Easter as a vegan
Being a Vegan over Easter there are so many treat and treats out there for you to buy and to make.
Vegan Hot Cross Buns
Prep: 35 mins Cook: 20 mins
Ingredients
3300ml unsweetened almond milk
50g dairy-free spread
7g sachet fast action yeast
½ tsp salt
2 heaped tsp ground cinnamon
2 heaped tsp mixed spice
zested
70g sultanas
50g mixed peel
For the cross
70g plain flour
For the glaze
50g apricot jam
Method
step 1
Put the almond milk in a saucepan over a medium heat. Once simmering, add the spread, remove from the heat and allow to melt. Set aside to cool to hand temperature.
step 2
Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and spices in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk mixture, swiftly combining with a wooden spoon to create a sticky dough. Tip out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface.
step 3
Knead the dough by stretching it back and forth on the surface for 5 - 7 mins or until smooth, springy and elastic. Shape into a ball and put into a lightly oiled mixing bowl. Cover and leave in a warm spot to rise, for 1hr or until doubled in size.
step 4
Turn the dough back onto the surface and flatten into a round. Spread the orange zest, sultanas and mixed peel onto the dough and knead again until everything is well distributed. Form into a ball, return to the bowl, cover and leave to rise for another hour.
step 5
Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Knock the dough back by turning it out onto your surface and gently punching out the air. Divide the dough into 12 even-sized pieces, weighing for accuracy if you like. Roll each one into a ball. Arrange the buns on the baking sheet, leaving a 2cm space between each one. Cover with lightly oiled cling film and leave to rise for 45 mins.
step 6
Heat the oven to 220C/ 200 fan/ gas 7. To make the cross, in a small bowl, mix together the flour with 1 tbsp of water at a time to create a thick, pipeable paste. Spoon it into a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle and pipe crosses on the buns. Transfer to the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 15-20 mins or until deep golden brown.
step 7
Meanwhile, gently heat the jam in a small saucepan over a low heat to loosen. Pass through a sieve to remove any lumps. Once cooked, brush the warm jam over the tops of the buns. Set aside to cool a little before eating.
Ingredients
200ml soya milk
1 lemon
zested and ½ juiced
500g marzipan
for dusting
250g dairy-free spread
plus extra for the tin
250g mixed dried fruit
(we used sultanas, raisins and candied peel)
75g glacé cherries
roughly chopped
1 orange
zested and juiced
200g plain flour
75g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
25g apricot jam
warmed, plus extra for sticking the marzipan balls to the cake
Instructions
step 1
Mix the soya milk with the lemon juice in a jug and set aside for a few minutes to thicken. Cut 150g of the marzipan from the larger block. Roll this out on a work surface lightly dusted with icing sugar until it's just slightly smaller than the base of a 23cm cake tin. Using the dairy-free spread, butter a 23cm springform cake tin and line with a double layer of baking parchment. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
step 2
Mix the dried fruit, lemon zest, chopped cherries and orange zest and juice together in a large bowl, tossing a few times until well combined.
step 3
Beat the vegan spread with the brown sugar until pale using an electric whisk, then add the flour, almonds, baking powder, spices and vanilla. Tip in the milk mixture until you have a smooth batter. Fold in the fruit along with a pinch of salt and any juice from the bowl until well combined – don’t worry if the batter looks slightly curdled.
step 4
Spoon half the batter into the prepared tin, then gently smooth the surface with the back of the spoon and top with the round of marzipan. Spoon over the remaining batter and smooth the surface again. Bake for 30 mins, then reduce the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2 and bake for another 1 hr 45 mins-2 hrs, or until a skewer comes out clean and the cake is well-risen and firm. Carefully remove from the tin and leave to cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into slices to serve. Will keep for two weeks in an airtight container.
step 5
Brush the warm apricot jam over the cooled cake. Cut a 200g piece from the remaining marzipan and roll it out again as before. Cut out a 23cm circle using the base of the cake tin as a guide. Use the rolling pin to help you lift the marzipan circle over the cake and gently press it onto the surface (the apricot jam will help it stick). Divide the remaining marzipan into 11 pieces and roll into balls. Use a little more jam to stick the balls around the edge of the cake – these represent the 12 apostles, minus Judas. If you like, use a kitchen blowtorch to slightly burnish the marzipan balls and topping until just golden (do this carefully so they don't burn).