Hot cross buns are traditional sweet buns, often spiced and containing raisins and currants. Although supermarkets have many varieties of the traditional bun these days, many people prefer the standard version.

According to Mary, her hot cross buns are easy to make despite them looking perfect. The recipe notes said: “Mary’s going to be so proud that you made your own hot cross buns this Easter. Lucky thing her recipe is completely foolproof.”

Ingredients:

For the buns:

500g strong white flour

75g caster sugar

Two teaspoons of mixed spice

One teaspoon of ground cinnamon

One lemon, finely grated zest only

10g salt

10g fast-action dried yeast

40g butter

300ml milk

One free-range egg, beaten

200g sultanas

50g finely chopped mixed candied peel

Oil, for greasing

For the topping:

75g plain flour

Two tablespoons of golden syrup

Method:

Put the flour, sugar, spices and lemon zest into a bowl and mix together. Then add the salt and yeast, placing them on opposite sides of the bowl.

Melt the butter in a pan and warm the milk in a separate one. Add the butter and half of the tepid milk to the dry ingredients. Add the egg and use your hands to bring the mixture together. Gradually add the remaining milk to form a soft dough; you may not need all of the milk.

Tip the dough onto a floured surface, knead the sultanas, and mix and peel into it for around 10 minutes. Oil a bowl and place it in a bowl, cover it with cling film and leave it to rest for an hour and a half or until doubled in size.

Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knock it back before kneading for another five minutes. Return to the bowl, cover with cling film, and leave it in a warm place to rise for a further hour or until doubled in size.

Turn it back out onto a floured surface and divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, shaping each of these into a ball. Line one to two baking trays with paper and place the balls on the tray, placing them fairly close together and flattening them slightly.

Slip each baking tray into a large, clean polythene bag, making sure it doesn’t touch the buns. Leave these for 40 to 60 minutes until the buns have doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 220C or 200C Fan, and then make the topping by adding the flour to a bowl with 100ml water. Mix together to make a paste, and then spoon it into a piping bag. When the buns have risen, pipe a cross on each bun.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until pale brown, turning the baking trays round halfway if needed. Melt the golden syrup in a ban and while the buns are still warm, brush them with a little syrup to give them a nice shine before lettting them cool.