With only a short while to go until April's bank holiday weekend and a sunny Easter with friends and family, it's time to start thinking about traditional fare and party food.

No Easter Sunday is complete without a delicious batch of hot cross buns and tea for everyone, so we've selected the best crowd-pleasing recipe from food blogger The Floured Kitchen to ensure your bank holiday's a success. These vegan hot cross buns have the usual helping of fruit and spice with a wonderful bergamot twist courtesy of almond milk infused with Earl Grey tea. The perfect choice for tea lovers, this comforting recipe is a great way to get everybody together enjoying traditional treats.

Here's how to make Earl Grey hot cross buns at home...

INGREDIENTS

For the hot cross buns

  • 240 ml almond milk, heated until lukewarm
  • Earl Grey loose leaf tea or tea bags
  • 14g / 4 tsp. dried instant yeast
  • 55g cup raw caster sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (keep the pod for infusing the glaze)
  • zest of 2 medium oranges
  • 500g strong bread flour or all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp. mixed spice
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
  • 55g coconut oil, olive oil or vegan butter, melted
  • 25g chickpea flour mixed with 60ml almond milk or water
  • 100g sultanas, raisins or mixed fruit of your choice

For the crosses

  • 6 tbsp flour mixed with about 4 tbsp water to create a very thick paste

For the bun glaze

  • 55g raw caster sugar (or vanilla bean sugar for extra vanilla flavour)
  • 60ml water
  • vanilla bean pod from making the buns

METHOD

Add a tbsp of loose leaf earl grey tea or the contents of three tea bags to the almond milk and heat until just beginning to simmer. Turn the heat off, cover and allow the infusion to steep for 15 minutes.

Pour the infused milk through a strainer pressing on the leaves and allow the milk to cool down before whisking in the yeast. Set aside for 10 minutes to dissolve the yeast and allow it to become activated and frothy.

Place the sugar in a medium bowl and add in the vanilla bean seeds and the orange zest and rub everything together with your fingers until combined and fragrant. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, salt, spices, and the vanilla-orange sugar together until combined. Make a well in the centre of the mixture and pour in the melted coconut oil, followed by the yeast mixture and the chickpea flour mix.

Using a fork, mix the wet ingredients into the dry until a rough dough begins to form. Then transfer the dough to a flour dusted work surface and knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth and springs back slowly when you gently press a finger onto it. It should be lightly tacky to the touch but if too sticky, add a little extra flour whilst kneading. Sprinkle over the fruit and knead for another minute or two. Gather up the hot cross bun dough and place in a large lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour, or until doubled in size. 

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius, lightly oil a large, shallow baking dish or a large round or rectangular baking tray. Knock the risen dough back with your fist, then divide the into 12 equal pieces (roughly 90 — 95g each) and roll each into smooth, tight balls. Arrange dough balls on your baking dish or tray in concentric circles. Cover with the damp tea towel and leave in a warm place for a further 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Place your flour-water paste for the crosses in a piping bag with a small nozzle attached (or make a tight cone out of baking paper with a small hole at the end to use as a makeshift piping bag. Carefully pipe a cross shape onto each risen bun. Place the pan of hot cross buns into the middle of a preheated oven to bake for 15 — 20 minutes — or until risen, golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped. While the buns bake, make the glaze — combine the sugar, water and leftover vanilla bean in a small pan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and allow the vanilla bean to infuse while the buns cook. 

Remove the hot cross buns from the oven and brush the glaze generously over them. Place the pan on a wire cooling rack and leave to cool. Eat the sticky hot cross buns warm or at room temperature, or slice and toast them to enjoy with vegan butter. Maximise the bergamot and spice flavours by enjoying with a cup of premium black tea, like our classic English Breakfast or Assam.