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It's past the liturgical season for Hot Cross Buns, but for future reference I'm posting the recipe I used this year and will use again in the future. I have tried many recipes and am not usually happy for several reasons. First, I usually make Hot Cross Buns on Good Friday, which I always believed to be the traditional day for them. I have a problem, however, with eating anything so delicious on such a penitential day. It just seems wrong; I'm not in the mood. This year, however, I made them on Friday night for Holy Saturday morning -- much better. They are not so sweet as to be a real treat, but on Holy Saturday they were good, really good, to break our fast.
I've also had a problem with the fruit that is usually found in Hot Cross Bun recipes. I should say my kids have a problem with it. They have refused to eat them, year after year. So this year I just gave up and left the fruit out. Maybe next year I'll put currents in half the batch. This recipe is just right for us, so it's a keeper. They were yummy -- just slightly sweet and very soft. The recipe is pretty much original -- I combined and adapted several recipes.
Hot Cross Buns
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Printer version
1 1/2 cups scalded milk
1/2 cup warm water
1/3 cup butter, softened, plus 2 T. for brushing
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
6 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 T. yeast
scant 1 t. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cloves
Heat milk in the microwave or on the stove until very warm.
Pour milk into mixing bowl and add butter.
Let sit until butter gets very soft.
Add water.
Add 3 cups flour, yeast, sugar, salt and spices and stir,
using dough hook attachment of mixer.
Add eggs to flour mixture
(if not using a mixer, stir by hand with a spoon).
Mix at medium speed until all ingredients are combined.
Add flour, one half cup at a time,
kneading with dough hook for several minutes,
until dough is smooth and elastic
(or knead by hand).
Place in greased bowl and cover with damp cloth or greased plastic wrap.
Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
Grease two 9 x 13 pans.
Form buns (use a piece of dough slightly larger than a golf ball for each)
and place in pans.
Cover again and let rise until doubled.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, until golden brown on top.
Remove from oven and brush with 2 T. melted butter.
Cool on racks.
After buns are completely cooled, place frosting crosses on top.
Frosting
4 T. butter, softened
4 c. powdered sugar
4 - 5 T milk
2 t. vanilla
Whip butter with whisk beater attachment on mixer.
Slowly add powdered sugar and completely incorporate.
Drizzle in milk and vanilla.
Whip until thick and of good spreading consistency,
adding more milk if necessary
(but you want it to be very thick and hold its shape).
Place frosting in a zipper plastic bag.
Snip one bottom corner and squeeze frosting out to form crosses on rolls.
1/2 cup warm water
1/3 cup butter, softened, plus 2 T. for brushing
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
6 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 T. yeast
scant 1 t. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cloves
Heat milk in the microwave or on the stove until very warm.
Pour milk into mixing bowl and add butter.
Let sit until butter gets very soft.
Add water.
Add 3 cups flour, yeast, sugar, salt and spices and stir,
using dough hook attachment of mixer.
Add eggs to flour mixture
(if not using a mixer, stir by hand with a spoon).
Mix at medium speed until all ingredients are combined.
Add flour, one half cup at a time,
kneading with dough hook for several minutes,
until dough is smooth and elastic
(or knead by hand).
Place in greased bowl and cover with damp cloth or greased plastic wrap.
Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
Grease two 9 x 13 pans.
Form buns (use a piece of dough slightly larger than a golf ball for each)
and place in pans.
Cover again and let rise until doubled.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, until golden brown on top.
Remove from oven and brush with 2 T. melted butter.
Cool on racks.
After buns are completely cooled, place frosting crosses on top.
Frosting
4 T. butter, softened
4 c. powdered sugar
4 - 5 T milk
2 t. vanilla
Whip butter with whisk beater attachment on mixer.
Slowly add powdered sugar and completely incorporate.
Drizzle in milk and vanilla.
Whip until thick and of good spreading consistency,
adding more milk if necessary
(but you want it to be very thick and hold its shape).
Place frosting in a zipper plastic bag.
Snip one bottom corner and squeeze frosting out to form crosses on rolls.
3 comments:
well you made this recipe sound very "doable" so maybe I'll give it a go. Why do recipes with yeast frighten me so? they look delicious!
Don't let yeast scare you! Just try some bread recipes and you'll get the hang of it. You can do it!
I'm going to give these a try. My people here are "anti-fruit" too but I'm going to put some raisins in SOME of them, since I love them that way.
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