Gluten-Free Hot Cross Buns with Cashew Cream Cheeze Icing

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons active yeast dry
• 1 cup warm dairy-free milk alternative for brushing (So Delicious Dairy Free Original Almond Milk used here)
• 1 cup cranberries dried hot to cover. (or fruit of your liking)
• 6 ounce vanilla dairy-free yogurt greek-style (such as So Delicious Coconut Milk Greek Yogurt)
• 3.5 cups flour gluten-free all-purpose (Pamela's Products Amazing Wheat Free & Bread Mix used here)
• 0.3 teaspoon ground allspice 
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon 
• 0.3 teaspoon ground cloves 
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed / flaxmeal 
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
• 1  juice of lemon 
• 2  juice of orange 
• 16 ounce powdered sugar 
• 1 cup cashew pieces raw drained for 3 hours, if possible, then (soaked )
• 0.5 cup sugar 
• 0.3 cup apple sauce unsweetened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 0.3 cup water 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• baking paper
• oven
• whisk
• blender
• stand mixer

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the warm milk, sugar, and yeast.
2. Let sit for 5 minutes.In a separate dish, mix together the flax and the water.
3. Let sit for a few minutes.
4. Add the flour, zest, juice, applesauce/oil, and spices to the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment (or can stir by hand).
5. Add the milk and yeast mixture and the flax slurry.
6. Mix at medium speed for about 3 minutes or until the batter is nice and airy.
7. Drain your dried fruit and gently mix it into the batter.Coat the inside of a bowl with baking spray or oil. Scrap the dough out into the bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour.On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, scoop out mounds of dough (about 28 in total), so that they are separate rolls, but just touching. With wet hands, smooth out the tops a little, and brush with a little non-dairy milk alternative.Take a 9×13-inch pan and fill it halfway with water, and place it on your bottom rack in the oven. Preheat your oven to 400°F.Once the oven is pre-heated, slide the roll pan into the oven on the rack above the water, and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on top.
8. Let cool completely before icing.In a blender, puree the cashews with the yogurt, lemon juice, and vanilla until smooth.
9. Pour the mixture into a bowl, and whisk in powdered sugar until you get the right consistency and taste for a slightly thick, but still pourable glaze (about 2 cups).With a piping bag of a plastic baggie with a bottom corner snipped (very small cut), pipe the glaze in one line across the length of the whole pan, then one across the width. Repeat until you have a cross pattern on each of them.