Finding an excellent gluten-free Hot Crossed Bun can be almost as daunting as the thought of producing a batch at home so this Easter we’re baking Hot Crossed Muffins instead. They make a very easy alternative with all the spicy flavour and dried fruit plumpness of a traditional Hot Crossed Bun, without all the fuss.
Not being a huge fan of the enormous, heavy versions of muffins which seem to abound these days, we’ve used our Revenge Gluten-free Plain Flour Mix to produce a light, moist and spicy muffin which, just like a Hot Crossed Bun, can be eaten still warm from the oven or halved, toasted and slathered with butter the next day (careful the sugary top can pack a blistering punch after being under a grill).
With Easter only a few days away you’d better hop to it.
Rosie
HOT CROSSED MUFFINS
Makes 12
380 gm Revenge Gluten-free Plain Flour Mix (see below)
150 gm caster sugar
2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
1 teaspoon bi-carb soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons mixed spice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
120 gm sultanas
50 gm currants
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
150 gm unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 whole eggs, beaten
300 ml buttermilk
Demerara sugar
Icing sugar
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease well then line the bases of 12 muffin moulds.
Sift dry ingredients together and mix well. Add sultanas, currants and orange zest and toss to combine.
Fold in the cooled butter, beaten eggs and buttermilk.
Transfer 1/3 of a cup of the mixture to each of the muffin moulds.
Sprinkle the tops with some demerara sugar (use raw if you don’t have demerara).
Bake 15-20 mins until the tops are golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the centre of a muffin. Allow to cool in the tins for 5 minutes then transfer to a cake rack.
Make a stencil of a cross with a piece of paper and in turn place on top of each muffin and liberally dust with icing sugar. Carefully remove the stencil to reveal a white cross shape.
REVENGE GLUTEN-FREE PLAIN FLOUR MIX
450 gm fine white rice flour
150 gm fine brown rice flour
160 gm tapioca flour
260 gm potato starch (not flour)
Mix up a batch and store in an airtight container in a cool place.