Apple hot cross buns

Whatever Easter means to you, I think we all like to indulge in some chocolate and or hot cross bun goodness.

I love hot cross buns at Easter (and I'm rather fond of cross-less buns through the rest of the year!). We used to buy our hot cross buns from a certain supermarket that makes delicious hot cross buns, but it has been brought to our attention (and most other Aussies through the joy of Facebook) that they contain palm oil - not good. So to enjoy your buns guilt free, either buy them from a palm oil free bakery, or make your own!

In the Southern Hemisphere, Easter falls at prime apple season, so to me, it makes sense to combine the two. I decided to do this for the kitchen garden program I ran at school a few weeks ago and found this recipe at gourmet traveller. Great recipe, but it includes quite a few ingredients that are obscure (expensive) and two provings - not great for kids and school time constraints. So I adapted the recipe and the results were delicious!! (Though my piping bag broke while I made this batch, so they're not the prettiest hot cross buns ever - but they are homemade and very yummy)

By all means add in a second proving to this recipe, but it works well without if you don't have time (or patience).

Enjoy and have a lovely Easter!

Apple Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients for apples

200g of sugar
300ml water
2 apples, unpeeled, cored and cut into small dices
½ tsp of cinnamon

Ingredients for buns

Apples (from above)
700g of plain flour
200g of sultanas
2 tsp cinnamon
2 sachets of yeast
300ml of milk
100g butter, coarsely chopped
1 egg
Extra flour for kneading

Ingredients for crosses

70ml of water
Enough plain flour to make a paste

Method Part 1

1.    To prepare the apples, place the sugar, water, chopped apples and cinnamon into a saucepan.  Heat on the stove over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
2.    Bring up to a simmer, then reduce temperature to low and simmer until the apples are transparent (about 5-10 minutes)
3.    Drain, reserving syrup AND apples.

Method Part 2

4.    While apples cool, measure and mix together the dry ingredients for the buns.
5.    Measure the milk into a glass measuring jug and add the butter.  Heat in microwave for 3 minutes (until butter is melting.
6.    Add milk mix, apples and egg to the dry ingredients
7.    Mix the mixture well, first using a spoon and then using your hands.
8.    Knead the dough for 5-10minutes
9.    Divide the dough into 24 pieces.
10. Roll each piece of dough into a ball and place the balls of dough on trays with 1cm gap between them.  Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise for at least 30 minutes.

Method Part 3

11. Meanwhile, prepare the paste for the crosses. Preheat the oven to 220⁰C
12. After rising, using a piping bag (or a spoon) to drizzle the cross paste onto the buns in the shape of a cross.
13. Place buns into the oven to cook for 8-10 minutes until risen and golden.
14. Remove from the oven and brush with reserved apple syrup.  Cool; on wire racks.