Hot Cross Bun Shortbread
It's Easter season and although that normally means chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate - I thought I would mix it up a little bit by going down another classic route with these Hot Cross Bun Shortbreads. (Don't worry though - the chocolate posts are coming!)
These were more of an experiment to begin with but once they had been tried and tested I couldn't not share the shortbread love.
INGREDIENTS
For the Biscuits
- 130g Butter (softened)
- 60g Caster sugar
- 165g Plain flour
- 40g Sultanas (Soaked in orange juice for 30 mins)
- 2tsp Mixed spice
- 3 drops of Cinnamon Spice drops
- 3 drops of Orange Spice drops
- 2 drops of Ginger Spice drops
To decorate
- 60ml Water
- 80g Plain flour
- 2tbsp Apricot jam (heated slightly)
You will also need: A piping bag with a Wilton 3 tip nozzle, a 6cm circular cookie cutter, two baking sheets & a rolling pin.
METHOD
- Preheat your oven to 170 Fan / 185C and line two baking sheets with baking parchment.
- In a bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Stir in the flour, mixed spice and spice drops; mixing until combined fully.
- Gently fold the sultanas through the mixture before turning out onto a lightly floured surface.
- Roll out the dough until it is about 1/2" thick before using your cookie cutter to punch out approximately 10-12 biscuits and place them onto the lined baking sheets.
- To make the flour paste, simply stir together the flour and water until they form a smooth, pipeable consistency that will still hold its shape when put onto the biscuits.
- Put the flour paste into the piping bag and pipe a cross on top of each biscuit.
- Refrigerate the biscuits for half an hour before baking for 15 - 18 minutes.
- When the biscuits are out of the oven, take the warm apricot jam and lightly brush the biscuits to give them a nice shiny finish.
You can find the Spice Drops I used in this recipe by clicking the link below:
