Chai Cookies

I was inspired to make these cookies when Gewürzhaus* kindly sent me some of their products last week. I got their Feel Good Hot Chocolate, but since I can’t eat chocolate they generously sent me a couple of their chai products too. Both the Chai Masala and Sugar are caffeine free, if you are making a chai from the powder you add your own tea to the pot. 

I decided to adapt my Grandma’s Gingernut Cookies and make them Chai Cookies using these delicious products. This recipe is quickly turning into a very adaptable favourite, and I can highly recommend making these crunchy chai spiced cookies. I used date syrup/molasses as it goes well with the chai spices, but treacle or golden syrup will work well if you don’t have any. These cookies do taste like chai, but also remind me of gingerbread too. Which is somewhat comforting, especially with a cup of tea (or chai or hot chocolate!). 

Gewürzhaus Masala Chai Sugar, Raj’s Magestic Chai Masala and Feel Good Hot Chocolate

Chai Cookies

Ingredients:

115g unsalted butter 

225g caster sugar

2 tbsp date syrup/molasses

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg, beaten

290g self raising flour

2 tsp Gewürzhaus Raj’s Magestic Chai Masala (ground)

Gewürzhaus Masada Chai Sugar (coarse), for dipping

Method:

Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius and line three large baking trays with baking paper.

In a small saucepan melt the butter over low-medium heat. Once the butter has melted remove from the heat and mix in the sugar, date syrup, vanilla and the egg. 

In a large bowl whisk together the flour and spice mix. 

Add the butter mixture to the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until combined.

Tip some of the chai sugar into a shallow bowl.

Roll heaped teaspoonfuls of the dough into balls and dip one side into the chai sugar and place on to the prepared trays chai sugar side up. The cookies will spread as they bake so leave enough room in between. 

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Rotate the trays in the oven about halfway through to ensure the cookies cook evenly.  

Allow to cool on their trays, then store in an airtight container. 

Makes about 30 cookies.

*Products Kindly Gifted by Gewürzhaus. 

Off The Shelf - 'The Jewish Cookbook' by Leah Koenig

Bought at: it was gifted to me for Christmas. 

Recipes Made: Jewelled Rice p.174, Chicken and Quince Tagine p.269, Babka p.324, Yeasted Hamantaschen p.342, Candied Quince p.404, Charoset pp.406-409 and Lekvar p.410.

I made the Jewelled Rice on the same night I made the Chicken and Quince Tagine, and wow did I use a lot of pots of pans that night! This is no simple rice dish, but it is very tasty and beautiful. For a more simple version in the future, I would probably make the baked rice with salsa from ‘Simple’ by Ottolenghi as I definitely found it hard to co-ordinate all the pots and pans on the stove and the cooking times to have everything ready along with the Chicken and Quince Tagine. 

Chicken and Quince Tagine + Jewelled Rice

The Chicken and Quince Tagine was a big hit, and after the quince are candied it’s not a difficult dish to make you just need a little time. I’d never had quince with chicken and of course it was a great pairing. I did use the recipe for Candied Quince from the book as the recipe says, but I think if you already had some poached quince you could definitely use that. I am hoping to make this again whilst quince are still about, I liked it so much! 

Babka

When I was making Babka a few months ago, I consulted a few recipes one of which was the Babka recipe in this book. Comparing recipes was really helpful, and the recipe I ended up with can be found here. The recipe in this book was for a Cinnamon-Golden Raisin Babka which I definitely need to go back and try without making any of my own adaptations!

Yeasted Hamantaschen

I had been wanting to try Yeasted Hamantaschen for a while, only ever having made the more shortcrust biscuit like version before. I was delighted when I saw Leah had a recipe for Yeasted Hamantaschen in her book, and I made my own version with Quince Lekvar. I altered the quantities of flour a little from the original recipe, check out my blog post on this recipe for more if you want to try making them (and for more information on what hamantaschen are and when they are traditionally made see this post!).

Making Candied Quince

I was intrigued by the Candied Quince in this book, and I wasn’t sure what the end result would be. I was sort of imagining candied fruit like you would candy orange slices etc, but this actually ended up being more a quicker version of poaching quince. I didn’t find my quince turned a deep ruby red (I’m not sure if this was to do with the variety of quince I used), but once added to the Chicken and Quince Tagine the colour really didn’t matter as the taste was so good!

