Hot Cross Buns

(Note from Donna: Today we are thrilled to feature a guest post from my sister, Sandy Hoopes, who blogs at Everyday Southwest. Sandy is a whiz at all things pastry and even has an actual pastry certificate from an actual culinary school as proof that she knows her way around a pastry kitchen!  Her Hot Cross Buns are my little Easter gift to you all! — Donna)

I just love those little Easter buns with currents and old fashioned spices and sticky butter on top.  I don’t remember eating Hot Cross Buns when I was a little girl but, for some reason, the warm spicy flavor and yeasty aroma seem to call to me every springtime.  Dare I say that they are in my DNA?

The rich history and colorful traditions of the little buns are a definite bonus when Easter rolls around and I’m trying to decide what to bake for brunch.  But, until recently, I had no idea that Hot Cross Buns had anything to do with me.  After spending many years of insomnia filled nights pecking around on the computer and tracing my family roots, I have found a distant grandfather directly tied to Hot Cross Buns.  I know!  It’s great!  A foodie like me with bread in my history… who would have guessed?

Apparently, the dangerous little buns had been declared illegal by Henry VIII, then legal by his daughter Mary, then illegal again (except Easter and Christmas) by Elizabeth I.  Well… so was Granddad!  After finding himself on both sides of the law for teaching Catholicism during this time, King James declared Granddad an outlaw and beheaded him right there in the public square.  Right there in York… the hot bed of the War of the Roses, Catholic uprisings and dangerous little buns.

Now, how’s that for a foodie family history minute?  I’ve obviously never met Granddad (Bl. Thomas Welbourne) and I’m  not English but… I sure do love those Hot Cross Buns.  I’ve made loads of them the last few Easters and stuck them in the freezer for later—for anytime I need a warm,  homey feeling treat.

It’s Good Friday today.   That means there is plenty of time to make Hot Cross Buns this weekend.  Don’t worry, you don’t have to be Catholic (I’m not) and you don’t even have to celebrate Easter (I do) to love these little treats.

I like to make mine as traditional as possible so I bake the “cross” into the bun, not pipe it on top after they are finished.  I also like to use the traditional English mixed spice.  It’s a little difficult to find so I included a recipe for it.  The mix does include seven different spices so, if you don’t have them all of them in your cupboard, or you don’t want to buy a spice that you don’t use often,  please feel free to use the spices you do have.  If you do want to add a new spice to your cabinet, consider buying mace.  You can often find it in small bottles.  I think it gives the most “English” taste of the spices.  Don’t worry about not being able to use it again, mace is wonderful in sweet bread and cookies, especially holiday breads.

– Guest Post by Sandy Hoopes
everydaysouthwest.com