Eat yourself silly
Easter Sunday this year happens to fall on April Fools’ Day, so what better time to tickle the ribs! Here’s a ‘farm’-load of playful snacks to make.
HOT CROSS BUNNIES
Makes 8
Here’s a twist on traditional hot cross buns.
300g strong white bread flour
1 tsp fine salt
35g unsalted butter, chilled and diced 80g caster sugar
1/2 tbsp mixed spice
1 orange, zested
1 tsp orange extract
1 1/2 tsp fast-action dried yeast 140ml warm milk, plus extra if needed 60g white chocolate chips
50g cranberries, plus a few extra
1 egg yolk, mixed with 1 tbsp milk 2 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp apricot jam
Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub the mixture together until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar, spice, zest and orange extract.
Stir the yeast and 140ml milk together, and add to the mixing bowl. Stir together to form a sticky dough, adding more milk if the mixture is crumbly.
Tip out onto a work surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes. Add the chocolate chips and cranberries; gently work them into the dough until evenly distributed, about 2 minutes.
Grease a clean mixing bowl and place the dough in it. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise until doubled in size, 1-2 hours.
Divide the risen dough into 8 equal balls; roll each into an oval. Make a horizontal cut a third of the way into each oval to make the ears. Place on a greased baking tray, leaving enough space between them for each to double in size. Cover again with a tea towel and leave for 30-45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190°C. Brush the egg yolk mixture evenly over the buns. Mix the plain flour with enough milk to make a smooth paste that doesn’t run. Spoon into a piping bag and snip a hole in the point about 2mm wide. Pipe ears, eyes, a “cross” nose and mouth. Stick on extra cranberries for the eyes.
Bake for 15 minutes until cooked and golden. Transfer to a wire rack.
Heat the apricot jam with 1 teaspoon of water until runny. Brush over the buns; set aside to cool.