3 ways with hot cross buns

Who said trifle had to be reserved for Christmas? It’s just as tasty on Easter, when made with hot cross buns, pears and toffee.
To make this compote, heat a frying pan over medium heat then fry saute 4 pears (cored and cubed) in the butter for 5 minutes.  Add 1 Tbsp brown sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract and allow the sugar to caramelise. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. To assemble the trifles, slice hot cross buns in half then place the bottom halves in the bottom of glasses. Top with a little of the pears, some toffee sauce, whipped cream and pecan nuts. Repeat until all the ingredients have been used. Place in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

 

This twist on an ice cream sandwich is more than just delicious – it’s also a child-friendly holiday activity. Your little ones will love rolling out the hot cross buns and scooping the ice cream just as much as they’ll love eating the finished product. To make the ice cream sandwiches, halve the hot cross buns and flatten each half slightly with a rolling pin. Place a generous scoop of ice cream on the bottom half of each hot cross bun then sandwich with the top half. Place on a freezer-safe plate and freeze for 30 minutes before serving.

Bread and butter pudding gets a double update with this recipe: fragrant buns are used in place of bread, before being moulded into a loaf form that can be sliced and served. To make this pudding, pre-heat the oven to 160°c and grease a loaf tin well then line with baking paper. Place cubed hot cross buns in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together 200ml cream, 400ml milk, 4 eggs, 2 tsp vanilla extract and 60g castor sugar. Pour the custard mixture over the hot cross buns and allow to soak for a few minutes. Place the soaked hot cross buns in the prepared loaf tin and pour over the remaining custard. Place the tin in the oven and allow to bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the bread pudding has risen and the top is golden brown. A knife inserted should come out slightly moist. Remove the loaf tin from the oven and allow the pudding to rest for up to 30 minutes. When you are ready to serve, remove the pudding from the tin and slice into thick slices. Top with a generous scoop of ice cream and serve immediately.