Tiny New York Kitchen: Hot Cross Buns

By Victoria Hart Glavin of Tiny New York Kitchen 

These slightly sweet buns are often served during the Easter season.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 to 4 1/2 Cups Unbleached Flour
  • 1 Package Active Dry Yeast
  • 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
  • 1/8 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
  • 3/4 Cup Whole Milk
  • 1/2 Cup Butter
  • 1/3 Cup Sugar
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • 3 Room Temperature Large Eggs
  • 2/3 Cup Raisins or Currants
  • 1/4 Cup Diced Candied Orange Peel (Optional)
  • 1 Beaten Egg White
  • 1 Tablespoon Water
  • Powdered Sugar Icing (See Below For Recipe)

In a large-size bowl combine 2 cups flour, yeast, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. In a medium-size saucepan add milk, butter, sugar, and kosher salt. Heat over a medium-low heat and stir until butter almost melts. The temperature should reach between 120 to 130 degrees. Add milk mixture to flour mixture along with eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds. Scrape bowl constantly. Turn to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Stir in raisins and orange peel. Stir in as much of remaining flour as you can.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour for 3 to 5 minutes. You will want moderately soft dough. Shape into a ball. Place dough into lightly greased bowl. Turn once to grease surface of dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 2 hours or until doubled in size. Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Lightly grease two baking sheets and set side. Divide dough into 20 pieces. Gently pull each piece into a ball. Tuck edges under to make smooth tops. Place balls 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets. Cover and let rise for 1 hour or until nearly doubled in size. Preheat oven to 374 degrees. Using a sharp knife make crisscross slashes across top of each dough ball. In small-size bowl combine beaten egg white and water. Brush egg white mixture over rolls. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately remove buns from baking sheets. Cool slightly on wire racks. Drizzle Powdered Sugar Icing into crisscrosses on each bun. Serve warm. Makes about 20 Hot Cross Buns.

Powdered Sugar Icing

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Tablespoon Milk

In small-size bowl combine powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Stir in additional milk if needed one tablespoon at a time until icing reaches drizzling consistency. Makes about 1/2 cup.

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Victoria Hart Glavin has been cooking and writing recipes since she was a teenager. Originally from Nebraska, her appreciation for culinary technique took off when she moved to Lyon, France.

While living in France, Victoria studied French cooking from an expert Lyonnais chef. Victoria learned to love the local culture of preparing and enjoying fresh, seasonal foods. While in France, Victoria experienced the joys of shopping for local produce at the market and preparing fresh foods simply and beautifully in order to enhance the experience of the table. During her time in France, she says she “learned how to squeeze tomatoes at the local market” and “took everything in by osmosis.”

Currently, Victoria creates tasty treats in her tiny kitchen, in New York City, for all to enjoy and on weekends she explores Fairfield County where has a second home. Victoria has shared her recipes with others and now you can enjoy the Tiny New York Kitchen recipe collection, too!  Victoria is a member of Culinary Historians of New York and a member of the Association for the Study of Food and Society.

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