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Thursday 20 March 2008

Rosie’s Hot Cross Buns & An Award


I was in the kitchen this morning getting all ready to bake my Easter Nest cake when hubby requested one of his favourite Easter bakes of hot cross buns. I hadn’t planned on making these today but as Mr R hardly requests any form of baking who am I to disappoint? He had spotted some hot cross buns in our local baker’s window and this must have jolted his request!



Hot cross buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday with the cross standing for the crucifixion of Christ. They date back many years and they are a sweetened spiced currant yeast bun with the cross being made from sweetened flour water or pastry. They are then glazed over with sugar syrup straight from the oven. There are many variations of spices that can be used but I settle for a more traditional approach. I just adore splitting open a freshly baked bun and spreading butter over letting it melt its way through the interior, be warned though, you have to watch for the dribbles of butter that may ooze down your chin :P





Rosie’s Hot Cross Buns

Makes 12 buns

Ingredients
450g (1lb) strong plain white flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
50g (2 oz) butter
7g sachet of fast acting dried yeast
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
25g (1 oz) caster sugar
100g (4 oz) luxury dried mixed fruit and peel, I use Sainsbury’s
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Approx 250ml (9 fl oz) tepid milk
A little extra flour for kneading
For The Cross
3 tbsp strong plain flour
2 tsp caster sugar
2 tbsp water
For The Sugar Syrup
50g (2 oz) caster sugar
3 tbsp water
You will need 2 baking trays lined with non-stick mats, a piping bag with a small plain nozzle.

Method

In a large bowl sift the flour, salt and spices adding the butter and rubbing through with your fingertips. Next, stir in the yeast, lemon zest, mixed dried fruit and sugar. Making a slight well in the middle add the milk a little at a time until you have a soft dough, (you may not require all the milk). Cover over the dough with a clean tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size.

On a lightly floured surface turn out the dough and knead until smooth and elastic. Cut the dough into equal portions of 12 (or less if you want larger buns.) Taking each piece of dough form into smooth balls and slightly flatten making a cross shape with the back of a knife on each one. Place onto the baking trays and cover over with clean tea towels and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas mark 5.

Make the sweetened flour water for the crosses, add the flour, sugar and water and stir through until this becomes a smooth paste. Fill a piping bag and pipe on each bun the sign of a cross. Place the buns into the preheated oven and bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown.
While the buns are baking make the sugar syrup glaze by adding the sugar and water to a saucepan bring to the boil for about 2 minutes to make sure all the sugar has melted and it has become a syrup consistency.

When the buns are golden brown from the oven brush the sugar syrup glaze all over each one and transfer onto a wire rack to cool.

They can be served warm with butter or eaten cold you can also toast them the next day and smear with butter – yum.


Ruth over at Ruth’s Kitchen Experiments put a huge smile on my face last night when I found out I had been awarded “You make my day” award. Thank you so much Ruth you are such a sweetie and I am thrilled and very honoured to receive this! *Rosie jumps for joy*.........

I would like to pass this award onto ALL my blogging friends you are such a great bunch of people and it’s such a pleasure to know you all ... Please do take the badge and place it on your Blog.

For my subscribers, I would also like to pass you this award too for being such loyal readers - you really do make my day, every day :D Thank you!

Best wishes Rosie x

35 comments:

Dhivya said...

Congrats on ur award dear..bun looks great too

Rosie said...

Hi Dhivya, thank you and please do take this award too and post it on your site :)

Best wishes Rosie x

Finla said...

From the time i started baking, i have been wanting to make these?
Never did it some or the other way the easter time pass without me making them.
I have bookmarked them.
Maybe i can make them after easter

Maria♥ said...

Mmmm love hot cross buns. Great work on those buns Rosie ;o)

Congrats on the award!

Maria
x

Unknown said...

congrats for the award! lovely easter bun and happy easter for you and family!!

cheers,
ab

glamah16 said...

Wont get around to making them this year , but maybe next!

RecipeGirl said...

These look quite nice. I have wanted to make these this week but it looks as if I won't get around to it! I'll have to enjoy everyone elses this year :)

Ruth Strong said...

I love hot cross buns! These look so tasty! I'm not sure I'll have time to make any this year: I'll have to cheat and buy some!

