Hot Cross Bun Shortbread Cookies

Packed with dried fruit, these buttery, spicy shortbread cookies are a twist on the classic hot cross bun. 

It's finally starting to feel a bit more like Spring. I mean, there are still days when I wake up and see grey, foggy mornings, but the light evenings are just bloomin' marvellous, there are mini eggs everywhere and hot cross buns in every flavour you could want. 

Marks and Spencer's Chocolate and Orange, I'm looking at you. 

I am pretty partial to a hot cross bun and by partial, I mean, hand them all to me, buttered and with a cup of tea please. Which is why I'm trying to make the most of them while it's still acceptable to eat them. 

These hot cross bun shortbread cookies tick all the boxes. They are packed with little fruit bits, cinnamon and spice, and topped with a white chocolate signature cross. You get the same classic, delicious hot cross bun flavour, just without the waiting for the dough to rise and dealing with yeast stuff. Sounds pretty great, right?

With just a few simple ingredients, you can whip up a tray of these shortbread cookies and be eating them within the hour. Oh, and still have time to sit outside in the sun for a little while.

Hot Cross Bun Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients:

150g plain flour

100g butter, room temperature
50g caster sugar

70g dried mixed fruit

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp cloves

½ tsp mixed spice

40g white chocolate

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. 
2. Next, stir the caster sugar, dried mixed fruit, cinnamon, ground cloves and mixed spice into the mix. It should start to come together into a soft dough.
3. If it doesn't start to come together and still resembles breadcrumbs, press down into the dough to check, before adding 1 tsp of water at a time. Stir well after each addition. 
4. Flour a surface and empty the contents of the bowl. Don't worry if it hasn't all come together into a ball at this point. Shape into a ball on the floured surface and roll out until 1/2 inch thick. 
5. Take a round cutter and dip into the flour, before cutting out shapes in the flat dough> place the circles onto a lined baking tray, spacing them evenly. I fit 9 onto one sheet as they do not spread too much. 
6. Place the cookies into the fridge for 30 mins to firm up, and then preheat the oven to gas mark 4/350F/80C. While the cookies are chilling, melt some white chocolate and place on the side to cool.
7. After chilling, place the cookies straight into the hot oven for 15 minutes or until lightly golden at the edges. Cool on a wire rack. 
8. To add the finishing touches, put the melted white chocolate into a piping bag and pipe a cross onto each cooled shortbread cookie. Then serve!