My version of Charoset

In the lead up to the Jewish holiday of Passover I decided I wanted to play around and create my own version of Charoset. Charoset is traditionally eaten as part of the Passover Seder, and comprises fruit (dried and often fresh apple too) and sweet wine. Leah has six different Charoset recipes in this book, all from different parts of the Jewish diaspora. They all have some things in common but also differ slightly in other ways too. I took the parts of each I really liked - rolling Charoset into balls like the Kurdish version and using a combination of dates, figs and a variety of spices like the Yemenite version - to create my own. 

Quince Lekvar

Lekvar was something I had never heard of before. It is a fruit paste used in Central and Eastern European sweets made using dried friut and fruit juice. Prune and apricot are popular versions, but this got me thinking about other dried fruits I could use. I love dried quince, and decided to give making Lekvar a go with it, and it worked so well. I used my Lekvar to fill the Yeasted Hamantaschen I made and used the remainder to fill some untraditional rugelach made with cream cheese dough from the book ‘Beatrix Bakes’ (which were delicious!).

Beatrix Bakes Rugelach with Quince Lekvar

Favourite Things About the Book: My favourite thing about this book is how comprehensive it is. This really could be the one cookbook you own on Jewish food and you would have enough recipes to keep you going forever. And it covers the foods of the wider Jewish diaspora, not just the more common recipes from Eastern Europe (as good as those are!). There are recipes from Jews native to Italy, India, Georgia, Iraq and South Africa. There are even a few recipes which are relics from Jewish life in pre-Inquisition Spain and Spanish occupied Italy.

This book feels so well researched and collated, Leah has done such a great job of providing really interesting recipes and insights about their history, without the book tipping over into a reference book or making the reader feel overwhelmed with information. It remains firmly in the cookbook category, and even despite the lack of food photography (the book is 431 pages so images for each recipe isn’t possible), I find Leah’s writing and the information she is sharing through these recipes so engaging. Each time I pick this book up a different recipe stands out to me, and another post it note goes in to mark it’s importance. And as you can see in the photos of my copy, I have used a LOT of post it notes in this book - which is purely a testament to how many great recipes there are in this book. 

Leah really highlights and champions the diversity within Jewish cuisine, showing those of us who are still learning about the world’s Jewish communities and their food, how much more there is to discover outside of bagels and babka (though naturally recipes for both these carb filled delights that we all know and love are in the book too!). 

Bookmarked Recipes (to make later!): Caponata alla Giudia p.116, Vegetarian Cholent p.144, Jewish-Style Braised Fennel p.158, Potato Laktes p.184, Eggplant and Tomato Stew p.249, Mandelbrot p.334, Almond Cardamom Cookies p.348.

Rose Rocky Road Easter Eggs

The idea for this recipe came to me quite late in the piece. With only two weeks to go until Easter at the time I knew I would be lucky to get everything I needed in time. But with my ability to buy Easter treats severely limited this year, I felt I really needed to make something. And preferably something I would enjoy eating (which means no milk or dark chocolate!). 

I really liked the rocky road I made last year, and felt making it into a more Easter themed shape would be just perfect. I finally found some half Easter egg moulds online, they took ages to arrive hence why this post is only ready two days before Easter! 

I also decided to buy marshmallows rather than make my own. I thought making marshmallows right now just felt a little wasteful in terms of ingredients and since one batch makes so many, and I couldn’t really share them as I usually would, I thought buying some would be best. My favourite bought marshmallows are from Grounded Pleasures, so I bought their massive 700g box which will also hopefully get us through a few Wintery isolation hot chocolates too! 

Grounded Pleasures Marshmallows

This recipe is mostly an assembly job, and an even easier version of my Rose Rocky Road I posted last year. You can of course use other types of chocolate, and other moulds or cake tins to shape your rocky road. I made a Rocky Road Wreath for Grounded Pleasures at Christmas last year, so there is another idea for how to shape your rocky road.  

I prefer to use good quality chocolate, which is why the recipe is long as it needs to be properly tempered. You can use baking chocolate, just follow the instructions on the packet to melt and you shouldn’t need to temper as below. 

Tempering chocolate can be tricky, and I would definitely recommend a chocolate thermometer if using good quality chocolate. Don’t worry if it doesn’t turn out perfectly, if your chocolate blooms (if using milk or dark chocolate) it will still taste great and if it has trouble setting just store it in the fridge. I am definitely no expert when it comes to properly tempering chocolate, but it always tastes good regardless! Plus there are plenty of resources available online if you want to know more.

