Michelle Darmody: How to make fluffy hot cross buns that are better than shop-bought

Plus a delicious rhubarb and mascarpone tart

Hot cross buns are easier than you think

Baking is a lovely marker of the year: you can trace the seasons with pancakes in spring, hot cross buns in early summer and on to richer autumnal bakes such as barmbrack. And then for the grand finale of Christmas, with its cake and pudding and of course mince pies. Other countries and cultures have variations on this with many rich traditions crisscrossing the globe and months of the year.