Hot cross buns

Nothing says Easter like hot cross buns, especially when they’re home made. This recipe comes from Jennifer L.’s book, in North Branch , MN, although I’ve made a few tiny tweaks.

Ingredients

4-4 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Dash ground cloves
2 eggs plus 1 yolk
3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. butter
1/3 c. granulated sugar

3/4 cup currents
(1/4 cup candied orange zest and 1/4 cup candied ginger, cut into small cubes)
1 egg white
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tsp milk (or more if needed)

Preparation instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl combine 2 c. flour, yeast, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. In a pan heat and stir milk, butter, sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt until warm (120°-130°) and butter almost melts.
Add milk mixture to dry mixture. Add eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed 20 sec. scraping bowl. Beat on high 3 minutes. Stir in currants and orange peel and ginger (if desired), and as much remaining flour as you can.
2. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough (3 to 5 minutes total). Shape into a ball. Place in a greased bowl, turning once. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double (about 1-1 1/2 hrs).
3. Punch dough down. Turn onto floured surface. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Divide dough into 20 portions. Shape portiions into smooth balls. Place balls 1-1/2 inches apart on greased baking sheet. Cover; let rise till nearly double. (45-60 minutes)
4. Using a sharp knife, make a crisscross slash across top of each bun. In small bowl combine beaten egg white and 1 tbsp water. Brush mixture of egg white and water over rolls. Bake in a 375° oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly. For icing, in a mixing bowl combine powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk or juice. Stir in additional milk or juice, 1 tsp at a time, until icing is of drizzling consistecy. Drizzle icing into slashes atop each bun. Serve warm.

Submitted by: Jennifer L