The familiar aroma of cinnamon and spice signals a prelude to Easter festivities at Green Leaves Early Learning Moonee Beach. Each year, the children enjoy a special Easter-themed culinary class to make some hot cross buns. The class is led by the talented centre Chef, who is the creative mind behind all the fresh and nutritious seasonal menus (and not to mention awe-inspiring birthday cakes) at Green Leaves Moonee Beach. The hot cross buns are always very popular with the children – everything tastes better when you’ve made it yourself and share amongst friends.
We hope you’ll enjoy this recipe as much as we do!
Ingredients:
Dough:
3 teaspoons yeast
½ cup caster sugar
1 ½ cups just warm milk*
4 ½ cups plain flour
2 teaspoons each cinnamon and all spice
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups sultanas
1 tablespoon orange zest
60g unsalted butter*
1 egg- room temperature
¼ to ½ cup extra flour for kneading
Crosses:
½ cup flour
5 tablespoons water – mixed together and placed in a small piping bag
Glaze:
1 tablespoon apricot jam
2 teaspoons water – warmed and brushed on when buns come out of the oven
Method:
- Place yeast, flour, sugar, spices, and salt in a large bowl. Briefly mix.
- Add butter, egg, milk, sultanas, and zest.
- Mix with a wooden spoon until combined then tip onto a floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes until smooth.
- Put dough back in the bowl and cover with glad wrap. Place in a warm, draught-free place so it can rise until doubled in size.
- Line a tray with baking paper. Remove glad wrap from dough and punch it down.
- Place on a floured work surface, and form into a log. Cut into 12 even pieces.
- Take one piece of dough and flatten, then use your fingers to gather it into a ball, briefly roll to smooth out. Place the ball smooth side up on prepared tray and repeat for the rest of the dough. Line buns up 3×4. Preheat oven to 180*c.
- Lightly spray some glad wrap with spray oil and cover tray loosely, let it rise again for about 40 mins, to about ¾ size.
- When they have finished rising again pipe crosses on slowly.
- Bake for about 25 mins or a nice golden colour.
- When they come out of the oven brush with warm glaze and place on a wire rack to cool.
These delicious hot cross buns are best enjoyed warm with lashings of butter, or plain, if you like!
*Note: For a dairy-free version, you can replace milk with rice milk, and use Nuttlex instead of butter.
Centre: Recipe courtesy of Green Leaves Early Learning Moonee Beach