Sultana Bun Food

OLD-FASHIONED SULTANA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 150°C and grease a 20cm square or round cake tin.
• Pick over the sultanas to remove any stem- nothing worse than a crunch in your cake.
• Place sultanas in a saucepan and cover them with cold water. Bring to the boil and then drain off the water. Return sultanas to saucepan.
• Stir in the chopped butter and set aside the sultanas to cool.
• Beat together the eggs, essence and sugar. Then add in the sultanas.
• Add your flour and baking powder to another mixing bowl and aerate with a kitchen whisk (or you can sift them together).
• Stir the flour into the sultana mix.
• Pour into prepared cake tin and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

SULTANA BUN

Steps:

• Cream the margarine and sugar.Beat in the eggs one at a time.
• Sift the two flours and mix with the sultanas.(This will prevent the sultanas from sinking to the bottom of the cake mix).
• Add to the mixture and stir until smooth.
• Grease a 6 inch square cake tin and line with greaseproof paper.Grease this and coat with plain flour.
• Pour in the cake mixture and spread evenly.
• Line the outside of the tin with brown paper and tie with string.Put a brown paper lid on top(with holes cut in to allow steam to escape).This will prevent the cake from burning.
• Bake in a pre-heated oven,325deg F.,for 2.5 - 3 hours,until a skewer comes out clean.An experienced cook can listen to the cake and it will tell you when it is done(no gurgling sound).
• Once cooked,leave in the tin for 5 minutes before cooling on a wire rack.
• Cut into slices and serve.

APPLE & SULTANA BUNS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200c/gas6.
• Sift the flour, cinnamon & baking powder into a bowl. Make a well in the centre & add all the remaining ingredients expect the walnuts. Mix throughly.
• Arrange 12 case in a muffin tin, then divide the mixture between them & sprinkle walnuts over each one.
• Place in the oven & bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown & firm in the middle.
• Remove & turn out on to a wire rack. Serve whilst still warm.

APPLE & SULTANA MUFFINS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. In a large bowl mix the self-raising flour, baking powder, cinnamon, wholemeal flour and golden caster sugar.
• In another bowl, mix the eggs, semi-skimmed milk and sunflower oil. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well, then stir in the grated apples and sultanas.
• Divide the mix between 12 muffin cases and bake for 25 mins. Cool on a wire rack, then pack in a container for lunch.

HOT CROSS BUNS

Steps:

• Mix the yeast with one tablespoon of the sugar and all of the milk in a small bowl. Whisk until the yeast is dissolved. Cover the bowl and stand in a warm place for about 10 minutes or until the mixture is frothy.
• Sift the flour, spices and salt into a large bowl; rub in the butter with your fingertips, until the butter is thoroughly distributed.
• Stir in the remaining sugar, fruit, yeast mixture, egg and the water to make a soft dough.
• Cover the bowl with oiled plastic wrap and stand in a warm place for about one hour or until mixture is doubled in size.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• Divide the dough into 18 portions and roll each into a ball.
• Place the balls, almost touching, on a large greased oven tray. Stand in a warm place for about 20 minutes or until dough is almost doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 220°C or 200°C if fan-forced.
• FOR THE FLOUR PASTE: Sift flour and sugar into a small bowl; gradually stir in enough water to make a smooth thick paste. Place the Flour Paste into a resealable plastic bag and snip a tiny piece off one corner. Pipe crosses onto the buns.
• Bake the buns for about 15 minutes or until they sound hollow when tapped.
• Transfer the buns to a wire rack and brush the tops with the Glaze.
• FOR THE GLAZE: Combine the glaze ingredients until the sugar and gelatine are dissolved.
• Hot cross buns are best eaten the day or next day from baking. Can be frozen.