What’s Easter without a warm, spiced hot cross bun? This hot cross buns with white chocolate and nut butter recipe is a delicious alternative to the usually-loaded-with-added-sugar-and-white-flour buns found in supermarkets. Our version comes packed with flavour and goodness from the dried fruit, nuts, oats and spices and is great with macadamia nut butter. Making your own hot cross buns ensures you avoid preservatives and dough improvers added to commercially produced bread products.
Hot cross buns with white chocolate and nut butter
Ingredients
- 250g whole spelt flour + extra, to dust
- 50g rolled oats
- 7,5ml (1½ tsp) ground cinnamon + extra, to sprinkle
- pinch ground nutmeg
- 2,5ml (½ tsp) ground ginger
- pinch salt
- 10ml (2 tsp) xylitol
- 7,5ml (1½ tsp) instant dried yeast
- 125ml (½ cup) fat-free milk
- 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil + extra, to grease
- 10ml (2 tsp) vanilla essence
- 2 eggs
- 15g sultanas
- 15g dried cranberries
- 20g pecan nuts, roughly chopped
- 20g white chocolate, melted, to pipe
- macadamia nut butter, to serve
Instructions
Grease a 20cm-square baking tin. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, spices, salt, xylitol and yeast.
Heat the milk, oil and vanilla in a bowl in the microwave on high until warm, but not hot. Pour the warm liquid over the dry ingredients and add 1 of the eggs. Mix well to combine, then turn the dough out onto a surface dusted with spelt flour and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
Add the dried fruit and nuts and knead for a further minute until well distributed through the dough. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and allow to rise in a warm place, about 1 hour.
When the dough has risen, knock it back and divide into 9. Shape the dough into balls and arrange in 3 rows of 3 in the prepared square tin. Cover with a damp tea towel and allow to rise in a warm place, about 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
Beat the remaining egg and brush over the dough balls before baking in the oven until golden, risen and cooked through, about 35 minutes.
Allow the buns to cool a little before piping a cross over the top of each one with melted white chocolate. Serve immediately spread with a little macadamia nut butter and a sprinkling of ground cinnamon.
