Hot
Cross Buns from “Queen of the Castle” by Lynn Bowen Walker
Dissolve:
1
package dry yeast (2 ¾ tsp)
In
¼ cup warm water
Set
aside. In large saucepan, heat until almost boiling (small bubbles
will appear on sides of pan):
1
cup milk
Remove
from heat: Add:
1
stick butter or margarine (can cut in pieces) and stir till it
melts.
Add:
½
cup sugar
1
½ tsp salt
Combine
yeast mixture with milk mixture once the milk has cooled. Add:
3
beaten eggs
Stir
in:
4
¾ cups flour
1
tsp cinnamon
1
tsp grated lemon peel
Stir
until dough is smooth. (Note: dough will be very sticky; no need to
add extra flour.) Add:
1
cup raisins, if desired
Cover
pan with damp towel and let rise in a warm place until double. When
double, stir down. Turn dough onto a floured board. Shape into
balls the size of eggs. Place on greased cookie sheet, two to three
inches apart, and let rise until almost double again.
Brush
tops with:
1
beaten egg white
Bake
at 375 degrees twelve to fifteen minutes, until nicely browned. When
cool, pipe frosting across the top in shape of a cross. Makes
twenty-four.
Frosting
In
medium bowl, stir together:
1
cup powdered sugar
1
Tbsp melted butter or margarine
½
tsp lemon or orange extract
enough
hot water to make desired consistency (probably 1-2 Tbsp)
Pipe
a cross on each bun; with leftover icing, pipe a circle or two around
each cross. Use all the frosting, especially if you've omitted
raisins, because the buns benefit from the added sweetness. (If you
don't own a pastry bag, plop the frosting into your sturdiest plastic
storage bag, then place the bag into another sturdy plastic storage
bag; snip off the corner and pipe away.)
