HOT CROSS BUNS! (with cointreau soaked sultanas)

U got good buns? Yeah, well maybe you should steer clear of these if you wanna keep them that way. I just had two. Two and a half. 

The air is still warm from the oven and it smells sweet and spicy. You should really make these, they taste worlds apart from shop bought. I've taken tonnes of pics to help you through my variation on a Delia recipe.

1 envelope/sachet of dried yeast

150ml of really warm water

60g caster sugar

mix all above and leave for 10 mins until frothy

450g plain flour 

1 level tsp table salt

1 tsp of mixed spice

1/2 tsp of cinnamon

sift together into a roomy bowl

add 50g chopped mixed peel and 75g of sultanas soaked in 1tbsp heated cointreau

 melt 50g butter and lightly whisk with an egg and 50ml warm milk. Pour it, and the yeast mixture into a well and mix.

Work into a dough, turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, then cover the bowl with cling and stick in a warm place for one hour until doubled in size.

Take out and punch down to original size and then cut into 12 pieces which you can mould into bun shape (tuck the sides into the bottom)

Make a cross with a sharp knife and cover with cling again and let rise for 40 minutes.

 Preheat your oven to 220C and make another dough out of 2 heaped tsp flour and a drop of water. Roll out and cut thin strips for your crosses. Stick on with a little water and pop in the oven for 5 minutes.

 Once out the oven and on a cooling rack, brush with a sugar glaze.I made mine with an orange juice, sugar and cinnamon reduction.