british hot cross buns

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened, cut into pieces
• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup dried currants
• 1/4 cup diced candied citron
• glaze:
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• icing:
• 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoons water

Recipe

Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 15 mins Ready Time: 3 hrs 45 mins


• heat milk in a small saucepan to 110 degrees f (43 degrees c); pour milk into a bowl. whisk 1/2 cup flour and yeast into milk; cover with plastic wrap and let stand until bubbly, about 15 minutes.
• place 1 2/3 cups flour, 1/3 cup white sugar, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg into the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment; turn mixer on for a few seconds on low speed to combine. place butter into flour mixture; mix on low speed until incorporated, about 2 minutes.
• place yeast mixture and egg into flour mixture; mix on low speed for 2 minutes. stop mixer and allow to rest for 10 minutes; mix on medium speed until smooth and elastic, about 2 minutes. at slowest speed, mix currants and citron into dough until evenly distributed, about 1 minute.
• butter the inside of a large bowl; place dough in bowl, turn to butter dough on all sides. cover bowl with plastic wrap; let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• line a baking sheet with parchment. turn dough out a lightly floured surface. pat dough into a rough square, and cut into 12 equal pieces. form each piece into a round bun; place on prepared baking sheet. press a cross into each bun with the back of a knife; cover buns with a damp cloth and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
• preheat oven to 375 degrees f (190 degrees c).
• bake buns in the preheated oven until deep golden brown, about 15 minutes.
• bring 2 tablespoons white sugar with 1 tablespoon water to a boil in a small saucepan. remove buns from oven; lift parchment and transfer buns to a wire rack. brush immediately with sugar glaze; allow buns to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• stir confectioners' sugar and remaining 2 teaspoons water together in a small bowl; heat icing mixture in microwave until smooth and warm to the touch, about 10 seconds. place icing in a sandwich bag, snip off one corner of the bag, and pipe in a cross over fully cooled buns; allow icing to dry for 30 minutes.

Cream Puffs Ii

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Recipe

Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ready Time: 1 hr 15 mins


• preheat oven to 450 degrees f (230 degrees c).
• in medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. add butter and stir as it melts, then return to a boil. add flour and salt all at once and stir vigorously until mixture forms a ball. remove from heat and add eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously after each until smooth. drop by heaping tablespoons, 3 inches apart, on a cookie sheet.
• bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven then reduce heat to 325 degrees f (165 degrees c) and bake 25 minutes more. remove puffs from oven, split and remove soft dough from center. turn oven off, and replace puffs to dry in cooling oven, 20 minutes more. cool completely on wire rack.
• in medium bowl, whip cream with electric mixer until stiff peaks form. stir in vanilla and sugar. fill puffs with whipped cream. melt chocolate chips in microwave or slowly over low heat. drizzle melted chocolate over tops of cream puffs. serve immediately.