Look out for: A rounded, glazed crust, plus plenty of raisins, sultanas and citrus peel in soft, chewy dough. A hint of spice and fruity tang is good. Guest panellist: Thierry Besselievre, Head Pastry Chef of Gail's, London W11 (020-7460 0766)

The top three

**** Sainsbury's Taste The Difference Hot Cross Buns, 4 for £1.15

You get a nice Christmassy aroma here, cloves and a hint of nutmeg working well with cranberries and lemon peel. There are enough pieces of fruit to provide natural sweetness. You could eat these out of the packet. The true meaning of Easter?

**** Marks & Spencer Luxury Hot Cross Buns, 4 for £1.09

Sweetest of the lot, there's a nice sticky glaze on these. It stops short of being too cloying though, and a darker, wheatflour dough gives it a wholesome feel.

*** Waitrose Richly Fruited Hot Cross Buns, 4 for £1.09

They are a traditional plump shape, and the dough is light and nicely aerated. Plenty of raisins and delicately spiced, but there are no obvious pieces of lemon or lime peel to balance the fruity sweetness.

and the rest…

*** Tesco White Hot Cross Buns, 6 for 75p

These look a little bare, but dig around and there are some sweet sultanas lurking. Fine toasted and covered in butter, but these smell fruitier than they actually taste.

** Budgens Hot Cross Buns, 6 for 79p

The lime and orange peel are tiny candied pieces, so there's no real tang, plus the bun is bland and bready. How about some cloves or cinnamon to spice things up?

* Somerfield Hot Cross Buns, 8 for £1

What a stingy little bun. It's not very big, there are a few crunchy token raisins, but the texture's squishy.

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