After seeing lots of new variations of the traditional hot cross bun hit the market this year, The Postal Pantry Co. thought they’d have a go creating their own flavour combination. A rich cocoa bun with a melt in the middle centre, sweet glacé cherry chunks and raisins, glazed with honey and spread with a little salty butter. Heaven.

You will need a 25cm x 35cm baking tray lined with parchment paper. In total the time to make these is 3 hours, including all the proving time. This recipe makes 9 generous size buns.

All ingredients (apart from Semi-Skimmed Milk) can be found on their website.

The build-up to Easter is a time for delight as we look forward to nature bursting back into life after the long winter. Bakeries play a big part in the customs surrounding this time of year, from pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, traditionally eaten before the long fast of lent, hot cross buns on Good Friday, and Shrewsbury biscuits and Simnel cakes that are still served up in many homes as part of the Easter feast.

The simnel cake is a lightly fruited cake with a layer of melted marzipan running through the middle.

On top, there is another layer of lightly toasted marzipan with 11 marzipan balls that signify the apostles of Jesus minus Judas. It’s tricky to get the sugary balls all evenly spaced, best done by eye. Why not make your own Simnel cake from the recipe below.