I hope everyone has a clam and quiet Easter/long weekend. Let me know in the comments if you have a go at making some rocky road or what other baking adventures you have been up too. 

Rose Rocky Road Easter Eggs

Ingredients: 

500g good quality white chocolate

pink colouring (suitable for use with chocolate)

rose flavouring (suitable for use with chocolate)

30g slivered almonds, roasted

160-170g marshmallows

dried edible flowers, for decoration (optional)

1 tsp freeze dried raspberry, for decoration (optional)

cooking spray

Method: 

Very lightly spray 6 medium half Easter eggs moulds (approx. 120ml capacity) with the cooking spray. Arrange the moulds on a tray with sides so the moulds aren’t about to move about too much. 

Have all the rocky road elements ready to go next to your prepared moulds.  

Place a small pot with a little water on the stove and allow to very gently simmer. Using another pot or bowl that will comfortably sit over the top of the water pot, measure out 300g of the white chocolate. 

Place this pot over the gently simmering water (ensuring the water does not touch the base of the pot above) and melt the chocolate. Ensure the chocolate is constantly stirred. Once the chocolate reaches 45 degrees Celsius on chocolate thermometer, remove from the heat and continue stirring while gradually adding the remaining 200g of white chocolate. Add a little at a time and allow to melt before adding more. 

Continue to check the temperature of the chocolate, once it has fallen to 34 degrees Celsius, the remaining chocolate should have all been added. Continue stirring to allow the chocolate to cool further to 32 degrees Celsius. Sometimes I find not all my chocolate has melted at this point, it can depend on the room temperature and the temperature of the chocolate to start with. I place my chocolate back over the warm water in the pot I used previously, and turn the heat on to very low. I keep stirring the chocolate and check that the temperature doesn’t rise about 34 degrees Celsius again. Once the chocolate has almost completely melted, remove from the heat again and continue to stir and allow the chocolate to return to 32 degrees Celsius. 

Add a little pink colouring at this point, and a few drops of the rose flavouring. Start small with both and add more if you think it’s necessary. 

Once the chocolate has reached 32 degrees Celsius, it is ready to use. 

Spoon in about a tablespoon of the melted chocolate into each mould. and spread it around so the inside of each mould. Place a few marshmallows into each mould (I found I could fit four marshmallows into each mould), and cover with more chocolate (try to distribute the chocolate evenly amongst each mould). I didn’t fill each mould to the brim, leave a gap at the top as this will help you remove the chocolate later. Tap each mould onto the bench gently to encourage the chocolate to evenly distribute and remove any air bubbles. 

Sprinkle some almonds over the top of each, and follow with the dried petals and freeze dried raspberries if using. 

Leave to set at room temperature if you are in a cool environment, otherwise place in the fridge for about 30 minutes to set. 

Once set remove from the moulds and store in an airtight container.

I prefer to keep the rocky road in the fridge. Keeps for about 2-3 weeks. 

Makes 6 medium half Easter eggs. 

Reference: ‘Bourke Street Bakery All Things Sweet’ by Paul Allam and David McGuinness (Murdoch Books, 2017), pp.104-105 + 119.

Gingernut Cookies

Similar to the Oatmeal Cookies I posted the other day, these Gingernuts are a recipe from my Grandma, and they use self-raising flour which is a massive win at the moment! 

I don’t recall Grandma ever making these, but as soon as I gave one of these biscuits to my Mum, she said ‘Oh yes I remember these, this is Grandma’s recipe isn’t it?’. I found the recipe in a folder of loose handwritten and typed up recipes I collected from my grandparent’s place after Grandma died. There was a drawer in the kitchen that housed all her old cookbooks, notebooks and loose recipes and I carefully went through and filed them in a folder for safekeeping. 

Some of the recipes in the folder are things I will probably never make (like the recipe for Curried Seafood Salad!), but having them and seeing her handwriting is always comforting. Then there are gems like this recipe that I think I will be making many times over, not only at the moment whilst we are in self isolation and need to be reasonable about our plain flour use, but after this madness is over too. 

This recipe is really simple, and there is no need for a stand or hand held mixer. I also found that the dough was really easy to roll into balls, and the cookies baked into very consistent looking circles which was very satisfying. 

