One a penny, two a penny...

Hot cross buns!

It IS Easter after all, how could I not?

This was my first attempt at these delicious traditional buns, so don't judge too harshly.

I followed Mary Berry's recipe, which is as follows:

450g strong white flour
1 level tsp salt
1 level tsp ground mixed spice
1 level tsp cinnamon
1/2 level tsp freshly grated nutmeg
7g sachet fast action yeast
50g caster sugar
50g butter, melted and cooled
150ml tepid milk
5 tbsp tepid water
1 large egg
75g currants (although I used 100g)
50g chopped candied peel (I could not find this ANYWHERE so mine are unfortunately, without.)
2tbsp granulated sugar (to glaze)
2tbsp water (to glaze)

Lightly grease two baking trays. Measure the flour, salt, spices, yeast and sugar into a large bowl and stir to mix. Make a well in the centre and pour in the melted butter, milk, water and eggs, adding the currants and peel to the mixture last.

Mix to a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave to rise until the dough has risen and doubled in size, about an hour and a half. (Because this is enriched dough, it will take longer to rise than plain dough.)

Pre-rise dough

Post-rise dough

Turn the risen dough out on to a lightly floured work surface again and knead for 2-3 minutes. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and shape each one into a round bun. Make the cross on top of each bun with a knife, then place onto the prepared baking trays, cover with cling film and leave to rise again in a warm place until doubled in size. This should take about half an hour.

Post-rise buns

Preheat the oven t0 220 degrees Celcius (fan 200)/ Bake the buns for about 15 minutes until brown and hollow sounded when tapped on the bottom. While the buns are baking, dissolve the sugar in the water over a gentle heat. As soon as the buns come out of the oven, brush them with the syrup to give a sticky glaze.

Ta-da!

Toasted and slathered in butter; perfect.

Orange and Sultana Traybake

This was the result of a baking urge that simply could not be suppressed.

Turning to faithful Mary Berry on the bottom shelf of my bookcase, this was the only thing I fancied that we had the ingredients for.

A good thing too! It turned out to be delicious.

AND these would make a delicious Easter treat due to their traditional orange flavouring, rather like a hot cross bun in a cake, don't you think?

Recipe:
225g softened butter
225g caster sugar
275g self-raising flour
2 level teaspoons baking powder
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons of milk
275g sultanas
grated rind of 2 oranges
demerara sugar, to sprinkle
225g icing sugar
freshly squeezed orange juice

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius (fan 160). Grease a 30x23cm traybake tin then line the base with baking parchment.

Measure all the cake ingredients into a large bowl and  beat until well blended. Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes then sprinkle the top with demerara sugar and return to the oven for a further 10-15 minutes or until the cake has shrunk from the edges of the tin.

Leave to cool in the tin, then cut into slices. Make up the icing, and drizzle generously over the top.
Decorate as you choose, I used Lakeland orange and citrus sprinkles.

Marzipan and Cherry Easter Cupcakes

One of my most recent creations, inspired by a recipe on the ever faithful UKTV good food website (or is it BBC now? I can never tell!)

Moist vanilla sponge filled with chunks of delicious melty marzipan and sweet glacé cherries - the very essence of Easter flavouring.

I also added almond extract to the sponge for that extra flavour.

And of course, what else on top but cadburys mini eggs? Easter wouldn't be the same without them.

I made these after being home from university for a week or so, recovering from a rather nasty chest infection. But when fully recovered, I simply could not return without cake!

Happy Good Friday everyone, I hope you enjoy making these as a little Easter treat!

Recipe here: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/10391/

*NOTE -  Grating marzipan is a nightmare, I added it in chunks and it still worked just as well, and I added almond extract. Make up the icing with fresh orange juice instead of water for extra flavour.*