Celebration times like Easter can be challenging if you follow a special diet. Don't worry though, I’ve got you with these Hot Cross Bun Muffins! These little cakes are packed with all of the flavours of a hot cross bun - citrus, spice and dried fruit - but are much quicker to make and they’re gluten free.
13g (about 1 tablespoon) of currants are low FODMAP, so one of these muffins should be suitable if you’re following the diet - just check your marmalade is made without fructose syrup too. For those who struggle with lactose, use lactose free yogurt.
Finally, make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature, to help prevent any curdling or splitting of the batter.
Makes 12
Ingredients
150g currants
200g unsalted butter
200g light brown sugar
4 medium eggs
75g ground almonds
75g buckwheat flour, plus a tablespoon to coat the currants
50g gluten free self raising flour
11/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract
1 large orange
40g Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon orange marmalade
For the crosses:
75g icing sugar
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases. Place the currants into a bowl and pour over boiling water. Leave them to soak while you make the cake batter.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. If the mixture looks like it’s beginning to curdle, add a tablespoon of the flour.
Sift together the ground almonds, buckwheat flour, gluten free self raising flour, baking powder, mixed spice, ground cardamom and salt, and fold into the cake mix. Add in the vanilla extract, the zest of the orange, the yogurt and the soaked and drained currants and fold to combine.
Divide the muffin mix between the cases and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden and springy to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
To make the icing, mix the icing sugar with a small amount of orange juice in a bowl, until you reach a thick but pipeable consistency. Spoon the icing into a piping bag, snip off the end and pipe a cross on to each muffin. Enjoy.
