Hot Cross Buns
Hot Cross Buns are a traditional treat on Good Friday or Easter. And these Apricot Hot Cross Buns have a sweet Orange Glaze that makes them extra delicious. They're lightly sweet, with wonderfully fragrant spices. They're the perfect treat to have with a cup of coffee any time of the year, but the symbolism makes hot cross buns especially popular around Easter. The cross on top of the bun is a reminder of Jesus' crucifixion, and the spices are symbolic of the spices that were used to embalm him.
Ingredients
Instructions
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To make these Hot Cross Buns
Combine dry active yeast with sugar in small bowl. Add warm milk. Stir and let stand for 10 minutes for yeast to activate.
Meantime, in large mixing bowl, combine sifted flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Zest the orange directly into dry ingredients, reserving a little orange zest for the glaze. Whisk dry ingredients together. Cut butter into dry ingredients with a fork or pastry blender. Pour yeast and milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix. Add in the egg and continue to mix together. Knead dough with hands until you've got a sticky dough. Add dried fruit and continue kneading until well incorporated. Lightly flour a clean flat surface and knead dough by hand approximately 10 minutes, until dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Place dough in greased bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in warm place for 1-2 hours, until dough doubles in size. After dough has risen, punch down and knead only a couple of minutes, then divide dough into 16 equal portions. Roll into individual buns and place onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
To make crosses, place 1/2 cup of flour into a bowl. Add 1/4 cup water and mix. Add additional water a little at a time until you have the consistency of water or paste. Place in pastry bag with a small round tip and squeeze out onto buns to create crosses on top. Bake at 350ยบ for 15-20 minutes.
For glaze, place 1/4 cup sugar in small bowl. Add approx. 1-2 tsp. orange zest and approx. 1 Tbsp. orange juice and a 1-2 Tbsp. water until you have the right consistency for glaze. Brush glaze over buns immediately after they come out of the oven. Eat them when they're warm, or toast them later and enjoy them with jam or butter.
