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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to prefer plain ordinary hot cross buns?

88 replies

ArcheryAnnie · 17/04/2022 09:56

I've tried them all, usually because they have a yellow sticker on them, and I've come to the conclusion that "luxury" hot cross buns are not nearly as good as regular boring ones. (I like trying new versions of things, but sometimes discover that the original is nicest.)

Things I do not want in my hot cross buns:

  • chocolate (including cocoa, chocolate chunks, cocoa liquor, white chocolate, and all variations therof)
  • salted caramel
  • coffee
  • incongruous fruit
  • all other incongruous things that I have wiped from my memory in self-preservation

Bramley apples and lemon can just about squeak in, but not accompanied by cinnamon or Earl Grey or anything fancy.

If you want a chocolate chip bread, have at it! But don't slap a cross on it and call it a hot cross bun.

OP posts:
JohannSebastianBach · 17/04/2022 10:04

Totally agree with this

Dfg15 · 17/04/2022 10:18

I saw cheese and onion flavour! Still had the usual fruit and spices I think. Sounded disgusting.

VickyEadieofThigh · 17/04/2022 10:20

No, YANBU because anything other than a traditional HCB is an abomination.

ShowOfHands · 17/04/2022 10:20

Is it reasonable to have food preferences? Probably. Are you right? Definitely not.

Startuplife · 17/04/2022 10:22

M&S’s marmite and cheese ones are incredible. I’m on a diet so have to stop myself from buying them because I have zero will power not to eat all 4 in one go Blush

Original poster
ArcheryAnnie · 17/04/2022 10:22

Fair point, well made, Vicky.

Dfg15 I think I'm going to have to delete having read that from my memory.

OP posts:
DrFoxtrot · 17/04/2022 10:22

YANBU

OchonAgusOchonOh · 17/04/2022 10:32

One of the most disappointing food related experiences in my life (yes, I know there are bigger issues in the world) was the time I mistakenly bought a pack of chocolate chip hot cross buns from our local bakery who do amazing hot cross buns. I bit in to it expecting raisiny deliciousness, only to get chocolate. Normally I love chocolate but not in a hot cross bun.

They had a new baker who had notions and decided to try something different. There was no label on the packaging as they sell them loose and had just pre-packed some as they expected demand to be high.

Interestingly, they haven't done chocolate ones since that year. I think they didn't sell particularly well and those of us who accidentally bought them complained about the deviation from tradition.

Meatshake · 17/04/2022 10:34

Aldi need to give their head a wobble over their caramelized onion and mature cheddar hot cross buns. It's not right!

Grumpyoctopus · 17/04/2022 10:35

Yanbu at all. I love trying new things and fancy hcb are always a let down.

I love chocolate/cinnamon/coffee flavoured treats, but not in this situation. It's the raisins that make them special.

chisanunian · 17/04/2022 10:49

Agree with you. When they start adding other stuff, they are no longer hot cross buns. I feel the same about Christmas pudding as well.

CHIRIBAYA · 17/04/2022 10:53

Totally agree and was thinking this the other day when I couldn't get some of my usual purchases in Aldi. It was then that I noticed so many shelves given over to hot cross buns of varying bizarre flavours. They keep food product developers in jobs I guess but I suspect a minority of people actually like them, evidenced by the fact they are frequently reduced.

Baystard · 17/04/2022 10:54

I'm with you OP. It feels so cynical on the part of the retailer "How can we capitalise on Easter to sell far more stuff - I know, let's make a million types of bun".

Libertaire · 17/04/2022 10:55

YANBU.

My favourite HXBs are the cheap bog-standard ones freshly baked in-store at my local Morrisons.

borntobequiet · 17/04/2022 11:03

I like Asda’s ordinary ones. All the fancy ones everywhere look vile.

YANBU.

Ifailed · 17/04/2022 11:08

As you can buy them 365 days a year now, I realised I'm not that fussed about them and don't get any now.

AlexaShutUp · 17/04/2022 11:14

Agreed. I have tried others but none of them are a patch on the traditional ones!

Candleabra · 17/04/2022 11:16

Totally. Aldi had cheese and onion hot cross buns. WTF. Was really hard to find normal ones.

Akite · 17/04/2022 11:19

Well. I was completely in agreement until I tried Waitrose lemon and white chocolate ones. They are amazing! Even nicer than ordinary hot cross buns, dare I say. They aren't anything like HXBs though, they are light fluffy lemon buns and I hope they ditch the cross on top and just sell them as lemon buns all year round.

ILoveYouMoreTheEnd · 17/04/2022 11:21

Totally agree with you BUT I had Tesco salted caramel and chocolate and they are amazing! I love the ordinary ones, not any of the best, extra special etc just a fresh plain old hot cross bun xx

ApolloandDaphne · 17/04/2022 11:26

I prefer the traditional ones too.

HarrietSchulenberg · 17/04/2022 11:28

Totally agree. The chocolate ones are OK if forget they are meant to be something else but I can attest that the cheese and caramelised onion ones are disgusting even with a 19p reduced sticker on them.

Anoisagusaris · 17/04/2022 11:31

I thought cinnamon was a traditional ingredient for hot cross buns?

Wheniruletheworld · 17/04/2022 11:32

@VickyEadieofThigh

No, YANBU because anything other than a traditional HCB is an abomination.
Hear, hear! The people who 'create' the ridiculously flavoured buns should all take a long walk off a short pier...Smile
MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 17/04/2022 11:35

The best shop bought ones are Aldi's cheapest ones,think they're calledarket Value, they're about 60p. They don't have that sugar glaze on the top.

Worst ever were apple HCBs, I mean, wtaf?🤢