Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns! Hot cross buns!
One a penny two a penny - Hot cross buns
If you have no daughters, give them to your sons
One a penny two a penny - Hot cross buns

Today Reagan made her first batch of Hot Cross Buns, once they were baked and dripping with ooey gooey goodness we went around delivering them to friends and neighbors (legend tells us that sharing Hot Cross Buns on good Friday brings both good health and happiness for the next year to the recipient and the gift giver) Personally I think anytime we bake and share food with our friends and loved ones we get immediate gratification which is always heart healthy and who wouldn't feel loved after being gifted some wonderful yummy food ? (especially when baked by a 6 y/o :-) )

She measured


She rolled




She kneaded


She waited patiently for her dough to rise


She changed her outfit and then rolled buns


She glazed and baked


If you would like to make your own, we used this recipe posted over at http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2009/04/honey-soaked-hot-cross-buns.html. The honey makes a wonderful change from cane sugar.

Honey-soaked hot cross buns, from my mom
Ingredients for buns:
1 package of dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water plus 2 tablespoons of water
3/4 cup of milk
½ cup of butter (one stick)
2 tablespoons of honey, plus more for glazing
1 teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
½ teaspoon of nutmeg
3 eggs
2/3 cup raisins or currants
4 cups of flour (plus more if dough is too wet)

Ingredients for frosting:
1 cup confectioner sugar
2 tablespoons of water
1 tablespoon of honey

Method:
Combine dry yeast and 1/4 cup warm water.
Warm over low the milk, butter, salt and 2 tablespoons of honey until the butter has melted. (Do not let it come to a boil!) Add to yeast mixture.

Whisk in cinnamon, nutmeg and eggs into the mixture. Add 2/3 cup raisins and slowly add the flour, one cup at a time.

Knead on a lightly floured surface for five minutes until the dough is smooth and resilient.

Let rise covered in greased bowl until double.Then punch down the dough and divide into 24 balls and place, sides touching, in a greased and floured 13x9x2 pan and let rise again. With a sharp knife, cut crosses into each bun.

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.

Glaze with honey (as much or as little as you like) and bake five minutes more. Meanwhile, stir together the confectioner sugar, the honey and the two tablespoons of water to make the frosting. When you take the buns out of the oven, cool for 10 minutes, then cross each bun with the frosting