The Easter weekend is just over a week away and many families will be spending quality time together, sharing chocolate eggs and eating delicious food. Hot cross buns are a traditional Easter favourite, filled with warm delicious flavours of spice, fruit and sweetness.

This week we’ve found a quick and easy cranberry & orange hot cross bun recipe that the whole family will love. These are the perfect treat to enjoy this Easter with a warm cup of tea or coffee.

Take a look at the ingredients you’ll need and the method you’ll need to follow.

Here’s what you’ll need…

Zest of 2 oranges and juice of 1
½ cup dried cranberries
1 cup milk
3 tbsp unsalted butter , diced
1 large egg
3 cups strong white bread flour , plus extra for kneading
1 tbsp fast-action dried yeast
2 tsp mixed spice
½ cup caster sugar
A little oil , for greasing
Butter , to serve

For the glaze & crosses…

¼ cup plain flour
Juice of 1 orange
5 tbsp apricot jam

Here’s what you’ll need to do…

1.Put the orange zest in a bowl and set it aside.
2.Pour the juice into another bowl, add ¼ cup boiling water and the dried cranberries, then leave to soak.
3.Meanwhile, pour the milk into a saucepan, add the butter and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter has just melted.
4.Turn off the heat and beat in the egg by hand.
5.Mix together the bread flour, yeast, 1 tsp salt, and the mixed spice and sugar in a large bowl.
6.Make a well in the flour and pour in the milk mixture.
7.Drain the cranberries and add to the bowl with the orange zest, then mix into the dough with a wooden spoon until it comes together enough to handle without getting too sticky.
8.Tip out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 mins until smooth and elastic – you’ll need to keep poking the cranberries into the mix as you go.
9.Grease a bowl with a little oil, then add the dough and cover with cling film.Leave somewhere warm to rise for 1 hr.
10.Once risen to twice the size, turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knock it back by kneading for about 1 min – this will get all the large air holes out and give you nice even buns.
11.Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces, roll into balls and lay on baking sheets lined with parchment.
12.Put a plastic bag over the baking sheets and leave to prove for 1 hr more.
13.Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.

For the glaze & crosses…

1.Mix together the plain flour and 5 tbsp water in a bowl to a sticky consistency.
2.Spoon into a piping bag with a small opening or use a 2mm nozzle, and pipe crosses onto each risen bun.
3.Place the buns in the oven for 20-22 mins until brown on top. While the buns are baking, make the glaze.
4.Pour the orange juice into a saucepan and mix in the jam.
5.Bring to the boil over low heat, then simmer for 3-5 mins – you’ll need to keep an eye on this the whole time and stir it to stop it sticking.
6.Once the buns are cooked, put them on a wire rack and immediately paint them with the glaze.
7.Leave to cool, then eat with butter.

(Source: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/cranberry-orange-hot-cross-buns)