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Hot Cross Buns, Hot Cross Buns……..

 Homes that celebrate Easter wouldn’t be doing it right if there weren’t Hot Cross Buns on the table on Good Friday. For a long time, I never knew that Hot Cross Buns were made for Easter. My only association with them was from nursery rhyme that goes “Hot Cross Buns, Hot Cross Buns……….”, another one of those things I learnt at school that I had no about! In fact it was only a few years ago, when we had neighbours who celebrated Easter, that I discovered the Hot Cross Buns were eaten on Good Friday. We were living in Kerala then, and in typically as is done by Catholics in Kerala, the Easter celebration with Palm Sunday which is the Sunday before Easter.
Course breads
Cuisine Indian
Servings 1 dozen

Ingredients
  

For The Buns:

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 1/2 tsps yeast dry active
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tsps masala chai
  • 1 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg grated
  • pinch salt
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 40 gm butter
  • 1 1/3 cups milk (approx. 320ml, maybe a little more)
  • 2 eggs , lightly beaten

For The Flour Paste:

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsps sugar
  • 4 - 5 tbsps water

For The Sugar Glaze:

  • 1/3 cup water
  • 2 1/2 tbsps sugar
  • 1 tsp lemon juice

Instructions
 

  • Whisk together the flours, yeast, sugar, spices, sugar, salt and raisins in a large bowl or in the food processor, till combined.
  • Place the butter in a small saucepan, and just melt it over medium heat. Now add the milk, heat till lukewarm. Add warm milk mixture and lightly beaten eggs to the flour mixture, and pulse (or mix with a fork) till the dough just comes together. Pulse the dough further (or use your hands to knead the dough), till a soft and smooth, almost sticky dough is obtained. Add a couple of tsp of milk if necessary to obtain a dough of desired consistency.
  • Shape the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Set aside for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until dough doubles in size.
  • Press dough down to its original size and knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions, and shape each into a ball. Place the dough balls on a lightly greased or lined baking tray with parchment paper, about 1cm apart. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes, or until buns are almost double in size.
  • In the meantime, mix together the flour, sugar and water to a thick paste. Fill the paste into a plastic piping bag and seal the top. Cut the tip of the bag, and pipe crosses on each risen dough ball.
  • Bake the u201ccrossedu201d buns at 190C (375F) for about 20 to 25 minutes till theyu2019re done and golden brown. Cool them on racks.
  • Once the Hot Cross Buns are slightly warm, make the glaze. Put the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, while stirring to dissolve the sugar. Let the sugar solution boil, over low heat for 5 minutes till it thickens a bit. Brush this sugar syrup over the top of each bun, and let it dry.
  • This recipe makes 12 Hot Cross Buns. Serve them slightly warm. Split them and eat them with butter and a little jam (if want your Cross Buns sweeter!) for breakfast, at tea-time or whenever you feel like it!
  • These Buns are best eaten the same day. They can be refrigerated for a day and warmed before serving.