Gluten-free hot cross buns with apple

Instructions

1. Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it steams, then turn off the heat and add the spread. Leave to melt and cool.
2. Reserve 1 tbsp of the flour and place the rest in a large bowl. Rub in the yeast, then stir in the sugar, salt and xanthan gum.
3. When the milk mixture is lukewarm, pour it into the bowl of flour with the beaten egg and combine until smooth. There’s no need to knead as there is no gluten to develop.
4. Place in a greased bowl covered with cling film and leave in a warm place until doubled in size – around an hour and a half.
5. Once the dough has risen, peel and grate the apple, squeezing out excess liquid. Add this to the dough with the sultanas, mixed peel, mixed spice, cinnamon and orange zest; mix together until well combined.
6. Divide the dough into 8 even balls (each should weigh roughly 75g) and place 1-2cm apart into a greased and lined 20cm springform cake tin (there should be 7 buns around the edge and 1 in the middle). Cover with cling film and return to a warm spot to prove for a further hour, until risen.
7. Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas mark 4. Combine the reserved flour with 2 tbsp of water until smooth. Pour this into a piping bag and pipe crosses on the buns. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and slightly risen. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
8. While the buns are cooling, warm the apricot jam in a small pan over a low heat until runny, then use it to glaze the buns.