Sugar free hot cross buns

I made these on Sunday as a gift. Homemade food is always a good bet when you're stuck for a present. It's personal and chances are the person receiving it will really appreciate the effort. The point here is that the food doesn't have to look perfect. If it tastes good and it is presented well your present should be a hit.

I bought a basket from Mr. Price for about R20 and put them in there which added to the rustic vibe.

Okay, stuff you'll need to make about 12-14 buns

• Half a cup of milk


• A tablespoon of yeast


• About a quarter of a cup of the best honey you can find


• A teaspoon of salt


• 50g butter, melted in the microwave


• A teaspoon of cinnamon


• Half a teaspoon of nutmeg


• 2 eggs


• 2 and a half cups of flour


• Dried fruit (Raisins are the traditional choice. I used dried cranberries and dried apricots)


• 1 egg white

For the glaze:

• Honey


• Zest from 2 lemons


• Juice from 2 lemons


• About a tablespoon of milk

What to do:

1. Heat milk in microwave and add yeast to dissolve.

2. Pour milk into a mixing bowl and while beating slowly, add honey, salt, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and eggs. Slowly add flour and keep kneading the mixture. The dough should be quite wet but beginning to look a lot smoother. After about 5 minutes of kneading cover the bowl with clingwrap. Walk away, pour a drink or whatever, and let the dough relax for 45 minutes to an hour. Do not touch it. Do not think about it. After an hour the dough should roughly double in size.

3. Knead the dough some more. Work it for about 3 minutes and then add your dried fruit, mixing it all in. Shape the dough into a ball and cover for a further 30 minutes.

4. Divide the dough into about 12 round portions and arrange on a greased baking tray or baking paper. Make sure they are not on top of each other - if everything goes according to plan they will expand and rise. Now make a deep cross in the dough for each bun. Cover them and leave them to rise again for about 35 minutes.

5. Brush the buns with the egg white and bake them in the oven at 220 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes. Remove them, whisk together the glaze ingredients and spoon some over the buns. Put the buns back in the oven for about 10 minutes, watching them carefully. With the glaze on it is easy to burn them so be careful. What you want is a sticky, golden-brown bun. When they are done take them out and let them cool. With no sugar and some healthy dried fruit packed with anti-oxidants you could do worse I promise.

Cheers,

Jamie Who