Hot cross bunnies

Makes 12

25g butter, plus extra for greasing 200g strong flour 2 tbsp mixed peel ½ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp mixed spice 2 tbsp sultanas, chopped 7g fast action yeast 100ml warm water 1 tbsp milk 1 tbsp apricot jam 15g desiccated coconut large baking tray airtight wrap Grease the baking tray. In a large bowl, combine the strong flour, mixed peel, cinnamon, mixed spice and sultanas. Make a well in the middle of the ingredients and tip in the yeast.

Add the butter to the well and follow with the warm water. Mix in a figure of eight until a dough forms, then knead by pushing the dough into itself repeatedly for 5 mins until it is soft and smooth. Place the dough in a separate, clean bowl and cover with an airtight wrap. Leave to double in size for 1 hr.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/ gas mark 6.

Push the air out of the dough using the fist, then knead briefly to bring the dough together into a ball. Separate the dough into 12 equal pieces, then roll 1 piece into a sausage shape, approximately 18cm long. Cut a 1cm piece of the dough from the end and roll into a ball. Place the ball on the baking tray, then place the long strip of dough around the ball, so the ball is in the middle. Bring the two ends of the dough strip up and round the ball to twist at the top. Leave the ends pointing up and apart to make rabbit ears. Repeat to make 12 bunnies in total. Brush the bunnies with milk.

Bake for 15-20 mins until golden. In a small pot, mix together the apricot jam with 1 tbsp of boiling water and brush over the bunnies’ tails. Put the desiccated coconut on a small plate and dip the bunnies’ tails in it to cover. Transfer to a serving plate and serve or wrap as presents.