Lockdown or Quarantine (if from the US) evoked many emotions in me. Firstly I couldn't seem to get motivated about anything. I spent the first few weeks, catching myself staring into space wondering what the world was coming to. All the jobs on my list didn't seem important anymore when it felt like the world was grinding to an halt. The next phase was finding solace in my kitchen. Baking and feeding my family gave me the much needed feeling of control that Coronavirus had taken away.
As Easter approached and we'd become accustomed to the 'new norm', my interest in baking, especially gluten free baking intensified. I set about 'Gluten Freeing' all of breads and my childhood favourite Jamaican Easter Bun, was going to get a Gluten Free makeover. I had so many fond memories of eating what we used to call 'Bun and Cheese' as a child. Although it's labelled as an Easter treat, it was eaten anytime of the year, if Mum had bought some from the Continental Shop!
Jamaican Easter Bun is a direct descendant of the Hot Cross Bun when the English colonised Jamaica in the 1600's. Of course Jamaicans had to put their own style and flair to it, adding caramelised sugar and stout to give it that unmistakable rich Caribbean flavour. The real magic happens when the bun is used more like a sandwich loaf, buttered and cheese added. Then you really have a Easter treat that knocks the socks off a chocolate egg!
Gluten Free Jamaican Easter Bun Recipe Ingredients
65g Mixed Fruit
65g Dried Cranberries
Red wine or water, enough to soak the fruit
50g Brown Sugar
50g Granulated Sugar
85g honey
1 tea (video explains how to make this)
1/2 tea molasses or maple syrup
1 tea vanilla essence
56g melted butter
3 room temperature eggs
200g or 1 cup stout
Dry Ingredients
375g gluten free self raising flour
1/2 tea salt
3 teaspoons of mixed spice (Mixed spice recipe: 1 tab cinnamon, 2 tea all spice, 2 tea nutmeg, 1 tea ground cloves, 1 tea ginger)
Glaze
Apricot Jam & boiling water
Method
Preheat oven to 175 degrees centigrade
grease baking tin or dish
soak fruit and set aside
In a separate bowl, mix brown sugar, granulated sugar, honey and stir well
Add browning, molasses, vanilla essence and melted butter, stir ingredients again.
Add 3 eggs (ensure they are room temperature so they don't cool down the butter, stir well.
Stir the cup of stout into the mixture.
In a second bowl, mix the flour with the salt, mixed spice
Drain the fruit and stir into the flour
finally fold in the wet ingredients.
Put mixture into baking dish and bake in the middle of the oven for 60 - 90 minutes
Check the centre is dry with a knife or cocktail stick
Leave is baking dish to cool
stir boiling water into apricot Jam and paint on the cooled bun.
Serve buttered with cheese
Enjoy!
Soak fruit and set aside
In a separate bowl, mix brown sugar, granulated sugar, honey and stir well
Add browning, molasses, vanilla essence and melted butter, stir ingredients again.
Add 3 eggs (ensure they are room temperature so they don't cool down the butter, stir well.
Stir the cup of stout into the mixture.
In a second bowl, mix the flour with the salt, mixed spice
Drain the fruit and stir into the flour
finally fold in the wet ingredients.
Put mixture into baking dish and bake in the middle of the oven for 60 - 90 minutes
Check the centre is dry with a knife or cocktail stick
Leave is baking dish to cool