Salted Caramel Hot Cross Buns

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Salted Caramel Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns with a twist. By adding blended dates and peanut butter you get a caramel taste. Using 50% wholemeal flour and unrefined sugars keep these delicious buns healthy. Great warm from the oven or toasted spread with vegan butter.
Course Dessert, sweet treat
Keyword hot cross buns, vegan buns, vegan easter
Servings 6 buns

Ingredients

  • 1 cup plant milk – warm I used soya unsweetened
  • 2 tbsp sugar I used date sugar
  • 7 g fast acting yeast
  • zest of one orange
  • 150 g plain flour
  • 170 g wholemeal flour
  • 1 tsp pink/sea salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp all spice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup sultanas soaked and drained
  • 9 pitted dates soaked and drained
  • 2 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1 medium banana

Instructions

  • Warm the milk in the microwave (not too hot) and mix in the yeast and 1 tbsp of sugar. Set aside for ten minutes for the yeast to activate. It will go frothy and thick.
    In a large bowl add the flours, salt, spices, 1 tbsp sugar. Mix together with hand whisk or fork.
    In a blender add the drained dates, peanut butter, banana and half the yeast liquid. Blend until you have a lump free liquid.
    Pour the yeast mix and the mix from the blender into the flour. Add the sultanas (drained), orange zest and vanilla.Mix together with a wooden spoon until all the ingredients start forming a dough. Once the dough forms use your hands to combine everything together. Add a little more flour if the dough is very sticky. Keep doing this until the dough isn't sticking to your hands.
    On a clean work surface sprinkle with flour and knead the dough for 5 minutes. Sprinkle a bowl with flour (stops the dough sticking) and place the dough in the middle. Cover with a warm, damp tea towel and place in a warm area for one hour. I put just the light on in the oven which creates a warm place for it to rise.
    When an hour is up the dough should have doubled in size.
    Flour a clean surface and knead for a couple of minutes. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Cut the dough into 6 equal parts and roll into a ball. Place in the tray and pop back in a warm place for half an hour. No need to cover.
    Preheat oven to 180oC 356oF.
    To make the cross mixture add the flour and water to a bowl and mix together. You might have to add more flour/water until you get a thick glue like paste. If it's too runny it will ruin the buns.
    Pour the cross mixture into a piping bag (or food bag) and cut the corner. Squeeze over the buns to make a cross (see video).
    Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Once removed from the oven brush with maple syrup to give a gorgeous glaze. Enjoy warm or toasted with butter and jam

Video

Notes

Tip: Soak the dates and sultanas in just boiled water for a few minutes to soften them. Drain off the water before using in the recipe. I microwaved the milk for 1 minute to warm it so the yeast reacts faster. When mixing the flour and water for the cross you want it to be thick like glue. Mine was a little too runny.
Check out amazon for products I use and recommend 
Author: Self taught cook, Blogger, YouTuber, Recipe Maker & Advisor. Living with liver disease & healing through a vegan diet.

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