Sydney Eat Street: Spice up your life with Hot Cross Buns
From Hot Cross Scones and Hot Cross Croissants to the traditional spicy buns, Sydney bakers have created some tasty treats to celebrate Easter.
Food
Don't miss out on the headlines from Food. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Take a tour of Sydney’s best eateries right here with The Sunday Telegraph’s Eat Street. Are you hungry for more inspiration? Follow us on Instagram. #SydneyEatStreet
THE TEA COSY
Hot Cross Scones are the best of both worlds – Hot Cross Buns and scones merged together into what The Tea Cosy’s Ash Kinshin says are “my absolute favourite pairing”.
“The hot cross scones themselves are made with a mix of dry fruits, spices, brown sugar. We make the cross simply by using icing sugar.”
The scone is topped with fig and cinnamon jam and cream served with a chai tea.
The Tea Cosy is all about old fashioned cooking and decor — rather appropriate given its location off a cobblestoned side street in The Rocks.
“Our style is heavily influenced by our Irish nanna’s kitchen, which was always the heart of the house and the warmest place to be,” Ash says.
“We are an Irish family-run business and always trying to replicate the feeling of home.”
The unique bun and scone combination has been a feature of The Tea Cosy’s Easter fare for several years.
“I’ve done Hot Cross Scones at Easter for about five years. I always loved them growing up and the flavours go really well in the scone. The subtle spices and fruit of a hot cross scone go beautifully with double thickened cream and a tart jam,” Ash adds.
The Hot Cross Scones will be available from Thursday, April 1 to Sunday, April 18. They are served as Devonshire Tea — two scones, jam and cream, and a drink of choice for $19.
— 7 Atherden St, The Rocks; theteacosy.com.au
KOKO BLACK
Hot Cross Buns in a plastic jar? That’s a resounding yes from the folks at Koko Black and their great twist on the traditional hot cross bun with the Hot Cross Bites.
Renowned for their artisanal handcrafted chocolates, Koko Black describes the bites this way: “With a rush of cinnamon and spice, warm and nice to start, we then chocolate-coat these magical bites twice for all the doughy deliciousness you’d expect from hot cross buns.”
Koko Black is offering numerous Easter hampers with the Family Hamper at the top end ($299) along with several other hampers for $99.
Koko Black’s range is definitely boutique and more suited to the grown-ups as an Easter gift, not necessarily for an Easter hunt in the backyard.
The Ultimate Easter Collection Hamper ($189) includes collection of bunnies, eggs, Hot Cross Bites, carrot cake bites, golden egg with orange & pistachio, and salted caramel half dozen.
Ordering by the website offers up free delivery for any purchases above $100.
— Various locations; kokoblack.com
THE GRUMPY BAKER
Inspiration comes in many forms, and like so many chefs, the impetus for creation often harks back to childhood.
For Michael Cthurmer, The Grumpy Baker’s founder, (who by the way is the polar-opposite of “grumpy”) his much-loved hot cross buns pay homage to Israeli heritage, using Jewish challah dough, a braided bread traditionally served on the Jewish Shabbat.
The dough’s rich and spongy flavour makes an ideal foundation for these pillowy-soft buns.
Baked fresh, every morning at Grumpy Baker cafes, Michael explains the secret to their perfect hot cross bun is an abundance of raisins, chocolate chips, and butter swirled with spice for an extremely moist, fluffy and sticky bun.
The final ingredient to the bun is the fact that it’s made with “a lot of love”, Michael says.
— Various locations; thegrumpybaker.com.au
BAKE BAR
It’d be easy to grandstand what with all the awards and accolades Bake Bar has received over the years, but for head baker Gili Gold, it’s all about keeping it real, and it’s that exact ethos that got her there in the first place.
Gili uses only organic and locally sourced ingredients in her shop, including the currants, sultanas and raisins that go into the annual Hot Cross Buns.
You can pick up both traditional and gluten-free buns to take away, but treat yourself first and take a seat to enjoy a cup of coffee and a hot, fresh bun straight from the oven.
After all, it’s the simple pleasures in life that keep things real.
