Hot cross bun fudge
- Published: 31 Mar 15
- Updated: 18 Mar 24
This easy Easter fudge recipe is given a springtime twist with the addition of hot cross bun spices and fruits. Why not make it with the kids and package up to give as Easter gifts?
Or, make your own egg-shaped chocolate truffles for a bite-sized Easter treat.
- Makes about 24 pieces
- Hands-on time 45 min, plus chilling
Ingredients
- Sunflower oil to grease
- 500g caster sugar
- 300ml double cream
- 50g unsalted butter, chopped
- 100g candied citrus peel
- 100g currants
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- Finely grated zest ½ lemon
- Finely grated zest ½ orange
To decorate
- 100g icing sugar, sifted
- Juice ½ orange
You will also need
- 23cm square baking tin
- Sugar thermometer (or digital probe thermometer)
- Piping bag (or disposable resealable plastic bag)
Method
- Oil the tin with sunflower oil and line with baking paper to twice the tin height, then lightly oil the baking paper.
- Put the sugar, cream and butter in a heavy-based pan. Put the pan over a low heat for about 5 minutes to dissolve the sugar, gently giving it a very occasional stir with a wooden spoon.
- To check the sugar has completely dissolved, dip the spoon into the mixture – when you take it out, there should be no sugar crystals on the back of it.
- At this stage the mixture will naturally be coming to the boil and starting to bubble. Pop a sugar thermometer into the pan (or carefully lower a digital thermometer into the mixture every few minutes without touching the bottom of the pan), then bubble the mixture slowly and steadily for 25 minutes, still on a low heat. The mixture will be extremely hot, so don’t be tempted to taste it.
- Once the thermometer reads 118°C (when the mixture reaches what’s known as the firm ball stage) take the pan off the heat and add all the remaining ingredients and a pinch of salt. Using a wooden spoon, beat for about 15 minutes (see food team’s tip) until the mixture thickens and pulls away from the pan. It will look like fruit cake mixture.
- Pour the mix into the tin, level off with a palette knife (H), then chill in the fridge for about an hour until set.
- Lift the fudge out of the tin using the paper, then cut into small squares.
- To decorate, mix the icing sugar with the orange juice. Put the mixture in a piping bag and attach a flat nozzle (or snip the end off a disposable piping bag). Pipe on the icing crosses, going diagonally from corner to corner.
- Recipe from March 2015 Issue
Nutrition
Per square (for 24)
- Calories
- 198kcals
- Fat
- 8.6g (5.2g saturated)
- Protein
- 0.3g
- Carbohydrates
- 30.4g (30.4g sugars)
- Fibre
- 0.4g
- Salt
- trace
delicious. tips
15 minutes is a long time to beat something by hand, but don’t be tempted to cheat and use an electric mixer as all the fruit will get mushed up and caught between the whisks. Think of it as an excuse to burn off some calories before you eat the lovely fudge.
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