Delicious Cross Buns with Ricotta and Peaches

I can easily call myself a master of distraction and give myself a medal. I took Mia for a small trip yesterday to an Asian Huge Market. By huge I mean few hangars filled with little stores. It was like going back to my year in Asia, everything was there. I wanted to discover and spend time in each small store, but Mia has decided that we should leave after 15 minutes. So we did. She was so unhappy that I took her there that she made a big scene, but got distracted with a blue balloon rolling on a street. I thought I’d never let my kid play with things from a street, but we had fun with it through a long tram ride. Later we ended up in a park and my little girl had her first attempt to steal a bike. I am being serious over here. It was a pink bike for at least 7 years old girl with ribbons and all these things. She spent about 30 minutes watching it closely and was trying to figure out how to grab it and ride away. Fortunately she was too small and the bike was too big. Another huge scene was on its way, but fortunately I acted fast and distracted her with an ice cream. Yet again, my kid was not supposed to eat ice creams till she’s 18.

These cross buns are to die for. The coolest idea is to freeze half of them (you will consume at least half when they are still warm) and to eat them whenever you feel like it. This is what I like to do, to have options in my freezer. It took me a long time to learn how to use it and by now I think I know a few tricks and, what’s more important, good recipes. An original recipe for buns comes from BBC Good Food .

Have a great weekend!

You will need for cross buns:

• 300 ml milk
• 50g butter
• 500g flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 75g sugar
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 sachet of yeast (7g)
• 1 egg
• 75g sultans
• 75g flour for cross

In a bowl, mix flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Heat milk, so it starts to boil, then remove it from a heat and add butter. The butter will melt and we have to wait till milk goes back to a room temperature. Add milk to a flour mix, then add egg and mix it. Then, using your hands, mix some more until you get a sticky dough.

Place the dough on a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes. It will get elastic. Place it in an oiled bowl, cover with an oiled cling film and let it grow in a warm place for about 1 hour (it should double its size). When dough is big and nice, add raisins , knead in a bowl so it’s well distributed and leave again for 1 more hour.

Divide the dough into 15 equal pieces. Flour a surface and roll each piece into a bowl. Place each one on a tray covered with a baking paper. There should be a free space in between them, because they will grow. Cover with a tea towel and leave for another 1 hour.

Heat an oven to 200*C. Now let’s make mixture for a cross. Mix flour with 4 tbsp of water and mix. You’ll achieve a thick paste. Spoon it into a piping bag with a small nozzle. Make crosses on each bun.

Bake for 20 minutes on a middle shelf of your oven.

When ready try not to eat them all.

You will need for peaches:

• 1 peach
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp of thyme

Cut peach in small pieces. Heat a pan with butter, honey and herbs. Add peach and fry so it gets covered with a honey mixture and gets softer.

Cut cross bun in half, place ricotta cheese and a peach inside. It’s so easy but so delicious.

Enjoy, Marta