Home / Recipes / Custard-stuffed Hot Cross Doughnuts

Custard-stuffed Hot Cross Doughnuts

Preparation 1HR 55M

Cook 45

Serves 16

Method
Ingredients

Method

Place the water, sultanas, currants, cinnamon, vanilla bean and honey in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer to cook for 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Liqueur 43 (if using). Set aside for 30 minutes to steep and cool. Discard the vanilla bean and cinnamon quill. Drain through a sieve set over a jug, reserving the steeping liquid. Set aside.

To make the custard, place custard powder in a saucepan. Add 2 tablespoons of the milk and mix until smooth and well combined. Stir in the remaining milk, then add the cream. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes or until the mixture boils and thickens. Add the chopped chocolate and mix until smooth. Set aside to cool. Spoon into a piping bag and place in the fridge until required.

Place the warmed milk in a jug. Add the yeast and 3 tablespoons of reserved steeping liquid to the warm milk. Set aside in a warm spot for 5-10 minutes until foaming. Place flour, mixed spice and butter into the bowl of a large food processor (your processor needs to be at least 12 cups). Process until butter is incorporated. With the motor running, pour the milk mixture and egg. Process for 1-2 minutes or until dough has formed a ball and is smooth and elastic. If the dough is a bit to sticky, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time, until it is the right consistency. Add drained sultanas and pulse to combine. Turn onto a floured surface and bring the dough together. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl. cover with a clean tea towel and set aside in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour or until mixture has doubled in size.

Line two trays with baking paper. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 minutes, knocking the air out. Cut the dough into 16 even portions. Roll each portion into a ball and place on the lined tray and flatten slightly, allowing a little room between each to expand. Cover with a tea towel and set aside for 30 minutes to prove.

Place 4 doughnuts in the wire basket of an air fryer and brush with melted butter. Air fry at 180°C for 8 minutes or until crisp and golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts. (Alternatively, heat a saucepan of vegetable oil to 160°C and deep-fry doughnuts, turning halfway through, for 2-3 minutes or until golden and cooked through).

Cut a small slit into the base of each doughnut. Pipe custard into the slit on the base of each doughnut. Return to the rack, cut side down.Step 7

Brush the doughnuts with the remaining reserved steeping liquid and set aside for 5 minutes to set.

Place the melted white chocolate melts into a piping bag. Snip the corner and pipe a cross over each doughnut. Set aside for 5 minutes to set.

Ingredients

80ml (1/3 cup) water

90g (1 cup) Sunbeam Sultanas

45g (1/4 cup) Sunbeam Currants

1 cinnamon stick

1 vanilla bean, split lengthways

125ml (1/2 cup) honey

1 tbsp Liqueur 43 or your favourite liquor (optional)

7g sachet dried yeast

300ml milk, warmed

600g (4 cups) plain flour, plus extra for dusting

1/2 tsp mixed spice

100g unsalted butter, at room temperature, chopped

1 egg

Melted butter, to brush

White chocolate melts, melted, cooled

Custard

2 tbsp custard powder

200ml milk

125ml (1/2 cup) thickened cream

80g white chocolate coarsely chopped

Recipe Collection

Apricot & Sunmuscat Sultana Bread & Butter Pudding

Cut bread into 3 cm cubes. Layer bread and sultanas over base of a 2 litre baking dish, drizzle with 2 Tbsp of the melted butter, and toss gently.

In a bowl or large jug, whisk eggs until smooth. Add jam, milk, 1/3 cup sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla to the jug. Whisk again until all ingredients are well incorporated.

Pour egg mixture over bread cubes. Gently press with a spoon to submerge the bread in the liquid. Set aside for 15 mins while oven preheats.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Drizzle pudding with remaining 1 Tbsp butter and extra 1 Tbsp sugar.

Bake for 35 – 40 minutes, or until top is golden and puffed, but still just-wobbly in the centre. Cover loosely with foil in the last 15 minutes, if browning too quickly.

Cool 10 mins before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature, with custard and fresh berries.

Tips

Milk and butter can be substituted with diary free versions if preferred.

Apricot jam can be substituted with orange marmalade.

