Bake some LGBTHBC (Hot Cross Buns) and Easter treats

Do you know how to make an LGBTQ+ Hot Cross Bun? Season 5 Great Australian Bake Off finalist, Aaron Hawton, hops into the kitchen to show us how we can whip up some camp and queer treats this Easter long weekend.

Remember Aaron Hawton’s run on the sixth season of the Foxtel series?

The English teacher and former inclusive rugby player for the Melbourne Chargers was runner-up, and his love of baking continues to grow.

Aaron discovered his love for baking at a young age, often helping his grandmother in the kitchen, and he enjoys experimenting with new recipes and flavours.

Last year, Aaron created some Christmas in July recipes for us all to enjoy, and some spooky treats for Halloween, and they were a hit.

So we asked him to give us some creative baking suggestions for Easter. And we can’t wait to whip up these camp twists on classic Easter treats.

Check out these recipes for LGBTHCB (gay hot cross buns) and Greek Easter Biscuits (Koulourakia).

They’re not only delicious, with these recipes, but they’re easy to make. Seriously, if I can do it, you can do it!

LGBTHCBs (White Chocolate Rainbow Hot Cross Buns)

Prep time: 30 minutes (plus 2.5 hours resting time)

Cook time: 22-25 minutes

Makes 12 large buns

What will you need?

625g bread flour
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
80g sugar
½ cup milk
½ cup water
Zest of one orange
Zest of one lemon
100g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs, room temperature
2x 7g sachets dried yeast (or 4 tsp)
1 tsp honey, plus extra to glaze
200g white chocolate chips
75g sprinkles (the small stick-shaped ones, as 100s and 1000s won’t mix into the dough well), plus extra for decoration
For the cross pattern:
100g flour
100ml water
1tsp sugar

Method:

1. In a heatproof jug, combine the milk, water and honey. Heat in the microwave in 15-second bursts until lukewarm, then stir in the yeast and set aside for a few minutes to allow the yeast to activate.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, add the flour, spices, salt, sugar and zest. Stir to combine.

3. Once the yeast mixture is bubbly, whisk in the eggs and cooled butter. Gradually mix the yeast mixture into the dry ingredients (you can use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, or do this by hand with a large wooden spoon).

4. Once the dough has come together, knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add the chocolate chips and sprinkles and continue kneading until evenly combined.

5. Form the dough into a ball, place in a large greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size (roughly 1-2 hours).

6. Once the dough has doubled in size, gently knock the air out of it and transfer to a lightly floured bench. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and use your hands to shape each piece into a ball.

7. Arrange the balls onto a lined baking tray, about 1cm apart, cover and allow to rise again for 30-60 minutes, until almost doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 170°C fan forced (190°C conventional)

8. To make the paste for the cross pattern, combine the flour, sugar and water into a small bowl until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag or small sandwich bag.

9. Cut the tip off the piping bag and carefully pipe the cross pattern onto the buns, then bake for 22-25 minutes, or until deep golden brown on top.

10. Meanwhile, in a small heatproof bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of honey and a splash of water and microwave for 15 seconds. Remove the buns from the oven and immediately brush with the honey glaze and top with extra sprinkles. Allow to cool before serving.

Greek Easter Biscuits (Koulourakia)

Prep time: 15 minutes (plus 30 minutes resting time)

Baking time: 20-25 minutes

Makes 40-50 biscuits

What will you need?

250g butter, very soft
200g caster sugar
2 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk, room temperature
2 tsp orange zest, plus 1/4 cup juice
1 tsp vanilla extract (essence)
1 tsp Brandy or liqueur of choice
650g plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Egg wash:

1 egg white
1 tsp orange juice
1/2 tsp caster sugar
2-3 Tbsp sesame seeds

Method:

1. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

2. Beat in the eggs and yolk, one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the orange zest, juice, vanilla and brandy until the mixture is combined and very fluffy.

3. In a second large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Sift the flour mixture over the butter mixture and use a spatula to combine into a dough.

4. Use your hands to knead the dough gently to ensure all ingredients are combined. The dough should be very soft but not sticky. Cover and allow to rest for 30 minutes.

5. Preheat the oven to 160C (fan forced). Line 2-3 baking trays with baking paper.

6. In a small bowl, briefly whisk the egg white with sugar and orange juice and set aside.

7. Use your hands and a clean bench to roll tablespoon sized pieces of the rested dough into 12-15cm sausage shapes, the shape as you please:

a. For twists, fold in half and braid one end over the other

b. For S-shapes, coil both ends in opposite directions until they meet in the middle

c. For rabbit shapes, coil into a spiral. Then, take another smaller piece of dough, and create one small twist (it will look like a small fish on its own) and place and one end of the spiral. Finally, take a tiny piece of dough, and shape into a ball to be the tail

8. Place your shaped koulourakia onto a baking tray, brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Repeat steps 7 and 8 until you have used up all of the dough.

9. Bake each tray for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

10. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.

Go on, get baking and have a good Easter Long weekend,