Traditional Hot Cross Buns are available through April 9: $4 each, $20 for a six pack, $38 12 pack; gluten-free buns available, March 19 through April 9: $5 each, $26 per six pack, $48 for 12.
— Double Bay, Rose Bay and Randwick; bakebar.com.au
TEXTBOOK PATISSERIE
It’s a Textbook twist on the Easter tradition. And it’s so nice, they did it twice with both Hot Cross Buns and Hot Cross Croissants.
“The buns are an annual offering at Textbook, and this year we’ve got something special – sourdough brioche hot cross buns,” Patissier John Ralley says.
“With fruity floral spice glaze, they’re amazing fresh out of the oven, and so good with butter.”
Available Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Easter Weekend; $20 for six. Available in-store and online.
Additionally, fans of John’s inventive and ever-changing Weekend Croissant, are sure to be queuing up for his annual Hot Cross Croissant ($12.50).
Made with a spicy fruit filling, these delicious creations, will only be available over the Easter Weekend (April 2-4). You’d be hopping mad to miss these beauties.
— Shop 1, 274 Botany Rd, Alexandria; textbookpatisserie.com.au
FATCARON
These aren’t your nanna’s macarons, but one bite of this moist and chewy versions will surely have her switching sides. Not only are they adorably cute they’re so tasty with a choice of cinnamon or rose filling.
— Market City, World Square and Macquarie Centre; facebook.com/fatcaronofficial
BANKSIA BAKEHOUSE
It’s all your favourite pastries rolled into one, or more precisely, squared-off into one to form this clever creation: a lamington-shaped croissant with a hot cross-flavoured filling of made with sultanas and cinnamon spice cream.
Available Monday through Friday throughout April.
— Grosvenor Place; 225 George St; Sydney; banksia.sydney
BLACK STAR PASTRY
The benchmark is pretty high when one of your pastries, the watermelon cake, has been dubbed the most Instagrammable dessert, but the crew at Black Star Pastry live up to the hype with their annual hot cross buns.
Dense yet fluffy, spicy and sweet, these 100 per cent vegan buns are made with a marinated orange peel and frankincense glaze. Across their four venues, they’ll be making more than 15,000 buns and even then, they’ll still sell out fast.
Available in-store and online, Monday, March 15-Monday, April 5; $4.50 each; pack of six $25. Pre-orders accepted.
— Various locations; blackstarpastry.com.au
PiOik BAKERY
Fresh from the oven, these delicious hot cross buns loaded with dried fruit have been ten years in the making.
For more than a decade now, head baker Shady Wasef has been perfecting his recipe which features a candied peel soaked in Earl Grey tea and an exotic blend of Lebanese 7 Spice (paprika, pepper, cumin, cassia, cloves, coriander, cardamom and nutmeg).
Slather some Pepe Saya butter on these preservative-free buns and you’ll taste why it was worth the wait.
— 176-178 Harris St, Pyrmont; pioikbakery.com.au
FLOUR DRUM
Cinnamon, spice and everything nice. Marrying a Cinnamon Scroll and Hot Cross Bun, Chef Johnny Ageletos created a seasonal treat that marries a hot cross bun with its fluffy cinnamon and sultana centre and topped with the signature swirl of a cinnamon scroll. At $5 each, they’ll be available Friday, March 19 through Easter Monday, April 5.
— 531 King St, Newtown; flourdrum.com.au
SWEET BELEM
From the undisputed Prince of Portuguese tarts, Sweet Belem’s Jose Silva has added his culinary flare to the traditional Hot Cross Buns, creating a soft fluffy brioche version filled with currants then topped with a crème patisserie cross.
Available Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Easter, April 4. Orders can be placed via email or by phoning the bakery.
— 35 New Canterbury Rd, Petersham; sweetbelem.com.au
Originally published as Sydney Eat Street: Spice up your life with Hot Cross Buns
Huge call on bird stuck in shops for weeks
There’s been a major update regarding the safety of Mickey the cockatoo, who has spent nearly a month trapped inside a NSW Coles and shopping centre.
Change to Aldi item bothers shopper
An organisation guru pointed out a change to a fan favourite supermarket item, saying it showed the “importance of design”.