If bread is fresh, leave on bench for an hour or two once diced, to dry out slightly.

Carrot, Walnut & Raisin Cake

Preheat oven to 180℃.

Grate young fresh carrots to give one full cup & strain the juice from 440g can of crushed pineapple.

In a bowl mix 1 cup of plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 3/4 tsp bicarb soda, 1/2 tsp each of salt & cinnamon & 3/4 cup caster sugar. Add 2 eggs and 5 Tbsp oil (just under 1/3 cup).

Sir in the grated carrot, crushed pineapple & 1/4 cup Sunbeam walnuts, chopped. Bake in a moderate oven 175 oC for 40 – 45 minutes and cool before covering with topping. (Note: We slightly froze the cake to make firm to slice into layers to add frosting in between)

To make cream cheese topping, place in a bowl butter, cream cheese, vanilla, icing sugar and beat very well. If too thick add a small amount of milk to give a smooth consistency.

Cinnamon Scrolls

Transfer warm milk to the bowl of an electric mixer and sprinkle yeast on top. Add in sugar, egg, egg yolk and melted butter. Mix until well combined.

Stir in flour, salt, currants and sultanas until a dough begins to form.

Place dough hook on stand mixer and knead dough on medium speed for 8 minutes. Dough should form into a nice ball.

Transfer dough ball into an oiled bowl and cover with cling film. Allow dough to rise for approximately an hour, or until doubled in size.

After dough has doubled in size, transfer dough to a well-floured surface and roll out into a 35x22cm rectangle. Spread softened butter over dough.

In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Use your hands to sprinkle mixture over the buttered dough followed by the currants, then press into the butter.

Tightly roll dough up, starting from the shorter side and place seam-side down making sure to seal the edges of the dough as best you can.

Cut into 1 inch sections with a serrated knife. You should get 9 large pieces.

Place cinnamon scrolls in a greased 23x23cm baking pan or round 23cm cake pan. Cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel and let rise again for 30-45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Remove clingwrap and bake for 20-25 minutes or until just slightly golden brown on the edges. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before frosting.

Makes 9 cinnamon scrolls.

To make the frosting: 

In the bowl using electric mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth, light and fluffy.

Christmas Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).

Line a 12-hole muffin pan with paper patty cases. In a bowl, using an electric mixer, cream butter, mixed spice and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Fold in flour alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Fold in Sunbeam sultanas.

Spoon mixture into paper cases until two-thirds full.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.

Cool in pan for 5 minutes, before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the icing: beat cream cheese with icing mixture. Slowly fold melted and cooled chocolate.

Ice the cupcakes and decorate with mini gingerbread houses.

Traditional Christmas Pudding

Combine the fruit, brandy, rind and apple in a microwave safe bowl and mix well. Cover then microwave on 100% power for 2-3 minutes or until plumped. Allow to cool.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add the egg, beating well between each addition. Fold in the sifted flour and spices, fruit mixture, breadcrumbs and almonds, mix well.
Spoon the mixture into a greased and base paper lined 2 litre capacity pudding basin. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Place on an upturned saucer in the base of a large saucepan or boiler. Pour boiling water into the saucepan so that is comes halfway up the sides of the basin. Cover the saucepan with a tight-fitting lid and steam for 4 hours, topping up water every 20-30 minutes or as required.
Remove from the basin onto a serving plate, flambé with a little brandy if desired then slice and serve with custard or ice-cream.

NB: If you do not have a lid for your basin: Cover with a greased double layer of foil and baking paper, create a deep pleat in the centre for expansion. Place over the basin and secure tightly with string. Trim the cover if necessary.

If you do not intend on using the pudding immediately, keep the cover intact and store in the fridge until required. Re- steam for 1 1/2 hours when required.

Vegetable Tagine

Add oil to a large pot and cook onion, garlic and ginger for 3-4 minutes until tender. Stir in spices and cinnamon stick, cooking a further minute until fragrant.
Add the sweet potato, capsicum, cauliflower, stock and tomatoes. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer partially covered for 20 minutes. Add zucchini, chickpeas and prunes and cook a further 5 minutes uncovered. Season well.
Serve tagine with almonds and parsley, accompanied with rice.

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