F. Scott Fitzgerald.                                                        

Easter; Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns! Hot cross buns!

One a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns

If you have no daughters, give them to your sons

One a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns

The crocuses have been out for a couple of weeks, the daffodils along the roadsides are blooming, Easter is early and it’s a long time since you could get one hot cross bun for a penny never mind two. At Easter the family will gather together as it has done since I was a lad, nowadays the gathering takes place at our house. But back in the mists of time the clan used to gather at my mother’s house on Easter Sunday for tea. Apart from chocolate Easter eggs, the thing that I liked most about Easter was hot cross buns sliced through the middle and spread with best butter. Nowadays I am not fussed with the chocolate eggs, but I still loved a hot cross bun and despite the cries from the dieters in the family of, ‘You’ll never lose weight using butter, besides it’s not good for you.’ I still like mine spread with best butter.

Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients

1 oz of fresh yeast

 3 oz of caster sugar

½ pint of tepid milk

1 lb of white flour

3 oz of unsalted butter

¼ teaspoon of powdered cinnamon

1-2 tablespoons of mixed spice

¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

Pinch of salt

2 large eggs

3 oz of currants

2 oz of sultanas

1 oz of mixed peel

I packet of ready to roll short crust pastry

(to make the cross)

Method

Switch on oven and allow to preheat, Gas 7, 425°F, 220°C

Dissolve the yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar in a little tepid milk.

Sift the flour into a large bowl and rub in the butter, add cinnamon, nutmeg, mixed spice, a pinch of salt and the sugar, mix well.

Whisk eggs and add to the milk. Make a well in the centre of the flour and add the yeast and most of the egg/milk. Mix until you have a soft dough. (You can add more of the egg/milk if you need too).

Leave for 2 to 3 minutes. Then knead until smooth. Add mixed peel, sultanas, and currants, knead until dough is shiny, cover dough place in a warm place and allow to rise until it is double the size.

Knock back risen dough by kneading on a floured board and allow to rest for a few minutes.

Shape the dough into twelve buns, place on a baking sheet and brush with a little egg wash. (Egg yoke mixed with a little sugar and milk) mark each bun with a cross.

Roll out short crust pastry, cut into 24 narrow strips, place strips on buns to form crosses, allow to rise, then brush again with egg wash.

Bake buns in preheated oven for five minutes, then reduce heat to Gas 6, 400°F, 200ºC and bake for a further 10 minutes or until golden brown.

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