My Grandma’s original recipe (as shown below) was mostly in cup measurements, but I have converted it into grams as I find it is easiest to bake that way. I also found I did not get the 48 biscuits as per the original recipe, I got more like 30 biscuits in total. I may have made them a little bigger than Grandma did, but I guess I will never know! 

My Grandma’s Gingernut Biscuit Recipe

Gingernut Cookies

Ingredients:

115g unsalted butter

225g caster sugar

2 tbsp golden syrup

1 egg, beaten

290g self raising flour

3 tsp ground ginger

pinch salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius and line three large baking trays with baking paper.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat. Once melted remove from the heat and add the sugar, golden syrup and the egg and mix well.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, ground ginger and salt. Add the butter mixture to the flour and mix until combined. If the mixture is warm from the melted butter, allow it to cool a little, otherwise continue on.

Roll teaspoonfuls of the dough into balls and place on the trays. The biscuits will spread as they bake so leave enough room in between each. 

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. I like the rotate the trays in the oven about halfway through to ensure the biscuits cook evenly. 

Allow to cool on their trays, then store in an airtight container. 

Makes about 30 biscuits/cookies.

Oatmeal Cookies and Thoughts on Social Isolation

I shared this recipe over on Instagram a week or so ago, and quite a few people came back and told me they made them, which was wonderful. So I thought I should post the recipe here on the blog too. 

This recipe is one I remember my Grandma making often, and since it is such a simple recipe I can see why. I don’t know how she came to find the recipe, but in my family these are known as Grandma’s Oatmeal Biscuits. 

I found a handwritten copy of my Grandma’s of this recipe, and she has added cinnamon to it. No doubt when I copied out some of her recipes for myself around the age of 11 or 12, I decided I didn’t like cinnamon (despite having eaten many of these biscuits) as I left it out of my copy of the recipe, and sans cinnamon is how I have made them ever since. 

My Grandma’s Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

Beyond being very simple to make, another bonus to this recipe is that it uses self-raising flour! In right now, during the COVID-19 pandemic where all sorts of supermarket essentials are sold out, this is a massive win. Plain flour (and bread flour) all seem to be bought up by those who either had more foresight than the rest of us, or are genuinely stockpiling it. I often wonder about those who have stockpiled food, especially things found in the baking isle. Will they ever really use these items? 

Having the idea to bake your own bread and the like is one thing, but if you aren’t a confident bread baker, having it actually turn out well is another thing entirely. Not to mention to amount of time and effort that goes into baking such things. I would hazard a guess that after one attempt those who aren’t keen bakers (and who don’t actually really have said ‘time’ on their hands), wouldn’t attempt it again. There is also the fact that bakeries are still open (as I write this anyway), and bread can still be bought from supermarkets etc, so baking your own bread isn’t really essential. 

Hopefully being forced to stay home will encourage some to get into cooking and baking and it will be something they find they enjoy. I just hope the stockpiles of things that some have bought don’t end up going to waste.

How are you doing with everything that is going on right now? 

I am finding the constant push for us all to be productive and make the most of this ‘opportunity’ is just adding to the stress of the whole thing. This isn’t an opportunity, it’s a crisis. While some may find unintended uses for all the time we are spending at home, I don’t think we need to get to the end of this time (whenever that may be), and be able to show what we’ve achieved in it. I think the only real achievement will just be getting through it. 

Some days I feel ok, like I can tackle whatever I need to do. Others I feel at a loss as to what I should be doing. I am definitely someone who likes spending time at home, but even I am feeling a bit closed in not having the same opportunities to leave the house as I did. 

I am finding, as I usually do, that baking is what gets me through the bad days and helps me enjoy the good ones more. Obviously taking into account, not being frivolous with ingredients, I am baking every couple of days or so and these Oatmeal Cookies will be made a few times over I think by the time this whole thing has come to an end. 

I am also finding FaceTiming with friends immensely helpful, and just generally trying to be kind and understanding to myself about how I am feeling. I know there will be days were things seem really hard, but I also know that those days will pass. And that there will probably be a slice of cake or a cookie to enjoy regardless. 

