Hot cross bun pull apart loaf – Life in the South

Hot cross bun pull apart loaf is the absolute best idea when you’re looking for something special to spice up your Easter celebrations. Its the perfect balance between doughy, sweet and spicy. It’s amazing to think that most all baked good can be made vegan, and oh bot, I’m so glad this one turned out so great! We thoroughly enjoyed this loaf so much and I even wanted to make it again but had to refrain myself to other Easter goodies for now. One thing is for sure, it was unforgettable.

Hot cross bun pull-apart loaf is the absolute best idea when you’re looking for something special to spice up your Easter celebrations. It’s the perfect balance between doughy, sweet, and spicy. It’s amazing to think that most all baked good can be made vegan, and oh bot, I’m so glad this one turned out so great! We thoroughly enjoyed this loaf so much and I even wanted to make it again but had to refrain myself to other Easter goodies for now. One thing is for sure, it was unforgettable.

Easter is a very special time of year, not only is it the Celebration of Jesus but also what His life meant for us. If you celebrate Easter you’d also agree on all the significant value behind the celebrations. It’s about love, sacrifice and a whole more than hot cross buns. But what I remember as a child is the very meaning of what Easter means, but also the sent of Easter. As a foodie, I can’t help but think of all the food creations during Easter.

I miss South Africa especially when I think of all the goodies that would be into shops right now, to help you celebrate even better. Beacon’s white easter eggs, proper marshmallow easter eggs, Woolworths’s hot cross buns and numerous Chelsea buns. What is it with us and all of the festive celebrations and all of this food? Especially spicy ones?

This loaf though is spicy, flaky and so so amazing! So I’ve been trying to bring easter home and one more week to go, I still have a couple of recipes up my sleeve. Unfortunately, the French do not do hot cross buns, so you know we have fait a la Maison. We have to celebrate here, without our family and you know what was going to do the best we can, because what is the reason for this season. This pull-apart hot cross bun loaf has been one of my very favorite recipes just yet, I tweaked it from a very popular blogger’s recipe that I have tried before and loved it.

Recipe

Prep Time

Cook Time

2 - 4 People

Serves 2

Beginner

Difficulty 0

Ingredients

For the paste:

2 tbsp white flour
90 ml water
200ml non-dairy lukewarm milk
50g coconut oil

For the bread:

250g white bread flour
250g spelt of whole wheat flour
50g coconut sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon

For the filling:

2 tsp mixed spice
2 tsp ground cinnamon
150g coconut sugar
80g dairy free butter
150g raisins

For the frosting:

2 tbsp coconut cream
1/2 cup icing sugar
pinch of salt

Method

Bring water to a boil in a saucepan, and place the cacao butter and cacao paste in a bowl, submerge a glass in the boiling water and place the bowl on top of the glass. (Here you are creating some kind of bain marie, so the cacao paste and cacao butter melts evenly).
Then blitz up the coconut sugar until it resembles icing sugar, here you can add superfood powders like maca, mesquite or baobab.
Once the cacao butter and the cacao paste have melted and have reached 42 degrees Celcius, remove and whisk in the almond butter, sugar, salt and whisk well, let the temperature come down to 28 degrees Celcius.
This step will take quite a while, around ten to fifteen minutes.
Reheat once again up until 31 degrees Celcius, remove and start by making the eggs.
Fill the eggs 1/3 of the way and swirl the chocolate around until the whole egg is fully covered.
Let the chocolate set in room temperature if possible and then scoop in the almond praline cream, then fill the eggs up to the brim and let them set in room temperature.
These eggs are now tempered so, you can store them in room temperature or wrap them up as a gift.
Notes: Be sure to add the almond praline cream in the center, not touching the sides.
Store in a cool dry place and consume within a week.

Almond praline cream

Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celcius, then place the almonds on a parchment lined baking tray and drizzle over the coconut blossom syrup.
Let them bake for 10 minutes until golden and remove to cool, once cooled, add into a food processor until they are fine and starts to resemble some kind of nut butter, and then add the coconut cream until combined and uber creamy.
Set aside and scoop one to one and a half tsp of cream into each egg.