Orange Hot Cross Buns... Recipe
I'm finally back home from my most excellent adventure with Baby Max...I feel like he knows me now and the next time I see him I'm sure he'll remember me. At least I hope so! Grandchildren are perfect, right down to their germs, which they freely share. I came home as sick as I've ever been...strep throat or it's evil twin has practically flattened me - with only the mister to administer to my needs...which are so few... he runs in and out of the bedroom making enough noise to wake the dead about every 15 minutes...do I need water? Do I need ice? Do I want more pills? Can he get me anything? Secretly he's amused that I can't talk, his dream has come true, so he must get immense pleasure out of asking me questions and getting only a head nod for an answer. But I'm talkin' in my head!!! IDIOT! Get the HECK outta here and leave me alone! No rest for the weary/wicked.
It just wouldn't be Easter without Orange Hot Cross Buns...but these are not your normal-run-of-the-mill Hot Cross Buns...they're not loaded up with spices like cardamom, mace, allspice or jellied fruits or candied peels...instead they are fresh and light with just a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon and the zest from an orange...they are delicious! I debated about whether or not to include currants, and finally decided that I would soak them in orange juice first and then add them to the dough - making them soft and sweet.
These are great to serve with Easter Brunch or Dinner...and they're particularly good the next day for breakfast, if you can squirrel away one or two before they're devoured!
- Orange Hot Cross Buns - Adapted from Sunset Magazine, March 2010
- 3/4 cup warm whole milk (100 to 110 degrees)
- 4 1/2 teaspoons ( 2 packages) active dry yeast
- 1 large egg plus 2 tablespoons beaten egg
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- zest from 1 large orange
- about 3 cups flour
- 1/2 cup dried currants
- 1/2 cup orange juice plus 4 teaspoons
- 1 cup powdered sugar
In a small bowl, combine currants with 1/2 cup of orange juice. Set aside. In a bowl of an electric stand mixer, combine milk and yeast; let stand until yeast softens, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add whole egg (do not add the 2 tablespoons beaten egg now), sugar, butter, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and orange zest. Beat on medium speed with dough hook until blended. Blend in 2 3/4 cups flour. Beat on medium speed until dough is smooth and stretchy, 10 to 12 minutes. Add just enough flour (about 1/4 cup) so dough is only slightly tacky. Drain currants and add to dough. Remove dough from bowl with hands and knead lightly to mix in and distribute currants. Return dough to bowl, cover with plastic wrap and put in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
Punch dough down. Shape dough into a small log. Cut in half and then cut each half in two, making four equal-sized pieces of dough. With floured hands, make four round balls from each piece of dough, making a total of 16 round pieces of dough. Butter a 9 x 13-inch pan and evenly space the dough balls into the pan. (It's very easy to fit 15 rolls in the pan, so you'll have to squeeze in the 16th one, but do it because that becomes the first one to be eaten by the cook!) Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 40 minutes, until doubled and puffy. Meanwhile preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush buns with the remaining 2 tablespoons of beaten egg. Bake until deep golden brown, about 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool in pans for 30 minutes.
In a small bowl, stir together the orange juice and powdered sugar until smooth. Spoon into a small plastic bag, snip a hole in the corner, and squeeze icing onto buns to form large X's.