With Christmas out of the way let’s roll out Easter! These innovative Easter Bun Swirls are ideal as ready-to-eat snacks, a major advantage over the ever-popular Hot Cross Bun.

The technique is based around products such as Chelsea Buns (without the batching) or Pain au Raisin. The dough is simply spiced bun dough with an orange-flavoured crème pâtissière filling.

The combination of the enriched dough and orange crème pâtissière achieves a wonderfully indulgent treat. This recipe idea is versatile and could be manufactured on a small-scale or large-scale production line, if your business is already manufacturing this style of product.

Crème Pâtissière

Ingredients Amount

Egg yolk 200g

Castor sugar 250g

Cake flour 80g

Fresh milk 1,000ml

Vanilla flavour to taste

Orange flavour to taste

Method

1. Add the egg yolks and 70g of the sugar to the mixing bowl and whisk until it is pale and forms a light ribbon.

2. Combine all of the milk and 130g of the sugar into a pan and bring to the boil.

3. Add about 1/3 of the milk mixture to the mixing bowl. Whisk until clear.

4. Add the mixture back into the pan and cook for a couple of minutes. Ensure the mix is continually stirred.

5. Remove from heat and combine flavours. Then cool.

Top Tip

To make life easier, pastry creams can also be bought in as powdered mixes. I also used the Unifine clean-label custard with really good results. Just add cold water and mix.

Spice Bun Recipe - Dough mixture

Ingredient Amount

Bread flour 2,000g

Water 1,250ml

Salt 30g

Block yeast 60g

Milk powder 80g

Shortening 240g

Improver 10g

Sugar 240g

Gluten 20g

- Fruit mixture (blend together evenly)

Currants 500g

Sultanas 500g

Orange/lemon zest 160g

Bun-spice powder 12g

Or use your own Hot Cross Bun recipe

Method

1. Mix the dough mixture until well developed. Then add the fruit mixture at the last stage of mixing on slow speed. Try to ensure even fruit distribution.

2. Allow dough to rest until relaxed.

3. Roll out the dough to 7mm depth.

4. Then spread over a thin even layer of crème pâtissière.

5. Coil the dough.

6. Using a scraper cut to desired thickness and place into a baking case or simply place onto a baking sheet (as you would for Pain au Raisin). Allow to prove at 22°C for at least 2 hours.

7. Bake at 200°C for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown. Then glaze.