Cross about Hot Cross Buns (and an Easter biscuit recipe)
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This Good Friday morning, the children and I tucked into hot cross buns for our breakfast. The traditional ones for my girl and me, and some chocolate pretenders that suit the palate of my boy (aka fussy toad).
We will eat them today and today only. When did it stop being a tradition for hot cross buns to only be eaten on Good Friday? I am not impressed that at some time over the past 30 odd years the supermarkets have decided that we want to eat fruit buns with crosses on the top all year! Why? Just make the buns and leave the crosses for the once a year
I can remember as a kid having to collect our buns from the bakery on Maundy Thursday, so that they’d be wonderfully fresh. Not everyone had a freezer then; I think the first my mother had was a monster of a chest freezer in which loaves of bread and home-frozen vegetables loitered for many a month. And there was no call for bakers to bake hot cross buns for any other day than Good Friday – so that is what they did!
Excuse my rambling rant – it’s just something that bothers me.
And whatever happened to Easter Biscuits? I can still taste them and must try out a recipe so that I can make my own. These scrummy but simple biscuits were sold everywhere. Surely this was not just a west country tradition? I suppose these are easily home-baked, and I’ll be using the following recipe for mine – and be sure that they are not thin, meagre offerings! I did come across some in Morrissons and they are the thinnest things! They taste OK but are very hard offerings with none of the crumbly texture I remember from years gone by. So…
Easter Biscuits
110g/4oz caster sugar, plus extra for dusting
110g/4oz butter, softened to room temperature
1 free-range egg, separated
225g/8oz plain flour, sieved if you want to faff about with such 
a good pinch mixed spice
55g/2oz currants – or a few more if you fancy
3 tbsp milk
and I like to add just a dash of grated zest of a lemon, but that’s my taste
1. Preheat your oven 160C/325F/Gas 3 (note how cool this is compared to many recipes). Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper or run over it with some butter, or use on of those wonderful reusable baking sheets.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Thoroughly beat in the egg yolk.
3. Fold in the flour, then stir in the spice and currants. Add enough milk to form a stiff dough.
4. Roll the dough onto a floured surface and cut out your biscuits with whatever you fancy. I remember Easter biscuits as being quite large, but of course you should make yours to suit your taste, or can use some cute cutters, of course. Place onto the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
5. Remove the biscuits from the oven, brush with the egg white, sprinkle with sugar and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes, until pale golden-brown.
6. Remove the biscuits from the tray and set aside to cool on a wire rack (if you can bear to).
With thanks to James Martin and the BBC recipe site for the base of this recipe
Enjoy! And Happy Easter
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18 Responses to Cross about Hot Cross Buns (and an Easter biscuit recipe)
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Will have a go at Easter biscuits tomorrow with my two – a nice tradition, something which seems to be unfashionable these days, tradition. Ah well. Enjoy your Hot Cross Buns – for me they have to be warm, split, buttered and strawberry jammed….Lovely, thank you!
Am pretty sure the spice involved with Hot X buns is cinnamon … not only delicious but good for you, too, it seems:
http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/10-health-benefits-of-cinnamon.html
Twitter: SuzanStMaur
Am pretty sure the spice involved with Hot X buns is cinnamon … not only delicious but good for you, too, it seems:
http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/10-health-benefits-of-cinnamon.html
Twitter: SuzanStMaur
I'm an all-year-round hot cross bun eater, sorry. <g>
it all began the Easter I was pregnant, and very nauseous all the time. I discovered that I could eat hot cross buns, so I bought loads and froze them, so I could keep on having one a day to settle the tum. Then I found some left over at Christmas, and ate them out of sheer naughtiness. Now, I always have a stock of buns for treats, and I have been known to keep some mince pies in the freezer for Easter. As rebellions go it is pretty mild, but it amuses me.
The biscuit recipe looks tempting
I remember going with my Gran to the bakers to buy hot cross buns when I was very young, and getting into trouble because when we got home she discovered I'd secretly been pulling bits off them on the buss journey, and not just from one of them….
Do you remember the biscuits from when we were kids, Mary?
Twitter: babssaul
Yes, they had a certain smell and taste – was it cinnamon?
Not sure – I think I'll do some testing tomorrow and work out whether it was mixed spice or cinnamon. Will make some with grated nutmeg and the lemon too, I think.
Twitter: babssaul
Well as someone who is so cheery and spreads goodwill wherever she goes, I think we can let you off, Carolyn.
Twitter: babssaul
You might want a moan at my eldest son ! He has Hot cross buns for breakfast every day (except when at breakfast club) which he moans about going to now as they only offer toast or cereal !.Jay tells me off as Bran seems to think our home is a cafe !!
Think your comment is very right that could bake the buns with no cross for all year round !
You might want a moan at my eldest son ! He has Hot cross buns for breakfast every day (except when at breakfast club) which he moans about going to now as they only offer toast or cereal !.Jay tells me off as Bran seems to think our home is a cafe !!
Think your comment is very right that could bake the buns with no cross for all year round !
I am not a huge fan of Hot cross buns, mostly due to the sugar and cinnamon combination. But I can see why some love them
Hot cross buns are my favourite part of Easter
, well second part after the resurrection and all that 
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Hot cross buns are my favourite part of Easter!