Other Things I Have Found Helpful

Reading and Audiobooks

New Cookbooks & Cookbooks in General

Having Access to A Variety of Hand Creams and Moisturisers + Hand Sanitiser

Oatmeal Biscuits/Cookies

Ingredients: 

125g softened unsalted butter, or margarine

180g brown sugar

1 egg

120g self raising flour

130g rolled oats (not instant oats)

Method:

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius, and line three large baking trays with baking paper.

In a large bowl cream the butter/margarine and brown sugar with a wooden spoon until combined. 

Add the egg and mix well. 

Fold in the self raising flour and the oats. 

Using a teaspoon, drop rough balls of the mixture on the the trays, keeping in mind the biscuits will spread when as they bake. 

Bake for 16-18 minutes or until golden brown. 

Allow to cook on the trays, and store in an airtight container once cooled. 

Makes approx. 36 biscuits. 

Vanilla Scented Challah Hot Cross Buns

Yes, I know what you are thinking. Again with the challah? I made a babka with challah dough not that long ago, and as I said then, I believe challah is the best type of bread so it could only ever improve a recipe. 

I am also aware that this recipe is in no way ‘kosher’. Challah is a Jewish bread most commonly eaten at Friday night Shabbat, and hot cross buns are made to celebrate the Christian holiday of Easter. I am also quite aware that the Jewish holiday of Passover often falls at the same time as Easter (as it does this year), and that leavened foods such as challah are not eaten during this time. So, definitely not ‘kosher’. 

Despite this, I maintain that challah is the best kind of bread, so trying to make hot cross buns with it was always going to happen for me. And if the religious contradictions are just too much, call them (challah) spiced fruit buns (great for any time of year) and leave it at that.

I often find when making hot cross buns, that I can never get them to look identical, and that using the same recipe doesn’t always yield a batch that looks the same as last time. I have found this occurs for a few reasons. Firstly, I never weigh the dough so I never get my individual buns exactly the same weight/size. I may try this next time I make them (which should be soon since we are socially isolating right not and not going to the shops to specifically buy hot cross buns so homemade is it for now!), and if I do I will update the recipe below. 

Secondly, I find it depends how my dough proofs. When making bread dough in warmer conditions I don’t have any issues with my dough rising. Now the weather has cooled down a bit, I am finding my bread doughs are not rising the same amount in the same time frame. To combat this, the last time I made these, I proofed the dough in our plate warming drawer under our oven, at 30 degrees Celsius (which is it’s lowest temperature) leaving the drawer open as the ideal temperature for proofing dough is about 25-28 degrees Celsius. 

First Attempt

Second Attempt

This batch of challah hot cross buns turned out larger than the previous batch, which had been proofed closer to room temperature. This first batch were smaller, and had cracks in the dough on the top, which I later found out was a sign that a dough is under proofed. For some more tips on proofing bread dough check out this blog post from BakeClub I found quite helpful. 

Thirdly, I always do the final proof and bake of my hot cross buns on a flat baking tray. This means the dough can spread in away way it wants. Using a baking tray with sides may help get a more even look to my hot cross buns as the dough will not be able to rise and spread in any which way. Again, if I try it this way next time I will update the recipe below. 

On a final note, you don’t have to soak the sultanas in anything but I prefer them to be a little plumped up. The addition of the vanilla when soaking the sultanas is lovely, and the more fragrant the vanilla extract you use the better - I have found using the vanilla extract from Grounded Pleasures yields the best flavour. Just make sure the sultanas are well drained before adding to the dough. And for reference the quantity of spices I use for the dough adds up to approximately 12-13g, so if you wish to alter the quantities of individual spices or types of spices just keep it to that total weight (or add in more plain flour to make up the difference). 

Vanilla Scented Challah Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients for the Dough: 

200g golden sultanas or raisins (cut in half if very large)

2 tbsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp hot water

490g plain flour, plus extra

250ml warm water

9g dried yeast

85g golden caster sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1 egg, beaten

63ml canola or vegetable oil, plus extra

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp mixed spice

Ingredients for the Glaze: 

100ml water

50g caster sugar

50g vanilla sugar (see here for how to make your own vanilla sugar)

Ingredients for the Cross (if using): 

90g plain flour

8g icing sugar (confectioners)

pinch of salt

15ml canola or vegetable oil

75ml water (room temperature/tepid is best)

Method:

Place the sultanas in a small bowl, and cover with the hot water and vanilla. Set aside. 

