.

Bake buns for 15 - 20 mins at 200ºC or loaf for 35 - 40 mins at 180ºC

Put the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to the boil.

Paint the glaze over the tops of the still warm buns.

Netherton Foundry Shropshire  2016 ©

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk

Orange and brown sugar tart

A wibbly wobbly custardy tart, with citrus tones.................

Short crust pastry, made with 120g plain flour, 60g butter and enough cold water to bind it all together.

2 eggs
Grated rind of 2 oranges
Crushed seeds from 3 green cardamom pods
120g brown sugar
250g creme fraiche
100g caster sugar 
250ml water

Roll out the pastry and line an 8" flan dish.
Cook at 185ºC for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and cool while you make the filling.
Turn the oven down to 170ºC

Beat together the orange zest, eggs, brown sugar, cardamom seeds and creme fraiche.
Pour into the cooled pastry case and return to the oven for 30 minutes or until just set.
Cool.

Put the water and caster sugar in a saucepan and heat slowly until the sugar has dissolved.
Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer until reduced by half.
Slice one of the oranges thinly and place in the sugar syrup.
Poach for 20 - 30 minutes until the orange is really soft.

Drain the orange slices carefully and arrange on top of the flan.

Serve - this would be delightful with a chilled glass of Brown Brothers Orange Muscat and Flora wine.




 © Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2016