Hot Cross Buns

I love a warmly spiced hot cross bun, especially around Easter. Actually, if I'm honest, I will eat them at any time given the choice! The problem is the high carb count in regular buns. I've just discovered the joys of FiberFlour and one of my first experiments were these buns. The recipe is based on the Bread Machine recipe found in the recipes here on this page. It is a 2 step process if you want mixed peel in the buns but I guess you could skip this if you want to reduce the time and just make plain spiced buns.

As a diabetic I need to keep my carbs down so I've skipped adding in fruit (raisins), made sugar-free mixed peel (because I think this is an integral flavour) and skipped adding the cross. Each bun as it stands is approximately 8 carbs per serving.

INGREDIENTS & INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1

Mixed Peel

1 x Orange, peel only

1 x Lemon, peel only

1/2 cup sweetener of your choice

1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar

1 cup water

1. Peel the orange and lemon thinly with as little pith as possible and cut into thin strips

2. Bring a pot of water up to a boil and drop in the citrus slices. Simmer the peel for 1 minute, then strain and drop into ice water, Repeat.

3. Discard the water after each boil.

3. Refill the pot with fresh measured water and add the sugar. Bring this up to a simmer then add the orange and lemon peel and simmer gently, uncovered, for about 10 mins translucent (but not completely).

4. Store the peel, refrigerated and in the syrup for up to a month or to make Candied Peel, remove the pot from the heat and drain peel on rack over parchment or on dehydrator rack with non-stick under grid. When cool, dip in granulated sweetener and leave to dry overnight.

STEP 2

Hot Cross Buns - makes 12

150gr warm water

150gr warm milk

2 tbl butter, soft

1 egg

300gr FiberFlour

200gr Ultrafine FiberFlour

1 tsp salt (6gr)

2 tsp baking powder

1.5 tsp ground cinnamon

3 tsp ground Mixed Spice

3 tbl sweetener (30gr)

2 tsp Instant Active Yeast

50gr prepared mixed peel

Mix warm milk and water (take care this isn't too hot otherwise it might kill the yeast). Add the butter and egg and mix again. Measure out both FiberFlours, salt, baking powder, spices and yeast, remember to add the yeast and salt into opposite sides of the bowl (salt can also kill yeast). I used a Kenwood mixer and mixed this for 5 minutes with the dough hook on low speed. Meanwhile remove mixed peel from syrup and snip into small squares. In the final minute or so of mixing, add in the snipped mixed peel and continue to mix so that it is evenly distributed in the dough.

Divide dough into 12 and roll into buns. Place onto baking parchment in a suitable tray. Cover (I put the tray into a plastic box with a lid) and set aside in a warm place for 1-2 hours to allow the buns to rise to double their size. If your kitchen is a little cooler, you made need a little longer. Be patient and allow them to rise properly.

Preheat the oven to 180degC conventional and bake for 35 mins.

When they are cooked, remove them from the tray and allow them cool on a rack.

Once cool, the buns can be frozen. Remove to defrost, toast and spread butter on them. Hope you enjoy them.

If you prefer a lighter spice flavour adjust the spices down to 1 tsp ground Cinnamon and 2 tsp ground Mixed Spice.