If you have a food question swirling in your head, who do you ask? Bing!

QUESTION:
Easter is full of fabulous treats! During this time, what is your favourite treat to eat and to gift?

BING ANSWERS:
Off the top of my head, it’s Hot Cross Buns. I eat them once a year, in April, only for Easter.

I started this tradition when I moved to Perth at 13 years old. In the old days, it was supermarket ones from Coles or Woolworth’s: there were either four or six buns in a plastic bag. 

After getting married to Konstantino and moving back to Singapore, I have been spoilt with homemade Hot Cross Buns. The dough is fermented and spiced with spices such as ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and ground ginger etc. And there are lots of soaked raisins, too! I love to lather the buns with luxurious salted French butter.  Later, Konstantino sold them at Firebake. Now, you can get similarly good ones at Da Paolo Gastronomia.

Image Credit Bing Blokbergen-Leow

Do Hot Cross Buns need to be heated? I think it depends on the recipes of the buns, and your storage method. Some have a glazed icing or sugar coating and heating changes the structure – so it is quite rare for me to heat them up.  But I tend to eat them fresh, soft and pliable, and as mentioned, with loads of butter.

Store them in air-tight bread containers for 3 days or so, and they can maintain their freshness.

Having Hot Cross Buns marks the occasion and time of the year. I like to eat “seasonally” because it reminds us of the time of the year, and to be thankful one is there to enjoy them.  It is a showcase of normality and of course, celebrations. It also helps that I like to eat Hot Cross Buns!

Enjoy them this April!