2 Hot Cross Bun Recipes

Growing up, we always had hot cross buns and scrambled eggs on Good Friday for supper, before going to a Good Friday service. Mom saved some for Easter morning (when we'd eat our colored eggs). I have heard that a lot of hot cross bun recipes are really dry, but not my Mom's! :) My sisters and I used to sell them at a local farmer's market, along with chocolate chip cookies. We called ourselves "Little Women" (because there were four of us girls), and when I really wanted to get a Pleasant Company doll (now American Girl), Mom had me save up for Samantha myself with the Farmer's Market money. Good times. :) Anyway, my husband loves the little women hot cross buns so much that we eat them all year.

The other recipe is from a good friend and amazing cook, Kate Nieuwsma. She made these last year, and although I haven't had them yet, I have heard from many people that they are to DIE for. So we got together this week and baked up a big batch. I have been waiting all year to try them - looking forward to dinner tonight! 

LITTLE WOMEN HOT CROSS BUNS

for bread machine (these can be done by hand as well, of course)

Add these ingredients, in the order given, to your bread machine pan:

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup veg. oil

3 eggs (separate one egg; use yolk, save white for frosting)

4 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbls. yeast

Put in bread machine and set on dough cycle.  Add 2/3 cups currants at beep (or raisins – or throw in apple pieces and nuts, too).  Shape into buns and cut a shallow X in the top of each bun.  Let rise 40 minutes.  Bake at 375* for 12-15 minutes.  Let cool.  Then frost in the cross with frosting or pipe icing.

Frosting: 1/2 cup powdered sugar

              1 egg white (saved from dough)

              1/4 tsp vanilla

HOT CROSS BUNS 

(My Grandma typed this up, and I added in my own comments as well.)

Kate Nieuwsma made delicious Hot Cross Buns for Easter Sunday breakfast, April 2010.  She said that she usually makes them for her church congregation back home in Texas.  Here's her recipe.  It makes 2 1/2  to 3   9x13 pans full of buns. (You can also bake them on cookie sheets if you want to separate them into separate batches, etc.)  You'll probably want to cut the recipe by halves or quarters unless you are making them for a lot of people or want to freeze some for another meal.

In a medium sauce pan, combine:

    1 cup cornmeal

    2 cups milk  (soy milk may be substituted)

    2 teaspoons salt

    1  1/2 cup sugar

Mix until there are no more lumps.

Cut up 1/2 cup (1 cube) of butter or margarine into the mixture, then turn the heat on medium high.

Stir until it comes to a boil.  boil until thick like pudding.

Let cool about 30 minutes.  Make sure it is still slightly warm, though.

Meanwhile, proof 1 1/2 tablespoons yeast in 1 cup warm water with a sprinkle of sugar.

When the cornmeal mixture has cooled to lukewarm, add 3 eggs and beat well.

Pour yeast mixture and cornmeal mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add enough flour to make a soft dough (about 6 to 8 cups) and mix with a large spoon until mixture pulls together. Turn out onto a heavily floured board.  Knead for 2 minutes, adding more flour as necessary. (I sprinkle the kneading flour with cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.)

Add 3/4 cup of currants or raisins that have been soaked in the juice of

1 orange.  Add the orange zest if you want. Add enough more flour to keep the dough from sticking to the board.  Knead 2 more minutes.

Return dough to greased bowl and let rise in a warm place for an hour.

Divide dough into golf ball sized rolls, and place in greased 9"x13" pans.

Cut crosses in the top with kitchen shears, razor, or very sharp knife. 

Let rise for 35-40 more minutes.   Brush with mixture of egg yolk and water.

Bake at 425 degrees F. for 20 minutes, brushing halfway through with the

egg yolk mixture.   Remove from oven and let cool.

FROSTING:

Melt 1/4 cup butter or margarine

Add 1 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar and mix until smooth.

Add the juice of 1 orange.  Add more powdered sugar to make a thin frosting.  Mix until smooth.

Pipe the frosting onto the crosses in the top of the buns.   Serve warm.     Enjoy! 

MAKE-AHEAD NOTE:  If the buns are made ahead of time, do not frost until after they are warmed. The dough can be made the night before and shaped into rolls, covered, and kept in the refrigerator until the next morning (they will rise slowly overnight and then you can bake them). Or you can make them in advance and freeze them; if you want to eat them in the morning, put them in the fridge the night before to thaw (or, if you’re having them for dinner, you can even just get them out at noon and let them thaw on the counter). Warm up in a covered pan at 350* and then frost.