HOT CROSS BUNS WITH PEEL AND RAISINS

Photo: Lisa Oosthuizen

675 g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, mixed spice or ground ginger
1 grating nutmeg
60 ml brown sugar
80 ml mixed peel
60 ml seedless raisins
8 ml yeast
1 cup warm milk
100 g soft butter
2 extra large eggs – beaten
For the crosses:
125 ml self-raising flour
15 ml butter
1 ml baking powder
125 ml milk
For the glaze:
125 ml sugar
1 cup boiling water
Mix all the dry ingredients into a bowl. Stir through peel and raisins.
Mix wet ingredients and yeast in a jug and whisk to combine.
Make a well in the centre of dry ingredients and add milk mixture. Mix well to form a soft dough.
Tip dough onto a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes or until soft and elastic. Set aside to rise until doubled in size.
Knock dough back and divide into 16 small balls. Place balls on a greased baking tray slightly apart (about 2cm). Set aside to rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
Crosses:
Mix flour, butter and baking powder with enough water to make a slightly runny paste.
Spoon paste into a piping bag (or Ziploc bag with the tip snipped off). Pipe thin crosses onto buns.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
Mix glaze ingredients together and brush hot buns with glaze. Leave in a switched off oven, that’s still warm, for 5 minutes to set glaze.
Remove and cool on a wire rack.