'X' recipe for Hot Cross Buns please

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lizab, Apr 12, 4:52am
I've tried a few different mixtures of flour (plain or s/r), water, butter etc, but the crosses on my hot cross buns are always sort of chewy. When you break the buns apart, quite often the 'X' will pull away from its neighbour. Does anyone have a nice soft recipe that I could use please!

lizab, Apr 12, 5:04am
lol - wouldn't it be great to buy a little bottle of 'hot cross bun crosses' !

lizab, Apr 12, 5:38am
anyone . please . my raisin buns have doubled in size now and I'm waiting for a recipe . never mind, I should have posted earlier. I'll just glaze them in egg wash as per normal and try back tomorrow :)

davidt4, Apr 12, 5:41am
Many people just make a small quantity of plain white icing (icing sugar plus hot water) and pipe or trickle a cross on the buns after they are cooked.You do have to be careful that it doesn't burn if you are toasting them on that side.

timetable, Apr 12, 5:53am
i just use water and flour, enough to make a good paste, pipe on and then bake.

kinna54, Apr 12, 6:15am
There are some over in the breadmaker recipes. I noted a nice one that had honey in it which sounded really yummy. I'll see what I can find in those threads.My mum always used to add a touch of almond essence to the paste mix.

kinna54, Apr 12, 6:21am
1 I found but haven't tried it. crosses* Mix made from 80gms flour,80mls water, 3tsps sugar*

lizab, Apr 12, 6:37am
thank you all. I found a recipe in one of the destitute gourmet cookbooks that I thought I'd try (half cup flour, half tsp baking powder, 1 tbsp butter and 3 tbsp water) It was so thick, I had to add so much more water, as 3 tbsp was definitely not enough and it was quite hard once baked. Maybe I will try just decorating them after they're cooked as a few of you have suggested - I have no idea why I haven't thought of this before!
Thanks again :)

juliewn, Apr 12, 12:54pm
Hi. if you like an almond icing flavour - either bought or home made, chill it and then cut into thin strips about as thick as 3 match-sticks and the width of your buns long.

Bake the buns as per the recipe, until they're just a few minutes from being cooked.
Take the tray from the oven, and quickly place the strips in a cross on top of each bun.
Back into the oven until they're cooked.
The almond icing will give a sticky, caramel-almond flavoured cross which is just delicious.

Or. once the buns have cooled, melt some chocolate or white chocolate and use it to make crosses on your buns.

flower-child01, Apr 12, 10:35pm
Just flour and water, make sure your mixture is very soft. The easiest way is my technique where it is 1/2 c flour mixed with 1/3 c cold water approx. Make a soft paste from the flour and cold water. Place in a small sealable snack bag, snip a small corner. Pipe crosses. My recipe for hot cross buns is at http://brama-sole.co.nz/recipes/hot-cross-buns/

andrea135, Jul 25, 10:45pm
I found this recipe from the foodlovers website, for bun crosses
½ cup plain flour, 1/3 cup water, glaze, 2 tablespoons sugar,1 teaspoon gelatine, 2 tablespoons water
Mix together the flour and water for crosses and place in a piping bag
or plastic bag with the corner snipped. Pipe crosses on buns. Place in oven
and bake for 20 minutes or until golden and springy to touch. Meanwhile
place the sugar, gelatine and water in a saucepan and stir over medium heat
for 2 minutes or until gelatine has dissolved. Brush warm buns with glaze.