One a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns. Save a penny and make hot cross buns for everyone who loves the heavenly spice fragrance of this traditional currant-studded Easter treat.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) Granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 mL) Warm water
- 1 Pkg active dry yeast (or 1 tbsp/15 mL)
- 3-1/2 cups (875 mL) All-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp (25 mL) Cinnamon
- 1 tsp (5 mL) Nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) Salt
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) Ground cloves
- 3/4 cup (175 mL) Warm milk
- 1/4 cup (50 mL) Butter, melted
- 1 Egg
- 1 Egg yolk
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) Dried currants
- 1/4 cup (50 mL) Chopped mixed candied peel
- Glaze:
- 2 tbsp (25 mL) Each granulated sugar and water
- Icing:
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) Icing sugar
- 2 tsp (10 mL) Water
Steps
- In small bowl, dissolve 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the sugar in warm water. Sprinkle in yeast; let stand for 10 minutes or until frothy. Meanwhile, in large bowl, blend together remaining sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cloves; make well in center. Whisk together milk, butter, egg and egg yolk; pour into well. Pour in yeast mixture. With wooden spoon, stir until soft dough forms.
- Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface; knead for 8 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease all over. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in warm draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
- Punch down dough; turn out onto lightly floured surface. Knead in currants and peel. Shape into 12-inch (30 cm) log; with serrated knife, cut into 9 pieces, Shape each into ball, stretching and pinching dough underneath to make tops smooth. Place 2 inches (5 cm) apart on greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 35 minutes. Bake in center of 400ºF (200ºC) oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
- Glaze: In saucepan, stir sugar with water over medium heat until dissolved; brush over buns. Let cool in pan.
- Icing: Stir icing sugar with water. Using piping bag fitted with round tip, pipe cross on top of each cooled bun.
- Tip: To make 18 buns by hand, increase the yeast to 4 tsp (20 mL) and double the other ingredients.
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Bread Machine Method for Loaf:
Reduce flour to 3-1/4 cups (800 mL). Into pan of machine, add (in order) water, milk, butter, sugar, eggs, salt, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and yeast. (Do not let yeast touch liquid.) Choose sweet-dough setting; after first kneading, add currants and peel. Let baked loaf cool on rack. Makes 1 loaf.
