I love this time of the year because I can indulge in hot cross buns. I love their spiceness combined with the sweetness of raisins on soft buns. Naturally, things have come a long way since I first ate them as a kid toasted, spread with a thick chunk of butter (we always at Lurpak slightly salted in those days) with home made blackberry jam and indoctrinated by Catholic brothers.
Nowadays there are so many variations from chocolate chip to sourdough. I tasted some chocolate chips but really they aren’t hot cross buns as many of us remember them. They are a new-fangled product and too sickly for me.
The sourdough ones tend to be too chewy. Last year I noted that the La Madre ones could sink a food blogger. This year they are still dense enough to do someone an injury but they sell, so obviously some people enjoy them.
Babka won on all counts. It was the best looking, had the best texture and a wonderful level of spiciness.
None would I avoid apart from the last two – Laurent and the cane toad-size ones that you individually picked from Woolworths.
This is a swag of what I and Adriane picked-up over the weekend, and I’d add, further hot cross buns later in the week as I acquire them. Please let me know your favourites.
Otherwise, get your orders in at Babka early, as they sell out.
1. Babka $2.40 each
This fun is an outright winner in every respect. It looks good, has a wonderful soft texture, a good level of spice.
2. Baker D Chirico $2.70 each
One of the smallest buns and dry on the outside. Very moist and good texture on the inside. Quite spicy with orange undertones.
3. Dench Bakery $2.70 each
What let’s this bun down is uneven levels of fruit.Dench have been variable this year but it has a good texture and is very spicy.
4. Baker’s Delight $1.30 each
A little dry but good spice and fruit distribution.
5. Schwob’s $6.99 for six
Good looking and lovely and moist. Good levels of fruit and spice.
6. French Lettuce $2.00 each
Ugly but tasty.More of a cinnamon taste than others. Light texture and not espcially bready.
7. Woolworths traditional $4.98 (reduced to $3.85)
Very light as advertisied but chewy and lacks spice.
8. Coles “baked in-house”
$2.70 packet of six
Moist and good amount of fruit but light on spice.
9. Noisette $2.40 each. $3.00 in some places
A bit dry and light on spice.
10. La Madre $14.00 for six
Good flavour but far too dense. Could be used as a blunt object.
11. Browns $2.60 each
Tastes of fennel or aniseed and is a bit funky. A good weight but not made about it.
12. Phillipa’s $12.99 for six
Very chewy and too sticky and dense. Not terribly spicy. I ended up chewing it like it was cud.
13. Loafer $2.70
Really chewy and tough. Too much bread and not enough fruit and spice.
14. Laurent $2.40
Pale, dry and not terribly spicy. I wonder why they bothered.
15. Woolworths single 0.98 cents
Dry and bland. Giant-sized but pointless.
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