Three ways with hot cross buns.

1. Hot cross apple crumble Serves 8 Ingredients

For the crumble topping:

• 3 or 4 stale hot cross buns

• 125g soft brown sugar

• 125g butter, cubed

• 125g plain flour

For the filling:

• 1kg eating apples, peeled, cored and cut into slices

• Juice of half a lemon

• 75g soft brown sugar

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 75g sultanas, raisins, or other dried fruit

For serving:

• Creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan /350F/Gas Mark 4. On a chopping board, finely chop up the hot cross buns then set aside.

Add the butter and plain flour to a large mixing bowl. With your fingertips, work to combine the butter and flour together until they have a breadcrumb-like texture.

Add the sugar and the chopped hot cross buns to the butter and flour, mixing well to combine all the ingredients. This is your crumble topping mixture. Layer the slices of apple into a large ovenproof dish. Evenly distribute the soft brown sugar and sultanas across the layer of sliced apples.

Squeeze over the lemon juice and sprinkle the cinnamon.

Cover with the crumble topping and then transfer to the oven for 35-45 minutes, until you can see the fruit bubbling and the top is golden.

Serve with the creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream.

● Recipe from Love Food Hate Waste.

2. Hot cross bread and butter pudding Makes 1 tray

Ingredients

• 6 hot cross buns

• 40g butter

• Zest and juice of one large orange

• 85g dried ready to eat apricots, chopped

• 50g orange marmalade

• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 100g caster sugar

• 300ml milk

• 300ml double cream

• 1 tbsp demerara sugar

• 2 medium free-range eggs

• A little extra butter for greasing

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/325F/Gas Mark

3. Grease a large ovenproof dish with the extra butter, cut the hot cross buns into even slices and arrange in the buttered dish.

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the chopped apricots, orange marmalade, cinnamon, caster sugar, orange zest and juice and mix well together.

Drizzle the warm mixture over the bun slices and leave to soak in for a few minutes.

Break the eggs into a large jug, add the milk and cream and whisk together. Pour into the dish, pressing the bun slices gently into the egg mixture to ensure they’re all soaked through.

Sprinkle the demerara sugar over the top and bake in the pre-heated oven until golden brown.

Serve hot with cream or vanilla custard.

● Recipe from Dean’s Shortbread. 3. Vanilla and tablet hot cross ice cream sundae

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 500ml tub Graham’s Vanilla and Tablet ice cream

• 2 hot cross buns

• 75g mixed fruit (or any dried fruits you have in the cupboard)

• 1 tbsp runny honey

• 1 tbsp water

• Small orange, zest

Directions

Pick four bowls to build your sundaes.

Place dried fruit, honey and water in a microwave-proof bowl and cover with film or a plate. Heat on full power for 30 seconds.

Stir well and heat for a further 30 seconds, stir well again and set to one side to cool.

Slice hot cross buns diagonally with a bread knife, about 5mm thick.

Lay on a rack and pop them under the grill to toast for two minutes each side or until golden brown.

You can pop them in the toaster – but watch as the fruit might burn in this way!

Scoop two or three balls of vanilla and tablet ice cream into each bowl, spoon over some of the sticky dried fruit mixture, stab in some hot cross bun toasts and finally, with a fine grater, add a flourish of orange zest.

● Recipe by Jean Graham for Graham’s The Family Dairy.

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