Marzipan hot cross buns

Name: Marzipan hot cross buns
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 16
Ingredients: 225 g mixed dried fruit; 1 orange, juice and 2 tsp grated zest; 250 ml whole milk; 75 g unsalted butter; 500 g strong white flour, plus extra for kneading; 10 g easy-blend yeast; 75 g golden caster sugar; 2 tsp mixed spice (rounded tsp); ½ tsp salt; 1 large egg, beaten; 150 g marzipan, grated

The grated marzipan gives these buns a sweet, almondy finish, but they re just as good without it. The dough is quite sticky, so use a freestanding mixer to knead it, if you have one, and leave the dough in the fridge overnight to prove if you can. If you re not eating the buns fresh out of the oven, halve them and toast under the grill.

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Makes16
CourseSnack
Prepare25 mins
Cook25 mins
Total time50 mins
Plusplus rising and proving

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225g mixed dried fruit
1 orange, juice and 2 tsp grated zest
250ml whole milk
75g unsalted butter
500g strong white flour, plus extra for kneading
10g easy-blend yeast
75g golden caster sugar
2 tsp mixed spice (rounded tsp)
½ tsp salt
1 large egg, beaten
150g marzipan, grated

To Decorate:

1 eggs
2 tsp whole milk
3 tbsp plain flour
3 tbsp caster sugar

Put the dried fruit and orange juice and zest in a small pan. Warm over a low heat; set aside for the fruit to absorb the liquid.
Heat the milk in a separate pan (or in the microwave) until warm, then add the butter and stir until melted. Mix the flour, yeast, caster sugar, mixed spice and salt together in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in the milk mixture. Add the egg and stir until well combined. Tip onto a clean, lightly floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes, until silky smooth and elastic. (Or use a freestanding mixer tted with a dough hook.)
Shape the dough into a ball, put in a clean bowl and cover with cling film. Leave in a warm, draught-free place for about 2 hours or until doubled in size. You can also prove the dough overnight in the fridge; bring it back to room temperature before continuing with the recipe below.
Add the soaked fruit and grated marzipan to the dough and knead by hand until thoroughly combined. Divide the dough into 16 even pieces – roughly 80g each – and shape into buns. Arrange the buns, smooth-side up, on 2 parchment-covered baking sheets, cover loosely with cling film and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour until the buns have doubled in size again, are well risen and springy to the touch.
Preheat the oven to 180 ̊C, gas mark 4. To decorate the buns, lightly whisk the egg and milk together and gently brush over the tops of the buns. In another small bowl, beat the plain flour with enough water (about 2-3 tbsp) to make a thick but pipeable paste. Scoop into a freezer bag or disposable piping bag, snip off the corner to create a nozzle and pipe a neat cross on top of each bun.
Bake the buns on the middle shelf of the oven for about 20-25 minutes until golden. Mix the caster sugar with 1 tbsp boiling water until dissolved to make a glaze. Brush over the buns as soon as they come out of the oven. Cool slightly, then serve with slightly salted butter.

Cook’s tip

Crumble-topped buns

For a twist on the classic, tip 40g plain flour, 40g soft light brown sugar, 25g ground almonds and 50g chilled and diced unsalted butter into a food processor. Pulse until it starts to clump together (or rub in by hand). Egg-wash the buns, sprinkle over the crumble, then pipe the crosses on top. Bake as above.

Typical values per item when made using specific products in recipe