Hot Cross Buns – That’ll save the day!
‘Hot -Cross Buns, Hot- Cross Buns ;
One a penny poker,
Two a penny tongs,
Three a penny fire shovel
Hot-Cross Buns’
Oh my goodness, what a time the world is going through, almost feels like we need to step off, let’s hope it’s a reset button for us all and we learn from the moments of darkness and hardship. Let’s hope we can rebuild our lives, that we have worked hard for, and camaraderie, friendships save the day.
Together we can do this.
Hot Cross Buns, that’s going to save my day. In fact, every day since the enforced lockdown here in Spain (Today is Day 26), cooking has saved my day. Every evening I look forward to the ceremony of putting the day behind us. Laying the table, picking a posy for the centre, lighting our candles and sitting down for supper just the 3 of us is heartwarming. Chatting, putting the worlds to rights and waiting to see everyone else’s creations on #sharethelove on my La Rosilla Facebook Page, proves one thing we all love is food.
Gratitude.
I’m grateful for the fact that we are in the countryside at La Rosilla. We have big, open views to the mountains beyond and we can breathe fresh air. We can’t wander or hike but we can sit and stare and marvel. The weather has been testing and has proven to me I am definitely a fairweather girl, my emotions and mood are definitely affected by the sun and blue skies. Uplifted when they sun is out and crashing when they skies are grey, my emotional and mental state like many is heightened at this time. We hope and pray the tough measures we are all enduring, can fight this dreaded Covid-19 and when the restrictions are lifted, we can resume some form of normality, albeit tentatively without repercussions.
La Rosilla awaits to welcome guests again, we may go back to our roots and resurrect our Supper Club once more, watch this space, or let us know if you’d like to be kept updated here.
HOT CROSS BUNS
Good Friday of Easter is the traditional day to make these delicious little buns, they will fill your home with a heady, spicy scent. Apart from the obvious cross symbol , I also like the thought of the cross depicting the four seasons. This is not the time of year to think of our waistbands, tis time to indulge and feed our souls – bikini diets can follow soon ( who am I kidding) everything in moderation, obvs 😉
So here is my family recipe for Hot-Cross Buns- makes 20 healthy sized spicy buns. Best eaten warm from the oven, or lightly toasted with lashing of butter…as I said, a little of what you fancy does you good.
INGREDIENTS.
2 EGGS
240 ML WARM MILK
120 G BUTTER
120 G SUGAR
GRATED ZEST OF A LEMON
1 TSP OF MIXED SPICE
1 TSP OF SALT
600 G OF STRONG BREAD FLOUR
2 X SACHETS OF FAST ACTING YEAST
120 G OF MIXED FRUIT
FOR GLAZE
2 DSP OF APRICOT JAM MELTED
4 TBSP OF ICING SUGAR
JUICE OF A LEMON
Alternatives :
No mixed fruit, use sultanas or dried apricots.
No mixed spice, use cinnamon.
For traditional crosses, mix plain flour and water and pipe crosses on the buns before going in the oven, we like the lemon and icing version better.
You can mix this dough in a bread machine on dough mix – or as I did in my large food mixer, by hand of course too, but make sure you knead well. The dough is ready to prove, when after kneading you can push your thumb into the dough, and it springs back.
Put all the ingredients into the mixer, or large bowl except the mixed fruit, and mix thoroughly to make a dough.
Stir in the mixed fruit, add a little more flour if necessary until your dough comes together, it will be sticky.
Turn out onto a floured board, and knead until the dough is springy.
Divide into 20 balls, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment, put in a warm place, lightly covered with a damp cloth to prove, till doubled in size.
Once doubled in size using a very sharp knife, cut a cross, in the top of each.
Place in the oven 190c, for 12 – 15 mins, until risen and golden.
Leave to cool slightly then brush with the apricot jam.
Mix the icing sugar with lemon juice, till thick consistency, then drizzle into crosses.
