Today regular contributor, Maree of Three Foot Cooks, shares a fabulous twist on the traditional hot cross bun. And this one’s great for cooking with kids!
We love Hot Cross Buns, especially the ones without any fruit in them. While I have made Hot Cross Buns from scratch I prefer to buy them from a good bakery. Only problem is I try to keep Hot Cross Buns as an Easter tradition, just like when I was a child, and we only eat them in the week leading up to Easter Sunday.
By this time of the year I am tired of trying to avoid all the Hot Cross Buns that have been on sale for what seems like months. They smell so divine! So it is usually about now that Hot Cross Scones make an appearance in the kitchen on the weekend. They smell almost as good as the buns and are a great treat for lunchboxes or afternoon teas. Use freshly ground nutmeg if you have it. I like Bear and Bee to see what an ingredient like nutmeg looks like in its original state and they are now old enough to help grate the whole nutmeg.
Yes the scones are almost the same as Hot Cross Buns but for me they aren’t taking away from one of our family traditions. And scones are really easy for children of all ages to help with. Bear and Bee love mixing with their hands and making any recipes that involve dough, like these Buttermilk Scones, Homemade Foccacia and Soft Pretzels, all favourites with both of my girls.
Hot Cross Scones Recipe
Adapted from McKenzie’s Foods recipe
Makes 12
You will need:
- 3 cups self raising flour, plus extra for bench
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons mixed spice
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 80 grams cold butter
- ¾ cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 ¼ cups milk, plus 1 tablespoon extra for brushing tops of scones
- 100 grams white cooking chocolate
To make:
1. Preheat oven to 220C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
2. Sift flour into a large bowl.
3. Add cinnamon, mixed spice and nutmeg. Stir well.
4. Cut the cold butter into cubes and add it to the flour mix.
5. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. I tell Bee and Bear they are ‘tickling’ the butter and flour.
6. Mix in the chocolate chips and the milk. It will form a soft dough.
7. Place the dough onto a lightly floured bench or board and gently knead it. Don’t work them too much or the scones will turn into rock cakes!
8. Flatten the dough with your hands to 2cm thick.
9. Use a circle biscuit cutter dipped in flour to cut out the scones and place them on the prepared tray about 1cm apart. If you don’t have a circle cutter just cut the dough into 12 evenly sized squares.
10. Brush the tops of the scones with milk and bake in oven for 10-12 minutes. The scones should be golden brown on top when done.
11. Melt the white chocolate according to the directions on the packet. We find the microwave the most successful way of doing this.
12. Use a teaspoon to dribble a little of the melted chocolate on to the top of each scone in a cross shape. If you prefer, you could put the melted chocolate into a plastic bag and pipe the crosses onto each scone. I have found that by using a spoon to add the chocolate Bear and Bee can help whereas the melted chocolate in a zip lock bag is too hot for them to handle.
For a delicious after-Easter treat and a great way of using up leftover mini chocolate eggs, try our Easter Surprise Muffins.
Maree Mortimer is mum to 5 year old twin girls who love to cook. After working as a secondary Home Economics teacher and a teacher librarian in primary and secondary schools, she took time off to raise her daughters. Maree believes that as food and cooking are essential for a healthy life, parents need to be encouraged to cook with their children as much as possible. You'll often find her family spending time together in the kitchen - re-connecting over food and trying out new recipes and ingredients.
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