Hot Cross Buns - in pictures

find the recipe (or look it up on the family blog)

proving the yeast (with measured water and brown sugar)

rub butter into sifted dry ingredients, measure out the fruit, add remaining sugar to remaining water with the salt


add the liquid and kneed (till outer surface shiny, not sticky), kneed in fruit and leave to double in size in a warm place (covering with a teatowel or napkin keeps it cosy)

cut into 16-18 pieces, form into buns, leave to rise and double in size

dribble or pipe the crosses with the paste

when cooked, brush with the glaze and eat warm with butter

Quince Paste

Autumn/Easter means quince are around. This recipe is a bit of a chore but it's worth it. Quince paste is great for a cheese platter or an accompaniment for lamb.

8 quinces washed
1 cup water
juice of one lemon
sugar

Cut quinces into chunks and place into a large saucepan with a tight fitting id with water and lemon juice. Cook over a moderate heat for approximate half an hour or until quite tender.

Puree the pulp (I use my hand sieve but you could use a food processor) and weigh puree. Mix puree with three-quarters of its weight of sugar.

Return to wide-based, heavy saucepan and cook over a moderate heat, STIRRING PRETTY MUCH CONSTANTLY!, until the paste leaves the sides of the pan and the colour is a deep red. This takes two hours or more. The mixture gets really thick and becomes hard to push the spoon through.

Cool mixture slightly and pour into and oiled tray lined with greaseproof paper or plastic containers. Dry mixture in a warm place for several days (not that I notice much of a difference). When dry, wrap paste well in greaseproof paper and then in foil. It stores indefinitely in an airtight container.

Cut into slices (or use a biscuit cutter to make a shape) for serving.

Simnel Cake

Well, I've had to have helpers come over to help me eat the trial run of Hot Cross Buns, and a friend came over with some Simnel Cake that we could help HER eat! This scrummy cake is found in the Edmonds cookbook and is also an Easter tradition in the Wong household. Placed around the edge, are eleven marzipan balls to represent the true apostles of Jesus; Judas is omitted. (I notice that Wikipedia tells us there is also a layer of marzipan icing on top, but Kay did not ice it this time)

350g Marzipan
250g butter
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cup sultanas
1 1/2 cup currants
1/2 cupmixed peel
1/2 cup glacé cherries, chopped

Roll out marzipan on greaseproof paper dusted with icing sugar to fit a 22cm round cake tin. Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift flour and baking powder together. Mix in sultanas, currants, peel and cherries. Fold into creamed mixture. Place half the mixture in the greased and lined cake tin. Cover with marzipan layer then the remaining cake mixture. Smooth top. Bake at 150 degC for 2 hours. Reduce heat to 130 degC and bake a further 1/2-1 hour or until an inserted skewer comes out clean when tested. Leave to cool in tin.

Trial run before Easter....

They taste good too!

Hot Cross Buns

1 lb plain flour
2 oz butter
3 oz soft brown sugar
1/2 pint water
1/2 oz dried yeast
3 oz currants
1 oz sultanas
1 oz chopped mixed peel
1 level tsp salt
4 level tsp mixed spice

For the tops: 1oz plain flour, and a little water
Glaze: 1 leve dsp castor sugar, 2 dsp milk

Put dried yeast into a small bowl with one level tsp of the measured soft brown sugar. Heat the water to a comforatble hand temperature then whisk half of it into the yeast and sugar with a fork and leave in a warm place until the the yeast dissolves and froth starts to form.10- 15 mins.

Add salt and the remaining sugar to rest of the water.

Put flour and spices in a bowl and rub in the butter. Make a well and pour the liquids into the well. Mix.

Knead the dough for at least five minutes,adding dried fruit just before setting the dough to rise. Leave for about 30 minutes (or longer if necessary).

Turn dough on to lightly floured board, cut into 18 pieces and form each into a round bun. Lay on greased baking tray and leave to rise.

Mix the flour for tops with a very little water to make a thick batter. Put mixture into a piping bag and pipe crosses on top of each bun. Cook in hot oven 425F for 15 - 20 mins.

Dissolve sugar in milk, bring to the boil and brush over the buns when they are cooked. Must be eaten with butter - not margarine or any other ersatz spread.

PS: Check out my "hot cross blocks" quilt in progress!

Easter Rituals

It's that time of the year again as we all scratch around for our copy of the Hot Cross Buns recipe! So I thought I would set up a blog so that all the family can post their favourite recipes on it. Note that the privacy settings are such that others can view the blog (make our recipes!) and leave comments. Happy Easter!