Hot Cross Buns
Not only is Hot Cross Buns a catchy tune that every elementary school student learns on the recorder, but it is also a sweet little roll that is traditionally served on Good Friday. This easy recipe for the best yeasty, hot cross buns made with chocolate chips, instead of raisins, is the perfect Easter treat! What are hot cross buns? Hot cross buns are spiced English buns, marked with a cross on the top, that are associated with the end of Lent and are typically eaten on Good Friday. Traditional hot cross buns are filled with raisins, however, my family prefers chocolate chips. These yeasty, chocolatey rolls are soft and fluffy and perfectly sweet! How to make hot cross buns If you have a stand mixer, this is the time to pull it out! If not, you can still make hot cross buns, you will just need a little elbow grease to knead the dough. A hand mixer will work for steps 1-3. 1. To your stand mixer, add 1 cup warm milk (110 degrees), 1 package active dry yeast, and 1 Tbsp honey. Whisk together and let sit 5 minutes. Artzy Foodie Pro Tip: One package of active dry yeast is 2 1/4 tsp. 2. Add 1/3 cup sugar, 1 stick melted butter, and 2 eggs and whisk together. 3. In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp nutmeg. 4. Add the flour mixture, half at a time and mix together, then add 1 cup miniature chocolate chips. Using a dough hook, knead until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 5 minutes. If you don’t have a stand mixer with a dough hook, flour a board and knead the dough until it comes together, about 8 minutes. 5. Put the dough in a buttered bowl, cover and let it rise 1-2 hours, until doubled in size. 6. When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down. 7. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and put into a buttered baking dish. Artzy Foodie Pro Tip: The dough can be refrigerated overnight and piped (see step 9) and baked when you are ready to serve. 8. Cover and let rise 30 minutes. 9. In a bowl, mix together 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup water, and 1 Tbsp sugar. Add to a piping bag and pipe a cross onto the top of each roll. Add more water if needed to get the proper consistency for piping. Artzy Foodie Pro Tip: If you don’t have a piping bag, add the flour paste to a plastic baggie and snip off a corner from the bottom of the bag. 10. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. When the rolls come out of the oven, brush the tops with a sweet glaze made from 2 Tbsp warm milk and 2 Tbsp sugar mixed together. Serve them warm with butter. How long will hot cross buns last? Once the rolls have cooled completely, they can be stored in an air tight container, at room temperature, for 2 days. Or, once cooled completely, hot cross buns can be wrapped individually in plastic wrap and frozen for a month. To reheat them, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Then, wrap them in aluminum foil and reheat in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes, or until warm. If you like this recipe, be sure to subscribe to Artzy Foodie to get all the latest tasty goodness straight to your inbox! And, follow us on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram to stay updated! These sweet, yeasty hot cross buns, made with chocolate chips instead of raisins, are soft and fluffy rolls traditionally eaten on Good Friday!