And tis the season to start thinking about Easter. And Easter Food. Every years I make some sort of Hot Cross Buns, everything from traditional to last year’s with chocolate covered cherries in them, but this year’s I think are my favorite so far: Cranberry Walnut Hot Cross Buns, with Maple Glaze. Somehow rather New England-y with the cranberies and maple. Positively yummy!
Ingredients
For the Buns
2 cups Whole Milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut to 1/2 inch cubes
3/4 cup Sugar, divided
2 1/2 Teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
4 cups All-purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
2 teaspoons Salt
1/4 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
Spices: Cardamom, Nutmeg, Allspice (all optional)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
For the Glaze
1 Egg White
Splash of Milk
splash of maple syrup
For the Icing
1 Egg White
1 teaspoon maple extract
Powdered Sugar
Splash of Milk
Directions
Combine 2 cups milk, butter, and 1/2 cup sugar in a saucepan. Stir and heat until very warm but not boiling, and all the butter is melted. Turn off the heat and allow to cool until mixture is still warm, but not hot (110F), about 30 minutes.
In a stand mixer fitted with the dough attachment, add flour and make a well in the middle. Sprinkle in the yeast and the remaining sugar. Once the milk mixture is cooled to between 100-100F, add half of it (about 1 cup) to the work bowl. Let sit for 15 minutes. It should become foamy (if it does not, you’ve killed your yeast). After the 15 minutes, add in the remaining milk mixture, the spices baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix everything until it is a sticky dough.
Grease a large bowl with oil and place dough in it. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
Lightly flour surface. Press to slightly flatten dough. Sprinkle on about a walnuts and cranberries. Then fold the dough over on itself and flatten again so the dough is “plain” again. Add another fruit and nuts, then fold the dough again. Repeat a third time.
Pinch off ping pong or golf ball-size bunches of dough. With floured hands, quickly roll it into a ball, then turn the edges under themselves slightly. Place on a silpat-lined baking sheet. Cover with a clean dish towel and allow to rise in a warm place for another hour.
Preheat oven to 400F.
Mix 1 egg white with a splash of milk and a splash of maple syrup. Brush onto each roll. Bake for approximately 22-25 minutes, or until tops of buns have turned golden brown. Remove from pan and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Finally, ice your hot cross buns. Mix 1 egg white with the maple extract with enough powdered sugar for icing to be very thick. Splash in milk as needed for consistency. Add icing to a small Ziploc bag and snip a tiny snip off the corner. Make icing crosses on each roll.
