Rich and decadent, dotted with dried fruit and nuts and fragrant with spices, what’s not to love about Hot Cross Buns? When I think of Easter baking, there are two items that come to mind. An egg, rich Easter bread, baked in a cylinder loaf, and hot cross buns. ‘To die for’ is the only way I can describe the ones my mother made for us.
In medieval times, eating hot cross buns marked the end of Lent because they were made from dairy products which were forbidden during Lent. Plain buns were traditionally eaten, hot or toasted, beginning on Shrove Tuesday through to Good Friday.
While hot cross buns are now sold throughout the year, they were once reserved for Good Friday alone. The rejection of traditions, categories and boundaries, etc. seems to be the accepted ‘norm’ in today’s society. It destroys specialness and undermines difference. I love traditions and enjoy specific things or foods associated with them on the actual occasions. As I researched these classic buns, I realized that there are as many ways to make them as there are families who bake them.
Sometimes the dough is slashed to make the cross. Other times a flour and water paste or a sweet icing is used to create the symbol. Then the same sweet dough can be made into a loaf form, bread pudding or french toast.
On that note, I thought, why couldn’t these little treasures be ‘filled’ and baked in a round pan like pull-apart buns. I liked the nice presentation it gave as well as that wonderful traditional flavor.
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- 1/2 cup glazed citrus peel, diced small
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries, coarsley chopped
- 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
- 1/4 cup rum extract for marinating
- 1/3 cup almonds, chopped
- 2 1/4 tsp (pkg) active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup 1 tsp sugar
- 1 cup lukewarm milk
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup sour cream (room temperature)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 large egg
- 4 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp EACH mace, ground anise seed & cardamom
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp lemon juice
Ingredients
Fruit Filling
Dough
Glaze
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- In a small bowl, combine citrus peel, cranberries, apricots & rum extract. Set aside to marinate while preparing dough. When ready to use, add chopped almonds. Drain off any excess extract.
- In a small dish, heat milk to lukewarm. Add yeast & 1 tsp sugar; let sit for 5 minutes to allow yeast to activate. In a large bowl, whisk together remaining 1/4 cup sugar, melted butter, sour cream & egg. Add yeast mixture & stir to combine.
- In another bowl, whisk flour, spices & salt. Add flour mixture to yeast mixture 1 cup at a time, combining after each addition. Once all flour has been added, knead dough on a lightly floured surface for about 2 minutes.
- Lightly grease the large bowl, place dough in it & cover with plastic wrap & a tea towel. Allow to rest for at least one hour, in a draft-free place until dough has doubled in volume.
- Punch down dough; divide into 18 equal pieces & roll each with a rolling pin. Divide, drained fruit mixture between rolls. Pull corners toward the center, pinching to form pockets. Place filled pockets in a round baking pan with the pinched corners up. Cover with plastic wrap & a tea towel; allow to rise for an hour or until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake pockets about 20 minutes or until baked & golden. Remove from oven; cool before drizzling with glaze in the form of a cross on each bun.
- In a small dish, combine powdered sugar & lemon juice; mixing until a smooth consistency for drizzling.
- If you wish, don't hesitate to brush each pocket with egg wash before baking. Probably easiest to do it with your finger tips.