Place the flour into a large bowl (one that fits your stand mixer if you have one). Make a well in the centre of the flour, then pour in the warm water. Add the yeast and 60g of the golden caster sugar and stir (don’t mix in the flour at this stage). Leave for 10-15 minutes, or until the yeast has become foamy. 

Then add the salt and remaining sugar, stir again (don’t mix in the flour at this stage), and wait 5-10 minutes for the yeast to become foamy again. 

Once the yeast is foamy, add the egg, oil and vanilla to the yeast mixture and combine. Then start to gradually incorporate the flour into the wet mixture. Once everything is combined, attach your bowl to your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the spices, and knead on a medium speed for about five minutes. The dough will be smooth and a little sticky once done. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour (1-2 tbsp). 

While the dough is kneading, lightly oil a large bowl and drain the raisins well. 

Dust your work surface with flour and tip the dough out. Add the raisins and knead by hand to combine into the dough. Add small amounts of flour if necessary to counterbalance any moisture the sultanas have added and to make the dough a bit less sticky. There is no need to knead the dough for too long, as your stand mixer has done most of the work already. 

Once the sultanas are incorporated into the dough, place into the oiled bowl and cover. Leave in a warm spot for about 1.5 hours, or until the dough has risen and doubled in size. 

While the dough is proofing, make the glaze. Place all ingredients into a small saucepan and place over medium/high heat. Bring to the boil, and allow to bubble for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. 

Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Once the dough has risen, flour your work surface and tip the dough out. Lightly flour the top of the dough if necessary. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces - I do this by shaping the dough into a fat log shape, then cutting it in half, then dividing the two halves into six pieces each. 

Roll each piece of dough into a bun shape by folding the sides of each piece to the centre and pinch to close. This will now be the underside of your bun. Place the pinched side down, and cover your hand over the ball of dough like a loose claw. Rotate the ball of dough under your hand using the claw shape, to gently smooth the dough and form into a nice ball shape.

Place each ball of dough on the prepared tray, in a 4 x 3 formation. I usually leave a little space in between each to allow for more rising during the final proof and during baking. 

Cover the dough again and leave in a warm spot for about 30 minutes, or until the dough has risen. 

While the dough is rising, preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

If using, make the cross paste by whisking together all the ingredients in a medium bowl until it is a smooth yet paste like consistency. The warmer the water is in this the runnier it will be, I often use warm water rather than room temperature, which is why my crosses are thicker and fat as the paste is a little runnier.

Place a piping bag or zip lock bag inside a large glass and turn the edges of the bag over the outside of the glass. Fill the piping bag with the cross mixture, and twist the top to close (I like use a peg to seal the top a bit more). 

Once the dough has risen, cut a small amount of the piping bag tip off and pipe the cross over each bun. Do this by piping one long line over each row of buns, then finish it off doing the same in the other direction. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the tray in the oven about half way to help the buns cook and brown more evenly. The buns will be ready when they are golden on top and sound hollow when tapped. 

Remove from the oven, and place the tray on a wire rack. Using a pastry brush, paint the tops of each hot cross bun with the glaze. You will not need all of the glaze - if you think you will make another batch soon, store it in a jar in the fridge and it can be used again (just bring it to room temperature before glazing).  

These challah hot cross buns are delicious served warm from the oven, or toasted under a grill the next day. They also freeze well, and I recommend you do so if they won’t all be eaten soon after baking. 

Recipe Notes (12/04/2020):

• The next couple of times I made these I have weighed the dough and each bun needed to weigh between 97-100g. I found this did help make them look even more uniform. So I would definitely recommend weighing your dough after the first proofing and dividing that number by 12 to get exactly the weight of each bun based on your dough at the time.

• I have found that one batch of the sugar syrup is enough for 4 separate batches of hot cross buns.

• The amount of mixture you need for the cross seems very dependent on how big or small you cut into your piping bag. Sometimes I feel a barely have enough for all the buns as I have cut a larger slit into the bag, other times there are leftovers as I have cut a much smaller slit!

References: ‘Monday Morning Cooking Club - The Food, The Stories, The Sisterhood’ by Merelyn Frank Chalmers, Natanya Eskin, Lauren Fink, Lisa Goldberg, Paula Horwitz and Jacqui Israel (HarperCollins, 2013), p.263; ‘Beatrix Bakes’ by Natalie Paull (Hardie Grant Books, 2020), pp.176 & 192-3.