Big O Cookies ~ #ZingermansBakehouse #CreativeCookieExchange

"Most of Life's Problems Can Be Solved With A Good Cookie!" Ina Garten

Glazed Cinnamon-Raisin Roll Bundt ~ #BundtBakers

"I really don't think I need buns of steel. I'd be happy with buns of cinnamon" - Ellen DeGeneres

Braided Rum & Raisin Buns ~ #BreadBakers

“Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with 

fresh butter, the greatest of feasts.” – James Beard

Hot Cross Bundts ~ #BundtBakers

The theme for #BundtBakers this month is Yeasted Bundts. We were challenged to bake a bundt with yeast as the leavening agent, and our bundt could be sweet or savory.

Danish Apple Cake - #CakeSliceBakers

#CakeSliceBakers have baked their first cake from our new book.  As soon as I received my book in  the mail I knew I was going to love it, and could not wait to get started.  There are so many great cake recipes from around the world.

Hot Cross Buns

After years of telling myself that I am going to try and make them and my irrational fear of yeast, I finally attempted Hot Cross Buns.  Why, oh why did I wait so long to attempt this?  They are one of the best things I have ever tasted and I am sure that they will become a regular fixture now that I have seen the light.

Crossed and ready to be made hot

I am pretty traditional with my preferences for Hot Cross Buns.  I have seen some in stores here that have lemon or raspberry crosses, and were so spice-less that I couldn't bring myself to buy them.  I know that in Australia you can buy chocolate buns (both milk and dark), fruitless buns, chocolate chip buns, and white chocolate and cranberry buns, and even gluten-free buns.  It has always been the original spicy fruit buns that are my favorite.  One of the best tastes ever is a lightly toasted hot cross bun with a drizzle of honey on top.

My search for a recipe led me in so many different directions. Apparently there isn't just one correct way to make a hot cross bun, there are thousands.  I finally settled on a combination of two recipes that had exactly what I was looking for - a recipe that made about a dozen buns and a recipe that had lots of spice to it.  This hybrid recipe was just right, and produced a fruity, spicy, dense hot cross bun.

Now I have finally made the plunge into the world of yeast breads I see many more attempts in the future.


Hot Cross Buns
Printer Friendly Recipe

Ingredients

• 310ml warmed milk
• 60g superfine sugar
• 14g dried yeast
• 650g bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons mixed spice (or allspice)
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 60g butter, softened
• 375g of raisins/currants/golden raisins/mixed candied fruit (I used mixed fruit from Australia)
• 2 eggs
• 60g all-purpose flour
• 60ml water
• 2 tablespoons apricot jam, warmed in a pan (or microwave)

Instructions

1. In a saucepan warm the milk; whisk in the sugar and yeast until sugar has dissolved. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes or until it becomes frothy.
2. Mix the bread flour, salt and ground spices in a large bowl of a stand mixer. With your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until mixed and crumbly.
3. Stir in the raisins/sultanas, egg, and frothy yeast mixture until just combined.
4. Attach the dough hook and knead for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
5. Lightly oil another large, clean bowl, place the dough in and turn to coat the surface with oil.
6. Cover in clingwrap and leave in a warm, draught-free place for 45 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
7. When ready, remove the clingwrap and use your fist to punch down the dough. Transfer to a lightly floured board and give it a quick knead until smooth and divide into 12 rounds.
8. Place the buns into a greased 20 x 30cm (8x12-inch) baking tray, cover with clingwrap and leave in warm place to rise for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C (395℉).
9. Whisk together the all-purpose flour and water to a smooth paste. Pipe crosses on top of the buns and bake at 200°C (395℉) for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 180°C (350℉) bake for a further 15 minutes. Buns are ready when it sounds hollow when you tap the tops.
10. Brush with warmed apricot jam while the buns are still warm.

Recipe adapted by All That's Left Are The Crumbs from recipes by Citrus and Candy and Short Street Bakery ©.

Fruit and Seed Tri Bars

I just love a recipe that not only tastes great but is good for you too.  I knew as soon as I saw these bars on Roxana's blog, A little bit of Everything, I would have to make them as my Friday treat.

These bars are so adaptable - follow the basic recipe and add whatever fruits, nuts, and seeds you prefer.   My dried fruit came from a bag of Sunsweet Antioxidant Blend - blueberries, cherries, cranberries, and plums - as well as some raisins that I added to the mix.  My other changes were to add some flax seeds and spelt flour to the mix, and I slightly increased the apple sauce to accommodate this.  I used 2 whole eggs but you can also use 4 eggs whites instead if you want to lower the cholesterol.  Other dried fruits such as apricots, apples, or dates would also make a great addition. After cooling they can be cut into bars, but I decided to cut them into triangles, mainly because I liked the shape.  I didn't think of it any further until my husband said that it made sense because they were for a tri group.  It turned out to be a great play on the shape of the bars and the sport - each side represented a leg - swim, bike, run.

The bars were super easy to make and everyone in the training group loved them.

Fruit and Seed Tri Bars

(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients

• 1½ cups unsweetened applesauce
• 1¼ cup dried fruits, chopped
• ⅓ cup sunflower seeds
• ⅓ cup pumpkin seeds
• 3 tablespoons flax seeds
• 4 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 cup rolled oats (regular-not quick cooking) 
• ⅔ cup unsweetened coconut 
• ⅔ cup self-rising flour
• ½ cup spelt flour
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Line a 11x9 inch pan with non-stick foil.
3. In a large bowl add apple sauce and dried fruit and mix to combine.
4. Add sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, rolled oats, coconut, self-rising and spelt flours, and eggs and stir until well combined.
5. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and spread out evenly with a spatula.
6. Bake for approximately 30 minutes until golden brown.
7. Cool in the pan.
8. Remove from pan onto a cutting board and slice into triangles or bars.
9. Makes approximately 24.

Recipe from A little bit of Everything