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

Sunbeam Traditional Fruit Cake

You will need a 21cm round tin for this recipe (base measurement)

Soak fruit overnight in brandy, if you warm the brandy it infuses faster and you can soak for a few hours instead of overnight.
Place soaked fruit, water, butter, maple 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.
Preheat oven to 160ºC. We used a 21cm bundt tin. Spoon batter into the prepared tin, using a spatula to smooth the surface. Bake for up to 75 to 90 minutes or until the cake springs back when gently pressed in the centre. Allow cake to cool in the tin for an hour then invert onto a cooling rake to remove. Allow to cool completely.

TIP: Liquor can be substituted with flavoured syrup or orange juice.

Optional cinnamon burnt buttercream: Heat 500g butter in a large frypan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until a deep golden colour. Pour the butter and milk solids into a heatproof bowl and refrigerate until hard. Remove burnt butter from fridge for 1 hour to soften then add 250g of the butter to a stand mixer and beat for 4-5 mins until creamy. Add 320g sifted icing sugar mixture, ½ tsp ground cinnamon and 2 tbsp milk and beat for a further 6 mins or until light and fluffy.

Hot Cross Bun Loaf

Place flour, yeast, sugar, allspice, cinnamon and salt in mixing bowl and briefly mix until combined.

Add in melted butter, warm milk, egg, sultanas and currants.

Mix with 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 then shape it into a loaf.

Place dough into a greased dough tin approximately 24cm x 13cm x 6.5 cm in size.

Cover 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.

Cross Method

Mix flour and water together until a thickish paste forms. Using a ziplock bag with the corner cut off or a piping bag, pipe crosses down the center of the loaf, and then across the other way three or four times.

Bake in the oven for 35 minutes, or until it sounds hollow when you tap it.

Let cool on a baking rack for 15-20 minutes.

Drizzle Method

Mix icing sugar and lemon juice together and drizzle over loaf whilst still slightly warm.

Rocky Road

Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm square baking tin.

Mix together raisins, cherries, marshmallows and pistachios. Pour 1 cup of the mixture into the base of the prepared tin.

Combine chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl, microwave for 30 seconds, stir then microwave in 10 second bursts until melted. Allow to cool for about 5 mins before adding the remaining fruit and nut mixture. Toss to coat then pour into the prepared tin, gently flattening the surface. Refrigerate until firm (about 2 hours).

Remove from tin and slice into 4 long rows. Wrap in cellophane for Christmas gifting.

Traditional Hot Cross Buns

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.

Fruit Cake Scrolls

Add the butter and coconut sugar to a mixing bowl and whip together with a fork until combined. Add in the Sunbeam Mixed Fruit, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix again to combine well.

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.

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 the butter fruit mixture across the dough in a thin layer. Tightly roll dough up, starting from the shorter side. Cut into 2.5cm sections. 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.

Place into the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and allow to cool before drizzling over melted chocolate, to serve.

Frozen Christmas Pudding

Combine sugar with 250ml water in a small saucepan. Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved, then increase heat to high and boil for 1 minute.Remove from heat, add sultanas and cranberries and allow to sit for 10 mins. Drain and set aside to cool.

Use muslin to line the inside of a 1.75L capacity pudding basin.

Meanwhile, spoon icecream into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a beater attachment. Allow to soften slightly before beating until smooth.Add cooled fruit mixture, vanilla, cinnamon, pistachios and brandy and beat until just incorporated. Spoon into the prepared basin, smooth the surface, cover with the lid (or plastic wrap) and freeze overnight or until firm.

Turn out onto a serving plate, top with fresh berries and shower with icing sugar to serve.

You will need a 1.75L pudding basin and muslin for this recipe

You will need to begin this recipe the night before

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