Question for the low-carb bakers

I have a hankerin' for hot cross buns. I came across this recipe: http://www.ditchthecarbs.com/2015/03/16/low-carb-hot-cross-buns/

It looks good, but it reminds me a bit of this low-carb bun (well ... I guess the only similarity are the psyllium husks, but still), which I tried recently and really enjoyed: http://ketodietapp.com/Blog/post/2014/11/12/Ultimate-Keto-Buns

Since I already know and love the ultimate keto buns (liked the texture), I'm thinking of hot-cross-bunnifying it. I'm not that experienced a baker though, so I'm wondering if anyone has any feedback about the following possible modifications to the keto buns:

- Ditch the garlic powder and the onion powder
- Reduce salt to 1/2 tsp
- Add 1 tsp each of cinnamon and allspice, plus 1/2 (or maybe 1/4?) tsp ground cloves
- Instead of topping with seeds, do the erythritol paste thing described in the ditchthecarbs recipe
- Not sure about keeping in the flaxmeal. The keto author recommends not using it in sweet recipes and seems to suggest sesame seed flour instead, but I don't have that on hand and suspect a quest would be involved. I want hot cross buns, but not badly enough for it to involve a quest.

Also, raisins would be nice but they're awfully sweet. I've got some homemade dried cranberries though (tart ... only slightly sweetened with erythritol). Do you think it would be weird to throw in, say, a half cup of those? Or at this point should I really just face the fact that I'm not making hot cross buns anymore, but some weird Franken-Bun?

Scimama said:

I'd use the basis of the keto buns if you like them, adding hot cross bun flavours, Mary Berry uses

2 tsp powder
[*] [*]1 tsp ground
[*]1, finely grated zest only
[*]50g/1¾oz finely chopped mixed peel
I'd use fresh peel rather than shop bought. Agree with omitting the garlic and onion powder I have used flax meal in sweet recipes - it can be use in vegan recipes in place of eggs but I would suggest using ground almond flour instead as it has a sweetness to it.

@ewelina is expert baker so I'm sure she will have advice
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Thanks for the input! However, is it just me or there info missing from your list? What kind of powder? Baking powder? And when you suggest "1 tsp ground" ... ground what? And is the zest and peel lemon or orange or some other type of citrus?

Scimama said:

I'd use the basis of the keto buns if you like them, adding hot cross bun flavours, Mary Berry uses

2 tsp mixed spice powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 lemon, finely grated zest only
50g/1¾oz finely chopped mixed peel

I'd use fresh peel rather than shop bought. Agree with omitting the garlic and onion powder I have used flax meal in sweet recipes - it can be use in vegan recipes in place of eggs but I would suggest using ground almond flour instead as it has a sweetness to it.

@ewelina is expert baker so I'm sure she will have advice

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Oh! I now see some of the missing info. Excellent. Thank you!

Snapsy said:

Hankerin' for a Franken-Bun - that HAS to be a song lyric, @Digger-i-doo !

I use milled flaxseed as a general flour improver, in savoury or sweet things, as I find it adds some bounce often lacking in low-carb stuff.

I like the idea of the cranberries!

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I think anytime I post a food-related question on this forum from now on, I'll see if I can work in a potential song title. Keep things interesting. Then we'd need an album title for the inevitable Greatest Hits compilation.

ewelina said:

Ive never made hot cross buns so cant really advice. Looking at ingredients I would go for keto buns recipe and modify it as you suggested it. I do not like baking with coconut flour so mixing it with almond probably gives it a better taste. I would leave flax as its a binding ingredient in low carb recipes. Great idea with cranberries. Very difficult to get unsweetened ones. Did you dry them by yourself? How do you do that? @Digger-i-doo

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I do it myself based on instructions found here: http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2012/11/stocking-your-low-carb-pantry.html

I use less sweetener than the recipe suggests, because I like 'em tart. I leave the cranberries in the oven for four hours, and then for a little while longer after turning the heat off. Delicious.

So I carried out my low-carb-hot-cross-bun experiment. Lessons learned:

1. Do not forget to add the cream of tartar. Leaving it on the counter and only realizing after the buns have started baking that you didn't do anything with it will not help the leavening process. Nor will cursing.
   
2. Two tbsps of sweetener isn't enough. Up it to 1/3 a cup at least.
3. Do not give up making a cross on each bun with a knife after only doing four, thinking "Pfffft. This'll never work." The four that were crossed actually had discernible furrows once baked.
4. Making a low-carb cream cheese frosting (https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=179345) saved the day. It works well with the buns. It works well without the buns. I could eat that frosting on its own with a spoon.
5. I should have just made cheesecake.

Robbity said:

If you like the idea of buns with cranberres, I make almond muffins with cranberries, cinnamon, and orange.

I cook fresh or frozen cranberries with a couple of thick cinnamon sticks, the juice and zest of a smallish orange and a little Sukrin Gold (demerara type erythritol) to taste, in microwave till softish. I add the cooked fruit to my basic microwave almond muffin recipe. I don't know if these would replace hot cross buns, but I think they have a nice festive flavour, and the fruit spread over 6-7 muffins doesn't do anything much to my glucose levels.

Robbity

PS Muffins are in the low carb recipes thread.

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That sounds delicious!! The only thing I'm missing is Sukrin Gold. It doesn't seem to be available in Canada at present and I haven't found an alternative yet. My guess is that it will make its way here eventually. But in the meantime, the flavour combination you suggest (cran+cinn+orange) is very sound.