There's something about the impending long weekend that accompanies Easter -- and the inescapable invasion of hot cross buns marching like fluffy little soldiers across the shelves of every bakery and grocery store in Sydney -- that makes me want to bake. My history with hot cross buns is well documented and this year, thanks to the universe sending inspiring flavours my way, my head was full of orange & almond brioche and orange & coconut pull apart bread and that challah I made a … [Read more...]
No-Knead Hot Cross Buns
Every so often I think that I'd like to be one of those people who post relevant, seasonal, festive recipes for every imaginable holiday... Then reality and life set in and I get over it pretty quickly (haha). But amazingly I've managed to post a hot cross bun recipe every year, except for the first, since I started this little corner of the internet. 2012 kicked off the Easter parade with Sour Cherry, Orange and Earl Grey Hot Cross Buns. 2013 and 2014 were two of my faves with … [Read more...]
Rainbow Swirl Hot Cross Buns
It's not the first time I've made rainbow food and coloured it using only natural (from nature not from a lab) ingredients. It's also not the first time I've made slightly out-there Hot Cross Buns. And I'd love to tell you that I made these a million ways and this is the best but truth be told time got the better of me this year and right now done is better than shelved for another year. In theory veggie powders would work a treat but fresh produce was all I had so that's what … [Read more...]
Banana Split Hot Cross Buns
I'd been thinking about Hot Cross Buns for weeks. It happens every Easter, so it wasn't a surprise really, however this year it was Chocolate Hot Cross Buns that were hopping through my mind like a hyperactive bunny. But everyone and their mother has made Chocolate Hot Cross Buns and the bunny got bored with my lack of creativity, then hand on hip it tapped its foot and whistled and refused to make eye contact. And so it was, as it hopped off on another lap of my brain, that the wheels … [Read more...]
Hot Cross Bun French Toast & Mixed Fruit Compote
The sentiment of this recipe (and for that matter this post) hovers between "why not?" and "well of course I did, are you really surprised?". Hot Cross Buns -- with all their soft and fluffy filled with spice and love glory -- are best on the day, or day after, they are pulled from the oven. Not that they taste any less brilliant beyond that point, but like any homemade bread they need something to refresh them slightly. Toasting and smearing with curd or butter certainly … [Read more...]
Sticky Date & Chai Hot Cross Buns
It's been a bit busy on the work front, and subsequently a bit quiet around here lately, but I couldn't let Easter pass without yet another Hot Cross Bun recipe. Spiked with chai tea and plenty of spices, the dates are kneaded into the dough creating swirls throughout the soft, just-sweet buns. Simple and a bit moody (the day, the buns and the styling), they gave me the perfect excuse to pull out my new crafty, DIY tiled background. Half of these went to work with RJ, the other half … [Read more...]
French Butter Pastry – or the flakiest, strangest, most genius pie crust you’ll ever make
I fear I've been a little, flaky, lately. I'm trying to keep up appearances but somewhere among all the sauces and drinks and sugar laden treats round these parts I feel a touch lost. My Berry Filled Hot Cross Buns were a redemption of sorts but I look at all the unpublished, healthy meals sitting on my computer and in my camera and simply sigh. In addition to the usual juggling act there is quite a big project I've been working on and a few other things that will hopefully come through … [Read more...]
