20 April 2014

Thermomix Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns become an everyday treat thanks to Thermomix

I made my first batch of hot cross buns in my Thermomix about three years ago and haven’t looked back since. My best friend in the kitchen makes short work of a sometimes complex recipe and allows me to make these tasty treats more often – as if I needed an excuse 😉

I use this recipe from the UK Thermomix recipe collection which you can find here. Many thanks to UK Thermomix, Janie Turner and recipe creator PaulKaju!

Grinding flour, salt, spices, rind and sugar. — Grinding flour, salt, spices, rind and sugar

Hot Cross Buns – Paul Kaju
Thermomix owner Paul Kaju lives in Singapore and can’t easily find some ingredients available in the UK like chopped mixed peel and mixed dried fruit, so this recipe uses fresh citrus peels and individual dried fruits instead. The flavour is wonderful, and they won’t last long. Makes 12.

I used dried cranberries and a mixture of dried fruits and nuts for my Thermomix hot cross buns

Ingredients
450 g strong bread flour (white or brown or a mixture)
1 tsp salt
2 rounded tsp ground cinnamon
3 heaped tsp whole allspice berries or 2 rounded tsp ground allspice
15 g fresh yeast or 2 tsp activated dry yeast (do not use instant yeast)
thinly peeled rind of 1 orange, 1 lemon and 1 lime, preferably all organic
110 g granulated sugar
50 g unsalted butter, softened
260 g milk
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla
150 g raisins or sultanas (I used dried cranberries for added tang)
75 g natural glacé cherries

Paste
40 g plain flour
1 Tbsp sugar
50 g water

Here I am piping the paste onto my hot cross buns before baking - with a plain old plastic bag ;-) — Here I am piping the paste onto my hot cross buns before baking – with a plain old plastic bag 😉

Glaze
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp marmalade or jam

Method

1. Mix flour, salt, spices, (dried yeast if using dried), rind and sugar. Grind 30 seconds/Speed 10.

2. Add butter, milk, egg, (fresh yeast if using fresh) and vanilla. Mix 20 seconds/Speed 3.

3. Add raisins and cherries (or use 230 g mixed dried fruit instead). Knead 3 minutes/Dough Setting. Tip out into a greased large bowl and leave covered to rise slowly in a cool room for 6 hours or overnight.

4. Punch down the dough to release the air. Divide into 12 buns and place into a greased roasting or baking tin about 15 x 25 cm. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave in a warm place to rise for 90 minutes or until doubled in size (may take 2 to 5 hours if using dried yeast).

5. Place a bowl on top of the TM lid and weigh in the paste ingredients. Whisk with a fork until smooth and place in a small plastic bag. Make a very small snip in one corner of the bag at an angle then squeeze out the mixture to pipe a cross on each bun. Bake at 180°C/350°F/gas 4 for 10 minutes then reduce to 150°C/300°F/gas 3 and bake further 15 minutes. Aga Ovens: bake 12 to 15 minutes on the rack set on the floor of the Roasting Oven.

6. Mix glaze. Brush hot cross buns with glaze straight after they are removed from the oven. Leave in the tin about 30 to 45 minutes then serve slightly warm or cool.