Easter Recipe - Delicious Hot Cross Buns

Easter is just around the corner and what better bake is there than traditional Hot Cross Buns?

This recipe comes from one of my favourite recipe books, Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Cook Book from 1959.

Hot Cross Buns

2 packages active dry yeast or 2 cakes compressed yeast

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup milk, scalded

½ cup salad oil or melted shortening

1/3 cup sugar

¾ teaspoon salt

3 ½ to 4 cups sifted enriched flour

½ to 1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 beaten eggs

2/3 cup currants

1 slightly beaten egg white

Sifted confectioners’ sugar

Soften active dry yeast in warm water or compressed yeast in lukewarm water. Combine milk, salad oil, sugar, and salt; cool to lukewarm. Sift together 1 cup of the flour and the cinnamon; stir into milk mixture. Add eggs; beat well. Stir in softened yeast and currants. Add remaining flour (or a little more or less to make a soft dough). Cover with damp cloth; and let rise in warm place till double (about 1 ½ hours). Punch down.

Roll or pat out to ½ inch on lightly floured surface. Cut in rounds with 2 ½ inch biscuit cutter; shape in buns. Place on a greased baking sheet about 1 ½ inches apart. Cover and let rise in warm place till almost double (about 1 hour). If desired, cut shallow cross in each bun with sharp scissors or knife. Brush tops with egg white. Bake at 375° about 12 minutes, or till done. Add confectioners’ sugar (about ¾ cup) to the remaining egg white. Use this as a frosting for piping crosses on warm buns. Makes about 2 dozen.

With love from,

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