Healthy Easter: Low-Fat Hot Cross Buns

4:41 AM


To close out the week of Healthy Easter Treats, I decided to have a crack at some Hot Cross Buns.  My standards of home-made HCBs are extremely high, considering both my mum and mother-in-law are exceptional Hot Cross Bun-makers.  They simply have their recipes down pat and are always generous in feeding us a constant supply in the lead-up to Easter.  Yes, I consider myself very fortunate!

So, I decided to give my own batch a crack for the first time in a few years.  My last attempt was pretty unsuccessful, but I've had a lot of practice using yeast since then, so I thought it couldn't be too hard.  I got this recipe from the Lose Baby Weight website.  I was happy with the recipe, but a bit disappointed with my buns, as I felt they didn't rise enough on the second go.  Compared with Shirley's, mine seemed small and dense :-(

However, the flavour was pretty good, plus they are low-calorie, so there is comfort in knowing that!

I've already booked myself in for a HCB workshop with my mums for next year, so hopefully then I can bring you another amazing recipe!

Makes around 15 buns with each bun being approx 110 calories

Ingredients
400g wholemeal flour
½ teaspoon mixed spice
50g reduced fat butter
40g mixed dried fruit
2 teaspoons dry yeast
1 teaspoon Natvia natural sweetener
200ml water

Crossed dough ingredients
3 tablespoons plain flour
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons water

Glaze
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons boiling water

Method
Preheat oven at 200 degrees.

Mix yeast and natvia with 150ml of water.
Mix the dry ingredients together (flour, mixed spice, dried fruit).
Make a well in the centre of your dough. Then pour in the yeast mixture, 50ml of water and the butter
Knead the dough for about 5 minutes and then cover it, leaving it to rise for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, cut the dough into balls and then leave them to rise for another 20 minutes or until the size doubles.
Whilst waiting for the dough to rise, prepare your crossed dough mixture in a mixing bowl and put it into a piping bag.
Then, pipe it onto the dough balls in a cross shape before you pop it in the oven.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Once it’s done, take it out of the oven and glaze it!
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