Vaughan's top 6 ways to smash a Hot Cross Bun this weekend

Hot cross buns are a staple in every New Zealand home around this time of the year, but why have an overrated bread roll when you can take it to THE NEXT LEVEL. Here are 6 ways to smash a hot cross bun - guaranteed to give you diabetes take easter to the next level....

If you want to make your own hot cross buns from scratch, Megan and Andrew's delish recipe is here.

6. Finger a crème egg into the middle and Panini press it

What could be better than combining two of Easter's iconic treats in a total mash up of calories? Simply make a well in the side of your hot cross bun with your finger, then, insert a fresh Creme Egg into the centre (much like you would stuff a turkey on Christmas). Delicious right? Well, it's about to get a lot better! To complete your easter treat, simply panini press your creation so that the Creme Egg melts in the middle, and oozes out when you shove it in your fat gob. Yum!

5. Hot Cross Fairy Bread… So basically heaps of butter… and sprinkles…

Easter is the perfect excuse for grown ass adults to act like complete children. And what could be more childlike than some sweet fairy bread? Take that hot cross bun, slather on roughly a butt tonne of butter on each side, and the go H.A.M with the sprinkles - the round ones obviously, what are we, animals?

4. Chocolate coated… like a Mr Whippy…

Okay, we know what you're thinking, there already are chocolate hot cross buns. WRONG! Well, you're technically right actually... but by simply fondue-ing your hot cross bun into chocolate, you still get that spiced cinnamon taste along with chocolatey goodness we will inevitably have too much of.

3. With Bacon… Apparently, the bacon makes the Hot Cross Bun POP!

Bacon is arguably the single most delicious substance known to human kind, so it's no wonder it would make a hot cross bun better. While bacon bits cooked into the dough is the best way to do this, we're not Martha Stuart. So if you're not baking from scratch, slice that MF in half and crisscross the bacon like in a BLT...without the L or T.

2. Get the whole 6 pack, keep it as one, half it all in half, Smear butter and golden syrup into the middle, chocolate chips and bake until gooey…

Think of this as like a hot cross bun casserole, enough for the whole family...or you, we're not here to judge. Making a batch like this will keep the syrup inside to caramelise and in baking terms "get yummier." 

1. Deep Fry them, then roll them in cinnamon sugar…HOT CROSS CHURRO!

The best thing you could do to a hot cross bun is to make it more like a doughnut. Unfortunately, this takes more effort than shoving a choccy egg into its bready womb. If you have a deep fryer, then you have been given a golden opportunity to try this recipe, for the rest of you, be careful of spitting oil, hot cross churros are only worth so much.