Speckled Egg Hot Cross Buns are the perfect project for young kids – and they’re a lot easier, and a lot more fun! Or a fitting snack to catch the Varsity Cup this April. Either way, make it about the family time this Easter.
Who doesn’t love speckled eggs?? The good ole coconut and food colouring grass trick is bound to bring back from childhood memories, and create some new ones for your kids more accustomed to the more modern lava cakes and frosting styles.
Prep time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cooking time 45 minutes
Serves 8
Ingredients
Directions
Ingredients
For the dough:
85g butter
125ml (1/2 cup) milk
10g (1 pack) instant dry yeast
60ml (1/4 cup) sugar
5ml (1 tsp) cinnamon
5ml (1 tsp) nutmeg
2 large eggs, beaten
500ml (2 cups) flour
250ml (1 cup) speckled eggs
1 egg, beaten
For the cross topping:
45ml (3 Tbsp) flour
5ml (1 tsp) baking powder
10ml (2 tsp) oil
Pinch of sugar
50ml (2 Tbsp + 4 tsp) cold water
For the glaze:
15ml (1 Tbsp) sugar
15ml (1 Tbsp) water
15ml (1 Tbsp) apricot jam
For the edible grass:
500ml (2 cups) desiccated coconut
Green food colouring
Directions
For the dough:
Melt the butter and set aside to cool down. Place the milk in a small saucepan and heat until just steaming – do not boil.
Place the melted butter, milk, yeast, sugar and spices into a mixing bowl and mix well to combine. Add the eggs and mix well.
Using the dough hook on your mixer, start mixing by add the flour bit by bit until all flour has been added and a dough starts to form. Mix on a medium to high speed for about 4-7 minutes. If you don’t have a mixer, you can knead the dough with your hands until smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled mixing bowl and cover with cling wrap directly on the surface of the dough. Do not wrap too tightly, allowing space for the dough to rise. Allow to proof in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size.
If you prefer, you can chop some of the speckled eggs or keep them whole.
Knock the dough down after proofing and add the speckled eggs. Shape the dough into rugby ball shapes and set aside to proof again until almost doubled in size.
Brush with the egg wash and pipe the cross-stitching on the rugby balls.
Bake the buns in the oven for 45 minutes for large and 25 minutes for small buns.
For the cross topping:
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Place in a piping bag and set aside until needed.
For the glaze:
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and cook for about 5 minutes or until slightly reduced and sticky. Pour the hot glaze over the hot buns once removed from the oven for maximum absorption of the glaze.
For the edible grass:
Combine the coconut with green food colouring and mix well.
Additional Notes
Prep time: 30 minutes plus 1 hour proofing
Cooking time: 45 minutes for large and 25 minutes for small buns
Makes 1 x 25cm or 8 x 10cm buns
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