2 cups oats
1/2 cup dried fruit
8 chopped dried figs
2 T sunflower seeds
1/2 cup chopped cashews
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1 T poppy seeds
1 1/2 tsp fennel seeds (I like to chop them a bit)
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 T apple cider vinegar (or fig balsamic or balsamic)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup olive oil
Preheat to 300
Mix dry ingredients and fruits. Whisk together the vinegar, maple syrup, and oil. Mix into the dry.
Let sit 20 minutes
Bake 25-30 minutes, stirring once in the middle.
Hot Cross Buns
1 cup dried fruit
2 tsp yeast (instant or active)
1 cup milk
5 Tbsp butter
3-4 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup greek yogurt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cardamom (freshly ground it possible)
1/4 tsp ground ginger
4-4 1/2 cups bread flour
Soak 1 cup dried fruit (currants, or raisins, or fruit bits) in warm water. Set aside
Scald 1 cup milk--bring to a boil then turn off heat, add 5 Tbsp unsalted
butter (cold, cut into pieces)
Stir until mostly melted and the milk is just warm
(If you don't have instant yeast, put 2 tsp active yeast in the warm milk/butter mixture until it gets bubbly)
Add 3-4 Tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt to the milk/butter. Stir to dissolve
Add 2 eggs and 1/4 cup greek yogurt (the yogurt is optional). Beat until well mixed
In a separate bowl, combine 2 cups bread flour and the 2 tsp instant yeast if you are using instant. Add 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg, 1/2 tsp ground cardamom (freshly ground it possible), and 1/4 tsp ground ginger.
(Drain the raisins and leave to drip in a strainer)
Add the egg/butter/milk to the flour mixture, stir vigorously. Add 2 more cups of flour. Keep mixing until it starts to leave the sides of the bowl. The dough should be a little sticky, but if it is still wet, add up to 1/2 cup more flour. If you added the yogurt, you will probably use 4 1/2 cups flour. Start working it in with a spoon and then your hands. You want sticky dough but not wet. (You can use a big cuisinart with a dough blade or a stand mixer for this whole section but I just use my hands and knead it)
If you have a picky child, remove 1/6 of the dough. Add the dried fruit to the remaining 5/6 of the dough, kneading it in. If the added dried fruit adds too much moisture, just sprinkle a little more flour in as you knead.
Keep kneading both doughs for a few minutes. No need to over-knead. Should still be a little sticky.
Put the fruited dough in a bowl and the plain dough in a different bowl. Cover each. Let sit for 5 minutes
Come back and pull all the edges into the center. Cover again, and do the same thing 5 minutes later.
Cover and put in fridge overnight
EASTER MORNING--remove the dough and let it come to room temp (1-2 hours while you open easter baskets, etc)
Cut the dough into about 15-18 pieces (or if you divided the dough, cut the fruited dough into 12-15 pieces and the plain dough into 2-3). I used a scale and tried to make each bun 85-95 grams.
Form the buns by flattening a piece, tucking and pinching, till you have a smooth round bun (nestle any runaway fruit back in).
Put on to baking sheet and let rise until almost doubled (about 60 minutes). If it's cool in your house, you can put it in the oven with the oven light on (but don't turn the oven on)
If the buns are rising in the oven, remove them before preheating.
Preheat oven to 375
Beat an egg yolk with about 1 Tbsp milk or cream. Brush onto top of buns
Bake for 17-20 Minutes. Mine were done after 17.
As they cool, make your icing (I just eyeball it with a little butter, milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar). You want it to be thick enough to hold its shape as you make the cross on top of the bun.
Enjoy with scrambled eggs and a fruit salad.
