Hot Cross Buns With Icing
Traditionally, Hot Cross Buns are served on Good Friday prior to Easter. We think these sweet buns makes a wonderful breakfast bread to be served year-round, not just springtime!
Softly spicy, tender, and rich, homemade Hot Cross Buns are sooo much better than store-bought! Don’t forget the traditional icing cross on top.
To Christians, the cross represents Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, which is commemorated on “Good Friday,” two days prior to Easter. See how the date of Easter is calculated.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Combine the milk, sugar, butter, and salt. When lukewarm, add the yeast cake dissolved in water. Add the egg and mix well. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, and cloves, add the currants and citron, and mix thoroughly. Add to the wet ingredients and mix well. Cover and let rise in a warm place (75-85 degrees F) until doubled in bulk. Shape into round buns and place close together in a well buttered pan. Let rise again. Brush the top of each bun with beaten egg. Make a cross on each bun with a sharp knife. Bake in a hot oven (400 degrees F) for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and make crosses with a mixture of the confectioners’ sugar and milk.
Reader Comments
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Hot Cross Buns
Wonderful, basic traditional recipe but we've always known of Hot Cross Buns to be served at the beginning of Lent, on Ash Wednesday. That is when commercial bakeries premiere their hot cross buns in grocery stores and when local bakeries feature theirs as well. We are here in northern NJ in the NYC tristate area. Happy Easter to all !
Buns
What is a yeast cake????
hot cross buns
if you want the traditional white stripe mix a little flour and water to make stiffish paste and pipe across the cross before baking
Hot cross buns
Last bit about another egg and sugar.is this a topping.
Hot Cross Bun Recipe
How many buns does this recipe make and what is the nutrional information ?
Is it a one ounce of two
Is it a one ounce of two ounce cake of yeast?
It seems at least one step
It seems at least one step has been left out. Should I combine the wet and dry ingredients before allowing to rise?
...also How many buns does
...also How many buns does this recipe make and how much milk and sugar are needed to make the crosses?