What do you do for easter?

[Nessa 23]

yes what about it?

[Amby 490]

those are hot cross buns!

[Nessa 23]

I don't get it. What was funny about Charles giving me that?

[Alex & Rachel 78]

Buns can be slang for your buttocks - now imagine how Charles might make those all hot and crossed

[Nessa 23]

I knew about the meaning, I just can't picture how he could do that. I need a better explanation

[Amby 490]

I think we'll have to leave that one up to charles then

[Ms. Squirrel 11]

julie do you have a recipe you could share for the buns? I'd like to try to make some for our massive feast on saturday. something different and my husband would probably appreciate it too!

Of course - the problem is that it's a metric one though...

I looked up so many recipes and they are all different - I tried a couple of them and prefer this one (had to translate it from German, so it's not very pretty LOL):

For the dough:

450g flour,

30g fresh yeast,

85g sugar,

1/4 l milk,

1/4 tea spoon salt,

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon,

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg,

80g raisins,

85g melted butter,

2 eggs,

30g candied orange peel,

30g candies lemon peel

Icing sugar and milk for the glaze

More icing sugar and lemon juice for the cross

Put half of the flour in a bowl. Mix the yeast with 1 teaspoon of sugar and mix with the milk (lukewarm). Mix the yeast/sugar/milk mix with the flour in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rest and rise at a warm, draft free spot for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, mix the rest of the flour with the sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg. Add the two eggs, melted butter and yeast/sugar/milk mix. Mix together until you get a nice, smooth dough. Add raisins and orange/lemon peel. Then let the dough rise covered at a warm spot for about an hour.

Make 16 buns and put them in a baking dish (with baking paper). Let them rise for another 30 mins. Then cut the bun cross-wise with scissors (sicssors work best). Finally put the buns in the pre-heated oven at 220° celcius (about 400° Fahrenheit) for about 15 - 20 mins. (Watch them closely, they bake pretty fast)

In the meantime mix lots of icing sugar with milk for the glaze. I can't really tell you how much I use, I just mix it until it feels right - not too thick, but also not too thin. As soon as the buns come out of the oven I glaze them with a big brush - with lots and lots of glaze.

Once the buns are cold, I mix lemon juice with icing sugar until it gets really thick and creamy. Then I pour the mix into a zip lock bag, cut the corner off and put the cross in the cross, which I cut in the bun with scissors.

I hope this works for you!

[Amby 490]

thanks for translating it for me! I had to get used to baking with the metric system when I worked in England so I won't have a hard time using those measurements. *claps* (seriously I clapped when I read it) thanks so much again! will let you know how they turn out!

[Ms. Squirrel 11]

thanks for translating it for me! I had to get used to baking with the metric system when I worked in England so I won't have a hard time using those measurements. *claps* (seriously I clapped when I read it) thanks so much again! will let you know how they turn out!

You're welcome. I can't wait to be done with baking them, so I can stuff myself. LOL

Take some pics, please - I am sure yours will come out just picture perfect! Amber, my Hot Cross Bun mate!

[Amby 490]

julie do you have a recipe you could share for the buns? I'd like to try to make some for our massive feast on saturday. something different and my husband would probably appreciate it too!

Of course - the problem is that it's a metric one though...

I looked up so many recipes and they are all different - I tried a couple of them and prefer this one (had to translate it from German, so it's not very pretty LOL):

For the dough:

450g flour,

30g fresh yeast,

85g sugar,

1/4 l milk,

1/4 tea spoon salt,

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon,

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg,

80g raisins,

85g melted butter,

2 eggs,

30g candied orange peel,

30g candies lemon peel

Icing sugar and milk for the glaze

More icing sugar and lemon juice for the cross

Put half of the flour in a bowl. Mix the yeast with 1 teaspoon of sugar and mix with the milk (lukewarm). Mix the yeast/sugar/milk mix with the flour in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rest and rise at a warm, draft free spot for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, mix the rest of the flour with the sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg. Add the two eggs, melted butter and yeast/sugar/milk mix. Mix together until you get a nice, smooth dough. Add raisins and orange/lemon peel. Then let the dough rise covered at a warm spot for about an hour.

Make 16 buns and put them in a baking dish (with baking paper). Let them rise for another 30 mins. Then cut the bun cross-wise with scissors (sicssors work best). Finally put the buns in the pre-heated oven at 220° celcius (about 400° Fahrenheit) for about 15 - 20 mins. (Watch them closely, they bake pretty fast)

In the meantime mix lots of icing sugar with milk for the glaze. I can't really tell you how much I use, I just mix it until it feels right - not too thick, but also not too thin. As soon as the buns come out of the oven I glaze them with a big brush - with lots and lots of glaze.

Once the buns are cold, I mix lemon juice with icing sugar until it gets really thick and creamy. Then I pour the mix into a zip lock bag, cut the corner off and put the cross in the cross, which I cut in the bun with scissors.

I hope this works for you!

julie do you think it's ok to make 24 or 36 smaller ones instead of 12 big ones? I'm making them to take to a big pot luck so I don't think anyone will want to eat one massive bun. with all of the other things on offer.

[natty bumppo 289]

can you make a few extra for me ?? ... and ship them here ??

my wife would love to think I can cook/bake ...

btw ... I actually can cook/bake ... only I need help to keep this a secret ... after all ... I am a guy ..

[Amby 490]

I wish my husband could cook/bake. I have a hard time trying to get him to light the grill, preheat the oven or microwave something

[natty bumppo 289]

I wish my husband could cook/bake. I have a hard time trying to get him to light the grill, preheat the oven or microwave something

Oh ... bring him down with a club ...

[Ms. Squirrel 11]

julie do you think it's ok to make 24 or 36 smaller ones instead of 12 big ones? I'm making them to take to a big pot luck so I don't think anyone will want to eat one massive bun. with all of the other things on offer.

Oh yeah, sure! Don't go too small though, because they will be less moist. And play around with the oven temperature and baking time, I am sure the small ones need less time and a little less heat.

I am getting ready to go to Mom's now, armed with 4kg of flour, 1kg of butter, 2kg of icing sugar, 2 l of milk and the rest of the stuff. It's so heavy, I have to take a taxi instead of the tram! lol Ready for some serious baking action!

BTW, my dear husband loves to bake. And he even cleans the kitchen afterwards. When he gets bored, he bakes a cake or makes scones from scratch. All of his friends get a home made birthday cake from him. Very sweet Back in Melbourne in our house, he made muffins pretty much everyday - there was always a plate with delicious muffins on the bench.

Oh, and he just sent me a txt, wishing me a Happy NZ Good Friday. Happy Good Friday??? #######? lolol

I think Jeffrey might be the anti christ.

[ajames79 0]

I am SO craving Hot Cross Buns now!! Plus I have the tune stuck in my head back from my days of learning the recorder in grade school~ (anyone else remember or do that??)

This year my sister and her fiance are here so my mom and dad are having us over for a lamb dinner! Yum. Fresh Rosemary and garlic and lamb. Heaven. Plus some fresh veg. She'll do some kind of desert. Coconut cake has been her sig. easter cake the last few years. Never been a fan of coconut at all but this cake is simply divine!

I am going to do tiny easter baskets for everyone. Just small little treats! Non for me as I am on a diet!

I've really enjoyed reading everyones traditions! Thanks!