Traditional Hot Cross Buns
Preparation 25 Minutes
Cook 1 hr 50 min Minutes
Serves 12
Method
Place your flour, yeast, sugar, allspice, cinnamon and salt in your mixing bowl and briefly mix until combined.
Add in your melted butter, warm milk, eggs and raisins.
Mix with your dough hook on medium speed for 5-7 minutes until a dough ball is formed and is coming away from the sides of the bowl.
Leave the dough covered with clingfilm in a warm place for approximately 1 hour or until doubles in size.
Knock the air out of the dough and roll it into a log before cutting it into 12 even pieces.
Roll each piece into a smooth ball and place into a grease proof paper linen baking tray (approx. 30cm x 20cm) in a 3 bun by 4 bun pattern.
Cover balls of dough with cling film again and let rise for approximately 40 minutes or until it has risen to about 70% of its original size.
Pre heat oven to 180 degrees after leaving it to rest.
Right before placing it into the oven make your cross mixture by mixing your flour and water until a thickish paste forms. Using a ziplock bag with the corner cut off or a piping bag, pipe your crosses down the center of each bun horizontally and then vertically.
Bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes or until nice and golden brown.
Meanwhile, place jam and water in a bowl and microwave for approx. 30 seconds until melted and combines.
Once buns are fresh out the over, brush your glaze over each one to give them a beautiful glossy finish.
Ingredients
9g dry yeast
110g caster sugar
375g warm milk
640g bread flour
1 tbsp cinnamon powder
1 tbsp all spice
½ tsp salt
220g Sunbeam Australian Currants
50g unsalted butter, melted
1 whole egg
For the cross:
75g plain flour
5 tbsp of water
For the glaze:
2 tbsp apricot jam (or your jam of preference)
2 tbsp water
Recipe Collection
Banana & Walnut Muffins
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line muffin tin with baking paper muffin wrappers.
Beat butter and sugar in a small bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; using a wooden spoon, stir in sifted dry ingredients, banana, nuts and milk. Spread mixture evenly into the muffin pan.
Bake for 15 – 20 minutes. Check at 15 min with a skewer and cook until the skewer comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack.
Decadent Fruit Mince
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl till combined.
Place into sterilised jars and store in a cool dark dry place to macerate for as long as you can before using.
This fruit mix made ahead can be used for so many great Sunbeam Recipes!
Rum and Raisin Fudge
Lightly grease and line base and sides of a 20cm square baking tin.
Combine raisins and rum in a small bowl and allow to soak for 10 mins.
In a medium saucepan combine sweetened condensed milk, butter, sugar and golden syrup and constantly stir over a low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, stir constantly for about 8-10 mins until the temperature reaches between 113-115ºC.*
Remove pan from heat, add chocolate melts and soaked raisins and stir to combine. Transfer to prepared tin using a spatula to smooth the surface then allow to cool at room temperature for 5-6 hours until firm.
Cut into 5cm long slices then cut each slice into 8 rectangles.
If you don’t own a candy thermometer, you can also check if the fudge is ready by taking a small amount and dropping it into a glass of cold water. When the mixture sets into a soft ball that doesn’t stick to your fingers when gently pinched, the fudge is ready. This is referred to as “soft ball” stage.
Walnut Sultana Zucchini Carrot Cake
Preheat oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan). Grease and line base and sides of two x 22.5cm (9”) round baking tins.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with beater attachment, combine zucchini, carrot, flour, sugar, 50g of walnuts, sultanas and spices. Mix on low until just combined.
Whisk together oil and eggs then add to the zucchini mixture and beat on low until just combined. Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared tins, smoothing the surfaces. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in tins for an hour, then invert onto a baking rack to cool completely.
To make the icing, combine butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Whisk until smooth. Add sifted icing sugar and whisk until smooth and fluffy.
To decorate, spread half the icing on top of one cake. Arrange the second cake on top and spread with remaining icing. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts to decorate.
Boiled Fruit Cake
- Soak fruit overnight in sherry or brandy
- Place soaked fruit, water, butter, golden syrup and sugar in a saucepan. Slowly bring to the boil then remove from heat and add bicarbonate of soda mixed with one tablespoon boiling water. Cool for 15 minutes.
- Add lightly beaten eggs mixing thoroughly. Fold in sifted flours, spices and vanilla essence.
- Place in a 20cm round or square cake tin. Decorate with almonds. Bake at 160°C for 75 to 90 minutes. Cool in tin.
Thermo cooker method:
- Soak fruit overnight in sherry or brandy.
- Place soaked fruit, water, butter, golden syrup and sugar into TM bowl and heat 7 min/100°C/Reverse/speed 1.
- Add bicarb soda mixed with one tablespoon boiling water and gently stir through with the spatula – the mix will froth up but should not spill over.
- Cool for 15 minutes in TM bowl.
- Carefully add all remaining ingredients apart from the blanched almonds in the order listed and mix 10 sec/Reverse/speed 4.
- Scrape down sides of the bowl and mix 5 sec/Reverse/speed 4.
- Place in a lined 20cm round or square cake tin. Decorate with almonds. Bake at 160ºC for 1¼ to 1½ hours. Cool in tin.
30 Minute Christmas Pudding
- Place fruit and brand in microwavable bowl and heat for 1 minute or until warmed through. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally.
- Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Sift flour and mixed spice over butter mixture, then stir in breadcrumbs and fruit mixture. Mix well. Grease and flour a 1.5L microwavable bowl. Spoon mixture into bowl and smooth top. Cover with a pleated, double layer or baking paper secured with kitchen string.
- Cook in microwave on defrost setting (300W) for 30 minutes, rotating the bowl after 20 minutes. Test with a skewer inserted into pudding. If it doesn’t come out clean, microwave at 5 minute intervals until done. Leave pudding to stand for 10 minutes before turning onto a plate.
Optional meringue peak: In a heatproof bowl combine 90g egg whites with 150g caster sugar, place over a small saucepan of boiling water and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Use a stand mixer or handheld beater to whisk until very stiff peaks form (about 8-10 mins). Dollop the meringue on top of the pudding and use a kitchen blowtorch to toast.
