The air fryer hack that turns hot cross buns into churros

If you love hot cross buns, you’re going to love this simple hack which transforms your classic bun into churros.

Chef and Philips Kitchen ambassador, Elle Vernon has shaken up the usual Easter brunch this year and has created some exciting new takes on the classic Easter recipes.

If you are ready for an airfried Easter, please see Elle Vernon’s eggcellent recipes below:

• Egg and Bacon Bread Boats
• Airfried Hot Cross Bun Chips
• Easter Egg Pastry Puffs

These mouth-watering pastries are all made in the Philips Airfryer XXL, meaning you’ll be able to whip these up 1.5 times faster than an oven and spend less time in the kitchen and more time with your loved ones this Easter.

Airfried hot cross bun chips

Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 8
Serves 6

Ingredients

• 3 traditional fruit hot cross buns
• 50g butter, melted
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp caster sugar
• 1 Tbsp raw sugar
• ¼ cup store-bought chocolate sauce

Instructions

1. Cut each bun in half widthways, then each half into 3 batons.
2. Place into a bowl and drizzle over half of the butter. Toss, drizzle over remaining butter and toss again.
3. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top, and toss to coat.
4. Combine sugars on a dinner plate. 
5. In batches, press batons in the sugar mixture to coat on all sides.
6. Arrange batons in a single layer, in the basket of the Philips XXL airfryer with Smart Sensing Technology. Set temperature to 180C and time to 8 minutes, cooking until golden.
7. Serve hot, with chocolate sauce on the side to dip in as desired.

Elle’s tips:

Try serving these chippies with a slightly healthier option of vanilla flavoured coconut yogurt. Or skip the dipping sauce completely, and enjoy them just as they are. 

Best served hot!

Easter morning egg and bacon bread boats

Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 24 mins
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 125g rindless middle bacon rashers
• 2 stone baked Turkish bread rolls (100g each)
• 4 free-range eggs
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 1/4 small red capsicum, finely diced
• 1 green shallot, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup shredded tasty cheddar 

Instructions

1. Put bacon in the basket of the Philips XXL airfryer with Smart Sensing Technology. Set temperature to 200C and time to 10 minutes, cooking until golden and crisp.
2. Meanwhile, use a small serrated knife to cut off the top peak of each roll, leaving a thick border. 
3. Then make a shallow cut around the cut edge, without cutting all the way through. 
4. Use your fingers to hollow out the centre of each loaf. (Save bread filling for another use.)
5. Whisk together eggs and milk. Set aside.
6. Inside each hollow, arrange spinach, torn pieces of cooked bacon, capsicum and shallots. Then transfer to the basket of the Philips XXL airfryer with Smart Sensing Technology.
7. Slowly pour egg mixture over the top of the filling. Set temperature to 160C and time to 12 minutes, cooking until egg has set. Scatter with cheese and cook for a further 2 minutes until melted. Serve sliced.

Serving suggestion – serve scattered with chopped parsley and extra sliced shallots.

Elle’s tips

Prep ahead:

• Cook the bacon the day before, tear into bite-size pieces and refrigerate. Or skip the bacon altogether and use cold sliced ham.
• Combine your egg mixture in a jug the day before. Cover and refrigerate ready to pour in the morning.
• Spinach, capsicum and shallots can all be chopped the night before, and even mixed together. Store in an airtight container, in the fridge ready to fill the bread. 

Easter egg pastry puffs

Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 9
Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 sheet frozen ready-rolled puff pastry, thawed
• 8 crème, caramel or Turkish delight-filled solid chocolate easter eggs (about 12g each)
• 1 free-range egg, lightly beaten
• Icing sugar mixture, to dust

Instructions

1. Cut pastry sheet into quarters, then cut each square in half on the diagonal to create 8 triangles.
2. Put one chocolate egg on one of the short sides, and roll up tightly to enclose, in the direction of the point opposite. 
3. Twist the pastry ends tightly to remove any gaps and secure the egg inside (this will stop the melted chocolate from oozing out during cooking), then bend edges around, shaping the pastry into a crescent. Repeat with remaining eggs and pastry.
4. Brush the tops of each with a little egg. 
5. Carefully transfer them to the basket of the Philips XXL airfryer with Smart Sensing Technology. Set temperature to 180C and time to 9 minutes and airfry until pastry is golden brown and chocolate egg is gooey and melted. Allow to cool in the basket for a couple of minutes as the centre will be piping hot!
6. Serve dusted with a little icing sugar.

Elle’s tips

This is a great way to use up all those eggs from the bunny, but if you prefer, you can swap out the egg for a cube or two of dark, milk or white chocolate.