A Good Friday Classic: Hot Cross Buns
It's time to build, ladies. To your kitchens!
The Easter holiday should be one of the biggest celebrations for the Christian family. Without the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ, we have no reason for hope. It is the bedrock of our faith. I have noticed a downward trend (even amongst Christians) towards the observance of this holiday. It wasn't too long ago that society used to celebrate Easter with much pomp. They held parades, the Empire State building was decorated, and church pews were filled to the brim. We could argue the reasons why this decline has happened, but ultimately, my desire is to simply inspire you. You are the manager of your home, so make a conscious decision to recover the pomp for your grandchildren. Make Easter great again! This can seem like a steep hill to climb. Where does one even start?! You start with repentance, if needed, and then allow that heart change to propel you into your kitchen, of course. Many things we can't control, but we can shape the imaginations and affections of our family. We can make manifest the smells of grace, and the taste of joy.
We can build in our family gratitude that joyfully spills over into celebration, one recipe at a time.
The older traditions of our ancestors are obviously fading (perhaps this is a gift in itself). Now we can get busy building back better. God has given us this task. If this effort is going to be blessed by God, it must be motivated by the love of God, and love for our neighbors…our very nearest neighbors, our husband, children, and grandchildren. So, GET TO WORK!
The Hot Crossed Bun is a traditional Good Friday/Easter treat. This time of year, in parts of the U.S that are heavily influenced by high church liturgy, you will find this sweet treat showing up on the shelves of your local bakery.
It is slightly sweet, fluffy, and reminiscent of a cinnamon roll. The traditional way of decorating this bun is with a flour mixture piped on the top and baked. This flour decor is in the shape of a cross, hence the name, “Hot Crossed Bun”.
My recipe is a smidge less traditional, and is developed to the particular taste of my home. I have forgone the flour cross in favor of a cross made of orange flavored icing that is piped on after the buns are baked and cooled.
You can easily take my recipe and customize it for your unique family. If you hate raisins, omit them. Instead, you can use dried Cranberries, currants, blueberries, cherries, nuts, etc. Try a tropical take. Use dried Mangos, and coconut. Heck, go crazy and try some chocolate chips and nuts. Whatever you decide, make the recipe to bless your home.
Happy Eastertide, friends. May you honor the Lord in your homes, in your hearts, and with your hands.
-EVB
HOT CROSSED BUNS
Bake at 375°
Yield: 12 Rolls
Total Time: 3-4hrs
To start:
Choose ½ Cup of dried fruits to add to your buns.
My favorite is a mixture of dried Blueberries, Cranberries, Currants, and Raisins.
Soak your fruit in 1 Cup of boiling water to hydrate your dried fruit. Allow them to soak for 15 minutes at minimum. Drain the fruit well and set to the side to add to your dough later.
You may substitute the fruit with Chocolate chips and Nuts, but don't soak those.
In a mixing bowl, add
1 package of dry active yeast (about 2 1/2 tsps)
½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
¾ cup of warm milk (about 110°)
¼ Cup melted butter (salted or unsalted works)
⅔ Cup Sugar
½ teaspoons salt
2 eggs +1 for an egg wash
1 Tablespoon fresh Orange Juice (save the zest and ½ of the Orange for the icing)
In a separate bowl, combine the following dry ingredients
3 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour
¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon Nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon Cardamom
Zest from one Orange (reserve ¼ teaspoon for the icing)
Stir dry ingredients together and slowly mix into the other ingredients. Add the hydrated dried fruit as well. If you used Chocolate or nuts as a substitute, you may need to add a little more milk to the dough.
Knead the dough until it is smooth and just slightly sticky, but easily manageable. If the dough has been kneaded well, and is still too sticky to manage, add a little extra flour at a time until the dough can be shaped. The fruit may have contained a little extra water causing your dough to be too sticky.
Place the dough into a greased bowl, cover and allow the dough to rise until doubled in size. Depending on the temperature of your home, this can take an hour to an hour and a half.
In the meantime, prepare a 9x13 baking pan.
I line the bottom of mine with parchment paper and spray the whole pan and the paper.
Once the dough has doubled, shape it into 12, smooth, equal balls. It is important that they are even in size so they bake evenly. If you have a kitchen scale, this can help.
Place them into the prepared pan, cover, and allow them to rise, doubling in size once again.
Preheat the oven to 375°
Once the buns are risen, brush them with an egg wash, bake them until they are just beginning to brown. This should be about 30-35 minutes, depending on your oven.
While they bake, begin to prepare your icing.
Orange Icing
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
½ teaspoon Cream of Tartar
¼ teaspoon Orange zest
Fresh squeezed Orange Juice (the other half of the Orange)
In a bowl, thoroughly combine ingredients into a toothpaste like paste. This thick consistency is needed to pipe the cross.
Place about ⅓ of the icing into a piping bag (or a Ziplock bag) and set to the side for when the buns have cooled.
To the remaining icing, add a squeeze more orange juice to thin it out into a more manageable consistency. Lightly glaze your Buns while they are hot and fresh out of the oven. You want this glaze to sort of melt into your buns, so it is important to do this step while they are hot.
Once the buns are baked and mostly cooled, pipe your Icing crosses along the top of the buns. (If using, cut the corner of the zip lock bag to make a faux piping bag)
The cream of tartar will cause the icing to set up, so work quickly. For maximum enjoyment, serve slightly warm.
Enjoy!