Finn and Tilly help with Spelt Hot Cross Muffins

These are a hybrid of hot cross buns and muffins. The dough is made in a bread maker so that you can enjoy shaping and baking. They take about 3 hours. 1.5 hours in the bread maker and then about 1 hour to shape, rise and bake. Makes about 10 muffins. And is really easy.

275 ml of milk

2 eggs, beaten

50g butter, cut into pieces

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp spices (mixed spice or a combination of nutmeg, allspice, powdered ginger)

finely grated zest of lemon

450 g spelt flour

7g sachet easy blend dried yeast

200g luxury mixed dried fruit (I used dates and sultanas and chopped up the dates into bitesized pieces)

1) Put all dough ingredients, except dried fruit, in breadmaker following order in your manual. I've listed the ingredients in the order they go in my breadmaker but yours may be different. Set to dough programme.

2) Once ready, turn it out onto lightly floured surface. I used a round tray so that it didn't go everywhere and I could move it about for FInn and Tilly. Punch the dough down to deflate and pat into large circle. Tip fruit into circle, enclose in the dough and knead. Cut dough with sharp knife and then knead some more to distribute fruit.

3) Cut out 10 squares of baking paper about 14cm square and prepare a 12 hole muffin tin. Cut dough into 10 pieces, shape into balls. Push square of baking paper into hole and drop in ball of dough. Once you've done all 10 cover with lightly oiled cling film and leave in warm place to rise to double size or about 30-45 mins. Preheat oven to fan 180/conventional 200 and gas 6.

4) Bake for 15 min or until golden. Put on cooling rack and sweep over with a bit of golden syrup, honey when warm or some lemon icing when a bit cooler. Icing is 100g icing sugar mixed to smooth paste with 4 tsp of lemon juice. If you are going for the icing option totally cover the top with it.