This is not a normal post for my blog.
First of all, I took some of the photos below before I even began blogging, I didn’t make the hot cross buns in those pictures, and the recipe belongs to a storybook rabbit!
So, here’s the reason for the strange post:
When my children were young, I used to entertain them with all things ‘Beatrix Potter’, and one of the coloring books I bought for them was called, “Peter Rabbit’s Easter.” It contained lots of activities for the Easter holiday, and one of them was a recipe for children to make hot cross buns. Well, I pulled out that particular page and kept the recipe because it sounded really good, but it wasn’t until my daughter was 13 years old, that she actually made them! (Yikes, time flies!)
The photo of the page below, is from that little coloring book and the recipe she followed, and we continue to follow (please note, I am quite sure the 1 tablespoon of yeast is a typo, as this is a very large amount of dried yeast for this recipe; please use 1 teaspoon instead).
We make hot cross buns in our bread machine; if you’d like to do the same, just follow the directions below.
As you can see from the photos, we added our own little touch of icing as the recipe didn’t include it, or pieces of dough made from flour and water. If you’d like to add it too, just mix a little milk with some confectioner’s sugar until it reaches a thick, but slightly runny consistency, and make Xs on the buns in the crosses you’ve marked. Alternatively, mix together a dough with a little flour and water to roll our the little crosses and add to the top before baking.
I can assure you, these taste even better than they look! Delicious, anyway you eat them!
(For US measurements, see below.)
the old photo of my daughter’s first batch, when she was 13
Mrs. Rabbit’s Hot Cross Buns
adapted from the recipe above
Ingredients (U.S.)
- 10 oz milk
- 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), melted
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp. mixed spice (you can use 2 tsp, but I like to use less) US bakers: pumpkin pie spice, or a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice (a touch of cloves, too) may also be used; more cinnamon and less of each of the spices that follow
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp. dried yeast
- 3/4 cup mixed dried fruit (we used raisins/currants)
Glaze
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp water
Add the milk and melted butter to the bread machine bowl. Place the flour, sugar, salt and mixed spice on top of the liquid and make a well in the center, to which the yeast can be added. Set the bread machine to the dough setting and press start. Add the dried fruit when the machine beeps to “add ingredients”.
When the cycle has ended, make sure the dough has doubled in size, then shape into 12 equal pieces and place in a buttered 9″x13″ pan.
Next, make two perpendicular cuts with a sharp knife or blade on the top of each bun. If you are going to make the dough for the crosses, just mix a little flour and water into a dough and roll into thin ropes. Wet the cross and place the thin ropes into each bun.
Allow the buns to rise until almost doubled in size. I place mine in the oven with a jug of boiling water (so they won’t form a crust). Then remove from the oven, and set it to 400°F (200°) and allow to come to temperature before placing the buns to bake in the center of the oven for about 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown.
these are already glazed
Meanwhile, make the glaze by melting the sugar in the water in a small pot over low heat. Allow to simmer for about two minutes, then brush the buns with the glaze as soon as they come out of the oven.
Allow to cool slightly before serving, preferably with a hot cup of tea.
My daughter’s first time making hot cross buns from Mrs. Rabbit’s recipe. Excuse the poor quality of photo as it was never meant to end up on a blog, especially since she didn’t want her photo on here–well, I sort of cut her out… ;)
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- 10 oz milk
- ¼ cup butter (1/2 stick), melted, if using a bread machine
- ¼ cup sugar
- 3½ to 3¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp. mixed spice (you can use 2 tsp, but I like to use less) US bakers: pumpkin pie spice, or a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice (a touch of cloves, too) may also be used; more cinnamon and less of each of the spices that follow
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp. dried yeast
- ¾ cup mixed dried fruit (we used raisins/currants)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- Add the milk and melted butter to the bread machine bowl. Place the flour, sugar, salt and mixed spice on top of the liquid and make a well in the center, to which the yeast can be added. Set the bread machine to the dough setting and press start. Add the dried fruit when the machine beeps to “add ingredients”.
- When the cycle has ended, make sure the dough has doubled in size, then shape into 12 equal pieces and place in a buttered 9″x13″ pan.
- Next, make two perpendicular cuts with a sharp knife or blade on the top of each bun. If you are going to make the dough for the crosses, just mix a little flour and water into a dough and roll into thin ropes. Wet the cross and place the thin ropes into each bun.
- Allow the buns to rise until almost doubled in size. I place mine in the oven with a jug of boiling water (so they won’t form a crust). Then remove from the oven, and set it to 400°F (200°) and allow to come to temperature before placing the buns to bake in the center of the oven for about 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Meanwhile, make the glaze by melting the sugar in the water in a small pot over low heat. Allow to simmer for about two minutes, then brush the buns with the glaze as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Allow to cool slightly before serving, preferably with a hot cup of tea.
- The next day, slice them in half and toast them to serve with butter, and of course another cup of tea!
dave
wrote on
Hi Christina, looking for a Belgian bun recipe. Any ideas or something similar.
Christina
wrote on
Hi Dave, my friend at London Eats (who is originally from Scotland) has a good-looking recipe on his site: https://londoneats.wordpress.com/2013/07/21/belgian-buns/
Joanna Horlock
wrote on
I would use the dough I make for cinnamon rolls but add some raisins and sugar instead of the butter and sugar/cinnamon mixture to it the when baked drizzle icing on to it!
dave
wrote on
Hi joanne, have you got a site on pinterest?
Joanna
wrote on
No just thought of it.
dave
wrote on
Might not be easter but noticed this recipe doesn’t use eggs so I added one just incase it was left out by mistake. They came out perfect. I used 1.5 tsp of yeast with 300 grm. of bread flour. So was mrs.rabbit right or would it had made no diffence had I left the egg out? All other recipes I’ve looked at use eggs.
