Hot Cross Buns

**Originally posted in 2006 on my old cooking blog. I like to make these for Easter morning breakfast!


My mother sang this little song to us... "Hot Cross Buns! Hot Cross Buns! One a penny, two a penny. Hot Cross Buns! Give them to your daughters, give them to your sons. One a penny, two a penny. Hot Cross Buns!"

This is a traditional Easter treat. I decided to make some today for our Easter morning breakfast tomorrow. They will be delicious with a hot drink.

Here is the recipe that I modified from Joy of Cooking:

Hot Cross Buns

Put in mixer bowl:
1 cup warm water
1-2 tablespoons yeast

Add and mix:
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup currants or raisins
2 tablespoons finely chopped citron(optional)
1 egg

Mix for a minute or two in mixer, then add:
3-4 cups flour
Mix in enough flour just until dough can be handled easily, and not too sticky.(You want it more sticky than dry, though.) Put dough in greased bowl. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled in size.

After the first rising, shape dough into 18 balls and place in rows on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, again. Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool almost completely and then decorate with the traditional cross, using:

Milk Glaze

1 cup confectioners sugar
4 teaspoons hot milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Mix together and add sugar or milk until consistency is not too runny and not too stiff. I put it in a small ziploc bag with a corner cut out and piped the frosting onto the buns that way.

Enjoy!