We've created all the flavours of a hot cross bun, but wrapped them up in a crispy, fried, sugar-coated doughnut! We used soft light brown sugar for a more caramelised taste to mirror a toasted bun, and then stuffed them with a zingy orange custard for that citrussy element. It'll be the best bake you make all Easter weekend..
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Yields:
12 serving(s)
Prep Time:
45 mins
Cook Time:
37 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 22 mins
Cal/Serv:
396
Ingredients
150 ml whole milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla bean paste
finely grated zest of 1 1/2 oranges
400 g plain flour
7 g sachet fast-action dried yeast
200 g soft light brown sugar, divided
75 g unsalted butter, softened
3 medium eggs, beaten
100 g mixed peel
100 g raisins
2 tsp. mixed spice
vegetable oil, to grease and deep fry
1 tsp. cinnamon
For the cross
50 g plain flour
4 Tbsp. water
For the filling
225 ml whole milk
3 medium egg yolks
75 g light brown soft sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp. cornflour
finely grated zest of 1 1/2 oranges
Directions
Step 1To make the doughnuts, heat the milk in a small pan until just steaming. Set aside to cool until just warm.
Step 2In the bowl of a freestanding mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix the flour, yeast, 50 g of the sugar, butter, eggs, mixed peel, raisins, mixed spice, cooled milk and ½ tsp fine salt. Knead on low-medium speed for 10 minutes, until springy. The dough should be glossy and slightly sticky. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave to rise in a warm place for 1½–2 hours, until doubled in size.
Step 3Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat the milk in a medium pan until just steaming. In a bowl, mix the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour. Gradually whisk in the hot milk. Return to the pan and cook, stirring constantly over medium-high heat, until thick and smooth. The mixture will need to boil and may look lumpy at first. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla bean paste and orange zest. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 1.5 cm nozzle. Cool, then chill until needed.
Step 4Once the dough has risen, line two baking sheets with greased baking parchment (oil-side up). Divide the dough into 12 pieces, roll into balls and space apart on the lined sheets. Loosely cover with greased clingfilm and leave to prove for 1 hour, until puffed.
Step 5Heat oil in a sturdy, large, high-sided pan to 160°C. For the crosses, mix the flour with 4 tbsp water to form a thick but pipeable paste. Scrape into a piping bag fitted with a 5 mm plain nozzle and pipe crosses on to the risen buns.
Step 6Carefully add four doughnuts at a time to the hot oil, cross-side up, and cook for 3–4 minutes per side, until dark golden and puffed. Drain on kitchen paper, then carefully toss in the remaining 150 g sugar mixed with the cinnamon. Leave to cool and repeat with the remaining doughnuts, checking the oil temperature between batches.
Step 7Using a metal skewer, poke a hole in the side of each doughnut. Pipe in plenty of filling and serve.
GH TIPS:
You can completely skip the step of adding the crosses on top if you like, but it does make it look slightly more traditional.
If you're not a fan of orange flavoured custard, you could replace it with vanilla bean paste for a more neutral taste.
The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time
