John Whaite's hot cross bun bostocks

Name: John Whaite's hot cross bun bostocks
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 4 hot cross buns, a few days old, if possible

This bostock recipe by John Whaite is a great way to use up any leftover hot cross buns. The buns are soaked in syrup with a layer of almond cream and fresh raspberries.

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Makes8
CourseSnack
Prepare15 mins
Cook25 mins
Total time40 mins

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4 hot cross buns, a few days old, if possible

For the syrup

1 unwaxed lemon, finely grated zest and 50ml juice
50g caster sugar
2 cardamom pods, bruised (optional, but delicious)

For the almond cream

75g ground almonds
75g caster sugar
75g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 British Blacktail Free Range Eggs large
½ tsp almond extract
1 tbsp dark rum (optional)

To finish

24 raspberries, about 150g
50g flaked almonds
icing sugar, to dust

Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. For the syrup, put the lemon zest and juice, sugar and cardamom pods, if using, into a small saucepan and stir to dissolve the sugar. Put the pan over a medium heat, bring to a boil, then set aside.
For the almond cream, beat together the ground almonds, sugar, butter and ¼ tsp fine salt, until well mixed, then add the egg, almond extract and rum, if using, and beat to a smooth batter.
Cut the hot cross buns in ½ and set them, cut-side-up, on a baking tray. Use a pastry brush to soak each bun, as equally as possible, with the syrup. Divide the almond cream mixture between the buns and spread it out to the edge of each bun. Place 3 raspberries onto the centre of each bun, then sprinkle the flaked almonds, generously, around the edge. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool, then dust liberally with icing sugar to serve.