Uma said...

Hot cross buns..hot cross buns..one a penny...two a penny..

Hi Rosie,

I just remembered the song when I saw your wonderful, so mouth-watering buns. I wish I could do that. lovely. Congrats on the well deserved award too. Have a great weekend.

Maggie said...

Well done Rosie the buns look fabulous. Pleased to see you are obviously feeling a lot better now. Mx

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

These look like excellent Hot Cross Buns Rosie. If you have any left over Jamie Oliver's Hot Cross Bun Pudding that I have been seeing all over sounds delish:D

Donna said...

Now THESE are what I call..BUNS!! LOL...the bread kind...not the...never mind..LOL..
They look really wonderful!! Happy Easter love!!!hughugs

Cynthia said...

I didn't make any this year either but looking at your pic makes me want to have one :)

Deeba PAB said...

HAPPY EASTER to you & yours Rosie. Those buns do look very pro & lip-smacking good. Mr R did well to request them, & he must be a happy man. Can just picturise the hot butter making its way down the chin!! Congrats on the award too!!Cheers

Donna said...

Happy Easter Sweetie!!hughugs

Ivy said...

Rosie this is an award well deserved by you and you buns sound great. Happy Easter to you and to your family.

Cakelaw said...

What lovely looking buns Rosie. Happy Easter to you and Mr R!

Gloria Baker said...

Congrats Rosie and I find wonderful these bunsxxx Gloria

Cakespy said...

I ADORE hot cross buns! And you make my day too, so I was happy to see your award!! You rule.

But back to those hot cross buns. Oh, to have the butter oozing down one's chin...heaven!

Anna said...

I can't believe I've not had a single hot cross bun this year D=. Those pictures make me reallyyy want one...!

Rosie said...

Thank you everyone and wishing you all a very Happy Easter too :D

Sorry I haven't been to view your wonderful creations on your Blogs as yet due to still suffereing from ill effects of the flu.

Best wishes Rosie x

Abitofafoodie said...

So sorry to hear you are still feeling under the weather. Hope you are soon back on full form and able to enjoy your Easter eggs!
Congratulations on the award - well deserved.
Your hot cross buns look wonderful. I live in fear of bread baking (not sure why) so am very impressed that you made your own buns!

Anonymous said...

Hope you feel better soon, having the flu is not fun.
But your hot cross buns certainly are "hot" with all that delicious, dripping butter! Lick! Lick!

Emily said...

I want somebody to bake me hot cross buns! They look great.
Those are some hot buns you have there. ;)

Hope you feel better soon.

Swati said...

Hope you had a great easter Rosie and hope you are feeling much better now!!
The buns look perfect ... Will try them sometime surely !!

Finla said...

Rosie Hope you are feeling better now.
Take your time don't hurry back.
I am also on a break.
We are going to London for four days ;-)

Unknown said...

hey rosie what wonderful looking buns:)congrats on your award and get well soon dear.

Donna said...

Hope you're getting better sweetie!!hughugs

David Hall said...

Hi Rosie

Hope you had a nice Easter. Lovely bins but I'm afraid not a patch on Cery's choc and orange buns, she wolfed them all back! Hee hee.

All the best
David x

Half Baked said...

Wow I missed veiwing your blog for a couple of days, and you've been busy! Adorable Easter cake! Nice buns as well;)lol Congrats on the award, well deserved!

Chibog in Chief said...

oh these hot cross buns look really yummy rosie!! are they your welcome goodies for me???hehehe

btw, your easter cake is defiitely the cutest i've ever seen

MrsB said...

Hi Rosie, your hot cross buns look delicious! I best they tasted so nice, i love hot cross buns at easter time! I like all your easter cakes too, hope you are feeling better x

Rosie said...

Awe thank you all for your lovely comments! I am still taking things slowly and recovering from this dreadful flu. It really knocked the stuffing out of me. I will endeavour to call around to all your wonderful Blogs and view all your lovely creations asap!! :D

Hugs and best wishes Rosie x

Mansi said...

I haven't abked buns yet, but maybe sometime in the near future...:)

congrats on the award gal!:)

Rosie said...

Hi Mansi, awe thanks & these hot cross buns went down a treat at Easter with hubby lol

Best wishes Rosie x