Hot Cross Easter Loaf...

Its Good Friday so I thought I would share something good with you all! A deliciously decadent Easter Loaf that is a cross between a hot cross bun and a cinnabon. 

Its filled with dried fruits, a buttery sugary center and drizzled with glaze, seriously good stuff!

Ingredients

for the bread

4 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup dried fruit

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp mixed spice

grated nutmeg

1 packet of dried active yeast

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup whole milk

good nob (4 tbsp) butter

for filling

nob (3 tbsp) butter, softened 

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp orange zest

1 egg, beaten

for glaze

icing sugar

vanilla extract

whole milk

Method

1. In a pan melt your butter. Add you milk and sugar and when just above luke warm add your yeast. leave for 5 - 10 min.

2. Meanwhile in put your flour, spices and salt in a mixing bowl and stir to combined. Then add your fruit, beaten egg and milk/butter mixture. Bring together with a fork and then tip onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes.

3. After 10 minutes place in a greased bowl and leave to rise in a warm dry place for about 1 1/2 hours. You want it to double in size.

4. Meanwhile make your filling just mixing the butter, sugar, cinnamon and orange zest together.

5. Once your dough is risen remove and roll out on a floured surface. Sprinkle with the filling and then roll pinching the seem together with a little egg.
6. Trim the sides and then place in a greased and floured loaf tin. Then cover and leave to rise a second time. About an 1 1/2 hours. You want it to slightly come over the top.

7. Once risen, brush with egg and place in a preheated ( 160 fan) oven for 40 minutes.

8. When golden, remove from the oven and leave to cool, remove from tin after about 20 minutes. It needs to be cooled before you add the glaze.

9. While the bread is cooling make your glaze, just mix together the icing sugar, milk and vanilla. Adding very little vanilla and milk. You want it a drizzable consistency.

10. Once the bread is cooled drizzle with the glaze.

Cut nice thick slices and if you feeling super naughty why not add a little butter. You can even toast it slightly under the grill.
I wouldn't put it into the toaster because of the glaze and sugar center. It could get sticky.

syns - just SO many

recipe - mine