Hot Cross Buns & Pickled Cucumber

Well the weekend brought around some serious amounts of baking

Bread Machine Hot Cross Buns

1 cup Milk
1/4 cup Butter
1/3 cup Sugar
1 Egg (beaten)
1tsp Salt
3 3/4 cups Strong white bread flour
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground cloves
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1 cup Raisins*
2 tsp Dry yeast
Use dough setting on Bread Machine

Method
Makes 12 Buns.
1. Measure ingredients into baking pan
2. Insert baking pan into bread machine
3. Use dough setting on bread machine
4. When finished, remove dough from pan and divide into 12 pieces
5. Shape into round, slightly flattened buns
6. Place 5cm (2") apart on greased baking sheets
7. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in size
8. Combine (and brush on buns) 1 slightly beaten egg with 1 tbsp water
9. Slash top of buns to form a cross
10. Bake at 190 deg cel (375F) gas mark 5 for 16-18 minutes
11. Drizzle 'cross', while hot, with icing sugar glaze consisting of:
3/4 cup icing sugar
1 tbsp milk
2 drops almond flavouring
*Add raisins approx 20 mins into the cycle (otherwise they become somewhat 'chopped')

They are somewhat misshaped but hubby assures me they taste just like bought hot cross buns..

Pickled Cucumber

3-4 cucumbers sliced
2 cups of malt vinegar
1 cup of sugar

Method
1. Bring to boil in a medium saucepan the malt vinegar and sugar.
2. Add sliced cucumber to saucepan
3. Simmer until cucumber just looses its colour
4. Remove cucmber from saucepan using a pair of tongs (you want to save the vinegar)
5. Once vinegar has cooled poor over cucumber and store in the fridge.

They are so easy to make and taste just like the shopped bought variety. My dad has put in his next order already. Thankfully my cucumber plant is producing nicely.