Today we’ve commenorated 1 year since the First UK Lockdown was announced. It is hard to believe that so many of our loved ones, aren’t here to look forward to what is our 2nd Easter under restrictions.
For me, its my second missed Good Friday communion service at Three Crosses. It has become a tradition for me to mark the hour of Jesus’ passing at the Holy Communion table with such good friends.
God willing it is a tradition that will return, maybe next year. In the meantime, I think it doubly important to observe the traditions of the season or put better; “the reason for the season”. Bunnies, eggs, and chicks are the signs of spring. Together with lamb on the menu. The Christian traditions would include fish on Good Friday, and ‘Hot Cross Buns’.
I have managed to write a recipe that is as traditional as possible whilst being lighter and more diet friendly at the same time. Losing a little sugar and fat, and delivering on flavour.
The recipe is in 3 parts; dough, cross, & glaze.
For the bun
- 500g Wholemeal Bread Flour
- 300ml lactose free skimmed milk
- 50g Clover Light spread
- 7g Fast Acting yeast
- 1tbsp Sunflower oil
- 1tsp salt
- 75g caster sugar
- 75g Sultanas
- zest of an Orange
- 1 Apple peeled, cored and thinly chopped
- 1 tsp ground Cinnamon
For the cross
- 75g Plain flour
- 5Tbsp water
For the Glaze
- 3Tbsp reduced sugar or diabetic Marmalade
Method
- Warm the milk in a pan until it comes to the boil & add the Clover. Set a side and allow to cool until you can touch the milk.
- In the boil of a stand mixer, place the Wholemeal flour, salt, sugar, yeast and oil.
- Start the mixer on the slowest setting and gradually introduce the milk and spread mix
- Beat and add the egg
- Continue mixing and increase the speed to ‘middle’ for 8 – 10 minutes until you
- Place the dough in well oiled dish and cover with clingfilm and allow to prove for an hour in a warm spot.
- Returning the dough to the mixer, continue kneading adding the the fruit and spice
- After 5 minutes or so, return to the dish, recover and place back in the warm for another hour.
- In a small bowl add the plain flour and start adding the water one tablespoon at a time to make a simple paste
- Place in an icing bag with the smallest nozzle you have
- When the dough is ready roll out on a flour surface and knead for a couple of minutes before spreading into individual balls of dough, approximately 75g each
- Place each dough ball on a parchment lined baking sheet allowing sufficient space for further rising
- Place a clean tea towel over the filled tray and return to the warm place and allow to rise a further hour
- Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/Gas mark 7
- Taking the icing bag, make a cross along each bun, ensuring paste is applied from the side to side not just the top of the bun.
- Bake for 20 minutes
- On the hob heat 3 tablespoons of Marmalade until melted
- As soon as the buns come out of the oven, pour the melted jam over, generously and allow to cool at room temperature
Compared to the best the mass produced supermarket has to offer these lighter option buns compare on the level of SYNS as say Aldi. The difference is these are considerably larger and therefore more fillling.
I have used a few calculators and formulae & managed to get some nutritional values. Please use as a guide and not as an exact.
SYNS
9 per portion
Calories
182
Carbs
31.3/5.8sugars
Happy Easter – the season that celebrated the end being the beginning ✝️
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Tags: Easter, hot cross buns, Lighter version, medium difficulty, Tradition, Wholemeal