Hot Cross Buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday. You can find them all over the world - from India to Australia. I remember during my childhood days in India, when my father would buy hot cross buns at 3:00 pm from the bakery, singing the Hot Cross Buns song as he walked into the home. All my sisters and I would run to the dining table, and sit anxiously waiting to eat our hot cross buns with my mother's sweet homemade chai. Full and happy, we then went to church - those were the days!
But throughout history, the Hot Cross Bun was more than a delicious treat for Good Friday. Some people believed that Hot Cross Buns would cure the sick if they ate them because of it's connection with Jesus, who cured the sick, while others believed that if shared between friends, the friendship would be strengthened. There were also those who believed that if taken on sea voyages, the ship and its people would be protected from any harm. Even today, taking a hot cross bun along with you is still a good idea - you never know when hunger will strike!
What you'll need:
2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of flour ( to help in kneading)
3/4 cup of luke warm milk
1 egg (beaten)
1/2 cup of butter or 1 stick of butter
1/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of fruits (I used cranberries and raisins but you can use any fruit of your choice)
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp of orange marmalade
2 tsp of dry yeast
Spices:
1/8 tsp of ground ginger
1/8 tsp of cloves
Pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp of orange zest
How to make:
1. Mix in yeast with luke warm milk and add 1/2 tsp. of sugar. Set aside for ten minutes or until yeast rises.
2. In a bowl, add 2 cups of flour and butter. Mix well.
3. Put in all wet ingriedients and mix.
4. Put in all dry ingriedients and mix.
5. Let satand in a warm place for approxiametley 30 minutes.
6. After 30 minutes, punch the dough to remove any air.
7. Remove dough from bowl and knead for about 10 minutes. Store in a warm place for approximately 1 hour or until the dough doubles in size
8. Punch out any air again, and cut dough into 12 equal parts and roll into the shape of a bun.
9. Beat one egg and use it to brush the buns. Let stand for 10-20 minutes.
10. Bake at 375° F for 10-15 minutes.
11. Remove from oven and let cool for 15-20 minutes.
Bon Appétit!