Hot Cross Buns for Easter

625g strong white flour

2 tsp mixed spice

25g butter

85g sugar

zest of 1 orange

1 and 1/2 tsp yeast

1 egg

275g tepid milk

125g mixed fruit

100g marzipan

3 tbsp melted apricot jam

 

Add the flour and mixed spice to a mixing bowl then rub in the butter. Make a well and add the sugar, zest and  yeast. Pour in the egg and tepid milk and combine to a dough. Lightly knead for 5 minutes.

Cover and leave to rise for an hour.

Knock the dough back and leave to rise for a further 30 minutes.

Divide into 12 equal pieces. I added the pieces to a greased a mini loaf tin but you could roll the pieces into balls. Leave to rise again for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 240C/Gas 8.

Roll the marzipan into thin strips for the crosses on the buns. Add the strips onto the buns to make the cross.

Bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown. When they come out the oven, brush the hot jam over.

Chilli Cheese Pinwheels

500g strong white flour

350g tepid water

7g yeast

pinch of salt

 

small block of chilli cheese, or any cheese of your choice

4 chillies, finely chopped

 

Combine the dough ingredients and knead for about 10 minutes. Leave to rise for an hour.

Roll out into a rectangle, sprinkle over the chillies and grate the cheese on top. Roll the far edge towards yourself like a swiss roll, then cut into thick strips. Lay the circles flat into a greased baking tray, spread apart. Leave to rise for a further hour.

Bake in at gas 6/200C for thirty minutes or until golden brown.

 

 

 

Jamie Oliver's Orange Curd Tart

Really tasty recipe by Jamie Oliver. The recipe uses a lot of eggs though, so it's a bit indulgent. I've altered it slightly, just to fit round what ingredients I had.

6 egg yolks

200g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Zest and juice of 3 oranges

Lime juice (to make the orange juice up to 230ml)

4 eggs

250g butter

 

For the pastry,

100g icing sugar

250g plain flour

125g butter

Zest of 1 orange

1 egg

Splash of milk

 

Pulse the pastry ingredients in a food processor until it forms a dough and chill. Preheat oven to 180C/gas 4.

In a saucepan on a low heat, whisk all the filling ingredients apart from the butter. Keep whisking for 5 minutes until it starts to thicken. Add the butter in chunks and keep whisking for about 15 minutes until thick.

Roll out the dough and line the pastry into a 25cm tart tin. Bake blind for 15 minutes, then remove the baking beans and cook for a further 10-15 minutes until golden brown.

Fill the tart when still warm.

 

Definitely worth making.

 



Pecan Bourbon and Cinnamon Buns

 

I made these from Stacie Stewart's new cookbook, Stacie Bakes. Great recipe, I didn't have enough pecans so added a few walnuts.

Here's me getting my book signed at The Cake and Bake Show in London...

 

 

Fig and Cheese Bagels

I got this recipe from The Great British Bake Off Showstoppers book.

The original recipe was for fig, walnut and gruyere bagels. The walnuts and gruyere was meant to be drizzled on top after they baked. I didn't have any gruyere so just sprinkled on cheddar when they came out of the oven.

The recipe made twelve, so I froze most them.

They still taste great defrosted.