if you want another way to use up hot cross buns, (I shared a hot cross bun bread and butter pudding recipe the other day) then listen up, hot cross bun bostock is AMAZING, I had to do that in capitals just so I got your attention, ok seriously though it was so yummy and easy to do. I used the bostock recipe from tara o’bradys book 7 spoons. I used lemon and orange in the syrup with orange blossom water and it was really great.

recipe

6 hot cross buns

• 150 g granulated sugar (3/4 cup)
• 100 ml water
• 1 tbsp orange blossom water
• juice of 1 clementine and zest
• juice of half a lemon and zest

• 115 g unsalted butter, softened (1/2 cup)
• 115 g confectioners’ sugar (1 cup)
• 100 g almond meal (1 cup)
• 1 tsp all-purpose flour
• Seeds scraped from a vanilla bean
• 2 t rum or brandy (optional)
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1/4 t fine-grain sea salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

directions

for the syrup add all the ingredients in a pan and stir until the sugar dissolves then let reduce for 5 minutes until it comes to a rapid rolling boil and it has reduced to a syrup, then pour into a bowl ready to use.

slice the hot cross buns and place on a lined baking tray, preheat the oven to 375f 190c

in a mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar together then add the extract and vanilla seeds, stir in the almond meal, flour and salt then add the beaten egg and mix.

brush the syrup on the buns then spoon on the almond cream and spread evenly and then bake for 18 to 20 minutes until the edges start to turn golden, let cool for 5 minutes then dust with confectioners sugar.