It's Lent. It's time to make Hot Crossed Buns.
Last night after I decided to bake cookies even though I was kind of tired I decided to start the Hot Crossed Buns recipe. The recipe is from my sister, Lenore, who got it from my Mom. My sister dropped off some of her Hot Crossed Buns earlier this week. Delicious!!
I had to make the recipe too! This recipe is so easy. The dough is so wonderful to work with. The aroma is just what I remember from my Mom's kitchen.
Hot Crossed Buns
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes; make 18 buns
Ingredients-
2 envelopes active dry yeast
1/2 cup water
1/2 butter
1 small can of evaporated milk (2/3 cup)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup seedless raisins
4 1/2 cups sifted flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Lemon Icing (recipe follows)
Method-
Sprinkle yeast into warm water in a large bowl.
Melt butter in a small saucepan, remove from heat. Stir in evaporated milk, sugar, and salt until sugar dissolves; stir in yeast.
Beat eggs in a small bowl; stir into yeast mixture with raisins.
Sift 2 cups of flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg over the yeast mixture; beat until smooth, then stir in just enough of the remaining 2 1/2 cups flour to make a soft dough.
Turn out onto a lightly floured pastry cloth or board; knead until smooth and elastic, adding on lightly flour to keep the dough from sticking.
Place in greased bowl; brush top lightly with butter; cover with a clean towel. Let rise in a warm place, 1 hour or until double in bulk.
Punch dough down; turn out onto a lightly floured board; cut into 18 equal size pieces. Shape each lightly into a ball; place in a greased baking pan, 13 x 9 x 2.
Cover with a clean towel; let rise in a warm place, away from draft, 45 minutes, or until double in bulk.
Bake in moderate oven (375˚) 30 minutes, or until golden brown; remove pan; cool on a wire rack.
Make Lemon Icing; drizzle from tip of knife or spoon over buns to make crosses.
Lemon Icing - Blend 1 cup unsifted confectioners powdered sugar with 4 teaspoons of milk, 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract in a small ball. Makes about 1/2 cup.