TRADITIONAL hot cross buns have had a modern makeover this Easter – with supermarkets selling a range of novelty flavours to bling up the toasted treats.
From sweety-themed dough to unusual fruity twists, Laura Stott tucks into a selection of the quirky creations and gives her verdicts.
Deluxe Bramley Apple and Cinnamon
4 x 70g, 99p, Lidl
THESE reminded me of eating an apple turnover. There is some flavour from the Bramleys and you get enjoyable pieces of the candied fruit running throughout each bun.
The cinnamon scent is very enticing and creates a delicious waft if you decide to warm these, which was the best way to scoff them – although they can be eaten cold, too.
The promised ingredients are delivered – I detected a slight orange flavour. But the buns themselves are dense and their darkened dough was on the stodgy side.
At less than a pound for four, these are a real bargain.
Irresistible Cherry Bakewell
4 x 63g, £2, Co-op
GENEROUS, golden, plump and bouncy. Despite being labelled as smaller than some others (at 63g per bun) they looked huge, so you certainly won’t feel short-changed.
You get the aroma of the traditional cherry tart with fruit and almond tastes. But if you’re hoping to find marzipan in these bakes you will be disappointed.
The sweetened dough was soft and light, and the pale pink colour you discover inside make these a good novelty option for an Easter brunch.
Best toasted, I enjoyed the candied cherry nuggets. Not identical to the Derbyshire real deal but nice for something a bit different.
VERDICT: 4/5
Specially Selected Rhubarb & Custard
280g (x 4), £1.19, Aldi
IF you have a sweet tooth, these are the buns to head for in the supermarket.
Themed around the classic rhubarb and custard confectionary that many of us will remember from childhood, there’s a hint of nostalgia wrapped up in a classic dough.
They look similar to the traditional candied peel and sultana hot cross buns, but the flavour is noticeably more like cake.
The white chocolate nibs were enjoyable, but the creamy flavour dominated the fruit.
Great for a sweet treat, but still fun for a novelty eat. And very tasty toasted – the chocolate nibs melt and become gooey and delicious.
VERDICT: 4/5
Red Velvet
4 x 68g, £3, M&S and Ocado.com
AMERICAN cupcake flavours combined with a classic British hot cross bun could be considered an Easter marriage made in heaven – or an untraditional travesty.
Whatever your viewpoint, there is no denying that these deep plum-coloured bakes taste extremely good.
Despite the pink look – from beetroot colouring – the main flavour is chocolate.
It’s quality cocoa too, which it should be as these are 75p per bun. Each one is filled with Belgian dark choc chips and white chocolate.
These are designed to be eaten cold, more like a cake, and not heated up in the toaster. But you can still butter them up.
VERDICT: 4/5
Taste The Difference Apple & Cinnamon
280g (x4), £2, Sainsbury’s
THESE Easter buns have been made with a trendy sourdough starter and the packaging boasts that the traditional cross on top is applied by hand.
But the product looked disappointing, with the four small buns squished.
I was anticipating a strong smell of cinnamon, but despite some fruity apple taste I couldn’t detect a huge difference between these and a standard hot cross bun.
There are plenty of juicy sultanas and a dense savoury dough, which is very pleasing if toasted and buttered.
But I couldn’t taste the promised spice or the Bramley. Save your money and just buy basic buns.
VERDICT: 1/5
Finest Salted Caramel and Chocolate
4 x 70g, £2, Tesco
THESE are big old buns with a high dome – you might struggle to squash them into a toaster easily.
Very golden and gooey, so although they have the Easter cross shape on top, these are another offering that smell and taste more like a dessert.
Packed full of pudding flavours, with caramel fudge nibbles, chocolate chips and toffee pieces. Once warmed there’s lots of sweetness and squidge.
For me these were far too saccharine and the flavours reminded me too much of a sweet chocolate fudge cake.
But if caramel overload is your idea of a treat, you won’t complain.
VERDICT: 3/5
Exceptional Lemon & White Chocolate
65g (x 4), £1.77, Asda
GOOD-looking treats from Asda that tee you up for citrus and choccy flavours. The crosses on top are bright yellow and lemon-scented.
Packed full of the promised flavours, the sweet dough contained chunks of just-sweet-enough lemon jelly, which combined surprisingly well with the traditional bun format.
There were oodles of white chocolate chunks too – but if that all sounds too sweet for you, the inclusion of citrus peel evens things out nicely.
One of the few buns that tasted good untoasted, so you can enjoy these warm or cold. A hot cross hit.
VERDICT: 5/5
The Best Apple & Cinnamon
68g (x 4), £1.50, Morrisons
APPLE hot cross buns might be trending this Easter, but Morrisons’ attempt is just as underwhelming as the other ones I tasted.
There’s nothing wrong with these as a traditional toasted snack – and compared to certain other Bramley buns, these did fare a little better as they contain plenty of apple puree and candied pieces of the fruit.
But again, the flavour was extremely mild and I couldn’t taste cinnamon at all. Better toasted, but the dough was dry and very crumbly.
Any enjoyment I had came from the lovely plump sultanas.
VERDICT: 2/5