Christina
wrote on
Hi Dave, no Mrs. Rabbit didn’t make a mistake :) as this recipe recipe doesn’t use eggs. However, you discovered that adding an egg doesn’t hurt. Usually eggs don’t need to be used when using yeast. Glad it turned out for you! :)
dave
wrote on
Thanks for prompt reply. Won’t use an egg next time.
Christina
wrote on
I can’t compare as I haven’t tried it with an egg, but I love them sans egg! :)
Jo
wrote on
Can I have instructions to,Kate these without a bread maker, don’t have one!
Christina
wrote on
Oh sorry Jo, it’s very simple! Just start by dissolving the yeast in the milk (make sure it’s lukewarm, not straight out of the fridge) and allow to sit for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place the sugar, flour, mixed spice and salt in a bowl, then add the milk and yeast mixture and melted butter and start to mix it into a dough with your hands. It will come together into a ball, then you’ll need to flour your counter and knead it for about 10 minutes or so. At this point you can add the raisins and once they’re mixed well, put it back in the bowl, cover and let rise until doubled and proceed with the rest of the recipe from #2.
Let me know how they turn out! :)
Luisa Bellissimo
wrote on
Thank you for the great recipes and wonderful step by step pictures, as well as your personal stories. I was looking for the Italian doughnut recipe and your blog came up and I’m so glad it did. My mother in law calls them zippoli ( pronounced zeepolee) , she hasn’t made them for a while, since she is getting on in age and she couldn’t really remember the exact measurements etc.
I am going to try them in the next few days and I’m sure they will turn out great. Her dough wasn’t as sticky as yours. She rolled them out and cut them to the size she wanteda and then fried them. She also made then for St, Joseph’s Day, March 19th and for Easter, because it was a tradition in their hometown in Calabria ( Catenzaro). My kids love them and asked me to try making them. I didn’t have a clue, since no one could tell me anything????? Now I can and will try and hope they come out even better than Nonna G’s doughnuts!!!!
Luisa Bellissimo
wrote on
Sorry for the sp. errors…I should proof read before sending, but it’s after midnight and my brain is in sleep mode. Thanks again!,
Christina
wrote on
Oh don’t worry! I have typos all the time (usually for the same reason: lack of sleep)! ;)
Christina
wrote on
Hi Luisa! So happy that you found my site, too! I have other doughnut recipes such as this rice one for St. Joseph’s Day: http://christinascucina.com/2014/03/traditional-italian-rice.html Although, they don’t sound like the one your mother in law rolled out. And I have these too (not rolled out either) http://christinascucina.com/2014/12/italian-ricotta-raisin-and-chocolate-doughnuts-frittelle-ricotta-uvetta-e-cioccolato.html. Let me know how the zeppole turn out! I also hope they’re better than Nonna G’s! :)
Christel Schindler
wrote on
This looks great. The 1 tblsp of yeast looks right to me for that amount of flour. Thanks for posting.
Christina
wrote on
Thanks, Christel! Having made this recipe many times and only using one teaspoon of yeast, I would honestly advise against using an entire tablespoon. Too much yeast can spoil a recipe; good luck! CC
Cynthia/What A Girl Eats
wrote on
Gorgeous looking buns Christina! Your photos are terrific too!
Christina
wrote on
Thanks, Cynthia!
Brandon @ Kitchen Konfidence
wrote on
Wow, these look perfect! I love the glossy finish :)
Christina
wrote on
Thanks so much, Brandon!
Cyndi - My Kitchen Craze
wrote on
These look so yummy! I’ve never made cross buns. That needs to change asap! And loved reading the post! ;-)
Christina
wrote on
Wonderful! Thanks so much, Cyndi!
cristina
wrote on
Gosh, Christina! These buns look so good…for dinner or with afternoon tea/coffee – and must smell wonderful! Luv those Potter books and the beautiful illustrations they had. You bring back happy memories of enjoying those books…sweet and personal touch including the recipe page from it. :)
Christina
wrote on
Very happy to hear it, Cristina! Thank you!
Andi
wrote on
Those look wonderful for a Sunday morning with coffee, or a rainy afternoon with tea. I imagine the smell these make in the house while they are baking!
Christina
wrote on
Oh yes! The aroma is absolutely wonderful, Andi! They should make a Hot Cross Bun candle scent!! :)
Heather / girlichef
wrote on
I love this post! This is basically my daily life…finding things in every day objects that inspire me/us to head into the kitchen. Her first batch was as beautiful as your updated photos – which look absolutely perfect and mouthwatering. And now I’m craving hot cross buns!
Christina
wrote on
I know, don’t you hate it when you see something and just want to eat it right then? Sorry about that! However, if you have a bread machine, you can whip them up with a minimum of fuss and have them today! Thanks so much, Heather!
Susan | LunaCafe
wrote on
Perfection! What gorgeous photos. And what a lovely tradition. My favorite-four-year-old made her first rolls with me this past Thanksgiving. Can’t wait to make these with her this week (spring break). :-)
Christina
wrote on
Love that you have her baking with you at 4…good job, Susan! She’s going to love making these, especially if she knows who Peter’s mother is! ;) Happy Easter! CC
Sabrina Modelle
wrote on
This is such a sweet post, Christina. The hot cross buns look divine, too.
Christina
wrote on
Thank you so much, Sabrina! :) CC
Sheena @ Tea and Biscuits
wrote on
Oh my, they look so amazing, I wish I had some in my house right now!! I’ll let you know if I manage to cook up a gluten free version of your buns. And amen to the cup of tea :)
Christina
wrote on
I wish you the best of luck, Sheena! Let me know how it goes! CC
Medeja
wrote on
The buns looks just perfect! :)
Christina Conte
wrote on
Thank you, Medeja!!