Easter Treat

                                                  Happy Easter to All 


                                                Hot Cross Buns
                                    

Ingredients:  
1/3 cup Castor sugar                             2x 7g sachets dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm milk                           600g plain flour
pinch salt                                                1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. mixed spice                             60g butter, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten                             2/3 cup currants or sultanas your choice
Paste for Crosses
  1/2 cup plain flour
  4 tblsp. water
  2 tsp. Castor sugar
  Glaze
  1 tblsp. very hot water
  1 tsp. gelatine
  1 tblsp. Castor sugar




  Method:
Combine castor sugar, yeast and milk in a bowl, stir until smooth, cover and rest in a warm place for 10- 20 mins or until frothy.
   Sift flour, salt, cinnamon, and mixed spice into a large bowl. Use your fingertips to rub butter into flour mixture.  Stir in yeast mixture, egg and currants until well combined.
   Cover and rest in a warm place for 40-50 mins or until mixture has doubled in size.
   Preheat oven to 220degrees.
   Check on dough,  then turn dough onto a lightly floured surface/ board, and knead until smooth and elastic.  Divide dough into 16 even pieces and roll into balls. Place balls into a lightly greased pan lined with baking paper.
  Rest covered for 10-20 mins,  or until balls have risen to the top of pan.
Crosses
  Combine paste ingredients in a small bowl,  using a piping bag or similar,  pipe crosses over buns.
  Bake in oven for 20-25mins or until browned and cooked.
Glaze
 Combine glaze ingredients in a small bowl and stir until  sugar has dissolved.  Brush buns with warm glaze and cool on a wire rack.
  Makes 16 buns.