Easter Morning

Heres the thing, aside from the year my mom made a tomato based lamb stew and my sister had a fit thinking it was chunks of lamb in blood, I don’t remember what we ate for Easter dinner. I’m sure it was great, my mom is an amazing cook, but all I remember about Easter is painted eggs and hot cross buns.

Hot cross buns made quite an impression.

My mom never made bread or cinnamon buns or anything like that, the sweet yeasty smell of fresh bread in the morning was a pretty foreign thing, and it was wonderful. Those little buns, dotted with candied fruit and currants still warm. My mom would wake up early and let them proof so they were just cooled enough to pipe the X on them in the before we ate them.

And now, because I live 3500km away from her,  I bake them myself at Easter and think of her.

¾ cup warm milk

1 package of dried yeast, or 7 grams

1 tbsp Sugar

3 cups All Purpose Flour plus more for sprinkling

¼ cup Brown Sugar

1 ½ tsp Cinnamon

¾ cup Butter, softened.

Zest of half an Orange

½ cup dried fruit, I used currants and apricots, but if you could find dried cherries or blueberries you’d really be in businsess.

Mix together the yeast, milk, and white sugar and let stand for about 10 minutes or until foamy.

In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with your dough hook put your flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, eggs and salt.

Add in your milk mixture and beat until it comes together. (sorry I forgot to take a picture of this stage!)

Then add in the butter in bit by bit, it might look like a big hot mess but don’t worry it will come together

See? I told you it would be fine.

Now add in your dried fruits, you may have to do this by hand.

The let it sit, covered, somewhere wam for about an hour to an hour and a half and let it rise.

Now  put the dough on a floured board and cut it in half. Cut it in half again, and then cut each quarter into thirds.

Take each piece, and off the flour, squish it down with the pal of your hand, while keeping your fingers wrapped around it, push it in circles until there is no seem on the bottom and it’s a nice tight round ball.

When they’re all rolled put them in a greased pan and let them proof. I like mine to stick together like sticky buns but if you want yours individual you can just space them out more. Also if you want to bake these off the next morning just stick them in the fridge wrapped, and pull them out about 2 hours before you want to bake them.

Preheat the oven to 375F

Once your buns have doubled in size stick them in the hot oven and cook for about 15 minutes, or until they are golden brown on top. I cooked mine a little to much, so make your slightly lighter then mine.

Pop them out of the pan and let them cool on a rack.

Ice them with an x once they’ve cooled and your done!