We have found a delicious recipe for Easter from English cuisine for you. These are the delicious crossed buns that are an English specialty and Easter tradition. This recipe is known for the raisins, sugared crunchy shell, and white crosses on top. They are a typical dish for Good Friday brunch in England.
Ingredients:
1 cup milk, 1 tablespoon hot milk, warmed to 110 degrees, 1 package dry yeast, ¾ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon sugar, 2 ¼ cups flour, 2 cups bread flour, ½ cup black raisins, 2 tablespoons sweetened lemon peel, sliced, 2 tsp sugared orange peel, also chopped, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, 1/8 tsp clove, 4 tablespoons butter (melted), 2 eggs, 1 egg yolk, 2/3 cups powdered sugar, ¼ teaspoon vanilla
Preparation:
Make the dough:Coat a large bowl with oil and set aside. Mix the first cup of milk with the yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar, let stand until it becomes bubbly. Combine the flour, the remaining sugar, the raisins, the lemon and orange peel and the spices in a bowl and mix the whole thing with a mixer (kneading hook) or with a stirrer, stirring everything very carefully. Add butter, 2 eggs and the yeast mixture to this mixture and stir until a smooth dough forms, about 3 minutes. Pour this mixture into a floured surface and knead the dough by hand until it becomes smooth - about 5 minutes. This could also take up to 10 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, place it in the prepared bowl and turn until completely coated with oil. Cover it with a clean cloth and let it rest in a warm place until it doubles in size - about 1 hour.
Form the buns
Cover a baking pan with baking paper and set aside. Remove the dough from the bowl, place it on a floured surface and knead for another 3 minutes. Divide it into 12 equal balls. Arrange the balls in the baking pan, 1 centimeter apart, in 3 rows of 4 balls each. Let stand until the balls have doubled in size – about 1 ¼ hours.
Bake the buns:
Preheat oven to 500°F. In a small bowl, mix the egg yolks with 1 tablespoon water. Use the pastry brush to spread the mixture onto the buns. Place the buns on the lowest setting in the oven and reduce the temperature to 400°F. Bake until golden brown - about 20 mins. When done, set aside to cool. Mix the powdered sugar with the remaining milk and the vanilla. If the rolls are already cool, grind crosses on them with the mixture.
