My quest to bake everything in Mary Berry’s Baking Bible continues apace with some Easter baking: Hot Cross Buns and Easter biscuits. I have baked hot cross buns before, although I’ve never bothered with the pastry crosses. To be honest, I don’t think I’ll bother with them again. They’re a bit of a faff at the point when you just want to get the buns baking – the sooner they’re in the oven, the sooner you can sample them!
I weighed everything out last night, so that I could get the mixer on while still bleary-eyed and then pop them into the airing cupboard to prove while still drinking that first cup of coffee. I used some of that lovely fairly-traded golden caster sugar for its colour and Dove’s yeast, which I recommend. It’s reliable and versatile – some recipes ask for grams, some for teaspoons etc and it’s much easier than messing about with the sachets. (It comes in an orange packet and I usually get it from Waitrose.)
Overall, I was reasonably happy with the results and at the speed they’re going, the rest of the family have no objections either, which is all that matters. (If you’re wondering about the plate below, eldest B made it and it is the night sky with constellations on and very pretty it is too.)
While the buns were baking, I got on with making the Easter biscuits, It was a simple dough, which is rolled out and cut. Part-way through cooking, one brushes them with egg white, sprinkles over some sugar and then a few more minutes in the oven sees them done. Predictably enough, B&B said I should have used a more Easter-themed cutter than just a fluted, round one. I blame it on following the recipe again, but I’ve been told that’s not good enough! It’s a fair point, particularly as we’ve got a cupboard full of different cutters. Still, they tasted okay.
Sheri's Baking Adventures 