By Cheryl Orr

Vibrant green buds are emerging on trees, fragrant lavender blooms of wisteria cascade over the fence and trellis, and delicate azalea flowers explode around Edenton, signaling rebirth and a welcome spring.
After a week of reflection, celebrating the light and life, many will gather for egg hunts and
brunch or a special meal. Traditional foods for an Easter feast are often ham, lamb, casseroles, deviled eggs, and a spring dessert. A special bread for an Easter meal is a warm pan of Hot Cross Buns.
These sweet fluffy buns flavored with spices and dried currants and marked with a cross
appeared annually at Easter throughout 18th-century Great Britain. The first printed reference to Hot Cross Buns comes from 1733 in Poor Robin’s Almanac. Hot Cross Buns were explicitly associated with Good Friday, a key date in the Christian calendar that commemorates the crucifixion of Christ before his resurrection on Easter Sunday. To those practicing Christianity today, a bite from a hot cross bun remains a symbol of religious significance. The bread represents the Communion wafer, the spices replicate those used in ancient burial wrappings, and the cross is, of course, a reference to the crucifixion.
The cross was originally scored into the dough with a paste of flour and water, but recent
versions have used a sweet icing. Currants are often hard to find locally, but minced raisins are a good substitute.
This week I have included my recipe for Hot Cross Buns.
Enjoy and Happy Easter!

If you have a cooking question, contact me at cher.orr@gmail.com and I’d be happy to assist!

Hot Cross Buns

Makes 12 large or 18 small rolls
INGREDIENTS 

• ¾ cup dried currants, or diced raisins
• 1 cup warm milk, at 110 degrees
• 2 ¼ teaspoons, or 1 packet, active dry quick-rise yeast
• ½ cup sugar, plus more
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 3 ¾ cups bread flour, or AP can be substituted, plus more
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon cardamon
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• ¼ cup powdered sugar

PREPARATION

1. Cover the currants or raisins with boiling water and set aside to plump for 15 minutes.
   Drain well and set aside.
2. Combine the warm milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer with a
   dough hook. Allow the yeast to activate and become bubbly for about 15 minutes.
3. Add ½ cup sugar, 1 egg, and melted butter to the activated yeast, and mix together on
   low speed until just combined. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and
   spices.
4. While mixer is on low, add the flour mixture and continue to mix until a slightly sticky
   dough forms. Continue to knead with the dough hook on medium low until a smooth
   ball of dough forms, about 5-6 minutes. This process can also be done by mixing
   together the ingredients in a bowl, and then kneading by hand about 8 minutes. Do not
   add extra flour or the dough will become tough. Mix in the drained currants or raisins
   and kneed another minute.
5. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat the dough with oil on all sides.
   Cover and let rise until doubled, 1-2 hours.
6. Prepare a 9 x 13 baling pan with nonstick spray and set aside. Place the dough on a
   clean, lightly floured surface or counter, and cut the dough into 12-18 equal pieces. Shape each piece of dough into a ball and tuck and pinch the bottom together. Place the
   balls of dough pinched side down into prepared pan, evenly spaced apart. Cover the pan
   with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size, but not too
   high in pan. This will take 30-60 minutes, depending on the temperature of your room.
7. While dough is rising preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush tops of dough with remaining
   egg combined with a little water to create an egg wash. Whisk together 1/3 cup flour with 3 tablespoons water to create a paste. Add the flour paste to a zip-top bag. Cut a
   small corner of the bag and pipe crosses onto tops of the dough balls.
8. Bake the rolls 20 minutes, until golden on top, and cooked through to 190 degrees with
   an instant-read thermometer. Cool in pan for 10 minutes.
9. While cooling whisk together ¼ cup powdered sugar with 3 tablespoons water. Brush
   the glaze over the warm rolls. Serve warm.

Cheryl Orr is offering weekly pop-up events at Edenton Bay Trading Co. that all can attend. She is currently completing her cookbook, and offering private cooking classes, small catering, and private chef dinners. See all on http://www.edentonepicurean.com

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