A Traditional Easter Treat!

 

It’s been a very busy April since we’ve been rattling those pots and pans to get some super recipes ready for our free Easter Newsletter. It’s due into subscribers in-boxes next week and there are some very tasty bariatric-friendly recipes for eggs and lamb, as well as some super chocolate treats.

 

 

Of course we’re bound to shout out about them but the sad fact is that we can’t put every recipe we like and enjoy into the newsletter – so some are put on hold for another time. This weekend’s website recipe is one of those and a favourite that I particularly regret not including. Why? Well because I’ve never come across a bariatric-friendly hot-cross bun to buy and know this baked treat is an Easter favourite that many weight-loss patients miss during the festivities.

 

 

So here it is instead and I do hope you’ll roll up your sleeves, dust your elbows with flour and give this one a whirl! Although easy to make, you will need to allow plenty of time to prove these spicy buns – they’re made using a rich, fruity bread dough which takes longer to rise than a plainer one. They are however absolutely delicious and a great treat to make for all the family. Once made, you can freeze any buns that you won’t be eating soon, warming them through in a moderate oven once thawed. Why not make a double batch and give some to a friend instead of a chocolate treat?

 

It should be said that these are traditional not cat-walk hot cross buns – the kind that take you back to your childhood not the fancy mocha, apple and cinnamon, toffee fudge, orange or cranberry versions now on sale to tempt the Easter appetite, but are all the better for being so.

 

HOT CROSS BUNS

 

Ingredients

METRIC/US

375 g/33/4 cups strong plain/all-purpose bread flour

100 g/2/3 cup mixed dried fruit

finely grated zest of 1 lemon

2 tsp ground mixed spice

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 x 7g/1/4 oz sachet/package dried active yeast

6 tbsp Splenda granulated sweetener

1 egg, beaten

50 g/2 oz low-fat spread, melted

200 ml/scant 1 cup warm skimmed milk

low-fat cooking spray

For the crosses:

25 g/1/4 cup plain/all-purpose flour

2-3 tbsp skimmed milk

1 egg, beaten

 

Method

1.. Put the strong bread flour, dried fruit, lemon zest, spices, yeast and 4 tbsp of the sweetener in a mixing bowl and stir to mix. Add the egg, melted spread and milk and mix, with a round-bladed knife, to make a soft dough.

2.  Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place in a bowl, spritzed with low-fat cooking spray, cover with cling film/saran wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours until the dough has doubled in size.

3.  Lightly spritz a large baking sheet with low-fat spray. Push the air out of the dough and tip onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 10 even-sized pieces and shape each into a ball. Place on the baking sheet, about 3 cm/1 inch part, and flatten them slightly. Cover with spritzed cling film/saran wrap and leave to rise again for about 45 minutes until doubled in size.

4.  Preheat the oven to 220 C/425 F/gas mark 7.

5.  To make the crosses, mix the flour with the milk to make a soft paste. Spoon into a small polythene bag and squeeze the mixture into a corner. Brush the dough with the beaten egg. Snip off the corner of the bag and pipe crosses onto the buns. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until well-risen and golden.

6.  Dissolve the remaining sweetener in 2 tsp hot water. Transfer the buns to a wire rack and brush with the sweet glaze. Allow to cool.

 

MAKES 10

WLS PORTION: 1/2

V suitable for Vegetarians

*  suitable for Freezing

 

CALORIES PER BUN: 207

PROTEIN: 7.4g

CARBOHYDRATE: 36.7g

FAT: 3.6g

 

Image courtesy of www.splenda.co.uk