Easter is over... and i finally got the hot cross buns right!

So, here is the recipe. It took me 3 goes to find a good recipe and get it right. These are gluten free and fructose free (apart from the small amount of sultanas that have to be there, or it is just not quite right...).

I adapted the recipe from the everyday cookbook for the Thermomix, but i am pretty sure you would follow the same process in a mixer. The ones I made today don't have the cross on them because I couldn't be bothered, I just wanted to prove that I could get the mix right! So excuse the fact that they are missing the cross in the photo!

Ingredients:
250 mL warm milk
250 g rice flour (milled rice in the thermomix - if you are not using a TM then just substitute gluten free plain flour)
350 g SR gluten free flour (total of 600 g of flour)
2 tsp Xanthan Gum
2 tsp salt
70g butter
45g dextrose (recipe calls for sugar - I just substitute gram for gram)
1 egg
15 g dry yeast or 20g fresh yeast
spices - I used about a teaspoon of All Spice. Last time i used some cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, but found the combination a bit overpowering. The allspice worked much more subtly this time.
50 - 100 g sultanas or currants (I didn't use much)

Method:
Warm the milk. Add the flours, salt, butter, dextrose, egg, xanthan gum, yeast and spices (everything except the fruit). Mix. chuck in the fruit toward the end of mixing. Allow it to prove for an hour and a half somewhere warm. Cut and shape into dinner roll sized buns - my recipe makes 16. Place on tray close together and allow to prove for a further 10-15 min. Bake in 220 degrees Celcius for 15 min.

If you are putting the cross on them, make it up with 80 g plain flour, 100g water and 1 tsp olive oil. Mix and use to pipe onto buns just before they go in the oven.

Lots of people put a sugar syrup on top as they come out of the oven (why not have some more sugar?). If you insist on doing this, use 2 tbs boiling water and 2 tbs dextrose.  mix and brush on top.

For anyone who wants the Thermomix instructions:
milk 50 seconds 90 degrees speed 1.
add all other ingredients except fruit. Mix for 6 seconds on speed 7. Then closed lid, 3 minutes interval setting.
add fruit - 10 seconds speed 5.

All other instructions as above.

The end result is a yummy little bun that "doesn't crumble!" The Xanthan Gum is an important addition in gluten free baking because it helps stuff bind (which is the job of gluten in regular people's food!).

You can obviously vary the recipe by adding fruit rind (lemon is suggested, but i went for plain old normal for my kids).

I also spent the morning making pikelets with my five year old. He was very excited to have them for morning tea.