Hot Cross Buns
4 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon, salt
60g butter, softened
1/2 cup currants
1/4 cup chopped mixed peel
30g compressed yeast or 1 sachet dried
1/2 cup castor sugar
1/2 cup lukewarm water
3/4 cup lukewarm milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
Paste for Crosses
4 tablespoons sifted self-raising flour
2 tablespoons cold water
Egg Glaze
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
Glaze
1/4 teaspoon gelatine
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon sugar
1. Sift flour with spices and salt into a bowl. Rub in softened butter, then stir in currants and peel. Make a well in the centre.
2. Mix yeast with sugar and add a little warm water to yeast to dissolve it completely. Add remaining water and milk to yeast and add with beaten egg to the well in the flour. Mix to a soft dough.
3. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball, place in a clean greased bowl and turn over so the top of dough is greased. Cover with greased cling film and a cloth and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1-1 1/2 hours.
4. Turn risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently press out to 1cm thickness. Divide dough into 12-14 pieces and shape each into a ball. Place buns in 2 greased round cake tins or in an oblong lamington tin. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for another 20-30 minutes.
5. To make paste for crosses, combine self-raising flour and water and beat to a smooth paste. Fill a greaseproof paper funnel or a small piping bag and, just before baking, pipe paste in a cross on buns. Brush with a little egg glaze made by beating egg with 1 tablespoon milk.
6. Bake buns in a preheated hot oven 200C for about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with glaze while hot. Turn off even but stand buns near it so the glaze will dry. Makes 12-14.
7. To make the glaze, sprinkle gelatine over water in a small saucepan. When soft, dissolve over a low heat. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and brush while warm over hot buns.