RECIPE: Low calorie hot cross bun doughnuts

Looking for a low calorie hot cross bun? Let’s raise the stakes a little: how about a low calorie hot cross bun doughnut? A 100 calorie hot cross bun doughnut? Oh yes.

With Easter just around the corner and sweet treats just about everywhere you look, there’s no need to feel like you are missing out. These doughnuts do take a little while to make but all good things come to those who wait, so if you’re patient you won’t be disappointed.

These hybrid low calorie hot cross bun doughnuts are the perfect thing to beat those sugar cravings.  Not only do they come in at only 100 calories but they are also low in fat and sugar too. And if you’re thinking ‘well yes, one doughnut is only 100 cals but I’m bound to want to eat about 8′ then try freezing some to have at a later date – here’s a good guide to how to freeze baked goods properly.

Low calorie hot cross bun doughnuts

Makes 12 doughnuts | Difficulty level: medium

Nutritional info per doughnut

Calories: 97 | Fat: 0.9g | Saturated fat: 0.2g | Carbs: 17.9g | Sugar: 5.2g | Protein: 3.6g

Ingredients

• 100g wholewheat strong bread flour
• 100g white strong bread flour
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 25g butter
• 7g packet easy bake yeast
• 1 medium egg
• 75ml milk
• 4 tbsp jam (see below)
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 tsp sugar to sprinkle on top when cooked

For the jam filling

• 25g sultanas
• 1 apple finely chopped
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp soft brown sugar
• Juice of 1 orange
• 75ml water

For the cross

• 3 tbsp plain white flour
• 1 tbsp water

Method

1. In a large bowl add both the flours along with a pinch of salt. Add the butter to the bowl and mix together with your fingers until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg and stir until combined. At this point the mix should look like large breadcrumbs.
2. Heat the milk in the microwave for 20 seconds, it needs to be just warm. Add the caster sugar and yeast to the milk and leave for 1 minute.
3. Stir the milk, yeast and sugar into the flour mix until it all comes together, the sides of the bowl should be clean. The mixture will be a bit sticky, but this is fine, so don’t worry.
4. Next for the fun bit, tip the ball of dough onto a clean floured surface and knead for 5-8 minutes. The longer you knead the better the hot cross doughnut will be. It’s a good work out too, so you may well burn off the calories before you’ve even eaten them! You will know when the dough is ready as it will be shiny and smooth.
5. Lightly oil the bowl and place the dough ball back in the bowl. Cover with oiled cling film and a clean tea towel. Leave to prove in a warm room for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Be patient. If it hasn’t risen, just leave it a bit longer.
6. While the dough is working its magic, make the jam filling. Jam usually contains a lot of sugar, so this isn’t technically a jam, but it does the job. In a saucepan add the orange juice, half of the water, cinnamon, sugar, sultanas and finely chopped apple and cook until the fruit is very soft. If needed add more water – don’t let the jam go too dry, you need it to be quite a moist jam. It’s up to you how you like your filling, you can mash the fruit or you can blend it to a smooth paste. Put it in the fridge to cool.
7. Remove the dough from the bowl and sprinkle with the finely grated orange zest, knock the air out of the dough and knead for a further minute.
8. Divide the dough into 12 equal balls, this should be around 30g for each ball. Taking each ball of dough roll out to about 9cm diameter and add half a teaspoon of the cooled jam into the middle. Save a little of the juice from the jam for later.
9. Carefully bring the edges of the dough together so the jam stays in the middle and doesn’t leak, seal all the edges and place onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Repeat until all 12 doughnuts are filled. Leave a small space between each ball. Cover with oiled cling film and a clean tea towel and leave to rise again for 1 hour.
10. Heat the oven to 180 degrees. To make the cross for the bun, add the white flour and water to a bowl and mix to a smooth thick paste. Place in a piping bag.
11. Brush the buns with the juice you saved from the jam before piping a cross on each bun.
12. Cook in the oven for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush again with the juice from the jam mixture and sprinkle with caster sugar. Leave to cool and enjoy.

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