Weekend baking.....

so easter is coming...and what more than to cook up a storm of hot cross buns on a sunday afternoon!. these little beauties turned out fantastic..way better than thestore bought ones....and they weren't too hard to make either!

recipe adapted from 'the good taste collection by

Anneka Manning'

5 cups plain flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 sachets dried yeast

1 tsp salt1 1/2 tsp mixed spice

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup sultanas

1 1/2 cups milk

60g butter cubed

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 egg, extra lightly whisked

flour paste:

1/2 cup plain flour

1/4 cup water

glaze:

1/4 cup caster sugar

2 tbsp water

so here goes....combine, flour, sugar, yeast, sultanas and spices in a large mixing bowl

Heat the milk and butter over heat in saucepan until butter melts, remove from heat and whisk in egg. Add to dry ingredients and mix to a soft dough. Turn out on floured surface and

knead for 15mins until smooth and elastic.

Place dough in greased bowl and cover with damp teatowel for 1-1 1/2

hours until doubled in size.

turn onto floured surface and knead for 2-3 mins until smooth. Preheat oven to 210 deg. brush a lamington pan with melted butter to grease. divide dough into 12 equal portions. make each into ball and place in pan. cover with damp teatowel and prove for 30-60mins til doubled in size.

brush the buns with lightly whisked egg.

Meanwhile to make paste place flour and water in bowl and beat until smooth. put in zip lock bag and cut the corner and pipe out crosses on the buns.

bake in preheated oven for 10mins, then reduce the temp to 180deg and bak

e a further 15-20mins until the buns are cooked and hollow sound to the touch on the base.

to make glaze, heat sugar and water stirring until sugar dissolves, simmer for 3o secs and brush onto the buns when straight out of oven. turn onto wire rack and serve with lashings of butter! delish!!!