A number of foods are enjoyed during Easter celebrations, from hard-boiled eggs to ham to roasted lamb. Sweets such as candies and chocolates also take center stage on Easter Sunday. In addition to these traditional favorites, hot cross buns have become must-haves for many Easter celebrants.
Hot cross buns are yeast-based sweet buns that are lightly spiced and studded with raisins or currants. The tops are marked with a cross that is often piped with icing. While there鈥檚 no clear explanation of how hot cross buns came to be, there are indications that they once were reserved only for Good Friday. Others say they were consumed throughout Lent. The cross is a Christian symbol of the crucifixion and Christ himself.
Hot cross buns are soft and sweet, and they鈥檙e easily created. Enjoy this recipe, courtesy of King Arthur Flour.
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Hot Cross Buns
Yield 12 to 14 buns
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Buns
1鈦�4 听听听 cup apple juice or rum
1鈦�2 听听听 cup mixed dried fruit
1鈦�2 听听听 cup raisins or dried currants
11鈦�4 听 cups milk, room temperature
2 听听听听听听听听 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk (save the white for the topping)
6 听听听听听听听听 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 听听听听听听听听 teaspoons instant yeast
1鈦�4 听听听 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 听听听听听听听听 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1鈦�4 听听听 teaspoon ground cloves or allspice
1鈦�4 听听听 teaspoon ground nutmeg
13鈦�4 听 teaspoons salt
1 听听听听听听听听 tablespoon baking powder
41鈦�2 听 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
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Topping
1 听听听听听听听听 large egg white, reserved from above
1 听听听听听听听听 tablespoon milk
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Icing
1 听听听听听听听听 cup + 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1鈦�2 听听听 teaspoon vanilla extract
听听听 Pinch of salt
4 听听听听听听听听 teaspoons milk, or enough to make a thick, pipeable icing
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Lightly grease a 10鈥� square pan or 9鈥� x 13" pan.
Mix the rum or apple juice with the dried fruit and raisins, cover with plastic wrap and microwave briefly, just until the fruit and liquid are very warm and the plastic starts to 鈥渟hrink wrap鈥� itself over the top of the bowl. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Note: If you worry about using plastic wrap in your microwave, simply cover the bowl with a glass lid.
When the fruit is cool, mix together all of the dough ingredients (including the eggs and egg yolk from the separated egg); hold out the fruit for the time being. Knead the mixture, using an electric mixer or bread machine, until the dough is soft and elastic. It鈥檒l be very slack, sticking to the bottom of the bowl and your hands as you work with it (greasing your hands helps). Mix in the fruit and any liquid not absorbed.
Let the dough rise for 1 hour, covered. It should become puffy, though may not double in bulk.
Divide the dough into billiard ball-sized pieces, about 33鈦�4 ounces each. A heaped muffin scoop (about 1鈦�3 cup) makes about the right portion. You鈥檒l make 12 to 14 buns. Use your greased hands to round them into balls. Arrange them in the prepared pan.
Cover the pan, and let the buns rise for 1 hour, or until they鈥檝e puffed up and are touching one another. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375 F.
Whisk together the reserved egg white and milk, and brush it over the buns.
Bake the buns for 20 minutes, until they鈥檙e golden brown. Remove from the oven, carefully turn the buns out of the pan (they should come out in one large piece), and transfer them to a rack to cool.
Mix together the icing ingredients, and when the buns are completely cool, pipe it in a cross shape atop each bun.
