This 2014 Easter Hot Cross Buns recipe is indeed a fabulous tasting one and one that I have made again after Easter when I had a craving for sweet buns. It is easy to make with readily available ingredients, pushes the culinary boundries in creating alternatives to processed foods, and those that have tasted it remark on how fabulous it tastes in comparison to the gluten-flour based variety. It remains my hot cross buns recipe of choice that is free of dairy, gluten, grains and sugar.
Easter 2015 brings a request from family that abstain from eggs and meats for religious reasons, during this period, to indulge in vegetarian / vegan hot cross buns, while maintaining a gluten and sugar free lifestyle. My vegan and raw cookbooks came to the rescue in the recipe that follows below, as did my dehydrator for this raw nutrition delight in a hot cross bun.
During the past 20 months of my lifestyle change, raw nutrition has played a big role in my appreciation for real foods and how they aid the body with regard to digestion and healing. I believe that it has aided my body in adjusting to new foods, detoxifying from the old food rubbish and repairing years of neglect. In conjunction with a gluten and sugar free diet, it continues to unravel my preconceptions about food, and is a motivator to unshackle my emotional attachments of the old food regime. It also assists in maintaining and sustaining my transition and is slowly making inroads in releasing me from my foodie comfort zones, into exploring and discovering the value of healing through real food.
I used almond pulp (left over from making almond milk) in this recipe however almond flour may be used. While this recipe is sugar free, sweeteners used are raw honey or maple syrup and liquid stevia. These hot cross buns could also be made in an oven, using the lowest heat setting, with the oven door slightly wedged open, for the same duration as the dehydrator. They will not bake well at higher temperatures due to the lack of adequate liquid. There are various resources available on the www that provide information on how to use your conventional oven to dehydrate as well as the pros and cons of raw nutrition.
Again, the taste of these hot cross buns are pretty amazing and right “up there” in the hot cross buns taste, just an alternative healthier variety, which may not suit everyone’s (according to my kids!) tastes though! These buns taste best warm but may be eaten cool as well. Serve with banana “ice cream”, dairy free- custard, cashew cream, apricot ‘jam’ or leftover cross icing mixture, which is made from raw cashews and is decadently delicious tasting!
Ingredients
1 cup psyllium husk
2 cups almond pulp (leftover from making almond milk)
½ cup flax flour
1 tblsp ground cinnamon
1 tblsp mixed spice
1 tsp vanilla powder or 2-3 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup raisins, soaked in water to soften
½ cup finely chopped dates
1 tsp Himalayan or Sea salt
Zest and juice of one orange
1 cup bottled water
Ingredients for the Cross
1 cup raw cashew nuts, soaked in water for 1 hour
½ cup bottled water
2 tblsp maple syrup or raw honey or date paste
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 squirts liquid stevia
Zest and juice of half a lemon
4 tblsp coconut oil
A pinch of Himalayan or Sea salt
Ingredients for the Glaze
Juice of one lemon (50ml)
¼ cup dried apricots, soaked until soft
4 tblsp bottled water
3 squirts liquid stevia or 3 tsp raw honey
Here’s How
- Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, mix well to combine, add the water and work the ingredients with your hands until you get a dough consistency.
- Mould into a flat square shape and cut into square buns or use a cookie/ scone cutter to cut into rounds.
- Dehydrate at 40°C for 8 hours, basting two or three times with the glaze. If using a conventional oven, bake on lowest oven setting for the same time leaving the oven door slightly ajar – wedging a roll of tin foil or similar works well.
- Blend ingredients in high-speed blender or food processor until smooth (the mixture will be quite thick).
- Blend all ingredients except for the coconut oil in a high-speed blender or food processor.
- Add coconut oil and blend again. Add a little more water to help it blend if required, but keep the mixture as thick as possible.
- Pour into a container and keep in fridge for 1-2 hours to allow it to set a little further.
- Pour into a piping bag and pipe a cross onto the buns.