Hot cross buns can be found in most Britons’ homes at this time of year. Sliced in half, toasted and topped with a generous helping of butter, these spiced buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday before Easter Sunday but they often have a habit of being consumed throughout March.
Over the years, supermarkets have started selling more unusual flavours such as apple and cinnamon, salted caramel, chocolate orange and even banoffee.
And it seems the traditional versus modern debate surrounding hot cross buns is dividing generations, according to new research from Tesco which surveyed 2,000 UK adults.
More than three-quarters of those aged 55+ love a traditional hot cross bun and nearly 90 percent of those aged 75 and above.
However, only half of 18–24-year-olds (52 percent) claim to like a traditional bun. Yet, 62 percent of Gen-Z say they prefer a more flavour.
Tesco has teamed up with Jamie Oliver, the supermarket’s Good Food Ambassador, to share a brand new recipe spotlighting the humble hot cross bun.
Jamie’s crunchy hot cross bun dippers are the perfect recipe for breakfast, lunch or dessert and can be knocked up in just 30 minutes.
The TV chef said of the recipe: “Inspired by the viral crunchy croissant hack, I’ve turned a pack of Tesco Finest 4 Blueberry & Lemon Hot Cross Mini Loaves into the ultimate in crispy dippers.
“Teamed with compote-rippled yoghurt and a sprinkling of nuts, this is perfect for a brekkie, brunch or dessert.
“The hot cross mini loaves are rolled out until thin, baked with maple syrup till crisp, then they’re ready to dunk!”
How to make Jamie Oliver’s crunchy hot cross bun dippers
Ingredients
- 350g bag of frozen blueberries
- One lemon
- One x 4-pack of Tesco Finest Blueberry & Lemon Hot Cross Mini Loaves
- 25g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- Three tbsp maple syrup
- 300g natural yogurt
- One tsp vanilla paste
- 20g mixed nuts
Method
1. Firstly, preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. Put the blueberries in a small pan over low heat with your lemon juice and cook for around eight minutes or until the blueberries have defrosted and started to soften. Remove the berries from the heat and set them to one side.
2. Slice each hot cross bun horizontally into three. Lay each slice side-by-side and gently roll them with a rolling pin until they’re 3mm thick. Line a tray with baking paper and spread each slice with half of the butter. Drizzle over 1.5 tablespoons of the maple syrup and arrange the slices on top in a layer before drizzling on the rest of the syrup.
3. Dot over the remaining butter before placing another sheet of baking paper on top as well as another baking tray. This should hold the slices in place and ensure they remain flat. Bake the slices for 15 minutes.
4. Beat the yoghurt and vanilla paste together until smooth and ripple in the blueberry compote. Finely chop up the nuts.
5. Divide the yoghurt between the bowls, scatter over the nuts and serve with the hot cross bun dippers.
