Hot Cross Buns (Recipe)

 

Ingredients

Buns:

1 cup milk

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup shortening

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 packages active dry yeast

1/4 cup lukewarm water

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

Icing:

1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

2 to 3 teaspoon milk

Steps

1. Scald the milk.  While hot, transfer to a large mixing bowl and add the sugar, shortening and salt.  Cool to lukewarm.

2. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water and add to the milk mixture.

3. Add the eggs, currants and cinnamon.  Stir in as much flour as you can with a wooden spoon.

4. On a lightly floured surface, knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (3 to 5 minutes).

5. Place the dough in a greased bowl and turn once to grease the surface.  Cover and let the dough rise until it is doubled in size (about 45 minutes).

6. Punch the dough down.  Cover and let the dough rest for 10 minutes more.

7. Divide the dough into 20 portions.  Shape into smooth balls.  Place the balls 2 to 2 1/2 inches apart onto large greased baking sheets.  Cover and let rise until they are nearly doubled in size (about 20 minutes).

8. Preheat oven to 350c.  Mark a crisscross on each bun with a sharp knife.  Bake in the 350c oven about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove from the baking sheets and cool on wire racks.

9. To make the icing:  In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, vanilla and enough milk to make the icing a piping consistency.  When the buns are cool, pipe the icing along the crosses on top of the buns.

Tips:

If you don't have a decorating bag to pipe the icing, make one from a plastic sandwich bag.  Place the icing in the bag and force it into one corner.  Then cut off a small tip from the corner.