If you’re a hot cross bun purist, look away now. However, for those who believe more is, well, more, Co-op has truly delivered for you this Easter.
The convenience retailer has dropped a giant hot cross bun weighing in at a solid 400g. For context, a standard four-pack comes in at around 280g. So, yes, what we’re essentially dealing with here is a hot cross bun the size of a loaf of bread. At just £2.30, this feels like a bargain.
The tricky bit is how to eat it.
Granted, food debates are nothing new. Cream or jam first (cream, obviously). Ketchup or brown sauce (ketchup – always). But until now, the humble hot cross bun felt relatively safe from scrutiny – aside from having to serve it with an obligatory cup of tea. And then Co-op supersized it.
Our experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute recently sampled the brioche-bun hybrid as part of our annual hot cross bun taste test, where it scored an impressive 81/100. They decided the smartest way to tackle this bake was to slice it like a regular loaf. Both sides get toasted and it gets to luxuriate in an embarrassingly generous layer of butter.
But why stop there? It would make an incredible base for a hot cross bun pudding, after a delicious swim in double cream.
Could you warm it whole in the oven and present it like a celebration cake, complete with candles? Absolutely. Would we slice it horizontally, stuff it with ice cream and serve it with a ta-da, while awaiting applause? Also yes.
To be fair, it’s not the first hot cross bun that has left us slightly flummoxed. We recently discovered Marks & Spencer’s red velvet hot cross bun, which is filled with white chocolate – and therefore can’t be toasted. Eating it ‘raw’ feels a bit unlawful, albeit delicious.
To Co-op’s credit, while it’s gone rogue on size, it has kept things classic on flavour. Expect juicy vine fruit, warming cinnamon and a honeyed aroma that reminded us of French toast – that’s brunch sorted. And if we’re going down that route, perhaps we should drizzle it with maple syrup and pile it high with berries and whipped cream. We wouldn’t say no…
Co-op isn’t alone in the supersized stakes, either. Yorkshire bakery Bettys is selling its own giant buns in classic, cheese and chocolate orange flavours, starting from £8.50. Just imagine the fun you could have with toppings there.
Anyway, with Easter still a month away, you’ve got time to tackle this culinary conundrum. Just don’t come crying to us if it gets stuck in the toaster.
Stacey looks after all food and drink reviews — from coffee pods and veg boxes, to natural wine and tequila. Stacey is also founder of Crummbs, where she’s written nearly 2,000 restaurant and hotel reviews since 2013. Prior to this, Stacey wrote hundreds of in-depth buying guides for the Independent, i newspaper and BBC Good Food, as well as reviewing restaurants and interviewing celebrities in her column at Balance Magazine. Stacey has also appeared in BAFTA-nominated BBC documentary Blood, Sweat & Takeaways, where she investigated South East Asia's food production industry, appearing on both Newsnight and BBC World Service to share her findings. Regularly checking out the latest restaurants, bars and product launches, Stacey also loves experimenting with recipes at home, and is a WSET-certified wine and spirits expert, with over 10 years of experience in the business. You can follow Stacey on Instagram @crummbs_uk
