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One a penny, two a penny: these buttery, spiced, fruit- studded buns are a classic Easter treat. But like many baked goods, they have a short shelf life – in the UK we waste £870m* a year throwing away bakery items that could have been eaten. Read on for our tips to use them up and keep them fresher for longer.
Store hot cross buns in a cool, dry place, in their packaging or a paper bag. Don’t keep them in the fridge as they will get stale more quickly.
If you're looking for ways to use your fresh hot cross buns why not transform them into doughnuts with our hot cross bun doughnut recipe? Just create a hole in your bun then use a piping bag to generously fill with the flavours of your choosing. Or, if you don't have a piping bag to hand we've got another suggestion for you... our hot cross bun ice cream sandwiches are a 10 minute show-stopper plus the perfect balance of flavour and temperature.
If they’re starting to turn stale, sprinkle with water and heat for a few minutes in the oven. If they’re very stale, blitz to breadcrumbs and add to puddings like our hot cross bun treacle tart.
Hot cross buns also freeze well. Slice them in half first, then wrap well; toast from frozen - you can then use them in our hot cross bun trifle, if you like.
One of the greatest things about the trusty hot cross bun is that you can enjoy them hot or cold and sweet or savoury.
A morning treat that is sure to get your day off to a good start is spiced french toast; just whisk 1 egg, 60ml milk, 1 tsp cinnamon and a little orange zest in a bowl. Halve 2 hot cross buns and soak in the milk-egg mixture then fry in melted butter for 1-2 mins each side until golden.
The same can be applied to other ready-bought breakfast classics, like these crumpet French toasts.
Imagine the king of savoury breakfasts served in a fluffy hot cross bun, that's right we're talking about a hot cross cheesy bacon roll. To try this; Grill streaky bacon rashers until crisp; drain on kitchen paper. Halve and toast the hot cross buns. Scatter one half with grated Cheddar; grill to melt then top with the bacon and sandwich together.
If you don't have any hot cross buns to hand, why not try a similar breakfast idea with a bagel instead?
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