Hot cross buns are magical.
If you don't believe me, just get a load of the superstitions that cling to the sweet morsel to this day:
(1) Hot cross buns, if baked and served on Good Friday, will keep for a year without getting moldy.
(2) They are medicinal.
(3) Sharing a hot cross bun guarantees a solid friendship for an ENTIRE YEAR!
(4) Taken on a cruise, they guard against shipwreck (and if you are to believe #2, will also keep away the rampant gastrointestinal tom foolery that seems to attack Carnival Cruisers the world over).
(5) Hang them ornamentally in the kitchen and they prevent fires all year long!
All these wondrous benefits and they are awfully tasty. So I wish you a very healthy, non-shipwrecked, friendship filled and fire free year.
New England Hot Cross Buns
Maple. Cranberry. That's what makes for the New England in the bun!
Ingredients
1 pound bread flour
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
generous pinch of ground cloves
1/2 ounce dry (not instant) yeast (2 packets)
1 cup whole milk, warm
pinch sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 stick (4 ounces/8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
zest of 1 lemon
1 cup dried cranberries
Egg wash: 1 egg and 2 tablespoons water, beaten together
1/4 cup demerara or turbinado sugar for sprinkling
Icing for the cross: 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar blended with 1 tablespoon whole milk.
Procedure
Preheat oven to 400º
-Combine yeast, warm milk and pinch sugar. Stir and allow to bloom
-In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the sugar, maple syrup, the vanilla bean paste, zest and the egg. Add the bloomed yeast.
-Add the dry ingredients, the flour, salt and spices and mix with the dough hook just combined. Add the softened butter in small pieces until completely incorporated.
-Continue to mix until the gluten develops and the dough is shiny and comes away from the bowl cleanly.
-Add the cranberries and mix until they are well incorporated and evenly distributed.
-Place the dough in a bowl sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Spray the top of the dough as well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
-Divide the dough into 15 even pieces.
 |
| the claw! |
-Using the "claw," roll each ball into a tight ball. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and cut a cross into each ball of dough.
-Allow to rise, covered loosely with a piece of plastic wrap, until the buns have not quite doubled in size
-Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with demerara (or turbinado sugar)
-Bake at 400º for about 20 minutes, until deep golden brown.
-Allow to cool slightly and then drizzle or pipe icing inside the cross.
17 comments:
up until now, i've never been a fan of the proverbial 'hot cross bun'. these look phenomenal and definitely excited to try them! the ingredients are perfect. <3 thanks again, gesine!
Beauty!
What a delicious recipe. I love how you mix pounds/ounces and cups where it is needed or makes most sense. The sweet dough with a Gesine twist is right up our alley. Thank you for sharing another one of your treasures :-)
I've never had hot cross buns before but they look absolutely delicious! I'd be tempted to replace the cranberries with blueberries. What do you think?
I will definitely try these. Deligts for sunday mornings.
Those look delicious! I love how the sugar sparkles on them. :)
I will definitley give these a try. I am still awaiting my Sugar Baby in the mail!! I can't wait...I'm going to start baking now and then my kids and I are going to bake all summer!
I'm definitely going to try these! I'm still awaiting my Sugar Baby in the mail and can't wait!!!
I never knew there were so many uses for my favorite Hot Cross Buns,, but then again, I have never seen anything like these delicious looking New England Style buns.
These look nothing like the dry, rasin-laden 9packs of hot cross buns we sell at the grocery store bakery where I am a prisoner. I mean, work. I actually think I'm going to make these and share them with my roommate, with whom I am often cross, and who occasionally leaves the oven on... (stronger friendship and no fires??? yes please.)
Lovely! I live in Argentina and we don't have maple syrup. Can I replace it with honey? Thank you for you answer.
I've been trying to recreate the ones my mom used to make... I think it's time to try these instead! They look fantastic!
If you can't get hold of vanilla bean paste can you use vanilla essence instead?
Excellent .... I have always avoided hot cross buns as the doughy bun like things with fruit peel in them are what I remember from growing up. These are lovely. The cross didn't turn out on mine, I must not have cut it deep enough but I know for next time.
Silvia: Yes, you can replace with honey!
I'm making them right now and can't wait to taste them today (Good Friday)! I couldn't get my crosses cut correctly either.
I love both of your books, but need some advice. I have destroyed multiple cookie scoops making a variety of your fabulous cookies [my cross country running teenagers can't get enough of them]. Do you have a brand of scoop that is particularly sturdy, or do you let your chilled dough warm up before scooping?
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