HOT CROSS BUNS for Good Friday: Soft, homemade hot cross buns with butter, vanilla, golden raisins, candied fruit and a touch of cardomon. The cross made of lemon scented icing makes them even more delicious!
History of Hot Cross Buns: What Does it Mean?
Hot Cross Buns do have Christian roots. "In many historically Christian countries, the buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday, with the cross standing as a symbol of the crucifixion. They are believed by some to pre-date Christianity, although the first recorded use of the term "hot cross bun" is not until 1733," according to Wikipedia.
Hot Cross Buns Recipe
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 2 packages active dry yeast
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 4 ounces butter (1 stick), melted
- 1/4 cup vanilla
- 2/3 cup water
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamon
- 8-9 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup golden raisins or currants
- 1/2 cup candied fruit, optional
Glaze
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup water
- Mix and heat in small saucepan until hot. Remove and set aside.
Hot Cross Bun Icing
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice, or 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1-2 Tablespoons milk
- Mix in a small bowl until smooth and free of any lumps.
How To Make Hot Cross Buns
- Heat milk in a small pan until it reaches 105 degrees F, or it feels lukewarm to warm. Remove from heat. Sprinkle yeast over the milk and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix milk, yeast and sugar on low speed for about a minute.
- Add the butter, vanilla, water, eggs, salt, nutmeg and cardomon and mix again.
- With mixer on low speed, add 4 cups of flour and mix. Add raisins, currants and/or candied fruit. Mix again. Add remaining flour and mix until all the flour is incorporated.
- Turn mixer to medium and continue mixing until dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball. The dough is done when it starts to ride the dough hook to the top. The dough will be sticky st this point.If you feel it is too sticky, add a bit more flour.
- Turn dough out into a greased or oiled bowl. Flip it over and cover the dough with a towel or plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a warm location until the dough doubles its size.
- Punch the dough down and turn out onto a floured counter.
- Divide the dough, and form it into approximately 30 - 36 balls, depending on the size. Place them in an oiled baking pan, and cover loosely with a towel. Set aside in a warm draft-free spot until hot cross buns double in size. This will take between 45 - 90 minutes depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
- While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- When dough is doubled in size, put them on a middle rack in the oven and bake for between 52-35 minutes, depending on size. The hot cross buns will be done when the tops are golden brown.
- Remove the buns from the oven and brush them with the glaze. Let cool before decorating the hot cross buns with icing.
- To decorate hot cross buns, put icing in a pastry bag with a large round or flat tip, and make the sign of the cross.
- Let icing firm up before wrapping loosely with plastic.
- Makes 30-36 hot cross buns. Hot cross buns can be frozen.
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