Vanilla Hot Cross? Trust us... this is Goooood

IMAGE: Courtesy of taste.com.au

As if Easter wasn't awesome enough (well, on the tastebud front... maybe not the waistline...) believe it or not, it just got even better with this 'new' Vanilla Hot Cross Bun recipe.

Yes, the introduction of Reeses Pieces mini eggs and those delicious flavoured marshmallow eggs (Thank you Cadbury - Keep 'em coming) are awesome, but this? Something you can make at home on a Sunday morning, letting the smells waft through the house all day long? Yes. Please. This Vanilla Slice Hot Cross Bun recipe has been whipped together by some creative cuisine guru out there, mashing together 2 ultimate recipes; Vanilla Slice & Hot Cross Buns. 

Once we heard about these, we couldn't let a fresh baking opportunity pass by... And of course, it was so damn good we had to share the baking love with you guys!

So, if you're up for a little baking this weekend and ready to really mix up the vibe this Easter, give these bad boys a go. Delicious, creamy, custard filled soft cinnamon-y buns fresh out of the over. These Vanilla Hot Cross Buns are 100% worth every indulgent bite AND the extra workout you may (or may not) want to do...

INGREDIENTS:

• 100g (2/3 cup) custard powder
• 100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
• 500ml (2 cups) milk
• 300ml carton thickened cream
• 60g butter, chopped, plus 2 teaspoons extra, softened
• 9 hot cross buns
• 80g (1/2 cup) icing sugar mixture
• 3 1/2 teaspoons boiling water
• 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios

METHOD:

1. Whisk the custard powder, caster sugar and 60ml (1/4 cup) of the milk in a saucepan until smooth. Stir in the cream and remaining milk. Place over medium-low heat and cook, whisking slowly and then more vigorously as mixture thickens, for 10 minutes. Stir in the butter until combined. Pour the mixture into a heatproof bowl. Set aside to cool, stirring often with a spatula to release heat and to prevent a skin from forming, until just warm.

2. Line a 20cm (base measurement) square cake pan with baking paper, overhanging two opposite sides. Use a small serrated knife to carefully cut the buns in half horizontally. Arrange the bottom half of the buns, cut-side up, neatly over the base of the prepared pan

3. Drop large spoonfuls of the custard over the bun base and gently spread to make an even layer. Arrange bun tops, cut-side down, over the custard. Place in the fridge for 2 hours or until set

4. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl. Place the extra butter in bowl to one side. Pour boiling water onto the butter to begin to melt. Stir into the icing sugar until smooth and well combined. Place the icing mixture into a small sealable plastic bag and snip off one corner. Drizzle icing in a cross pattern over the slice. Sprinkle with pistachios and set aside to allow to set